Day 151

Tuesday 18 August

It’s been a mixed up day today. I have only been outside to chuck a few balls for Mabel in the back garden and then for a short local walk with her and the family this evening. The Great Spotted Woodpecker paid a few visits to the peanuts this afternoon after the lunchtime thunderstorms.

I popped next door to help my neighbour with her tv. My other neighbour was there too, and we talked about the village, planned developments, traffic and a bit of this-and-that.

Our village is growing, with new houses popping up seemingly everywhere. Ardleigh is a big geographical parish and, unlike the villages adjacent to it that are seeing large estates going up, we seem to be getting a few here and a few there. But they all add up. So, I am not a ‘nimby’ type, I fully appreciate that affordable houses need building. Everyone, regardless of income, should have somewhere to live. But I do worry about the planning permissions that are granted – so many big houses. Every patch of land built on is another patch of land covered over. I was relieved that modern houses, regardless of size, seem to have very little garden. But the more houses that are built, I realise that that’s not so good.

I’ve decided that I am going to get involved with the local parish council in some way. My neighbours have been encouraging me to do so for about a year now but my Monday night footy has always clashed with the meetings. I owe it to myself and to my kids. I realise that sounds sickeningly righteous. But hear me out.

I know what the local area has given me these past few months and, in particular, how our own daily walks, some short and some longer, have provided an essential outlet for some peace and a sense of place. Mentally and physically, they have been good for me.

I have recently listened to the audio interview with Wilfred George, East Anglian map maker extraordinaire. He has dedicated much of his life to ensuring the Suffolk public footpaths near him are kept accessible for all to use. Ardleigh has a fragmented but extensive network of paths and bridleways along with some relatively quiet lanes and cut-throughs that I am sure, with a little planning, could be linked up to make a few circular walks for everyone to enjoy. Ok, so perhaps a lot of planning. Wilfred said that he believes that if you have an opportunity to do this, you should. It’s an obligation that adults have to the young people, and it’s democratic.