It might not look much, but this bus shelter is a major development for Moreton Hall. Thanks to local councillors, it has just been installed on Mount Road, serving the bus routes into Bury St Edmunds.
If anyone has stood waiting for a bus during the Winter, you will know how the cold winds blow in from Siberia. This shelter will definitely be a welcome addition to our neighbourhood.
If you haven't tried the bus route into Bury St Edmunds yet, the 83 service is very good and regularly leaves from this stop, just around the corner from Airfield Road. Take a look at the First travel site for times. Click Here for more info.
Just think, with Christmas coming up, there'll be no worries about parking. It will be good for the environment and takes only 10 minutes into the centre of town.
This week, I took a walk down to the Cotton Lane Allotments in Bury St Edmunds.
My visit was prompted by the news that the October edition of the Moreton Hall Directory features a request from the local council for anyone interested allotments in Moreton Hall to get in touch. To support the request, the MHD has printed an article that I submitted which features my childhood memories of helping my family in their kitchen garden and highlights why I am interested in having my own allotment locally.
Allotments are a topical issue. Councils across the country have taken steps to replace allotments with new housing, but with an increasing trend in householders taking an interest in allotments, some councils are beginning to work with developers to feature allotment space on new developments.
For residents in Moreton Hall, it is great news that the council is taking an interest in providing allotment facilities and researching demand in our area. There are so many benefits to owning an allotment and as well as growing low cost produce, benefits for local families include a hands-on learning experience, a healthy outdoor lifestyle and close links with other members of the community.
Living on a new housing development, I was interested in seeing how the Cotton Lane allotments sit alongside the new Hopkins houses that have been built next door. In my opinion, the allotments fit comfortably alongside the new development. It could be argued, in the eyes of the allotment holder, the new development does not sit so comfortably alongside the allotments, but one can understand that view as the allotments were there first.
Personally, I am hoping that allotment space will be provided on the land that has been reserved for leisure use and I hope that there are enough Moreton Hall residents to make this happen.
However to make it happen, interested parties must write to the Town Clerk at Bury St Edmunds Town Council, specifying your interest in renting an allotment in this area.
Bury St Edmunds Town Council
Town Council Offices
18-19 Guildhall Street
Bury St Edmunds
IP33 1QD
The best advice is not to leave it to someone else, thinking that they might write in, as the opportunity may be lost. If you are interested, the best thing to do is to send a letter as soon as you read this. Further advice is available in the Moreton Hall Directory.
Here are a few relevant articles and examples of projects where allotments have been planned for or already integrated into new developments.
There's Life in the Allotment (The Times)
Plans for Midwinter begin to take shape (an example of a development plans in Cheltenham)
Allerton Bywater Millennium Community (an example of a development in Leeds)
And the next move....I hope to see you at the vegetable plot. You'll recognise me. I'll be the green allotmenteer grasping for advice!
...for the inconvenience of building more houses on our estate on the edge of Bury St Edmunds. I suppose they have a lot to apologise for...hmmm...
...Let's start with the daily alarm call caused by the drone of machinery at 7.00am...then there are the lorries reversing down the main road and the gasp as they almost bump the odd car here and there...not to mention the silly positioning of a new side-road, right next to a zebra-crossing outside the local school.
...but let's look on the bright side.
If you fancy having a go at the good life (and you have a typically small garden), then why not start with an allotment? However, accessing one of the Town Centre allotments from Moreton Hall is not very sustainable and it would be much more effective to have an allotment patch that is more local to the estate, where families could even group together to manage a plot.
I have just heard from a friend who has verified matters with the Bury St Edmunds Town Council, that the council would consider such a facility if 6 people wrote to the Town Council requesting allotments on Moreton Hall. (Please note that consideration is just one step and doesn't translate as automatic provision).
So if you fancy being a Tom of Barbara (sorry about another 1970s reference) then please write to:
When Tina at the Moreton Hall Directory asked if I could go in her place to the Moreton Hall Community Centre Fun Day on Sunday to report on the event in her absence, my first thought was oh heck, when on earth am I going to fit that in! My timetable was full to bursting with lots of other commitments.
However, 21st CM went forth as blogger cum reporter and I am glad I managed it, even if it was for a very short while. It was great to get along to something that was run by the community for the community and there was lots of fun to be had.
Typically, for a Spring Bank Holiday, the British weather kept to form with rain, more rain and even more rain. However, the organisers and the community alike didn’t seem to be deterred. A huge advantage of the Community Centre for events like this is that most things can be moved indoors.
It was great that despite the rain, some outdoor activities were able to continue, including a safe-cracking competition to win a car from
This is just a snapshot of an hour or so. There were other activities planned for the rest of the day, including a BBQ and a baton-twirling display by the Bury Starlets.
It's a shame that my camera batteries ran out, but a selection of photos from the day can be seen on the Moreton Hall Diaries post
I couldn't resist sharing some photos of the fantastic hair salon that I regularly visit. I took them this morning when I went along to see my hair stylist Lize.
As well as fabulous service and excellent results that you would expect, what also sets this salon apart is the wonderful 
massage chair that you sit in whilst having your hair washed and the relaxing view of the tropical fish.
And the name of the salon... Stephen John, in Lawson Place, Moreton Hall. Other great news...they also have a beauty salon, so it's possible to spend the whole day there in sheer indulgence.
ADDENDUM: Just thought I'd mention...the telephone number for the salon is 01284 700100.
There has been a lot of noise in Bury St Edmunds recently about the naming of the shopping centre development on the old Cattle Market. With Centros Miller having decided to name it "arc", local residents have been up in arms about lack of consultation over the choice of the name (see Ruby's blog-post). This shows how important names are to residents in the locality. Apparently, Centros Miller chose "arc" because it will attract businesses to the development....so...
...bring this down to street level and the effect of street naming.
If you have walked around the new development in Moreton Hall, you can't help notice the wide range of street names. We have some lovely names e.g. Bluebell Avenue. (See the Moreton Hall Diaries post). But then again, there are some not so nice road names, typified by Primack Rd (which could be mistaken as Primark Rd) in the latest Abbotsford Park development. Let's also not forget Airfield Rd, which sounds more aviation-focused business park rather than residential street.
I know it's a bit far from home, but the best online article about streetnames that I've been able to find on the 'net is from Wigan Borough Council. "What's in a street name" provides an excellent overview of street naming.
What is interesting is to see how 20th Century practice of creating "pleasant-sounding" names affects property saleability. So does that mean a property in Airfield Road or Primack Road becomes less saleable than an equivalent property in Bluebell Avenue or Blackbird Close?
Whether or not that is true, councillors and developers please, please, please could could you ensure all new road names are given names that you would like to include in your address. Perhaps we could include a community consultation as part of the process.
It is recognised that some road names are allocated after surnames of local people who deserve recognition. This post does not intend to offend anyone associated with the names that have been allocated to street names, but to highlight the effect of street names on local residents.
So as a final note: if nothing can be done about the chosen street-name, at least allocating the use of Avenue etc instead of Rd would make the street sound more pleasant and be more fitting to Moreton Hall.
aaaahhhh.....Airfield Avenue and Primack Avenue...sounds better already
(By the way Ruby - thanks for the use of the Primack photo, that you took on the tour of Moreton Hall today, much appreciated).
...a bike taxi
Now, I love my bike and there is little I like better than the exhiliarating experience of cycling (or rather free-wheeling) down what seems like the only hill in Suffolk, into Bury St Edmunds. It has all the benefits of fun, fresh-air, freedom, fitness and being a friend to the environment.
But, there is the problem of what goes down must come back up, defying the law of gravity. And it's not really an incentive when you have to climb that steeeeeeeeep and long hill with a 15kg toddler on the back and a tonne of shopping on the front.
Oh if only there was a bike taxi, which you could just ring to rescue you from the Everest that lies ahead. I know I'd lose out in the fitness stakes and would only be half a friend to the environment, but it wouldn't half be nice. I'd be much more tempted to cycle into town on market day.
Taxi companies, please feel free to take this idea and run with it and if it's successful, I wouldn't mind the odd free ride. Just look out for the red-faced woman pushing the bike up the hill, going two steps forward and one step back.
Many of you who pass through Moreton Hall on Mount Road will most definitely have seen "The Mound", which was created about two years ago, by the local developers as a dumping ground for extracted earth. This "landmark" will ultimately change, when Taylor Woodrow develop the area for recreational use.
Most affectionately referred to in my family as the Moreton Hall Alps (because of its previously peaked appearance), I have witnessed many a child attempt climbing it, but never personally had the desire to venture forth and upwards until a friend visited this weekend. After a glass of wine she thought it would be a great idea.
As we approached it during the sunset, it had more of an orange glow about it and became more like Ayres Rock than the Alps. Unfortunately it had lost this glow by the time we got close enough to get a photo. We climbed all the way to the top (which took all of 30 seconds), passing through some tall vegetation.
Okay, call me a big girl's blouse but one thing I'm sure you don't want to hear when you are already late for the school run is:
So, the council elections have come up again and it's time to trot off to vote for those who will (hopefully) serve you and your community well.
So who do you chose and how do you chose? Do you base your decision on who has done what, using the knowledge that has come your way from campaign material or what has been said in the press? Or do you use the lead of the national party and make your decision relating to national politics? Maybe you have had a need to contact currently serving councillors and they have served you well. Surely this might sway your vote one way or the other?
Being an interested observer of and not a great debater on politics, I will not relay for whom I voted but I will at least divulge how I decided.
I partly based my decision on some excellent informative campaign material that came through the door. Other information that was distributed by another candidate I found to be very negative and this swayed me from voting for them.
My decision was also based on results. Certain councillors already in post had already acted on previous queries that I had registered with them in the last year. So I have already seen positive results and this contributed to my decision.
There has been lots of controversy in the press recently concerning some of the candidates and this had a negative impact on my vote.
My choice had nothing to do with who I would vote for in a national election (I have a feeling that decision may just be a lot more difficult when the time comes)...
...and as for voting for any candidate who came around canvassing, well this was easy. We did not get anyone knocking on our door! If they had, they might have just influenced my decision.
So what about the number of crosses on the ballot slip? No I did not use them all. I did not see the need to!
Whoever is elected to serve Moreton Hall and St Edmundsbury, maybe I voted for you or maybe I didn't. Even if I didn't, I hope you serve us well.
Today seems the day when the mischievous elves have been at play. The first was the case of the Missing Pond. After a visit to our local shop, we went to see if there were any ducks in the Woodland Ways pond, just off Ortewell Rd. When we got there, there was no pond (and no ducks of course), just a few bulrushes!!!
My two year old asked me who took the pond. He seemed quite happy with the answer I gave him that it was Mr Sun. However, I don't know how long it's been since Mr Raincloud and friends have been on holiday and left the pond all dried up. I'll make myself a reminder to ask when I see the Woodlands Ways group again.
So, disappointed not to see the pond, we decided to cycle off to the new playground in the Abbotsford Park development.
When we got there we discovered that the little playground had also disappeared. When we last looked the playground was just behind the shrubs in the foreground of this picture. It's gone! All that's left is some dusty old earth. Hard to believe as it's only been open for a few months.
Not too disheartened we cycled further along the path to the larger playground for older children. Oh relief, it was still there and to our surprise we also found the remnants of the other play equipment. Thank goodness, they have just been relocated and not disappeared for good.
After a quick play, we cycled back to hang out the washing to find the usual delight
s of the Missing Socks, a regular mystery at our house.
Strolling around the garden this afternoon, I think I've at least solved the mystery of the missing socks. I found this little monster at the bottom of the garden, who seems to eat most things. Maybe, just maybe, he's also eaten the socks (don't think he could manage the whole pond though)!
I have just noticed Ruby's lovely photos of the views from Moreton Hall in her Living in Bury St Edmunds blog. They are definitely worth a look. Meanwhile, it got me thinking about other lovely aspects of the area. The first thing that came to mind was cycling. The network of cycle paths that are being developed create a really safe off-road area for a gentle family activity. Cycling into town is just a 15 minute journey, even from the farthest outreaches of Moreton Hall (admittedly ~ it's not so fast coming back!)
On Sunday, we took our two young boys to a work party down at Natterers Wood, which is managed by local wildlife group Woodland Ways. We all got stuck in, clearing away the weeds from the young saplings that had been planted last year. The children had a great time, with our youngest enjoying climbing all over the pile of mulch (after all, he is only 2 years old). A couple of hours in the great outdoors did them (and us) the world of good. We got back home in time for lunch, to a well earned BBQ. Here is a photo of the giant bat, which has been dug into the hillside at Natterers Wood
