Tag: challenge

Advent 17: Children being good

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Story-time

Where would Christmas be without children?

He’s making a list

and checking it twice

He’s going to find out who’s naughty or nice

Santa Claus is coming to town

Also in response to the weekly WordPress Photo Challenge: anticipation

by Categories: Advent, Challenge, Christmas, Festivals, People, TraditionTags: , , , , , , 8 Comments

Advent 10: Peace on the Horizon

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Christmas is a very peaceful time in the neighbourhood where I am. Mainly because there is a big exodus of students and people who visit relatives in other countries leaving just about a quarter of the crowded streets. Sometimes I feel like I have God’s earth all to myself.

All photos © Southampton Old Lady

Also in response to the Weekly WordPress Challenge: Horizon

by Categories: Advent, Challenge, Change, Christmas, nature, Photo, Photo Art, SouthamptonTags: , , , , , 12 Comments

Advent 3: Home for Christmas

 

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Breakfast in bed © Southampton Old Lady

It is a great time to relax when you go home for Christmas. I love spoiling my daughter. However some people have no homes to go to…

Southampton homeless in doorway
It is estimated that 117,000 children will be homeless in the UK this Christmas. London, Manchester and other cities and especially warmer cities in the South also have high numbers of rough sleepers that are difficult to calculate.    Photo of homeless sleeping in the City of Southampton © Southampton Old Lady

It has been very frosty in the UK and weather forecasters are predicting a white Christmas this year, which is no fun for those who have nowhere to go and are sleeping rough. Why not make a gift of a night in a homeless shelter or buy a Christmas dinner for someone homeless this year?

It is estimated that 117,000 children will be homeless in the UK this Christmas

For homeless young people who have run away to London there is Centre Point’s Home For Christmas appeal – click here

In my area the Society of St James organises such for the homeless click here

Or there is Crisis at Christmas click here

There must be many organisations in your area that you can help: A home is where the heart is.

Also in response to this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge: Relax

 

by Categories: Advent, Challenge, Christmas, Crisis, England, Homeless, London, People, Photo, Southampton, street, teens, weather, winterTags: , , , , , , , , , 23 Comments

Pothole Gallery Challenge

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Pothole on a main road into the City of Southampton – still to be repaired
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Pothole in Bevois Town, Southampton

Shoreacres has given me an idea for a challenge. After a chat about potholes she commented: “I can’t imagine any place in the world is boring, if only we take the time to explore it. For example: how about a gallery of potholes?”

So without further ado: here my potholes photos!

If you would like to join in, post your photos of potholes from your post just include a pingback to this post.

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Same pothole with glove to show size – those stones are big and shoot out when a car passes. Now repaired after much complaining.
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Broken manhole cover Portswood Road – now repaired.

Now the next one is not my photo but published in the daily echo last year:

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A sink-hole has opened up on the A27 Titchfield Bypass. Police are now looking in to it
by Categories: Challenge, Photo, Southampton, streetTags: , , 24 Comments

City Street Chaos

I have two entries concerning wasted public money for the weekly WordPress challenge: Chaos

Southampton City Centre's uneven pavements cause chaos.
Southampton City Centre’s uneven pavements cause chaos.

Southampton City Council spent £4.6million revamping the civic centre’s main square and pavements which was completed in 2010. But just 18 months after a private contractor completed it (with no expert investigation) large parts of the road began to sink, leaving its surface uneven and cracked.

I don’t know how many times I have fallen over in the City myself – it’s no good just looking where I am going as the shadows create optical illusions, it would be easier to walk on gravel or loose earth. So many have been hospitalised and had their lives ruined. It is cheaper for the Council if pedestrians, cyclists and drivers to claim compensation for their injuries from the contractor than have the street repaired. I think coloured Tarmac would have been a better option for the street and was even better left as it was. Cutting corners always works out more expensive and money always seems to come before people.

The back of Old Northam Road, Southampton
The back of Old Northam Road, Southampton

The street where the Developer has run off with the cash

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Resotoration of Old Northam Road

Southampton City Council granted £1.4 million of public money to Grays Developments in the early 2000s to refurbish Victorian properties in Old Northam Road. This was to regenerate what was once the antiques quarter of Southampton, England.

The man who owns Grays, bought up 30 commercial properties and 68 homes within Old Northam Road had promised to invest millions restoring them within 13 years.

So far there has only been ripping down and dilapidation. No work has actually started, leaving residents and businesses in chaos. Some who lived above shops have had walls to their property removed and just left.

The traders insist that he has spent the money on a house for his mother and ran off with the rest of the cash. Here is a YouTube video of promises from the project manager: Restoration of Old Northam Road

 

 

by Categories: architecture, Britain, Challenge, Photo, Southampton, streetTags: , , , , , , 28 Comments