July & August

I’m sure we all enjoyed the Queen’s fabulous Platinum Jubilee Celebrations in June, whether you chose to take a 4 day holiday abroad, take part in your
community events or just stay in and watch it on TV, I think we can all say it was truly magnificent.

Many of the Aylesbury Vale communities put on street parties, afternoon teas, BBQs and all sorts of entertainment in memory of the 70 years reign of our Queen. The words of the anthem, noble and gracious, really do apply to her.

Her health is just starting to affect her mobility but at 96 years old who can complain when “the family” have to step in and replace her. Unfortunately the weather was not that gracious but that didn’t seem to stop the celebrations as hardly any sausages, burgers, rolls or fizz were available in town, with one local butcher saying they sold nearly a tonne of sausages!

We always like to talk about the weather and the last couple of months has been no exception with a mini heatwave striking as I write this piece. Temperatures almost into the 30s which I’m sure will be yet another record. Nature always repays its debt and I’d expect thunder storms and fl oods will follow this lovely sunny weather.

The airports seem to be in chaos with cancellations a daily occurrence, so we are staying in the UK again for the third year running. We went down to Dorset for a weekend and Studland Bay has to be one of the best sandy beaches to visit.

I notice Buckinghamshire Council are being very kind to nature by not cutting the verges during May and June. This helps save many nesting birds. Please drive defensively because it’s harder to see oncoming traffic but think of the nature and money they are saving.

Houses seem to be springing up everywhere around the Vale but they say we still need more. 300,000 aresupposed to be built in the UK each year but they are still not reaching their target. This is making houses short and expensive, however with the recent hike in interest rates I sincerely hope people can still afford to buy them. Apparently there is also a massive shortage of rental properties in the Vale too, so a double whammy for our first time buyers.

I noticed that planning permission of the Eastern arc of the Aylesbury ring has been passed and this time they intend to build the ring road first from Bierton to the A41 near Weston Turville I believe. This is the bypass that is not a bypass. It’ll be a massive development that includes schools, doctors surgery, parks and sports centres as well as around 20,000 houses!

Milton Keynes has finally been granted City Status, not sure what that means but this is a fine example of how to build mass housing, industrial and retail parks and leisure all in the same place! It seems to work well with free flowing traffic and hardly any lights just roundabouts!

I have mentioned before (in fact even before the Bank of England realised) that inflation is roaring away and well into double figures. Fuel prices are almost £2 a litre and everything is going up apart from our wages. Unfortunately it looks as if a recession is looming; as they are telling us well before, we may just about escape it by keeping your borrowing and spending down, on the basis that if you can’t afford it, don’t have it.

It always amazes me that around 90% of the cars on the roads are bought on HP. There are no shortages of four-wheel drive cars collecting school children in the Vale, but how can people afford these gas guzzlers?

The Russians’ war in Ukraine is affecting us residents in the Vale with increasing oil, gas and food prices but doesn’t seem to be ending any day soon. I can’t see Putin ever giving back the Eastern land taken so some sort of compromise must be the answer but hopefully not WW3.

On that happy note it’s a lovely summer’s night and I just have time to watch the swallows catch some insects, red kites start to go to roost and finish off my nice cold beer watching the sun go down!

The Countryman