Almost a scoop, go go skate-park, options for a path, and what does this tell you about me.

So my last entry Bush gives a speech was going to include "Russia goes ballistic". I was going to add about the reports of Russia's new intercontinental missile, how this was supposed to aid nuclear deterrence and also get through missile shields; and how it got the equivalent of two column inches and 30 seconds on the BBC. I was going to point out how this was probably completely due to the current American administration's design to put anti-missile batteries in Western Europe. I was going to say all this, but the Bush speech took up more space then I'd intended and now events have run away from me and those reasons now made explicit. Ah well just proves you can't be too cynical.


They've concreted in the skate-park, must have done it last week, all the area that was grass between the features is now smooth concrete. Still a large amount of grass to the left of the bowl, which could have been better utilised. Still a bench next to a ramp; and they've laid a dark bitumen path. I hope that's an underlayer, though why they didn't lay concrete at the same time as they were doing the rest beats me. If it stays like that it'll make it a joy in the hot weather, I could smell the tar on Sunday under the sun's gaze. The fencing is still up, minus the warning notices, and the landscaping machinery is still there although that has been forced out of the fenced area onto the Riverside walk (what was that about "you can't have toddlers and users playing around large machinery"?)

Measuring it out the bowl is about 11m by 9m externally, given a metre edge that makes an internal measure of 9m by 7m and makes the flat area inside a lot less drastic (though a continuation of the slope would have been better) I have photos and as per they'll be uploaded as and when.


While down there I decided to duck under the arches, just to check out headroom etc. For those who missed the blurb I've wondered about added a second crossing point under the archway of the bridge to stop people crossing between the two pubs. Counting about six arches from the steps brings me to the arches next to the table and benches. I can walk under these from the Riverside only having to duck coming out at the fairground side and that due solely to the raised pavement. If the area was cut away and laid back it would make a single to double person width walkway. By no means as large as the riverside one, but it doesn't need to be and it would be no more inconvenient then anyone using the narrow spiral stair. Rain collecting in it might be a problem, but you simply don't use it in that instance in exactly the same way you don't use the Riverside walk when the river's flooded.


Still stock-checking and more rummaging in the loft. I'm still trying to locate the maps and handouts I'm missing from the WFRP stuff, but so far with no success (it's like an itch I can't scratch). Damn it was like an oven up there which curtailed my activities drastically.

Came across a lot of old toys, some Transformers loose in a box; scared me when I pulled one out and switched it from hovercraft to robot and back like I was 13 again.

Action Force bases both an original cardboard and plastic one both in their original boxes; the newer one had a list of other toys on the side and I spotted the Roboskull which I'm sure I used to own (It was a skull painted red with two 90° rotatable jets on the side and I loved it to bits), but couldn't spot.

Then I found my old MASK toys which I must have bought when I was about 12-14. To be precise I find the MASK boxes, the toys were inside neatly bundled in their original packaging with the original instruction sheets. I used to have Boulder Hill, don't now where that went I suspect it got sold along with the Roboskull <sigh> apparently those are hard to get hold of now.

An old wooden constructable fort with old style cowboys and indians, complete with a list in my terrible handwriting of how many and of each type there were.

Finally a few bags of matt-painted plastic soldiers, again with a hand-written list detailing quantities and types.

Talking to my parents about what I'd found, and thinking about how the Bratii seem to not bother about destruction, I asked if I was really that careful with my toys. The answer was yes; I'd have fun playing with them, but wouldn't smash them into each other and would stop others from doing so (smash your own toys if you want), then I'd put them away. I'd make sure I had all the bits that went with them and that said bits went back with the correct toy. What that says about me, well make your own mind up.