Driving back from Kent recently I stopped at a garage to buy a sandwich and a packet of Maltesers for my lunch. Now I know it’s very bad form to eat at the wheel but many of us do it. Having munched the egg and cress on the M23 I was looking forward to the Maltesers as I hit the M25. Then, disaster. I managed to spill the whole packet into the seat well of the car. Worse still, as I accelerated they all rolled to the back of the rear sets, out of my reach. Scrambling around with one arm behind my back I could just about touch them, but tantalisingly out of my grasp. Then it occurred to me that if I braked they might roll forward. Checking there was nothing in my rear view mirror I gave it a try. Success! I managed grab one. And thus I spent the next 10 minutes braking and accelerating, taking the utmost care of course, in order to to retrieve my lunch! Telling this story to my two sons, one commented that knowing me it was, in all probability, frighteningly true; the other suggested it would make a great Mr Bean sketch. I’m open to offers.
I mentioned the Piccotts End roundabout in an earlier blog and said I would research some original ideas to replace our current grassy knoll. Here are few: I like this first one at Seaton in Devon, and two more in New Zealand.