Keep Off The Grass
So I practiced really hard with my phone and eventually I learned to fly the damned thing, picture-taking-wise, and managed to capture for posterity the awesomeness that is Local Town's Town Triangle Square
There. Isn't that pretty? Notice the charming displays of municipal polyanthus, the green, green grass, amply watered by the more-than-ample supply of rainwater which regularly descends upon it, the trees just coming into leaf at the start of spring... The complete absence of people!
"Ah, but," you say, "This is Scotland. There are no people in Scotland*"
Well, normally that is true, but Local Town is a bit of an anomaly. While in every other smallish-to-medium town in Scotland the non-existent population stay away in droves,the streets remain eerily silent and the tumbleweeds tumble past reproachfully, Local Town is always absolutely hooching. The place regularly achieves gridlock. Once I got trapped in the Garden Centre's car park and was on the verge of phoning The Husband and telling him to start and new life and marry someone else, since there was little chance of me ever getting out or seeing him again...
So you would think in the midst of all this hustle and bustle that weary shoppers would take the opportunity to sit upon the thoughtfully-provided municipal benches in the grassy oasis that is the Town Triangle Square and admire the municipal polyanthus as their children gambol and play on the soft and verdant grass.
Not a bit of it. Because Local Town Council has seen fit to fence the area off with those delightful iron railings all the way around. And yes, there are a couple of gates on either side which theoretically allow physical access, but the railings of the mind say No! I crossed from one side to the other just recently, on my way to Roller Cow Shop, and I felt guilty about doing so. No wonder no-one goes in and sits on the bench or gambols on the lawn. Local Town Council do not approve of gambolling! Or people in general sitting about the place. They make it look untidy, and wear holes in the grass.
This is a common attitude in North East Scotland. In Aberdeen, there is a nice sort of sunken garden area in the middle of the city, similarly under-utilised because it's difficult to get to (lots of steps, forget it if you're elderly, disabled, or just plain out of breath like me). Instead of making it easier for people to get to, there is a plan afoot to fill it in, concrete it over and turn it into an underground car park. Because towns and cities are not for people!
* Statistically speaking, in a number-of-people-per-area-of-country sort of way. The same is true of Canada, but in Canada's case it's due more to the excess of country rather than a lack of people, but still, statistically speaking Canadians do not exist. Welcome to the club!
There. Isn't that pretty? Notice the charming displays of municipal polyanthus, the green, green grass, amply watered by the more-than-ample supply of rainwater which regularly descends upon it, the trees just coming into leaf at the start of spring... The complete absence of people!
"Ah, but," you say, "This is Scotland. There are no people in Scotland*"
Well, normally that is true, but Local Town is a bit of an anomaly. While in every other smallish-to-medium town in Scotland the non-existent population stay away in droves,the streets remain eerily silent and the tumbleweeds tumble past reproachfully, Local Town is always absolutely hooching. The place regularly achieves gridlock. Once I got trapped in the Garden Centre's car park and was on the verge of phoning The Husband and telling him to start and new life and marry someone else, since there was little chance of me ever getting out or seeing him again...
So you would think in the midst of all this hustle and bustle that weary shoppers would take the opportunity to sit upon the thoughtfully-provided municipal benches in the grassy oasis that is the Town Triangle Square and admire the municipal polyanthus as their children gambol and play on the soft and verdant grass.
Not a bit of it. Because Local Town Council has seen fit to fence the area off with those delightful iron railings all the way around. And yes, there are a couple of gates on either side which theoretically allow physical access, but the railings of the mind say No! I crossed from one side to the other just recently, on my way to Roller Cow Shop, and I felt guilty about doing so. No wonder no-one goes in and sits on the bench or gambols on the lawn. Local Town Council do not approve of gambolling! Or people in general sitting about the place. They make it look untidy, and wear holes in the grass.
This is a common attitude in North East Scotland. In Aberdeen, there is a nice sort of sunken garden area in the middle of the city, similarly under-utilised because it's difficult to get to (lots of steps, forget it if you're elderly, disabled, or just plain out of breath like me). Instead of making it easier for people to get to, there is a plan afoot to fill it in, concrete it over and turn it into an underground car park. Because towns and cities are not for people!
* Statistically speaking, in a number-of-people-per-area-of-country sort of way. The same is true of Canada, but in Canada's case it's due more to the excess of country rather than a lack of people, but still, statistically speaking Canadians do not exist. Welcome to the club!