What's It All About, Alfie?

Thursday.6.00 p.m. I went to the Oaktree Centre this morning to help set up Acorns playgroup. I left around 8.40, which should have given me plenty of time to get there for 9. I left Dexter House and drove out of Oldbrook along Strudwick Drive and then found there was a queue of around six cars at the junction onto Chaffron Way. It's virtually impossible to get out onto the road to the right, due to heavy traffic so, as usual, I went left and drove around the roundabout near Eaglestone (commonly known as Four Bridges, for obvious reasons, and then doubled back on myself to drive along Chaffron Way. Then there was a jam only metres away, just before the turning into Rainbow Drive. Many cars appeared to be parked within the immediate entry, and I wondered if they were parents dropping off children going to either the college or Milton Keynes Academy. These parents (if indeed it is parents) don't seem to care about anyone else, just blocking the entrance and not getting out of the way. The other entrance into MK Academy in Saxon Street was always being clogged up with cars, by parents either leaving their children or collecting them and also not taking a blind bit of notice that it was dangerous, likely causing collisions with vehicles, even though the school had made it clear to them not to do so. People just seem to do as they please, regardless of being told not to do something. 

Beyond the roundabout where Chaffron Way meets Grafton Street, the traffic was nose-to-tail more or less all the way to Shenley. All I can say is, I was more than glad that I was driving in the opposite direction and I wouldn't want to put up with that sort of traffic daily, to and from work. I can't think what had caused the traffic to be so snarled up unless there was an accident on either the M1 or the A5 and traffic was being diverted through Milton Keynes or maybe there was resurfacing of some of the grid roads which might cause such problems.

Saturday. 6.05 a.m. Alfie came to me and prodded me. I had to force myself to respond and wake up. It wasn't easy, waking up, getting dressed and then taking him out, as I knew he was in desperate need to get out and I really didn't want a mess to clear up. So I carried him out (just as well he's small. I can't imagine doing that with a bigger dog, an Irish wolf-hound or Labrador.) This was at around 2.30 a.m., so you can imagine that it was very dark, even with a few street lamps illuminating things. But it was a success, and we were soon back indoors and back in bed a couple of minutes later.

We met up for the men's breakfast at Morrison's at Westcroft this morning. It was something of a disaster, although it was sorted out. We have met there to use the community room for several months and it seems a good enough venue, it's quiet, and we can have a cooked breakfast,, provided by Morrison's café. But I don't know what happened as regards getting the room set up and making it ready for us. You would imagine that if they had a regular booking, they would have known we were due there. But no. The staff had no idea. It was eventually sorted out and the meeting went ahead, but we could have just as easily gone to Costa which is right next door to Morrison's. 

I had planned to go to my creative writing group, which meets monthly in Waterstones in Midsummer Place. I should have left to drive a good deal earlier because when I got as far as the road opposite The escape, the traffic was backed up almost as far as the roundabout on Childs Way. It took some while to reach the carpark I usually go to when I drive into Milton Keynes centre and found it absolutely chocker-block, with not a single space vacant, although I did drive round with the hope that I would find a space, but no luck. I then drove out and thought I might be able to park in the adjacent carpark, but when I attempted to use the RingGo app it would not work. A similar situation happened when I came in earlier in the week to have my covid booster vaccine jab. It simply refused to work. I don't understand why it won't work, it won't connect or something. One of those confounded spinning wheel things, so I gave up and came home, unfortunately, abandoning any possibility of getting to the meet-up. I will just have to drive in a good deal earlier when the group next meets.

Roadworks Annoyances and Other Matters Relating

The grid roads within Milton Keynes are currently being re-surfaced. Considering the condition it's a good thing. There are many potholes. For a relatively new town it's not good to have roads in such a state of dis-repair. They are gradually getting the job done and as a result it can cause some inconvenience. We've had plenty of warning, with signs being placed at strategic points around this area. They have stated that the work will take 4 days. The workmen have taken off the surface of some of the road, which means that as you drive around you have to negotiate ramps as the old road surface is at a slightly different level, making it quite difficult, particularly if you were to drive to fast. The surface of the road around the roundabout at what is called 'Four Bridges' has been re-surfaced first. It's around two or three inches in height and if you don't drive carefully, most probably at speed, you're in real danger of damaging your car, most likely the suspension and exhaust system. As a lot of drivers are impatient they tend to drive really up close behind and if you don't get out of their way they attempt to get you to drive faster. There is absolutely no excuse to ignore the fact that there is a lot of roadworks in this area currently because there are large signs to warn you, particularly that there are 'raised ironworks,' most likely in regard to manhole covers and drains as well as the ramps which are between different road surfaces, old and new.

Carol is experiencing a lot of pain due to a trapped nerve. She's been to the doctor's several times. I have to make an appointment for her. It's not easy getting one, as I've mentioned on here before now. You have to ring, after 9.30. It's no good ringing before because the telephone lines aren't open. It's gone 9.38 before I eventually get through to a human. You get a long menu and then 'press 1' to book an appointment. When I eventually get to speak to someone, I have to describe the symptoms and get told 'a doctor will ring back' so as to decide whether the appointment is necessary. Well, it is, otherwise I wouldn't put myself through the ringer in order to get through. I know why they have this, relatively new- system. It's to weed out the time wasters. A doctor does eventually ring back, after 20-30 minutes. I explain what's the matter and that the appointment is not for me. I manage to get an appointment at 3 o'clock that afternoon. I then text Carol to give her the news.

I have to go out to buy salad to go with the cold meat we're having for tonight's meal. Due to the fact that there's roadworks continuing on most of the Grid Roads within the vicinity of Eaglestone, I'm not sure where to go. It would be fairly easy to drive to Waitrose or Asda. I drive out onto Saxon Street, the exit opposite the Academy. I turn left and make for Standing Way. Because of the roadworks, I end up going to Sainsbury's, along Marlborough Street and towards the city centre. Having bought what I wanted in the supermarket, I drive out of Sainsbury's underground carpark and drive a good deal further round Milton Keynes, back towards Standing Way and back onto Saxon Street because the road is closed off just beyond the entrance back into Eaglestone. As a result I have drive around four-five times the distance to avoid the roadworks. As I drive in there is a mini traffic jam, entering and exiting Eaglestone. It seems most drivers are using Eaglestone as a sort of rat-run, or short cut, rather than driving around the city as I've just done.

I go to collect Carol from the Academy at around 2.45. She is waiting just inside the gate. It takes a while for the automated thing to open. Really on it's last legs, if you can so describe an automated gate. Just a lick of paint might freshen things up. It is a rusty old thing. Not that old, come to think of it, as Milton Keynes Academy can't be much more than 6 years old.

We arrive in the carpark at Ashfield Medical Centre in Beanhill. Why do cars have to park in the road outside, when there is a perfectly adequate carpark? We manage to find a space in the carpark at the rear. Not a particularly well designed space to park your car, as it's a really tight space to turn and when you exit you have to make sure that no vehicles are coming in.

We don't have to wait long before Carol is seen. There are that many other people waiting. The appointment was booked for 3 and her name comes up on the digital display very quickly, more or less exactly on 3.00.  She is seen by a nurse, not a doctor.

Carol reappears after about ten minutes with a prescription. As she's diabetic she doesn't have to pay for prescriptions. We take it to Cox and Robinson's chemist, which is only a short walk from the doctor's. Unfortunately I didn't bring my wallet with me, which has the N.H.S. card which you have to show so you don't have to pay prescription charges. We leave the prescription to be made up and say we'll come back to collect it after 5 o'clock. I have to take Carol back to work. She's not over-enthusiastic as it's for some meeting or other which are generally very boring.

I drive out of Eaglestone, having remembered this time to take my wallet complete with the N.H.S. exemption card, with the intention of driving straight over Saxon Street, so as to collect Carol from the Academy . But as I come out onto Saxon Street it appears that the road is back open in both directions. I can't make a safe crossing into the Academy so turn left and decide that, instead of going to collect Carol I might just as well drive to the chemist and collect the prescription and then go back to The Academy. This done, I text Carol to inform her of what I've done. Mission completed, we return home.