Don’t text while driving a chariot

As she sped away into the crowd on her electric mobility machine, I was just able to glance over her shoulder and see that she was texting someone on her telephone. Now, if people want to communicate in that way, who am I to gainsay them, but such activities are best undertaken while sitting or standing still. The fact that she had hurtled up behind me and, with a hefty nudge, nearly knocked me off my feet, and then carried on regardless and probably oblivious did, I confess, cause me to mutter nasty things under my breath. Surely there should be a law dissuading people from belting along on mobility machines while distracted by an electronic exchange of trivia. Motorists are treated quite firmly if caught doing the same thing so, surely, similar strictures should be placed on electric charioteers. Pedestrians in Ashford are under permanent threat from walking text zombies, maniacally slaloming cyclists and midget scooterists. Surely that’s enough to keep us on our toes without adding this further lethal layer? And then there’s the problem with the shared space. I have always spoken out in support of the scheme but now, the 20mph speed limit seems to have gone out of the window and too many motorists, safe in their metal cocoons, are adopting an aggressive attitude toward anyone not similarly armoured. Mrs B has to cross it six times a week and each time, she tells me, she feels that she is taking her life into her own hands.

I have, once or twice, spoken ill of our council’s doings. However, individual councillors do at times come up trumps. The recent Festival in the Park receives no financial help from the council, as far as I am aware. It was heartwarming, therefore, to learn that a number of councillors had stumped up cash from their discretionary funds to help make the affair the success it undoubtedly was.

I have many times mentioned that the so-called farmers’ market has very few stalls that can in any way be described as being presented by farmers. A few months ago, Mrs B bought a seedling sunflower there which she planted to see if it was a goer. It now stands a little over seven and a half feet tall and is still growing.