Good morning Monday

[saundra]

Afternoon all its hot here with a breeze town is jampacked neighbour said plus stupid town council put a one way traffic system in place at Easter then decided to dig roads up and pavements and holiday people are trying to go wronge way hope you all have a good day dif sounds a lovely day out for your group

[TheOstrich]

Very hot down here today. Possibly thunderstorms tonight, we'll see ....

We went to Blandford this morning for a recce; we've not been there together before. Between Shaftesbury and Blandford, the County Council has introduced a very controversial one way system for HGVs - southbound via the C13 "Upper Road" and northbound via the main A350 "Lower Road". The Upper Road takes traffic through Dinah's Hollow and Melbury Abbas, a long and narrow 20 mph section where famously an ambulance answering an emergency call a fortnight ago got trapped and couldn't get past a lorry - you may have seen the photos in the national press. The locals have taken to calling it "The Village of the Jammed" and not without good reason.

The A350 which we used on the return journey is just as difficult because it is extremely bendy. We followed an Austrian lorry all the way (10 miles or so) at 30 mph, and he ground to a halt at least 3 times because south-bound lorries had ignored the rule and were using that road instead of t'other one. What the solution is, apart from building a complete new road through the valley bypassing Fontmell Magna and Iwerne Minster (which would be prohibitively expensive), I have no idea.

We were unimpressed with Blandford for various reasons. Mrs O "did" the M&S Foodhall by the car park, and I found a decent bookstore, but overall there was now't in the town that would tempt us back, rather too many charity shops and fast food outlets. Still, it was interesting to have been there and had a look around.

[saundra]

My dad was in the army at blandford and my mum worked in a cafe there I was about 6/7 I think

[JoM]

Thanks all, he had no problems with his bloods thankfully! Just a palaver now getting the results (I'll stick my moans on the Random thread).

[TheOstrich]

Blandford Camp is still going, Saundra, and they have a big military parade through the town once a year. It's used by the Royal Signals Regiment and the School of Signals, I understand.