Tag: Parking

Roadworks

Posted on Posted in UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , Leave a comment

It took me half an hour to drive 500 yards and park near my house tonight.

I went out at 6pm and everything was fine. Three hours later I drove down my hill, only to find a toad closed sign about 200 yards from my house. At the bottom of the hill a large truck was parked across the junction preventing any entrance or exit from the street.

So I turned down a rutted unadopted road to get into the next street on along from mine. There was a road closed sign there too. But at least my house was only 50 yards away now.

I decided to ask one of the, workmen, but all he could say was sorry for the inconvenience. I walked a bit further and asked another workman. He, was much more sympathetic. If I went back and got my car he would move one of the cones that were in my way.

I finally managed to drive round, I couldn’t park directly in front of my house, but now I’m only about 10 yards away. If anyone moves I’ll try and shift my car later. The roadworks are going for another two days!

Parking problems.

Posted on Posted in UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

I live on a steep street with limited parking outside terraced houses. The parking spaces are for residents only or their visitors. As long as you have a pass you should be OK.

Today started OK, I went out for a couple of hours then came back. I was able to park outside my house. I don’t have a disabled bay because I think you have to pay extra for it? Anyway, then I went to the doctors and then the pharmacy. Off to get some shopping from the supermarket because my fridge was empty. Fine..

But when I got home all the spare spaces were taken. I had to park 50 yards up the hill and carry the shopping and medication down, but I managed.

I decided to see if a space became available later. Yes! I walked up the hill, it was getting dark and I drove up and round a roundabout then back down. But I was followed down the hill by another car, it’s headlights dazzling me. As I got near to the space I realised it was too small. So I drove back up to the space I had been in all afternoon. But I know they would need their space, so I knocked on my neighbours door and asked them to move their car a yard or two so I could fit?

By then I was tired and grouchy. But I went up and down the hill again only to see someone else had slotted in the space! But there, lower down, was a smaller parking place?

I decided to try and park up, but I was on the wrong side of the road, driving into oncoming traffic, so round the corner, round the other roundabout. As I was coming back to my street I saw a friend. She helped me by seeing me back into the tiny space. Well sort of. I’m about two feet away from the pavement and my wing mirror is likely to be knocked off.

If one of the cars moves I’ll try and get a better position.

What fun!

Quiet day

Posted on Posted in UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

After a few hectic days I was going to do more today, but after messing about trying to get a parking space at the hospital early this morning so I could get a blood test, I came home and collapsed in a heap (metaphorically not literally). I’m OK.

Just shattered. I’d got wet in heavy rain and I hadn’t taken a raincoat, so I was soaked. I wanted to warm up because I was shivering.

I’m trying to save on heating costs so I didn’t put it on. But I relented tonight and switched on my electric heater.

Basically I ended up nodding off and napping a few times. I sat in front of my television and watched a few programmes which merged into each other.

Basically that was my day off.

Parking…?

Posted on Posted in UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

I asked WordPress to show me a photo from it’s free photo library of ‘parking restrictions’. So I was slightly surprised to see a racoon nesting in a tree! I do wonder what criteria it’s search engine uses. But it was amusing so I’ve posted it.

Why am I thinking of parking? I live on a street with residents only parking. I don’t mind if other people park up as long as I can fit in but recently builders have been parking up while renovating buildings in the street.

Today I saw two men in yellow fluorescent jackets wandering up and down the pavement. One seemed to be writing something in a book. Dreaded parking wardens. They ticketed a van. If the owner had knocked on my door I would have lent him my car parking pass. But it’s a good job I didn’t as I now have a visitor and she needs it.

CT scan

Posted on Posted in UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments

I had a CT scan today. I’m a bit scared of what they will find. But I was glad to have it done. I only had to wait a few weeks and because it was done on a bank Holiday Monday the hospital was quiet and my friend was able to find parking on the road near to the entrance (about a third of the normal cost).

We complain about the NHS but we don’t have to pay massive bills as you would have to in the USA. I’m not saying our system is the best, but we really appreciate it when it’s working well.

So anyway, I have to wait for the results. More worry and anxiety, but at least I might have an answer soon.

Parking problem

Posted on Posted in UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

I was looking for a parking space at the hospital today. It took a while but I got one, then I struggled to fit square in the space and leave enough room for cars on either side. I went to the parking meter and paid for an hour.

When I got to the pharmacy I had to wait twenty minutes for new tablets, but that was not unusual. I had half an hour left when I got back to the car, and the distance to get off the car park was about 200 yards.

Guess how long it took to get out? Half an hour! Cars were queuing all the way up to the barrier. You could turn right or left, but the car park leads onto a road that goes through the hospital grounds. And that was chockablock with cars and buses. Both ends of it lead onto traffic lights and then main roads. So it was effectively pretty gridlocked, with only small numbers of cars released every few minutes. My main worry? Will I get fined for staying over the hour I paid for?

Lake view

Posted on Posted in UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

The visitor centre at Westport lake stands on stilts and appears like the curved prow of a boat above the lake. The roof juts out over the balcony and offers some shelter from rain that can blow in on the prevailing wind. The visitor centre has a cafe, and sells gifts relating to the wildlife on and around the lake and wooded areas. You can buy bird food and bird nesting boxes, and books including natural history. Staffordshire Wildlife Trust manages the park and does various activities to encourage children to get into supporting the environment and nature. There is also a children’s playground. The only drawback is that the council has bought in parking charges.

Tired

Posted on Posted in UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Ugh! I got up really early to move the car. My parking pass has run out, so I can’t park in front of my house between 8am and 9pm so I’ve had to find a spot in another street.

The good news is that I have applied for the pass. I had to use the Internet as the council does not have an office open to the public anymore. Everything is via their website. What about people who are not computer literate, or don’t do online banking? Poor people are gradually being disenfranchised. They could use a library. But lots of them have been closed due to budget cuts.

So I have done the forms online and got a receipt to prove I’ve paid. But I still have to wait for the pass to be posted to me. The bad news is that post isn’t delivered as frequently as it used to be. At one time post was delivered on the next day all around the country. That includes most of Scotland, Wales and the far south west. Now, however, the royal mail is concentrating on parcel deliveries. It’s letter service is a lot less important (all those emails…) and to add insult to injury the price of a first class stamp is now £1.10 (at least depending on its size). I can remember when you could buy a stamp for 20 pence.

Worse still, the email says that due to high demand, it may take ten days for the pass to be posted out! That will be ten Working days, two weeks.

So at least I will be getting up early for a while. Although I can have a lie in on Sundays and bank holidays!

Parking

Posted on Posted in UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

I just realised my parking pass is due to expire and I’ve only just realised it. In the past out council used to send out a reminder. No more. They have closed the building where you could apply for them in person. Now the choice is either via email, or by post.

The postal service only has a 74% next day delivery rate, and there is no assurance that it will arrive in time.

My email is not working yet. I’m booked to get it done on Monday (long boring story, the repair man has been ill). But not everyone has email addresses. Not everyone with a car is online.

So I rang up for the address to send my information to. It’s a PO box, meaning there is no physical place for me to hand deliver my documents to. If it goes to a PO box, then the council courier service needs to sort the mail and deliver it, meaning there is another time delay added into the mix!

Better get my email sorted out!

Dover today

Posted on Posted in UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments

If you are going to Kent or Dover at the moment? Don’t! Lorries and trucks are stuck there because a new variant of Covid19 have been found in the South East of the country. Because of this the border with many countries have been closed. Trucks are not able to get home and so there are queues of them on the M20 and they are being parked up on old airport in Kent. They are parked I but with poor facilities, not many toilets and no food or water!

The worry is that even when the border is reopened there will be further problems as Brexitis about to happen at the end of this month. That means there may me further pfoblems and delays. I do wonder about the mentality of the English and often despair!