The Tide Is High

Thursday last week saw one of the highest tides of the year, down in Wadebridge the old Bridge on Wool looked as if it was almost going to be submerged. This is how it looked at around 5pm about an hour and a half before high tide



By about 7.30 it had risen about another 10 feet or so and completely swamped the Swans Island and nest site.



Its called the Bridge on Wool because it was supposedly build on a foundation of wool sacks some time in the 15th century by subscriptions raised by the Reverend Lovibond. It was always thought that it was probably built on the proceeds of the sale of the wool sacks, but in 1963 when the bridge was widened the surveyors took core samplings of the original foundations and found wool. Apparently it seems that compacted natural fibres make a very firm foundation in wet and boggy places.

There now, you have learnt something today - courtesy of my 1948 edition of "The Boys Book Of Knowledge"

Blogging is good for you!

Now those regular readers of this little diatribe will already know of my good friend "N" It seems that 2007 wasn't only a rubbish year for me but N has been having a pretty bad time of it too, recently he has described himself as a "Grumpy" his words not mine, and you can take it from me it takes a lot to get young N down. He has however followed his own advice and started a blog. I know how much it helped me so I just hope it has the same effect on N. I am sure it will although our circumstances are somewhat different, its certainly worth a try. I would encourage anyone who's feeling a bit down, or even severely depressed to get blogging!

I have had some very encouraging comments - not all published on my little rant about Dr. Rat and it has done me a power of good getting things back in proportion.

Dont be shy, if you have a problem tell the world!

http://ldk5b.livejournal.com/ is where you will find him, give him some encouragement, no one deserves it more. Just to cheer him up here is one of his favourite views.



Happy Days!

Life in a box

Last week I went shopping, for those little expensive items in life that make it all worth while, small luxuries like bread and milk etc. When I got home I unloaded my purchases and unpacked them, to my horror I found that the discarded packaging actually took up more room than the items I had bought. No wonder our land fills are filling up so rapidly. Amongst the items I purchased were:-

Tomatoes - wrapped in plastic in a plastic tray.
Frozen pizza - wrapped in plastic in a cardboard box
Sliced ham - plastic tray wrapped in cellophane
Fruit - plastic tray again in cellophane
Butter - plastic box
Milk - plastic bottle
Potatoes - plastic bag
Soap - wrapped in cellophane and then wrapped again in cardboard
Toothpaste - cardboard box
Eggs - cardboard egg box in a cardboard sleeve.
Lettuce - plastic bag (and aren't they a bugger to get into!)

the list was endless almost everything came wrapped in plastic and then in a box.

My recycling bags are full, but instead of the Government urging us to recycle why on earth don't they target the manufacturers / supermarkets and try and dissuade them from packing everything in several layers? The manufacturers like it because it easier to transport goods in nice square packaging, but surely the weight must add to transport costs, Co2 emissions and the like. I for one wont object to the odd squashed item if its saving us from all this waste. Then of course there is the added ecological cost of producing all this packaging, when you actually sit down and think about it, it's horrendous! One well known supermarket previously packed fresh bread rolls in paper bags and despite being on the "green" bandwagon now package in plastic boxes. Manufacturers of electrical goods and cars now have to take responsibility for recycling their old goods, why not every manufacturer?

I think next week I will try and see if I can purchase a whole weeks shopping - without packaging. I know I sound like a "Grumpy Old Man" but to me it just makes sense to package things in the smallest container possible. I lugged home a giant pack of washing powder last week only to find it the box was 3/4 full, settlement is how they described it, wasteful is how I would describe it. There is little point is saving on carrier bags when its the stuff inside that is causing the real problem. I have heard of people at the checkout removing all the excess packaging and leaving it behind in protest, well at least if you do take it home it will get recycled, but I fully support the ideal. don't worry about the odd plastic carrier worry about what's in it!

This weeks rubbish (mainly non recyclable plastic wrapping) consisted of 1/4 full dustbin of rubbish and 4 full bags of recyclable items!

Would the last one to leave, turn out the lights.

Well now, from a thriving buzzing place full of happy(?) holidaymakers to a ghost town in 24 hours. Last week you couldn't move on the coast or in town, the bridge over the river was solid with traffic and the car park was full to overflowing.

This week, its like Dodge City in a shootout, empty pavements, shops even the post office only had on man buying a stamp. Seems like the end of August heralded the big return to home and the whole place is taking on its winter feel already. Probably pick up next week when all the "grownup" tourists are down, the walkers and the cyclists and the like enjoying a late summer break without the kids - lets hope so, even with the sudden flurry in August tourism figures are way down on last year, due in no small part to the rather damp start to the summer. ( Yes we did have a summer it was around the middle of the 3rd week in August!)

In some ways it nice to have the place back to ourselves, but in others its quite a shock to see everywhere so dead. Still I guess there is always next year.....