A scallop in the wall

My eye test went well and I learnt about lenses of the human kind from Julie, the friendly dispensing optician, who helped me. My last glasses have worked well for four years but now I need some more help. I worked out that having two pairs has cost me £1 per week, which doesn't seem too bad a deal given how much they change my life.

I only just arrived in time for the appointment as my meeting with the town clerk and mayor took longer than planned, but at least we covered lots of ground and have made some decisions. I then walked part of the way home climbing up Nelson Street, which leads into Middle Street where I had parked. A t one point where the old shops, which have now been mostly converted into small houses, petered out, I noticed this strange exposed stone wall.

It is in an old terrace with no front gardens so that originally the front doors opened straight onto the roadway, but now there is a slightly raised narrow pavement edging the road. I think it is strange because this whole wall is from one house now, but you can see where the line of the old cut Cotswold limestone blocks on the left ends suddenly and the wall becomes an apparent collection of rubble. Probably the wall was remade using recycled material, and was designed to be covered with a render, possibly of lime, that has now been removed.

You can see a wide array of different materials, as well as the recent mortar filling the spaces between the stones, and I can see they have used at least four, possibly five, different types of mixes, none of which look like lime mortar which would have been most appropriate.

But the reason I have blipped this is because I have never noticed a fossilised scallop shell before, which you can clearly see here well displayed, although originally it must have been covered over. The stone with the shell in it was only about fifteen inches above the pavement level, and I rather risked my life and limb when I knelt on the ground to take the picture with cars missing my heels by inches. Why I suddenly noticed this today I don't know. It can't be because of my new glasses, as I won't receive them for two weeks. Perhaps I don't need them after all.