Last Duty of 2007

It's Sunday 30 Dec 2007 and I have just done my last duty for 2007. Mostly fairly quiet, the big excitement of the day was watching two little old ladies trying to cross the road at a most inappropriate place. It was on the sea front by the junction with Belgrave Road. I was heading into Torquay and as I came up to the lights at Belgrave Road there was a coach in the left lane waiting at a red light. As I rolled to a stop in th outside lane for straight on, the two sweet dear elderly ladies walked out from in front of the coach and saw me coming. At first they made as if to move back but when they saw I was stopping they continued across the road. I stuck my head out the window and suggested they didn't cross the road at this point as there were problems ahead that could get them involved in an RTC. (Road Traffic Collision) However they continued to the island in the centre of the road. Safe for the moment. But. From here there is an other much smaller island but to get to it they must watch for traffic coming out of Belgrave Road. It is a wide sweeping corner and traffic goes pretty damn fast by the time it reaches where our two heroes were standing. Also there is the traffic coming from Sheddon Hill. There is only a slight bend to get through before coming past the island, at speed, where, by now there were two slightly worried pedestrians wondering why they didn't listen to the friendly bus driver. Finally they saw a gap in the rushing traffic and made it to the small island. An island so small it was obviously not designed for people to stand on. Not in any great number that is. In fact not in any number greater than zero. OK I know zero isn't a number but the N in PIN stands for number yet we all say Pin number. I digress. Back to the ladies. Now all they had to do to emulate the chicken and cross the road was to wait for a gap in the traffic coming out of Torquay. Now this traffic is not controlled by any lights and tends to be both heavy and fast. Eventually a gap arrived and the brave pair sent off for the promised land. It was only then they noticed the railings. The railings that run along the pavement for a 100 yards designed to prevent people crossing the road at this point. Something I tried to tell them so long ago when they set out with hope in their hearts that if the chicken can get to the other side so can they. Well the chicken might get to the other side and have many near misses, but 15 seconds later it will have forgotten the whole experience. Not our prim, proper, well brought up ladies, realizing there was a barrier in their way and they were wearing dark clothes and cars were heading for them very fast and it was a 20 yard dash to safely. They will have had a moment to remember over their afternoon tea for a few days yet.


One other thing that ended today was the eight day week. We have for years started our working week on a Sunday. Now to come in line with some EU regulation we start on a Monday. So we have just had an eight day week, reminds me of a song. We also have slightly altered rotas from Monday 7 Jan, but only for a few weeks because they will be changed again once work starts on Rock Walk at the end of the month. More as soon as I have details but several ideas, including sending everyone on holiday for 3 weeks at the council's expense, have been put forward. What ever; it's not IF there will be disruptions, it's THERE WILL BE DISRUPTIONS.

Good luck to us all.

Have a good 2008.