Category Archives: South Molton

Charity Tea

On Saturday afternoon my wife and I held a cream tea in our garden to raise money for charity. About forty people came – and enjoyed the cream, the scones, the cake and the sunshine. Thanks to their generosity, and the efficiency of a willing team of helpers, we raised £320 for Cystic Fibrosis and Christian Aid. The generosity of local people never ceases to amaze me. A hog roast that we hosted for Cancer Research UK in July 2014 raised more than £1,400 – after a tropical downpour late in the afternoon the sunshine was perfect in that occasion as well.

Pavement Work Finished

It looks like all the pavement works in South Molton have been completed. The whole exercise struck me as being a complete waste of money. The pavement was generally in very good condition, with only a handful of loose paving slabs. Why was it not possible to just fix the latter

Accident Again!

Another accident at the junction of New Road and Poltimore Road/Mill Street this afternoon. Hopefully nobody was hurt. I’m surprised that there aren’t more accidents here as traffic goes up and down New Road far faster than the 30mph speed limit.

Pavement Works Again

Pavement Works Outside Age Concern
Pavement Works Outside Age Concern

It seems that pavement works in South Molton are upsetting a number of people and not just me. Rogers garage in East Street has been badly affected and the works further along by Age Concern and Spar are still ongoing. The workmen have got no idea why the work’ is being done “as there are only one or two loose paving stones”. In these times of austerity I think it shows that DCC’s Highways Department’s priorities are totally misplaced and that they are extremely arrogant i.e. they know best. Oh, and the road to Exeter via Witheridge is apparently shut for road works yet again.

 

Advertising South Molton Update

Thanks are due to the Town Team who put the South Molton Advertisement up and who will apparently be putting more such signs up. Unfortunately shortly after it was put up the link road was closed for virtually twelve hours because of an accident involving surfboards and a couple of cars! Luckily no one was killed. This highlights the dangers of carrying surfboards on car roofs.

Advertising South Molton

Driving along the Link Road on Sunday evening (24 August), heading back to South Molton from the M5, I saw a superb advertisement for the town. Just before the Bampton turnoff, on a bridge over the road, there is this sign:

South Molton Ad [Website]

It looks much better from the Link Road itself, but it was easier (and safer) to take a picture from the bridge it sits on.

Very well done to whoever put it there – a fantastic initiative!

Yet who is to be thanked for putting it up? The Town Council, South Molton Business Association (SMBA), the Town Team or some other organisation? I’d love to know, so that they can be given the credit that is due to them. I’d also like to tell them that their trailer has a flat tyre, so might be difficult to move!

South Molton Ad Flat Tyre [Website]

Pavement Works

Back in in South Molton I wonder what on earth Devon County Council think they’re doing? Most of the pavement outside Spar is barricaded off, and pedestrians have to walk in the road. All the parking on that side of The Enhancement is now suspended. As it’s a Bank Holiday weekend I can’t imagine any work being done until next Tuesday.  All that seems to have been done is a thin strip of paving stones from one side of the pavement to the other has been lifted. What is the purpose of this? I could list several places where the pavement and roads need urgent repairs. I feel an email to Cllr Yabsley (our Devon County Councillor) coming on . . .

Mayor White’s Legacy

This  afternoon  I walked down to Pathfields along Parsonage Lane and through the Community Woodlands. On the way I spotted this sign:

Mayor White's Legacy

It is on the fencing at the end of Parsonage Lane overlooking the new Gullacombe development, where there used to be a lovely hedge. I think one of the local residents isn’t particularly impressed with the destruction of the landscape. UPDATE: The “Mayor White’s Legacy” sign has now been removed. I wonder who by?

On the way back, less than an hour later, I noticed that another couple of yards of hedge had been grubbed up not far from The Rec. Apparently the opening is so lorries can deliver the hardcore to make the paths in the new part of the Community Woodland. But was it really necessary to grub up so much hedge to make an access point?

Hedge Removal