Making good on yesterdays declaration of finding something to write about, I decided to have a wander through Lawns, one of our 'open spaces'. It is actually a pleasant area. It was once the grounds of a manor house on the edge of Swindos old town, with gardens and a hillside meadow overlooking the views eastward. In the 1880's a new railway company called the Swindon & Andover once tried to get permission to drive their line through the park, placing a local station roughly between where the lakes are now. Lord Goddard was having none of that! He didn't want noisy steam trains waking him every morning. Now the manor house has gone. It was used by troops in the Second World War, became derelict, and was demolished by the sixties. You can still see where the house once stood.

Tthat's the interesting bit. Now when I went up there I found the place pretty much deserted. That's unusual, even during the week, but then the weather was a little unpredictable. Great waves of thick cumulus and distant rainfall made a sort of grey and hazy addition to the few stretches of blue sky. I stopped by the ornamental steps overlooking the valley. The birds were singing, and indeed, a trio of ducks announced their aerial antics overhead. There was a background swish of traffic hidden by the suburban sprawl beyond the meadow. In the far distance, I could see a light aeroplane making practice landings at Draycott Farm.

My quiet and contemplative mood was interrupted by the sight of a cloud far off in the east. Lit by bright sunlight and given soft focus by the rain in the air, one cloud had formed a massive upright phallus.

That was the amusing bit. Can I find another one?

Yesterdays Second Amusing Sight

Two old age pensioners held a mobility buggy race down the hill where I live. Gritting their teeth and risking their lives in a hell for leather race, these two geriatric daredevils were tearing down the hill faster than walking pace. One pulled ahead, a clear lead, thinking nothing of the risk of death and injury should he lose control of his buggy, and the other was determined not to be left in his wake. Swindon is hosting this years Last Of The Summer Wine obviously.

What Is Estonia Thinking Of?

I see from the news, or at least I did before the signal vanished, that the 500 Euro note is almost exclusively in the hands of criminals, being used as a convenient means of laundering profit and smuggling cash through customs. With the Euro looking very wobbly, one has to wonder why Estonia wants to join it. Or maybe not.