So much for the Arctic weather the experts told us of, one short snap of frost and that’s your lot, there is an old saying; Ice in November to bear a duck, the rest of the winter slush and muck.
Those old boys knew a thing or two mark my words any real cold weather can be expected in the last days of January, Another old proverb is, As the days lengthen so the cold strengthen, then we are thinking of the Spring. The clouds of wood pigeons and golden plover along with the Widgeon never bothered to move south, they held on for the cold days to pass knowing it was a short interlude on their feeding grounds.
Pheasant shooting is now in full swing, and I have heard many complaints that the leaves have failed to fall, many trees still carry a good canopy of foliage that should be rotting on the earth. Some will say it’s a good thing for it means many shots are missed or not even taken. It depends on whose side you are on.
After a night and day of good rain things still don’t look very wet, day two and the efficient water authority have managed to move it into the main rivers and let it run into the sea. Here we are, looking at a water shortage already this year. Why can they not install a few of those massive pumps up at the head of our rivers and reverse the flow for a week or two till we have brim full reservoirs. As the land is used to build more and more houses we will need more water, its about time we build a few new reservoirs, our county side bordering the rivers are amply supplied with little inlets ready made to dam. They will not hold millions of gallons or despoil hundreds of acres of land either and I bet a lot of the poor old farmers would love the chance to own a large expanse of water rather than a few fields that show a small return for a lot of hard work. These lakes he could use for recreation uses with a steady income and sell the water at the same time.
Poor old Rye this last Christmas looked sad at night, come on folks, we cannot allow this sort of thing to carry on, this year we must put our lovely little town back on the map and damn those on the other side of Our English channel who keep bringing in new regulations. I have already given the next edition of Jimper’s tales to our Mayor for his charity ARRCC so come on please think of a way to buy a few light bulbs.
We needed a new ambulance and got that, now its time to get the town lit up, perhaps Bexhill will give us something, but please don’t hold your breath our local undertakers could not cope with half the towns people dying through lack of air and the other half with laughter. Surely someone knows someone that knows someone whom is a qualified man or woman capable of rigging fixings to the buildings and would not charge a massive fortune and at the same time satisfy the officials. We now have a year to do it, so come on, somebody step forward.
JIMPER
“Rye’s Own” January 2006
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