Richard Baum

I reckon the postings might be a bit sporadic over the next ten days. My usual routine of blogging at lunchtime will have to be postponed because I am on Christmas holidays from work and thus “lunchtime” becomes a fluid concept that can take place any time between 10am and 6pm, and in any place.

So apologies.

Today I am very tired - last night was a pre-Christmas get-together for my former work colleagues and I, which resulted in an early-hours arrival back in bed, and a fitful night’s sleep. Today has been one of those days seen through a fog of grey haze and a mind operating about one and a half seconds slower than the rest of the world.

Unfortunately I began it by writing a letter to the editor of the Prestwich Advertiser, which probably wasn’t wise given the fact that I may well still have been under the influence of last evening’s small glass of festive sherry. I have recently checked my sent items though, and have discovered the letter to be both profanity-free and reasonably cogent. Which is a relief. I was clearly better than I felt.

Prior to the festivities last night, I had contacted the Council’s Environmental Services people for a bit of last-gasp casework before the holidays, after a resident of Church Lane contacted me to tell me she’d still not received her blue recycling bin. It’s now 9 months since a promise was made to give everyone a bin by the summer. It’s December 23rd, and it’s not summer any more, so I have asked that this matter be rectified ASAP. Apparently the resident has been given the run-around for weeks, and it isn’t good enough.

I also asked for a couple of local bins (the dog waste bin on Prestwich Clough and the general waste bin at the Clifton Road / Gardner Roadjunction) to be emptied, since they’re overflowing and clearly haven’t been emptied for a while. The one on Clifton/Gardner is a pain for me personally, since the alternative dumping ground for Prestwich’s kebab wrappers is my front garden and those of my neighbours on the road. And the dog waste bin needs to be in a sanitary condition at this time of year in particular with children and families enjoying the Clough more than usual.

Tonight I am settling down for the Top Gear night on BBC2, and then heading to bed for some well-needed rest. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, a fact that is inconceivable given that it’s only five minutes ago that it was last Christmas. We’ll see what the day brings…

Rick