The Quarry

Fri 12 Dec 2008, 09:36

The quarry situation I do not think will ever really 'go away' until it has been resolved. To my mind though at present we - the general public can do nothing until one party makes a clear move, i.e either the Town Council pushes it's wish for the area to be developed for small business use or the Quarry owner for private development. Just now we seem to have come to a bit of a 'stalemate'. Yes, we do have to respect the fact that the area is at present 'Private Property' and stay out. I will readily hold my hands up and admit that I have been sorely tempted to find a way through - never more so on a clear sunny day or as we have recently had cold clear frosty mornings. I have not done so, since to do so would be to put me in the same league as the cowardly person who called Glena, and will also make the owners even more determined not to allow any access - by the way during the last debate over the quarry I too receive several slightly threatening emails, however the sender was brave enough to name himself (I will not, however, give him the satisfaction of seeing his name in print here but you know who you are) however, the message seemed to be the same one along with the fact that he seemed to think I was some sort of 'ringleader' who was responsible for encouraging people to 'vandalise' the work done to block any possible entrance!! Reply to these emails? I did not! I also, as I mentioned in a previous posting on the subject had a delightful telephone conversation with a representive from Curtis', his level of intellect was such that he put the phone down on me!!

That there are or is a party or parties out there that feel threatened enough to participate in such behaviour should I think indicate how emotive an issue the quarry is. I am behind Glena in that it is not an issue that can be or should be forgotten. However, for the time being I urge anyone thinking of inflaming the issue by gaining entrance to the quarry to think again and for the time being 'let sleeping dogs lie' until some sort of formal and legal descision has been made (certainly in respect of the possibility of the chance of access by way of a footpath, as Glena is attempting to persue). I have found other routes (admittedly not quite as beautiful or interesting and unfortunately on wet days more muddy!)and every so often when up on the top fields I look back longly at the quarry and when I do it is always with the hope that one day it's future will be secured and in the right hands. So do not 'harangue' Glena, she as a councillor of many years standing I am sure know what she is doing.

When one or other party decides to indicate formally what they wish to do with it, that will be the time to give a call to arms and through healthy debate decide what the next move should be. In the meantime we have to be patient in the hope that(as my grandmother would say) "what is worth having is worth waiting for".

In regards to the dog fouling in the town centre, with children myself I do not in any way condone it, but as Glena said trying to catch the purpetrators is another thing altogether. Also I will re-iterate Glena's comment on the dog litter bins not being emptied as often as they should! However, I will say that as more and more of our countryside gets taken away from us. Us dog walkers are being forced to walk our dogs in areas we would not have considered in the first place!