I live in the far east of Norwich and life dictates that every so often I need to drive to the north or northwest - or even north by north west - suburbs of the city. Or may be even a trip to the country like Blickling, or the sea like Cromer or Wells. These trips necessitate using one of several possible routes. These are either mainstream and busy and a longer distance, or cross suburb and cross country, more direct on the map but may have traffic lights, 20 mph zones and traffic calming, or very twisty, narrow country lanes. Either way, the amount of wasted fuel and unnecessary carbon generated are excessive.
Relief is possibly going to arrive with the Northern Distributor Road - a strange name for a northern bypass. In fact on a par with the whole complicated concept of what should be quite straightforward.
What do I want? I want to get onto a decent fast road quite near home, preferably a dual carriageway, that will take me around the north of the city, allowing me to come off at any of the main roads that go north from the city. If it allowed me to go as far as the westbound A47 at Easton that would be a bonus - although of course for anyone living in the north of the city that would be an essential. It would be good if it provided a fast route to the nearest access to the southern bypass, or at least didn't destroy the current fast access through a country lane.
What are we likely to get ? A road around the north of the city, that will let me off at the main roads going north. Dual carriageway for most of its length. The western end of the road won't go all the way to the A47, but will stop short north of the river "for environmental reasons". Apparently one of the existing ways to cross the river, all country lanes, will be chosen & enhanced to provide a suitable route. I find it hard to believe that this will be less environmentally damaging than a beautiful new bridge which could float above the environmentally sensitive areas. But someone somewhere knows better. I bet the residents along the existing small roads that may be used for this are humming quietly to themselves and building their energies for lining the new route with placards as the lorries roll past.
There are some good pictures of the proposed road in the landscape on the County Council website. Try www.norfolk.gov.uk/ndr and select "proposed route" from the left hand column. Plans 10,11 & 12 show my local bits of the proposed road.
Will we get the road ? Not if the greens have their way. They think it will lead to more traffic and want us all to use our bikes & public transport. Or presumably, being a bit more realistic, to continue to drive the routes we do now, pouring pollution & carbon on the city streets where people live rather than being able to drive at a steady speed with minimal fuel use.
I look forward to the road arriving. In my life I've made a habit of moving from a town just as the new bypass arrives - looks like that may be what happens here. Ho hum.
The title is taken from one of my favourite songs sung by Judy Collins, written by Billy Ed Wheeler - Coming of the Roads. The lyric content isn't totally appropriate to my view on this particular road as it's a lament to a new mountain road that brought deforestation and loss. It's a very haunting song and the title holds that quality.
Wednesday, 4 February 2009
Friday, 30 January 2009
Garden Wildlife
I was going to call this Garden Birds, but on looking out of the window the only wildlife is a squirrel upside down on the peanut bird feeder. Since Brandy (my cat) died I seem to have transferred my "caring for animals" mode largely onto the wild birds in the garden. They now have six different types of feed and a birdbath.
The blackbirds are territorial. One of the males, or sometimes one of the females, hides in the bushes or among the disordered pots on the patio keeping watch. When another blackbird arrives and starts to eat they are fiercely chased away. The lesser birds don't seem to have the intelligence to realise that if they flew in quickly, grabbed a mouthful and flew out again they could get some food. They land, and then spend too much time looking round to see if it's safe which is their undoing. I think that the lesser birds, who look very sleek and elegant, are probably the brood from last year, and the chiefs, fatter & less beautiful, are their parents now trying very hard to get them to find their own territories.
The robins are also normally territorial with only one at a time ever seen in the garden. However, that has a new twist at the moment. We have three robins, two of them flying together fast & furious like Starwars fighters on the Death Star in what is presumably a mating dance. The third one eats very peacefully and ignores the pair.
The finches & tits arrive in several small groups, not all at once in a large community as the books suggest they will. These groups consist of two or sometimes three great tits usually with one or two chaffinches, seven or so long-tailed tits, two or three bluetits together with a couple of coal tits, an occasional pair of bullfinches in the early morning sun, and one or a few greenfinches - possibly part of the huge group of over twenty five that were perched in a wild plum tree one evening a couple of weeks ago.
When it was very cold for a few days we also had a greater spotted woodpecker on the peanuts at the end of the garden, but I guess he or she can find his or her insects when it's warmer.
I never understood about pigeon pie & why anyone would bother until I saw the woodpigeons. They usually arrive with three or four together, but can be solitary or with eight or so. Despite their size they are peaceful, and don't chase each other or other birds. We don't have as many collar doves this year, I've not seen more than two at once. I know they're a favourite with the sparrow hawks who appear very occasionally.
And finally the squirrels, normally one at a time, but sometimes three. Upside down on a feeder, they prefer the peanuts & the sunflower seeds some of which they then bury in the lawn. Will this lead to sunflowers growing in the lawn when spring comes ?
The blackbirds are territorial. One of the males, or sometimes one of the females, hides in the bushes or among the disordered pots on the patio keeping watch. When another blackbird arrives and starts to eat they are fiercely chased away. The lesser birds don't seem to have the intelligence to realise that if they flew in quickly, grabbed a mouthful and flew out again they could get some food. They land, and then spend too much time looking round to see if it's safe which is their undoing. I think that the lesser birds, who look very sleek and elegant, are probably the brood from last year, and the chiefs, fatter & less beautiful, are their parents now trying very hard to get them to find their own territories.
The robins are also normally territorial with only one at a time ever seen in the garden. However, that has a new twist at the moment. We have three robins, two of them flying together fast & furious like Starwars fighters on the Death Star in what is presumably a mating dance. The third one eats very peacefully and ignores the pair.
The finches & tits arrive in several small groups, not all at once in a large community as the books suggest they will. These groups consist of two or sometimes three great tits usually with one or two chaffinches, seven or so long-tailed tits, two or three bluetits together with a couple of coal tits, an occasional pair of bullfinches in the early morning sun, and one or a few greenfinches - possibly part of the huge group of over twenty five that were perched in a wild plum tree one evening a couple of weeks ago.
When it was very cold for a few days we also had a greater spotted woodpecker on the peanuts at the end of the garden, but I guess he or she can find his or her insects when it's warmer.
I never understood about pigeon pie & why anyone would bother until I saw the woodpigeons. They usually arrive with three or four together, but can be solitary or with eight or so. Despite their size they are peaceful, and don't chase each other or other birds. We don't have as many collar doves this year, I've not seen more than two at once. I know they're a favourite with the sparrow hawks who appear very occasionally.
And finally the squirrels, normally one at a time, but sometimes three. Upside down on a feeder, they prefer the peanuts & the sunflower seeds some of which they then bury in the lawn. Will this lead to sunflowers growing in the lawn when spring comes ?
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