Tuesday, March 29, 2005
The solution to water shortages
We sometimes get water shortages here, accompanied by the hosepipe bans that are familiar to anyone who has ever experienced a UK summer (it rains for ten months, but after two days of sunshine ...). The water shortage is invariably most severe in Longwood, which also has the highest rainfall on the island. There must be a reason.
Anyway, I have the solution. Next time we have a water shortage we should declare a public holiday.
As you will, by now, have guessed, the Easter weekend was rather damp. It didn’t rain continually, which gives it the edge over a UK ‘bank holiday’, but it did rain a great deal, mostly in the short-torrential-bursts fashion. I feel very sorry for anyone who was under canvas.
The Maundy Thursday fishing expeditions (to catch fish to eat on Good Friday) were heavily curtailed by strong waves. Apparently the rescue boat was sent out as a precaution but didn’t need to rescue anybody. It did, however, manage to crash into the jetty because of a problem with its gearbox – a problem, incidentally, which I am told has been known about for three years but which nobody has got around to fixing. Nobody was hurt.
The Turner family managed to get our act together and had a picnic on the summit of Flagstaff, a prominent outcrop on the northern tip of the island. We also explored the Levelwood area, albeit mostly by car, and even managed a barbecue on Monday night. This was a very pleasant change from spending Easter doing DIY, as per the British ‘tradition’ (we have banned DIY at Piccolo Hill for fear of disturbing the asbestos).
Anyway, I have the solution. Next time we have a water shortage we should declare a public holiday.
As you will, by now, have guessed, the Easter weekend was rather damp. It didn’t rain continually, which gives it the edge over a UK ‘bank holiday’, but it did rain a great deal, mostly in the short-torrential-bursts fashion. I feel very sorry for anyone who was under canvas.
The Maundy Thursday fishing expeditions (to catch fish to eat on Good Friday) were heavily curtailed by strong waves. Apparently the rescue boat was sent out as a precaution but didn’t need to rescue anybody. It did, however, manage to crash into the jetty because of a problem with its gearbox – a problem, incidentally, which I am told has been known about for three years but which nobody has got around to fixing. Nobody was hurt.
The Turner family managed to get our act together and had a picnic on the summit of Flagstaff, a prominent outcrop on the northern tip of the island. We also explored the Levelwood area, albeit mostly by car, and even managed a barbecue on Monday night. This was a very pleasant change from spending Easter doing DIY, as per the British ‘tradition’ (we have banned DIY at Piccolo Hill for fear of disturbing the asbestos).
