I love the poppies. I’m sorry someone has now mowed them. I’d be spitting mad too! I know that the mowing is in another post.

I love that painted clock tower.

Lovely books! You book’ies are amazing! ;-)

Cathryn – I suppose what I want to see is some one being brave and building some contemporary housing stock instead of this pastiche of some idyllic past that never existed in the first place! Parts of Poundbury are quite nice, if you like that kind of thing, I don’t mind Phase 1, the first part they built (apart from two ridiculous Disney castle tower blocks) – it’s not my cup of tea but I can see why others like it. But Phases 2 and 3 and I’m not sure how many more, are soul-less and the size of the development belies its intention to be a model village – it’s a town! And who on earth is going to buy all these house? They are VERY expensive and lots are being bought as second homes, so will sit empty for large parts of the year….
Anyway as you see I get quite worked up talking about it so I shall calm down now! Thanks for your comments about my book, I’m going to have a break from it and make something easier, just to get my book making ‘mojo’ back :-D

Drowsey – thank you – glad you enjoyed the pics, the town is taking pride in itself which is a good thing in my book :-)

Lady B – I see you have read my next post – bad news indeed :-(

The photos are amazing! Love the clock, what amazing colours. All that red is a nice change from all the boring grey cement around here.

Perhaps you need to meet truly ugly North American architecture before being too disappointed in local developments!

Yes, I’m sure you are right about your crits, It looks a bit odd, but mostly because the trees are too small for “England”. As a sometime tourist/sometime walker in Britain, the new town looks no stranger than many old ones. Eclectic?!

And I was delighted by the poppies on the roadside. My neighbouring city has finally stopped spraying toxic chemicals on all the green spaces. The dandelions (imported to Canada by the French — who were here first of the Europeans) are doing extremely well. But even better, some of the native plants are now invading the city!

I looked at your various links, and I still think you are better off than I, with the instant commercial slum being built on my road. I’d pick slightly strange and artificial architecture any day!

Loved the pics of your book and huge best wishes on the album: difficulties in binding expand geometrically with the size of the volume!

Cheers,

Cathryn

….. must say I am reeling from Strugglingwriters revelation … Dr Who is dating his daughter? There must be interstella laws about that???

Kim – you must get a Wii – it will give you a such a good laugh and if it gets you fit as well, well, that’s a bonus. They say that laughter is good for you :-D

Lili and AmyH – that is amazing. You three should get together and compare bookbinding notes. Anyone out there live in Dorset?

DP – don’t you start! Whenever I try to get cross with my sons, they look down at me from their great height (#1 son is 6′ 4″), pat me on the head and say ‘chill’….

I’m going to stamp my foot with vexation…and then go and have a nice cup of tea…. :-) Stop giggling!

Shinade – hope your trip is going well, great you can keep in touch!
It would be great if you could make it over to the UK, I’m sure there would be no end of volunteers to show you round – me, DP?……

Astrid – I have to psyche myself up to each bit and I am so stressed out when I have completed each part I have to leave it and go and do something else!

Politics aside, I rather liked the ‘old’ 70′s building – all that bronze glass (although I could do without the asbestos). They are definitely going to ‘do a Poundbury’ on the new building though, aren’t they? With added shopping centre. Dreadful :-(

Jenny – our local web site ‘Bridport Radio’ is hilarious – in a very weird sort of way. I can’t work out if it’s real or tongue in cheek! Thanks, I’m off to check out the tag now….. :-)