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Wednesday 7 October 2015

Woburn Wander

Today's jaunt took a long time to get started. It rained as I travelled up the M1, but I was hopeful that the weather would dry out soon.

When I got near my planned parking spot, I encountered a diversion. And when I tried to route around it, another diversion! It seems that they're having a golf tournament round here. I don't object to other people playing golf, as long as I don't have to and provided their golfing doesn't impinge on me. But this impinged - it impinged in spades!

At my fourth attempt, I got close enough, but as I parked, a Jobsworth sauntered up to me to ask if I was the Councillor. I denied this, of course, and he believed me. So then he started a song about not parking here because it would be needed to turn people around who were trying to go through the blocked-off area. I looked at the huge expanse of area, of which I was consuming about 2%, and raised my eyebrows. Then another car drew up, containing a portly gentleman of dignified appearance, and I suggested to the Jobsworth that his Councillor had arrived.

For the next few minutes, I was unfolding and preparing my bike; by the time I'd done all that, a committee had arrived, consisting of Jobsworth, Councillor, Mr Plod and a man in a hi-visibiity jacket. I decided to make my views known.

First I addressed the Councillor, and explained to him that blocking all the roads hereabouts, for the sake of a silly game of golf, had seriously inconvenienced me, and, I opined, many other voters in this area. He explained this this was not a political matter, but a technical matter, so I explained to him that it was indeed political, since the permission to cause this obstruction must have been approved by the elected council. I then turned my attention to the Jobsworth, and explained to him that while I'm generally against scattering distracting signs around like confetti, in the case of a pre-planned road closure, it is usual to put up "Diversion" signs so that people not familiar with the area would be able to get to their destination.

Having spread a little sweetness and light, I set out on my first circuit, "Charlie's second loop". I finished this at 1:30, and sat in the car watching Mr Hi-Visibility turning cars away from the road that was blocked, and eating my sandwich, and drinking my coffee. Then I set off on my second circuit,  "Charlie's first loop".

52 caches found, but several DNFs.


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