Festival Town

People are hanging out by the canal waiting for the next act to begin on on the Ecotricity stage. When I moved to Stroud 23 years ago, the Wallbridge canal basin was an eyesore, an abandoned wasteland at the gateway to town. Slowly, slowly, we are getting there....

In fact, this was all I saw of the Stroud Fringe festival today! We returned from Deepest Dorset at 11 last night, and I had to leave this morning for a market stall in Nailsworth. That went well, thank goodness! It's about time....

By the time I got home it had brightened up, and Steve had started to unpack the camping gear. After lunch of Dorset Blue Vinny cheese and chorizo, he went ro have forty winks and I put on my shorts and rebuilt my 'shop' at home, before venturing into town, to Argos. The streets were full of festival goers. I felt as if I was visiting a different town.

However, I decided to walk home along the canal route, via Waitrose to buy a listings mag, and to my total amazement I realised, when we got to Bowbridge, that the ugly concrete infill that was shoved under the classic brick canal bridge in the 1960s or '70s has been removed, seemingly without the need to close the bridge! Or maybe it was done while we were away... Now it is feasible for boats to pass underneath, and traffic to flow overhead.

Of course there are no boats yet. The canal is not yet joined up. The M5 was built over the far end. But all these obstacles shall be overcome, one day. Really.

So here I am in the sofa, supper inside me, and many, many backblips to catch up with! There was no WiFi in our field in Dorset. You don't say!