Joe’s Jottings
As I mentioned last month about the jet stream. The intensity of the different temperatures between the polar air and the tropical air from the Caribbean has created a perfect storm generating machine which has pushed the jet stream to a lower latitude so it is now passing over southern England. It normally passes between Scotland and Iceland. The weather being experienced in the south is the same that is normally endured by the Scots. The problem is that the Scots drainage system is well suited to these conditions and can shift vast amounts of water. The wide plains and rolling countryside is not used to this amount of water, so flooding occurs. The problems have been exacerbated by the Environment Agency not taking care of the rivers properly, e.g. not dredging channels to allow more water to pass. River catchments are complicated affairs and just dredging will not always solve the problems as at times it can cause a greater problem downstream at bottlenecks in the river system. Usually, where towns are situated, and affords an easily bridged section of the watercourse (think of York). These are the places that need the fastest run off and when it can't all get through somewhere to back up the river and flood farmland, more commonly known as a flood plain. The biggest problem in all this has been the attitude of the Environment Agency to water management. Not the staff on the ground. It is the philosophy which is set from the very top of the organisation. That ethos can be summed up in five words "Let nature take it's course" Only where there is a threat to life and property will they take action by stopping large areas of population being flooded. They are more interested in birds, water molluscs, voles, newts, badgers and dormice than proper supervision of the landscape. More interested in harassing farmers and business men for minor violations and make up charges against honest people. I don't believe polluters should get away with it and nature is very important but it must be managed with a view to economic activity. My own personal experience with the Environment Agency and the green fascists has led me to believe they are at best barking mad, or at worst forcing some ill judged socialist agenda on the rest of us. Resulting in more restrictions and higher taxes for their pet projects. Though not in our region, a pipeline route in the northeast had to be diverted because of badgers. It added about one point five million pounds to the cost of the scheme. I think badgers, although shy creatures are quite resilient and would have returned to their sets after the completion of the work. Newts have to be protected on every water job because of European Union law (they are rare on the continent but common here) Thousands of pounds are added to construction costs because of these common amphibians. Again if studies of potential sites show a genuine rare species then caution should prevail.
Due to winter being a fairly miserable place to be in Bradford the Skirt and I decided to take a trip to the Antipodes for this month. In part, to see her sister and family in Melbourne, and on my part to get away from it all at a slack time of year. The Skirt and her sister are already planning to hit downtown Melbourne armed with hard earned savings and a credit card. The chatter is incessant, on the train for 9.00am, after rush hour coffee on Flinders Street before hitting the department stores. Coffee and lunch on the Southbank, with a glass of wine, overlooking the mighty Yarra. Followed by another commando raid on the shops during the afternoon, all done in high heels. Luckily her sister's husband, Colin, is a petrolhead so I can while away some of the time helping him with his classic car collection. My treat will be a trip to Phillip Island to see the superbikes. Backpack full of tinnies, camera and a wedge of cash for souvenirs. The family get together tend to be loud with an array of different characters. The Skirt’s nephews and nieces like chalk and cheese but all with an unmistakable family resemblance. The kids also reflect a wide spectrum of character from over the top to very modest. The Aussies seem particularly bad at Yorkshire accents, or do we sound that bad. I mean I don't go round saying G'day to everyone. Although young Laura is giving me lessons in antipodean and it's correct pronunciation.
Sitting here in Colin and Muriel's garden the temperature is a very pleasant twenty five degrees and not a cloud in the sky, I have time to contemplate what plants to sell next year from seed, bulb and cuttings and work out the best method of propagation.
The bulb boxes should be in full swing by the time I get back as the Daffs were already showing through due to the mild winter.
Talking to Carl the other night in the Bear and he informs me that the Con club in Idle are thinking of opening the back field up for allotment plots. Membership of the club will be a requirement.
March is really the start of the season as far as work is concerned and I will be getting into that on my return, but in the meantime I will pop the top off another bottle of ice cold VB and contemplate my navel.
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