I’m not a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions. They usually mean giving up alcohol, which is not a huge problem for me as I don’t drink much, or chocolate and that is where I do run into difficulties!
However, I thought I would list some things I would love to see in 2016, all of which would benefit Chandler’s Ford and its residents.
Sadly I think I’m going to need my fictional fairy godmother character, Eileen, to leap off the page and somehow wave her wand to make some of these happen but New Year is a time for hopes so I thought I’d share my list anyway.
And you can play “spot the possibles” in my list as well as the “rant” and/or “she really must be joking to think that would ever happen” wishes. Have fun!
- Obeying traffic lights
- Protecting our library
- Parking, especially at Fryern
- Manning at the railway station
- More train coaches
- Fryern’s mini roundabout
- Clearing up autumn leaves
- Littering
- Fireworks
- For Chandler’s Ford to prosper without losing its soul.
1. Obeying traffic lights
For drivers and cyclists to stop jumping the traffic lights particularly at the Hiltingbury Road/ Hursley Road junction. I couldn’t tell you how many I see going through on red here but there is an accident or several waiting to happen here.
2. Protecting our Library
For our wonderful library to go from strength and strength and for the good people there never to have to worry about cutbacks.
3. Parking, especially at Fryern
For better parking, particularly at Fryern.
4. Manning at the Railway Station
For our Chandler’s Ford railway station to be manned on a full time basis. I must confess I’m not a huge fan of self service ticket machines, though I do use them.
We have some regular people on duty at the station (which is nice) but I think the hours the station is actually open could usefully be extended.
Many people run into problems using the self service ticket machines, and Janet tweeted the problem she encountered to South West Trains last year.
@SW_Trains @threeriversrail I love Chandler’s Ford station. It’d be nicer if your office is open in the morning. pic.twitter.com/nyrqSAowk2
— Janet Williams (@cfordtoday) April 8, 2015
Usually two coaches on our shuttle train service is enough but there are times, particularly around Christmas, when it isn’t as people, rightly, use the train, and the free parking at its car park, to go into town to shop.
5. More train coaches
I would like to see three coaches used most Saturdays as the extra coach would also cover the football fans nicely. The extra coach could be kept on for during the week for events like Christmas shopping.
6. Mini Roundabout at Fryern
I don’t know what can be done about the mini roundabout at Fryern which serves Winchester Road / Oakmount Road but I do know it is far too small and “tight” to properly service the number of vehicles that use it and their type.
The lorries and buses that turn right from Winchester Road into Oakmount Road is huge and the room they have for this manoeuvre is pathetically small. I don’t see how you can ban lorries either (Waitrose would understandably object) but are there ways of improving the situation here?
I’m no road traffic engineer but any improvement here would aid safety.
7. Clearing up autumn leaves
For those responsible to stop blowing the leaves from their garden and/or blocks of flats deliberately out on to the pavement and/or road.
Leaves should be composted or put out in the garden waste bins.
To do otherwise is hazardous to pedestrians and cyclists alike especially on the Hursley Road/ Baddesley Road junction.
Last autumn there was a huge pile of leaves here which obliterated all sight of the pavement and kerb edge so, as a pedestrian crossing the road here, I had to step down extremely carefully and wade my way through the leaf pile. It is also annoying for those who clear their leaves up properly.
I accept it is difficult to police this point but it is easy to tell by the state of the pavements and roads near their properties who does clear up their leaves properly. Instant Council Tax rebate for such people, anyone?
I’ll give the Council their due in that they do come around and clear up but, understandably and almost certainly on cost grounds, they get the street cleaners out once towards the end of the autumn season when the majority of the leaves are down. In the meantime that leaves a lot of leaves to wade through!
I’m a huge believer in rewarding virtue so a bonus of some sort to those who clear up, I think, would be well received. (Would I be a beneficiary here? Frankly, yes, and so would my lovely neighbours).
8. Littering
No more litter ever anywhere though all credit to those who manage our parks as this is generally done well.
There used to be an issue with lots of litter left at say Hiltingbury Recreation Ground after an event/holiday but this is not the case now I’m glad to say.
9. Fireworks
Being a dog owner, I dislike fireworks. Some of them are so loud it does seem like a bomb is going off. And I can’t stress enough how frightened animals, domestic and otherwise, are by these.
I would like to see firework sales restricted until the weekend before an event and those events to be defined – Bonfire Night, Divali etc.
I’m not convinced of the need for fireworks for private parties and I would love to see the very noisy fireworks banned. I dread to think what the decibel level is on them.
10. For Chandler’s Ford to prosper without losing its soul.
I think my heading says it all really. I can think of huge towns which do well but have no real character to them and I wouldn’t want Chandler’s Ford to become like that.
I would like us to have the best of both – prosperity and a sense of who we are. And I think groups like the Chameleon Theatre Company , the volunteer groups, the churches can all play a vital role in that.
So as we go into 2016, what would you wish for Chandler’s Ford? Please share your views and leave a comment. Thank you.
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Oh dear, Allison. When I saw fireworks listed I thought, good, someone else loves fireworks. Oh dear, you don’t.
Fireworks used to be exciting, a decent bang or crack and maybe a jumping jack. There used to be decent sparks and thumps as Roman Candles went off. Now the whole business has been emasculated with the bangs limited in decibels to a pop. You cannot even enjoy a sparkler in a public place and the whole show has to be over by 11.00pm, with a few exceptions.
Last night I sat on a rooftop in Kandy and watched rockets go up from all around the city at midnight.
Our cooks had handsful of rockets which they launched out over the city. Catherine wheels were just thrown on the floor where they whizzed around like tops. My contribution was to set fire to the Christmas pudding with the aid of arrack.
But there is a serious side to them. I met a man on Christmas eve with one hand missing. No prizes for guessing what happened to it.
In the old days in Malaysia, on Chinese New Year day, apart from fireworks, we also set off firecrackers. Some men would hang them up on a tree, and lit them. The noise was more than just ‘Pop! Boom! Bang!’ The theory is that the burning firecrackers, the noise, the sparkles, are to scare away evil spirits, to ‘banish old days, and welcome new and lucky days’.
To be honest, I often was very scared. In Singapore, firecrackers were banned (health and safety) so some relatives would travel to Malaysia to experience the atmosphere of Chinese New Year – colour and noise and a sense of liberation.
(Things may have changed now, and perhaps my hometown also has health and safety rules these days.)
Fireworks / firecrackers were more precious in those days.
Here in this first world country, people are more well off and the fireworks industry must be prosperous, and we hear the fireworks very often for all sorts of reasons.
Now we have a cat, and I can relate to Allison’s sentiment about fireworks. Last night, my cat hid under our bed the whole night – normally he would rest on window sills to watch the world go by and feel the chill.
Mike, I can understand why people like fireworks (the colours can be amazing) but it is the sound level of so many of them that gets to me (and more importantly my dog). Near us there have been fireworks so loud it does sound as if they’re going off right by you.
Also we seem to get fireworks near us from Halloween to New Year’s Day with very little break in between so sometimes it can seem as if we’re under siege!
So, yes, have them but restrict when you can get them. It’ll help pet owners prepare their pets if you know when the dates are where people can get fireworks. For example, it takes a while for calming plug in diffusers for pets to work (it is a build up effect). I have known dogs who have had to be sedated for most weekends from October to early January so I’m afraid my views are coloured. I think if people were more considerate it would help. It has struck me fireworks are getting louder!