Our house, at the top end of the street

Here's the edge of the suburb of Bowbridge, mainly composed of the houses and villas built up on the former Field Estate. Parcels of land were sold off, and people were encouraged to build substantial houses in keeping with the desirable location. However, we live on the council estate, just off the Field estate! Built 1935-36, it's a smallish estate of 80 houses. Ours is on the far right of the picture, with the extension sticking out at the back.

After we'd first viewed our dream house, 11 years ago, we drove up this hill to get the long view. It hasn't changed much, though I am pleased to say our house is no longer painted red, yellow, orange, green, and other Smarties colours!

Tonight we were up here for a different reason. A fire had suddenly started down in the valley bottom, about a mile away, and we could see huge plumes of grey smoke, and hear the sirens wailing. Steve wanted to find out exactly where it was, but the main road was closed. We drove up the hill (Butterow, which I have blipped a few times) and chatted to a few householders who didn't know any more than we did. Traffic was being diverted up the hill, and it's a steep narrow road. I was worrying about another accident, particularly as some householders had had their Cotswold stone wall knocked down by a lorry, only five days ago! A young man came along and parked his three wheeler Reliant Robin vehicle in the side road, and then stood on the roof to have a better look at the fire, which had dampened down somewhat.

But I have chosen this more tranquil shot, because it was a perfect summer evening, apart from the fire, and people, neighbours and strangers, were talking to each other in the road, as would have been normal once. Besides, I have always wanted to blip our house from this spot.

I found out online that it's an industrial building on one of the small old cloth-mill estates that has caught fire. Not the paint stockists, thank goodness, but it's bad, whatever it is.

In other news, I strained my thigh muscle badly on the overhanging wall at the climbing centre last night, and am only able to sit or lie down thanks to some amazing painkillers I have discovered. I now walk like a pirate, with a rolling gait. That'lll teach me!