Page 76 - br-july-2020

July 2020 July 2020

My owner is still struggling with her hair. When she washes it she looks a bit like Boris may mean that some communities may have to wait slightly longer than they
Johnson on a bad hair day. She has purchased several hair bands and I think she expected before seeing roads in their area resurfaced. Up to date information on
was trying to achieve an elegant look, a bit like Sue Steggals. No one told her that planned road works across the Dorset area can be found at
she would have to diet for months and lose six stone to achieve that look. I am www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/roadworks or by following @TravelDorset on Twitter.
afraid the final result was more Jo Brand.

Things have got easier with lockdown. A visit to the cider Surface Treatments
museum meant that there were loads of plants to plant
but my owner was struggling to get bean poles and This programme of work
compost. Several mornings we would walk down to includes surface dressing,
Bartletts to peer through the railings to see if they had a micro-asphalt and footway
delivery. Which they hadn’t. It seems as soon as they slurry seal. Surface
arrive they go. All the flowers are now planted. There are treatments are traditionally
vegetables and tomatoes and the nightly ritual of applied during the summer
watering and weekly feeding. It has been very dry and as they are very dependent
windy. The grass is cut. I don’t know why she bothers, it is on weather conditions. As
brown, and all she is cutting is plantain heads and they are preventative
treatments aimed at
buttercup flowers.
extending the life of an
She has been able to have one or two friends round to sit asset, we only have a
at the top of the garden, two metres apart and have l i mi t e d w i n d o w o f
Pimms and fruit cake. As a single person on her own she opportunity to apply them
can now be adopted, by another family into a bubble, before it needs a deeper, more costly repair. With this in mind, we are working
but which family? Not sure anyone would adopt her. I hard to not miss this year’s window if at all possible. Unfortunately, it was not
think she has decided it is better to continue as she is, safer that way. Once you possible, during lockdown, to treat all roads in an urban/residential setting due to
start joining families you double the risk and limit any other options. I’m glad I am a the increase in parked vehicles and the likely increased contact with pedestrians.
dog, I can go anywhere with anyone. I get lots of walks.
I have been struggling with my arthritis and needed more painkilling drugs from the Highways Improvement Schemes
vet. As a result there was an expensive telephone consultation with the vet. We Dorset Council made the decision to suspend all schemes that were under
got the drugs but have been advised to put me on a diet and reduce the length construction and pause any that were planned to start in April and May. Live sites
of the walks WHAT DOES THE VET MEAN!!! I like my walks and my biscuits. were made safe and traffic management reduced to a minimum over this
period. After reviewing the latest guidance from Public Health England, we have
One weekend, she was particularly unhappy and grumpy, kept walking round the
house sighing. I began to worry about her and wondered what was getting to managed to produce Safe Working Procedures that have allowed all sites to
her. She hadn’t been out. I found out the battery on the car had gone flat. restart.
Charlie and Robin Pitcher put jump leads on, got the car going and we went for a
drive to make sure the battery was charged. Funny really just going for a drive Routine Maintenance
and not stopping to give me a walk but she was very happy.
DC’s current focus is on completing essential safety inspections and repairs to the
We do not have a weekly clap anymore. I miss that. There was another get highest priority parts of our network. This process has been adjusted to reflect
together event in North street. Very sad but Sally Cheeseman’s funeral cortege social distancing measures but still ensures the network remains safe for the
passed the house one Friday morning. People came out to watch it go by. We movement of essential goods and services. The teams continue to identify and
clapped and stood to remember Sally. After the courtege had passed we repair the defects that pose the greatest risk to the travelling public. This focus will
walked to Elder Road where we met up with the other Women’s Institute members mean that some of the lower risk activities, such as ditch cutting and grip clearing,
all wearing their T shirts. And watched it go by there again. That was really good will take longer to deliver than usual. I am sure that our residents can recognise
for me as I met my old neighbours and friends Roger (Always throws me a stick) the rationale behind these decisions, however, rest assured that DC will carry out
Angel and Richard Cunningham-Wood who were really pleased to see me this work as soon as they can.

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