. . . and three come round at once! Well, in Allendale time, three fusses in less than six months rates as slightly extraordinary, when there’s been no fuss to speak of for years now, that I can remember, anyway….
Year: 2019
Becoming part of Allendale
My chat with Sarah and Dave Stevenson, ex Police Officers from East Yorkshire, went on a little longer than my normal 5-10 minutes, because I was so intrigued to hear how this friendly couple had worked from the very beginning…
Snowdrops to keep us going
Still the middle of winter, though it’s been soft so far, but snowdrops bursting through the soil in their multiple clumps seem to tell us that spring is not far away. They could be great pretenders too, of course, and…
Healthy walkers . . .
My ambition was to catch individual walkers arriving outside the Co-op from 9:30 for their designated Health Walk at 10, just to garner a few thoughts from each about their weekly sojourns. And, of course, I could also pop into…
Arnison Close refurbishment
The works unit has been lodged in front of Arnison Close for some weeks now, but I hadn’t thought to take a photograph of it, or even to remark on it, until a couple days ago. But building work is…
Service with a smile . . .
You might have to put up with a bit of craic from the delivery man, but the Baynes Calor gas service here in the Allen Valleys is second to none in terms of efficiency, alacrity, dedication and cheerfulness. Come to…
Surveillance society
Today my little job is to create an instruction manual for a Closed Circuit Television system so that it can be interrogated handily by anyone who is responsible for the covered area. I know of at least four CCTV systems…
Same as it ever was
Dee Smith, local manager at The Golden Lion since the 1st of October of last year, is beaming at me, as I stammer my way through some obligatory questions about the transition which seems to have occurred, unexpectedly, as if…
Walking the circuit . . .
Yesterday I alluded to ‘the circuit’ and wondered if anyone might comment on that somewhat obscure reference. Maybe it’s one of those things that everybody knows about, which often feel like the most fun sort of things to comment on…
The traditional tea rooms
I’m sitting comfortably, chatting with proprietor Jane Stollery, sipping a delicious cappucino prepared so nicely by Emma Harrison, and feeling very cosy and expansive, after walking the long way around the circuit from Station Garage, as I survey the delightfully,…