Normal life returns

We can clean our teeth with tap water again!

In a Gloucester Shoe Shop

One of my WI friends just emailed me this photograph which I think is brilliant! Thanks for the giggle, Sue!!

It's taking time

We went shopping in Cheltenham yesterday, needing to get together some things before our trip on Thursday. The Promenade was looking particularly lovely with all the bedding plants flourishing after the warm, wet spell.

Thing is, do you see all those empty car parking spaces? This is Saturday morning, shortly after nine o'clock, when normally, all of those spaces would be filled with shoppers, setting out for a pleasant morning in the town. As it was, the shops were practically empty, many of the coffee shops and cafes were closed and it's clear that the water situation is not over yet.

Even our large Waitrose was showing the effects of the events of the last few weeks. This photograph was taken around 11am, when the store would surely expect to be at its busiest. Both coffee shop and Espresso bar were closed and there was a noticeable lack of "browsers" in the home departments.

Just a small bit of evidence of how this is all going to affect our local businesses. Cafes and restaurants have been closed for a couple of weeks now, during which time people have lost the habit of lingering after work, getting a spot of breakfast in town before shopping or meeting friends over coffee. The local shops must be having a really dreadful time of it, and there must be a knock-on effect beyond the shopping and dining.

Time for a bit of support for our local businesses I think.

Right outcome?

You Belong in London

You belong in London, but you belong in many cities... Hong Kong, San Francisco, Sydney. You fit in almost anywhere. And London is diverse and international enough to satisfy many of your tastes. From curry to Shakespeare, London (almost) has it all!

What European City Do You Belong In?

Friday again

I went to work in Cardiff today, a beautifully sunny and warm Friday, to judge some entries for the Eisteddfod in September. I had great fun working my way through cards, beadwork, embroidered samplers and pincushions and there were some lovely things.

We went to the pub for lunch and I took the opportunity to call into the gift shop at Cardiff Castle for a couple of things for an online chum who can't get there herself.

I decided this container would be useful for I have plenty of manion bethau. It fits well on my shelf, next to my box of "treasure" postcards.

(I was with my welsh speaking friend, or else I wouldn't have had a clue, either!)

Whilst walking along the walls, I spotted several creatures, all different and looking either menacing or cute...I can't decide!

PS:

We really appreciate all your notes following the water "incident" the other night and can honestly say that we got off very lightly indeed. Helping with the water distribution outside Quedgeley library yesterday afternoon made me realise how lucky we were. There was a good spirit there and the team of WI volunteers worked well together, having a laugh at the same time. We hear on the news an hour ago that our tap water is now safe to drink if boiled first, but we should still take care and the bottled water is still available freely. It is likely to be several more days before we get the whole "all clear".