The B5056 has reopened, and other highlights!

What joy!

The B5056, our main route from Parwich to Ashbourne (it joins the A515 at Fenny Bentley a couple of miles north of Ashbourne) is now open again, after what seems like an age of us all having to straggle through Alsop on a road never meant for – and barely able to cope with – as much traffic as it has recently.

‘They’ really have done an amazing job, as far as the eye can see, and one can only hope and assume that the problems of landslip etc really have been overcome. It is wider, smoother and an absolute joy to drive along; I never imagined one would rave at the excitement of actually have two lanes instead of a single track, but, what joy!

Now the next excitement in the village (well, exciting for the vast majority of local people although there is a vocal minority who aren’t so pleased) will be the opening of the village hall. It is due to be finished very soon, slightly behind schedule after months of snow and ice hampered work over the winter, then lots of rain earlier in the spring. From the front (a bit like our barns) it doesn’t look anything special but from the back of the building, and even more strikingly, once inside, it is amazing – full of light and surprising angles, with the best possible use made of the relatively limited space.

The final excitement of the moment is a very little one but important to John and me. We have discovered, with Jeremy’s help, why we couldn’t load photos onto the website: something to do with Flash technology and nothing to do with any human incompetence to our relief and slight surprise.