In general I am rather unsympathetic towards those who live in the country and complain about essential features of rural life such as crowing cockerels or mud on the road. However in recent days I have been brought to the end of my tether (which is short in the days before Christmas in any event) by the goings on in the road outside our house in Newmans Green.
Suffolk County Council has, in its wisdom, chosen this week to close the road in order to fill in potholes between Acton Lane and the Long Melford by pass. In one way this is great because the road was becoming quite tricky in places and local residents had started to complain. Unfortunately the work has coincided with our local farmer taking the last part of his sugar beet crop off the adjacent fields. This, plus a bit of building works here and there, has caused not just frustration for drivers trying to do a bit of Christmas shopping, but also a Somme like mud situation and much angst for us dog walkers.
Today Rendle the Lurcher met one of his best mates and they skittered off across the countryside at speed, returning to their owners sporting thick, chocolate coloured tide marks. The kitchen floor is now covered with mud and Rendle has started to expect a nice warm bath every time he comes in from his walk!
