I am currently mourning at the grave of a great little part of English life. Well, certainly of my life.
Not so many moons ago I would put the dog in my little motor, my mind in neutral and the car in gear, off I went, tootling around the leafy, sun drenched lanes of Sussex without a care in the world. I would sing to myself loudly and badly (poor dog); I could shout kindly or offensively (with the window firmly shut obviously) to riders and bikers; I could think un-pc thoughts all on my own and undetectable; I could smoke should I wish…which I don’t; I could stuff my face with wicked chocolate; in fact the world was my little clam, and I felt free and unassailable.
Also I could get quite poetic and genuinely moved by the season, the views, the weather, the music, the landscape et al.
You know what’s coming. Now I have to concentrate, strain every sinew, crane my neck, screw up my eyes and clench all the muscles in my body, particularly my posterior.
Is that dark dappled patch a hole as deep as Vesuvius? Is that puddle a lake or a swimming pool lying in wait to wreck my tyres…again? Arriving at your destination in shreds and exhausted, not to mention cross as two sticks on the subject of upkeep. All the pleasure in driving has gone and I appreciate the fact that there is no money anywhere, and that the work done is shoddy, but I fear that like a lot of other tiny pleasures and aspects of my old life, pleasure in driving has gone, never to return.
Image Credits: Nick Forman , Natalie Arter .
It appears that Kent is maintaining their part of the Tenterden to Rye road, but the road from Iden to Rye in particular is diabolical. I’ve heard, rightly or wrongly that any pothole reported to the Council will have a white line painted around it, then they will “top-up” potholes so they are not so quite so deep. This is apparently to prevent people making any claims for damage. It is high time this road surface is dealt with once and for all before a serious accident occurs.
I believe you have more chance of flying to the moon and back than getting the roads back to what used to be a pleasure to drive on!!
Margot is quite right about this stretch of the road. It needs complete resurfacing. If you go by bus over this road the noise of the rattling is almost beyond belief!
Is it not strange how the condition of the roads seems to be markedly worse as soon as you enter East Sussex? A few weeks ago, we were in Dorset – the roads there were in good condition. In fact, driving back along the coast we didn’t really notice any dramatic difference until we approached Eastbourne. Again, heading North, the same seemed to apply. So am I becoming paranoiac, or is it the micro climate that we uniquely enjoy in our corner of the country? Or is it simply the fact that, like grass cutting on verges, nobody in the Council or Highways can be bothered anymore………..
Margot, please do not get too excited about teh condition of Kent’s roads, I can assure you they are diabolical too!
I was in Surrey and West Sussex yesterday. Surrey’s roads were fine, but even West Sussex roads are declining.