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Friday 21 April 2023

Royalty and Roads



It’s grey, wet and cold here in Derbyshire. I hope Charles the Daft can explain why it isn’t as warm as he and his cronies have been predicting for many years.

I’ll admit to being mildly surprised that the whole coronation rigmarole is going ahead even though Charles has made it pretty obvious that he is more politician than King. Maybe a president would be worse. Seems more and more unlikely, but maybe it’s still a good argument against replacing Charles’ crew with presidents.

While we’re on the subject of royalty, the current state of the roads came up while chatting with relatives this week. They live in Derbyshire too, but spend a lot of time in Surrey and in their view Surrey roads are worse than ours by quite a margin. They were told by a Surrey relative of theirs that the only good road in Surrey is one leading to Epsom Racecourse used by royalty.

Only an anecdote and not to be taken too seriously, but it does make a chap wonder if roads could evolve into elite roads and peasant roads. Peasant roads would only ever have a bucket of tarmac dumped into the worst potholes. The approach would be a development of Zil lanes perhaps.

9 comments:

Sam Vega said...

A couple of country pubs and restaurants here boast of their helicopter landing fields.

A K Haart said...

Sam - when I see videos of developments in small car-like aircraft I often wonder if they are to be the short range personal transport of the future, only affordable by the wealthy.

dearieme said...

"Charles the Daft". Damnation, I thought I'd invented that!

dearieme said...

"Charles the Daft". Damnation, I thought I'd invented that!

dearieme said...

"Charles the Daft": damnation! I thought I'd invented that.

There was once a King Boso of Provence. I dare say they're related.

Tammly said...

The roads here in Northamptonshire are in a pretty dreadful state too. I fell to wondering, given the amazing technology developed for agriculture, could an automatic road repair and pothole filling machine, mobile and computer controlled be developed say by JCB? Would save static teams of road menders and could be deployed 24/7.

Incidentally we were in Derby last Thursday, visiting the Museum with the local arts society. Had a lecture on the life of Joseph Wright and saw the Hogarth exhibition. Didn't approve the anti racist and 'climate change' pieces in the 'childrens' area though.

A K Haart said...

dearieme - you may have invented it, I saw it and it lodged somewhere in my brain. I find it hard to tell if something popping into my mind was created or remembered. I usually assume remembered.

Tammly - I once saw a piece about a road mending machine developed in the US. It was designed to deal with small repairs like potholes. The driver drove the machine over the pothole and the machine carried out the repair quickly and automatically.

We're intending to visit the Hogarth exhibition in a week or two.

Tammly said...

The Hogarth exhibition is really rather good. I think it's well worthwhile buying the accompanying book, as it saves you having to squint at most of the explanatory labels in the low level lighting, or catch up on those you missed. It's nicely laid out and illustrated too.

A K Haart said...

Tammly - thanks for the advice, we'll buy the book.