I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky

Even having been in Worcester Park for a few years now there are still some things here that either amaze me, or I find defy simple explanation.

For example, we all have things in our house that need doing that we don't quite get around to and in the Brinkster household that might mean the odd toy that needs fixing, a bike that needs cleaning or a DVD that was bought with best intentions but still remains shrink-wrapped and unwatched. These can mostly be simply explained.

What I still haven't come to a simple explanation for is why someone in Brinkley Road would have two boats in their front garden.

As you'll see from the picture below from Google Streetview that caught the scene some time in the past there's one boat in plain view and if you click on the image you might just be able to catch sight of the bow of the second one propped up against the house.

Now I'm no expert on this, or arguably a lot of other things, but the picture would suggest to me that these boats haven't actually been anywhere for some time. Quite some time if the spread of the bushes is anything to go by.

Now I understand that I may be alone in this particular fascination but I do love things like like this. Perhaps there's a sad story behind why they never seem to leave but then again maybe there's a story of a dream or aspiration that's nearly come about. Either way I don't have a clue and it's become like some kind of delicious torture, a bit like watching a James Cameron movie in the hope of finding a plot twist or depth of character. Anyway, to me these boats stand as a reminder of dreams left unfulfilled or things left undone and gives me a swift kick in the pants as a motivation to get on and do mine.

Actually, I've seen these boats so many times over the last few years I've grown accustomed to them and just assume that they're still there. Perhaps they've gone and I haven't noticed! I'm going to have to have a look on the way home tonight just to make sure they're really still there and I haven't just been imagining their presence of late.

If you know the story of the boats then you might want to enlighten me?

On second thoughts don't. It might stay more interesting that way.

Title courtesy of John Masefield

Sad news in Brinkley Road

A fellow Brinkley Roadian has emailed me with the sad news that one of the familiar faces in the road has passed away:

John was 74 last birthday (well that's what he told me!) and I believe he lived there all his life. He used to walk up to the shops nearly every day and I'm sure he has the best hedge in the street! When we moved here just over three years ago John quickly befriended us and would always stop to chat and occasionally pop in with fruit or sweets for our kids, he even made my hubby a huge wooden tool box! He was a real diamond and we will miss him greatly ... RIP John.

I'll miss seeing him in the road too as he was always happy to chat and was a lovely bloke.

Jokey japes in Brinkley Road

Spotted this at the top end of Brinkley Road on my way to the station this morning. I suspect that someone's in for an annoying surprise when they leave for work this morning.

(Apologies for the picture quality but flash and clingfilm don't seem to like each other)

Missing cat on Brinkley Road

A fellow Brinkley Road resident has been in touch to say that their cat has gone missing so hopefully one of you vigilant individuals will be able to help reunite them:

Please can you help us find our much loved cat Billy?He’s a 9 month old Ginger & white cat with golden eyes.

He is very much a home cat and if he's not in the house he is only laying in the garden which is why its very strange to have not seen him. He doesn’t have a collar, but he is chipped with our address & contact details.

If you could check your gardens, garages, sheds, bins, roofs etc we’d really appreciate it.

Many thanks,

Jack

07766 168 224/ 020 8329 9050

Huzzah!!

At last! A spot of Brinkley Road specific news today from the Local Guardian!

"A noisy neighbour in Worcester Park faces fines and legal costs of more than £1,600 after ignoring council orders to turn the sound down.

Thomas Curd, 22, of Brinkley Road, was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £650 in court costs after ignoring noise complaints and abatement notices for the past 14 months"

In other news one of the least interesting Worcester Park mysteries has been solved. Sometime in the last couple of weeks an enormous pole appeared at the end of Washington Road, and I noticed similar ones at the end of roads near Nonsuch Park.

On my way down to the station this morning I noticed that it's been adorned with one of Mayor Ken's signs announcing the edge of the low emissions zone and apparently prohibiting anyone driving lorries down there at certain times of day (I might be wrong but I didn't look that hard). If you've ever seen Washington Road you'd know that, as one of the oldest roads in Worcester Park, it's often harder to drive anything wider than a mini down there so that's going to be far more offputting to lorry drivers than Ken's minions can come up with.

It's an enormous sign as well, hence the enormous pole, so I wonder how long it'll be before someone has them in the back of a lorry on the way to a scrap yard.

And go here http://worcesterpark.myminicity.com/

Lights and sirens on Brinkley Road

When I got home yesterday I noticed that our bins hadn't been emptied, but that some of the plastic bags that had been out further up the street had apparently gone. Thinking no more of it I retired to my chair in the living room of Brinkster Central, where Mrs Brinkster related to me the events of the day.

Apparently (she having heard the story from a neighbour herself) the bin lorry had turned into the top of Brinkley Road and the bin men were going their allotted tasks. Somehow a new, but not much loved, resident of Brinkley Road managed to squash/crush one of the bin men between her car and a van. Apparently she just sat stock still in the car, not moving, while another neighbour rushed out and attempted to move the van to get the man free.

Cue traffic chaos and blues and twos with the Paramedics, Ambulance and Police arriving, then council supervisors surveying the scene and the bin lorry being removed as evidence. I don't know if this story will make the local press but it's certainly got the residents of Brinkley Road going.

Don't know what's going to happen to our rubbish though.

(This is brought to you via neighbour-speak so I can't prove that all/some/any of the above information is actually true)