Witch Hazel, or Winterbloom, down St helen’s Close, brightens these January days. A few sheltered snow drops have also appeared.
The River Ock is higher today, as yesterday’s rainfall works its way through the system. The Ock Valley Walk is still clear and there is no need to wade through water.
We have had a lot of rain and large puddles have grown. On a rainy night, this is what the Market Car Park, in the town centre looked like . The car park is used by season ticket holders – mostly traders.
It also houses an area for waste / recycling. The cages are a recent innovation.
By morning the clouds have gone but standing water still remains. On Ferry Walk, just off Wilsham Road, such standing water is an obstacle for the elderly people who live there.
Between the Co-op funeral service and the Grapes pub the new pavement, laid about nine months ago, has been taken up by a contractor, doing some sort of repair, but not put back like it was before.
When we got there ten minutes before the show the stewards were putting out additional seats round the walls.
The mini opera, Amahl and the night visitors, lasted forty minutes. The event was free, thanks to sponsors, but there was still a lot of money piled on the retiring collection plates. It had been a full house at St Helen’s church. The show was very well performed.