Margaret Hill, bits and bobs, skate-park, and new houses

Let's start with some good news three-year-old Margaret Hill has been returned home. I attribute this to the non-stop media coverage, top story on all the TV channels, her picture on the front-page of every paper, leaflets, and of course celebrities coming forward to help the cause. Oops sorry no that's Madeleine, easy mistake to make they look so alike.

"Unhealty appetites" said the GMTV tagline, you'd think they'd get a system with a spell-checker. Amazingly the number of pupils taking school dinners has dropped since the introduction of an all 'healthy' menu <gasp> could it be they don't like the food? Uptake however is higher on younger pupils perhaps as they haven't been raised on the other stuff.

The British Grand Prix claimed their extra security was "Successful". Searches of people and extra CCTV cameras were initiated after the bombing incidents. So successful? They caught some people sneaking bombs in then - no. So this extra security foiled an attempted or planned incident - no? Um so they managed to search people and get the extra cameras working - yes. Congratulations you've hired a company that managed to do its job, something that should definitely be crowed over.

Adverts - Some driver for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 racing is promoting the fact that Abbey is part of the Santander Group - ookay want to see if you can pack any more names into that advert?

Dove have re-engineered their advert (read shortened) and guess which bit they've cut out... yep "My boyfriend nicks mine". Nice!


Completely unbiased phone-in question from the Daily Express

"Should the cowardly looters and cowboy builders be jailed?"

Um well looting is illegal, and poor building work may well be a civil matter, so what are you asking again? Of course we shouldn't ask "Should insurance companies be allowed to increase the premiums on the houses that were flooded?" or "Should reputable builders be able to charge twice as much as they would normally due to the high demand they're in?" Free market kiddo; suck it up.


It appears the new skate-park in Stourport is open. I had wondered when Suzie had mentioned taking her son to it, but yes the gates were open and the mud covered in grass tiles (photos uploading as per) although I believe that last phase only occurred on Friday. It was being used and the grass tiles are already falling off.


I only got the shuttle on Friday so had no time to visit the British Legion to see the new housing development then, as per usual it was also being held on Saturday. Amazingly up until 5pm! So I managed to pop along. Poor signing pointed to an open door blocked by a stack of chairs next to an apparently closed door while the main entrance had no signs to direct you internally. A standard three panel exhibition board with three posters on it Tav has a version of the main plot here I have a photo of it complete with key.

Okay no prices as yet although some of it's going to be sustainable housing "So what price is sustainable?" - "I don't know" As you might expect concerns about the road structure were high on the list. It appears that Arab Investments have taken over the building of the Discovery Road bridge (one less carrot for Tesco to dangle), but they're also talking about making Lichfield Street one-way - "But which way?" - "We don't know yet"

Talk was directed about the schools and hospital, to put it bluntly have we the infrastructure to cope with yet another housing estate? "That's a council matter". What about the roads leading into the estate "That's a council matter" - "Well yeah, but they're more likely to listen to you then us if you say 'If we do this then that will be a problem' they're more likely to fix 'that'" - "Hmmm"

The one guy was very knowledgeable, I threw a few things at him which he caught with ease and even spotted my deliberate 'common knowledge' mistake and corrected it - so bravo.

As for the plans themselves - not bad. The buildings are old-style brick, the layout looks reasonable, and they say they're going to do some "massive civil engineering" works to bring the drainage and sewerage up to scratch. I'm still not convinced about the traffic levels, and a projection view would have been nice as well as the plan.