The limbo days between Christmas and New Year normally see me in the office, trying to tie up loose ends and hiding from the by now rather stretched excesses of the festivities in the outside world. This year, for the first time in a decade or so, I'm actually taking annual leave! The reason of course is Pathfinder's Yo Ho Ho railtour tomorrow, and this meant spending a night in Swindon tonight due to the early start.
The journey went fairly smoothly, despite noting numerous cancellations on the boards at Weston and Bristol. Despite visiting the station fairly often, I've not spent much time in Swindon. I'll confess some trepidation, but a little research indicated that a Good Beer Guide listed pub, The Gluepot was nearby. It was well worth a visit, but the early start meant I couldn't fully enjoy the range of ales on offer. Settled for a pint of Quadhop and enjoyed the atmosphere for a few minutes before heading back to the hotel. Noted a slight feeling of menace creeping over the town as more revellers arrived. An early night seemed like a very good idea.
When asked what I'd like as a gift this year, I had no ideas at all. Then, while browsing Amazon I remembered a neat little device someone at work had mention some time back, which would play streamed music from a PC via a wireless network. Having done a little research on Slim Devices' Squeezbox, I was intrigued to discover that it was powered by a clever little Open Source server which was actively developed for Linux in it's various flavours. I also noted some neat Internet Radio related touches, including the ability to access BBC Radio's 'Listen Again' catalogue without recourse to their painful web player. This was also one of the only devices of this or similar types which didn't seem to have a single bad word said about it anywhere. I was sold.
So far, things have gone well - the Squeezebox discovered almost all of its own network settings except of course the WPA key, the server software was simple to set up and the quality of the audio is excellent. I'm really impressed with how solid and well put together the unit and the remote control feel too. I had some brief problems with the box losing network connectivity today, but I think that was probably of my own doing, and some tweaks to network settings seem to have cured this entirely. If I lived somewhere larger, I think I'd be looking for one of these in every room. Time to buy more storage space and start digitising more of the collection...
Today went very well indeed. For the first time in a couple of years everyone was healthy and able to participate fully in the occasion, and best of all this was perhaps the first year that my nephew really understood what was happening. Looking back on previous entries I've realised that I really value these times. It is, after all, very rare that we are all together and not too busy doing other things. Christmas for me is not a religious occasion, or even a particularly celebratory one - its a chance for quiet time with my family. Something which doesn't happen often enough.
So the transformation of the northern fringes of our little town begins...
The unannounced appearance of roadsigns indicating that works would close the junction of Church Street and Burnham Road from 2nd January 2007 for seven months sees the beginning of the project to build the new ASDA supermarket on the former bus garage site and adjoining lands. This will change the shape of Highbridge spatially, but will likely have an even more profound effect on how this part of town is perceived - particularly by visitors from nearby Burnham-on-Sea.
It's interesting to note that following news of the closure signage appearing, discussion on the (actually very good) burnham-on-sea.com website centred on the effects of the works on Burnham. How would people get out to the A38? Would traffic lights along Church Street delay journeys into Burnham? There was little or no discussion of how this work and its outcomes will affect the lives of Highbridge dwellers. There are few immutable laws where urban planning and development are considered, but one must govern the phenomenon seen in the 'Burnhamisation' of that part of Highbridge which extends along Burnham Road. Despite this route taking in access to the accursed Moorlands Estate, the ailing King Alfred Secondary School and a host of pockets of miserableness and gloom, there are forces at work to ensure that the relatively affluent natives are redesignated Burnham residents. I wonder if this stems from the unavoidable fact that for many of them, their final journey will be along this route to the Cemetary bordering the very junction in question here? Is the idea of living in Burnham but spending eternity in Highbridge too much for them to bear?
So the closure of Burnham's via dolorosa has stirred up a flurry of objections from short-termists. But what will the longer term effects be? Despite being a busy junction, the corner of Church Street and Burnham Road is a curiously ritualistic spot - the presence of the Church, War Memorial and Cemetary in close proximity make it a focus of religious and secular remembrance, and I wonder how the presence of one of ASDA's great white hangars will overshadow this use? The experience of entering Highbridge from the north will be altered too. Now, visitors approach via the sudden kink in the road to accommodate the Bristol Bridge Inn, before heading over the railway and into the town - for most it's a blink and you'll miss it flash past on their journey southwards, but for others it's home or work.
The benefits of the new store to the town are naturally apparent - employment, planning gain, resolution of road congestion and the benefits to nearby businesses abound. It will be curious to see how the community changes - will Burnham choose to acknowledge or to annex this part of Highbridge? Will ASDA dare to call this their 'Highbridge' store after all?
References:
- "Busy Burnham-on-Sea road junction to close for seven months", http://www.burnham-on-sea.com, 21st December 2006
- Road Closure - B3139 Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge [PDF file], http://www.somerset.gov.uk, 22nd December 2006
Lost::MikeGTN
I've had a home on the web for more years than I care to remember, and a few kind souls persuade me it's worth persisting with keeping it updated. This current incarnation of the site is centred around the blog posts which began back in 1999 as 'the daylog' and continued through my travels and tribulations during the following years.
I don't get out and about nearly as much these days, but I do try to record significant events and trips for posterity. You may also have arrived here by following the trail to my former music blog Songs Heard On Fast Trains. That content is preserved here too.
