Murder Investigation

It's not often I get mention some 'big' news story in my blog posts. If I do, and there's some sort of local connection, it's usually miles from our home, but this current incident happened merely 200 yards from our front door. Osprey  Close is one of the roads leading off Golden Drive and one of the routes we might take if we go for a walk with our dogs on our way into Eaglestone Park. The police are currently going from house to house interviewing residents in the area of the incident. It turns out that someone was shot in the early hours of yesterday morning. Someone living in Osprey Close reported a disturbance at number 12 and later the 'suspect' ran off. As I write this, and as reported on the B.B.C. Breakfast local news, someone was in custody as a 'suspect.'  The 'incident' is being covered quite comprehensively by the local media. As we went out early this morning, we could see the Police vehicles were still parked along Golden Drive and the blue tent was still in place on the grass near Osprey Close.

With all this excitement going on so close to home, it's difficult to concentrate on other matters. The weather has been exceptionally warm for the time of year over the past couple of days, making sleep difficult at night. As we walked over to the Academy this morning, there was a mist laying over much of the Milton Keynes landscape. But as I write this (at 8.30 a.m.) much of this mist has burnt off and the sun is shining. It's likely to be yet another scorchingly hot day.

Police in Eaglestone

There's been something or other going on in Eaglestone, but we're not absolutely sure what. Apparently, Carol could hear something going on further down our road. When we drove out this morning on our way to the Academy (which is crazy, I know, as it's so close and most mornings we walk. It's barely a ten-minute walk there along the Redway.) So as we drew out of our parking space (heaven forbid I call it a driveway, which sounds so pretentious.) we could see, as we looked along the road, a police vehicle parked near one of the side roads or closes which run off Golden Drive. Being ever so inquisitive, Carol insisted on driving round to see if we could spot what was going on. The side road was cordoned off with tape, as they always seem to use in any police investigation, and lots of police, some in those overalls they use when they're doing forensic searches. It looked like the set of some sort of television cop dramas, such as 'Morse' or 'Dalziel and Pascoe.' A bit of a cliche, I suppose. But it made us wonder what it was all about. Considering we live within barely 100 yards of the scene, it would be as well to know what criminal activity has been going on so close to home. No doubt we will learn when we see the local news on television in the next couple of days.

A bit later. Just around lunchtime, I saw a couple of policemen in what looked like padded body armour walking past our house in the direction of the cordoned-off area. I did have a furtive glance to see if things were moving forward and it appeared that the cordon is still there as well as the police vehicles.

Today has been exceptionally warm. I have had the windows open all day. Both dogs have been attempting to keep themselves warm. Alfie has been stretched out on the sofa for most of the morning. They are saying that it's been the hottest September day for 50 years. I can well believe it.


Later still.
I have seen a mention of the police activity in our neighbourhood. Apparently, there was a shooting in Osprey Close, just along Golden Drive from our house. As soon as I saw the piece there was a knock at the front door and a man stood there with a clipboard in his hand and a sheaf of forms and asking me if I'd heard anything. Just a complete coincidence that I had only that minute seen about this incident on the internet. He asked me a few questions because they are interviewing everyone in the immediate area, just to find out if anyone saw anything suspicious or heard anything. Carol did say she'd heard something which was why she wanted to drive past Osprey Close early this morning. The detective (or whatever he was.) said he'd come back later to speak to Carol at around 6 o'clock this evening.

So, this blog is becoming quite interesting, keeping my readers fully informed of what is going on and this is quite useful as part of my on-going creative writing.

Even later still. There has been quite a bit more activity regarding the police, in regards to what now turns out to be a murder, and right on our doorstep, it would seem. During the afternoon there was a large vehicle parked directly outside our house, which had a satellite dish, folded down on its room. I recognized it has the up-loader for television broadcasting. As I walked over to meet Carol, as I usually do at 4. 45, I glanced back towards Osprey Close and saw a television camera set up and facing the scene of the incident.

Carol came in from the Academy and I told her that the police were interviewing residents regarding the 'incident' and that I had done this earlier in the afternoon. Just to find out if anyone had seen or heard anything 'suspicious.' We sat down to have our evening meal just as 'Pointless' was coming to an end on BBC1 at 6 o'clock. The police interviewer came to the door and came in to speak to Carol.  He was here for around 15 minutes. We had the BBC local news on, 'Look East' and during this programme, there was an extremely brief piece about the murder in Osprey Close. All of around 25 seconds.

Doctor's Appointment and Police, Camera, Action!

Following last week's appointment at the Audiology Department at the hospital and the completion of the course of antibiotics which ended last week to clear up my ear infection, I had to make a fresh doctor's appointment this morning. As I've said in earlier posts that it can be difficult enough to get an appointment by telephoning the surgery, I decided to go direct to the surgery in Beanhill before 8 a.m. after I'd taken Carol to work. It was around 7.40 when I got there and parked the car and had even taken a book to read with me so that I had something to keep me occupied if it chanced that I got an appointment and I had to wait for some time. There were around six people ahead of me waiting outside the surgery door, and, as it was quite warm weather-wise, it was actually pleasant standing outside. Considering the cold weather we have had recently, any sign of sun or the temperature rising is a good thing. Once inside the surgery I managed to get an immediate appointment and saw the doctor within around 15-20 minutes of the doors opening. I have been given a prescription for antibiotic drops for the ear infection and just need to get the prescription made up. The doctor did say that I should make an appointment for a week's time, but when I got to the reception desk to make this appointment I was then told I couldn't make an advance appointment and would have to come in ON THE DAY to do so. So why did the doctor say I could? More annoyance. I really don't see why you can't make advance appointments at Ashfield Medical Centre.

Then things got quite exciting. I left the surgery and walked back to the car which was in the carpark immediately outside the surgery. As I turned into the road a large police van drove past, followed by two police cars, all with sirens sounding and lights flashing and driven at considerable speed, considering they were coming out of a Milton Keynes housing estate this did seem quite surprising. The van then stopped abruptly in the middle of the road, and the police car behind stopped. I was fortunate (or not, as the case may be) to have at that precise moment drawn out of the carpark so was directly behind the police van when two policemen opened up the van (I think it was a riot van, as it had wire cages over the windows and looked the type of vehicle used to transport police around when there is the possibility of a riot.) Inside the back of the van, when the back door was opened, there was another inner cage door and two police got inside and there was a scuffle with a youth within the van. Had they been to raid a property in Beanhill, and this 'youth' arrested? I'm not actually sure whether it was male of female from where I was sitting, some 10-20 yards behind the van. I assume the person within the vehicle was causing quite a stir, banging around inside, making the van shake no doubt, to make it necessary for him/her to be calmed down. One assumes they were taking him/her to the police station for questioning over whatever charges had been made by the police. They drove off towards the centre of Milton Keynes with quite a large tail-back of traffic at the roundabout at Standing Way. But it was quite an exciting incident and made what had started out as a rather mundane day into quite an eventful one! Just imagine if the person (arrestee/prisoner, call them whatever you like.) had escaped and run off, what would have happened then? Would have had quite a high excitement quotient no doubt!