By Crikey! What an astonishing plethora of road works we do seem to be encountering at present, don’t you think, dear readers?...
Holes here, trenches there, excavations everywhere!
Personally, I always find it strangely fascinating, peering down into holes in the road – archaeology in action! – although I know that some of you are, occasionally, a trifle miffed about them…
(Did you know, though, by the way…you can dig up lots of useful local info about road works in Bexley online, via these marvellous new computer-jobbies…just click here…good, eh?)
Now, being a chap of a more philosophical or literary bent, I`ve turned my few remaining ‘little grey cells’ to the matter of road works, holes, tunnels and the like; or, to paraphrase the words of the late, great John Lennon
“I read the news today oh boy
Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire
And though the holes were rather small
They had to count them all
Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall.
I'd love to turn you on”
Well, what ‘turns me on’ John, old chap, apart from the delights of a neatly turned trench, is BOOKS…and what more exciting tome could I unearth than this one? –London Under.
Splendid stuff! I always like Peter Ackroyd’s books, and this one in particular sounds just up (or under?) my street. Let me quote from the blurb:
“An atmospheric and historical study of everything that goes on under London, from original springs and streams and Roman amphitheatres to Victorian sewers and gang hide-outs. The book also meets the creatures that dwell in the darkness, real and fictional: rats and eels, monsters and ghosts”.
(Now, as you know, I`m not one to gossip or spread tittle-tattle but a very reliable friend of mine – “Mulletman” – once told me that a friend of a friend of his who works “down the sewers” found – actually directly underneath Buckingham Palace – a set of antlers and an antique Bible, in Welsh…Fascinating, no?)
And, if you think that’s fascinating, then you could always try this….
Or visit our wonderful Local Studies & Archives Centre, for all the murky history of underground Bexley…
Well, dear readers, that’s me done. Am off home immediately now to indulge in my new and relaxing hobby (which I`ve just started to practice, alone, behind the back of my garden shed) - road works permitting, of course...
TTFN!
3 comments:
I once had the misfortune of falling down a hole, well actually it was a Man Hole without the cover on.
A team of surveyors were looking down the man hole for signs of subsidence in my property and unfortunately they didn't put a barrier around the man hole during their investigations.
It was a sunny day I wandered outside to see how they were getting on, I stepped back and fell my body apart from my head was stuck down the hole, my saving grace was my 'Puffa Jacket' which inflated as I fell.
Holes by Louis Sachar is a very good Read.
Thanks, both, for these…
Yes, I`’ heard that ‘Holes’ is a good read…we have copies in stock, so give it a try…
And thank you, too, for that rather alarming anecdote about falling down a man-hole cover…As you say, thank goodness for Puffa Jackets!
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