Unexpected consequences

 

 

 ‘Preparing for a power cut’ that is the title of the leaflet that has just come in through our letter box. I know we must think about these things, but it is surely a bit early. Mind you it is quite useful in that it tells you to call 105 in case of a power cut and the web page powercut105.com will tell us if our area is affected in a national emergency. All this supposes that you have a mobile phone and it is charged up.

In 1972 there were planned blackouts and I remember electricity in 1974 electricity was rationed because of the miners’ strike and an oil crisis. There was a three-day working week in this emergency. We had no mobile phones, but our landlines worked because they did not rely on electricity as they do now. We lived on the side of a hill and I can remember watching the town down in the valley, when one half of the people lost their lights as their power was cut and the other half were suddenly lit up as it was their turn to have electricity.

Our hedges have all been cut and look so smart lining the roads and lanes like smooth skinned snakes. We are pleased with the neat job. But it was only last week when I was on our lane that my neighbour was also out carrying a bowl. It was full of blackberries he had been picking from the sprawling fruiting hedges.

‘I will just stew them and have them for tea,’ he said. It is a good job he picked them when he did because after the hedge flailing there is not a berry left in sight. The birds will not find food in our roadside hedges this autumn.

It is the time of year for clearing out and I have been taking stock of my clutter. I decided I did not really want the exercise bike in the shed. I bought it in lockdown when I could not go out. It was such good fun as I cycled away imagining I was working my way around Shropshire. I imagined I was cycling through Ludlow, Bridgnorth, Market Drayton, Ellesmere and Oswestry. But now I can go out and see the sights in real life, so I sold my bike. I easily sold it online. A lot of people are doing this now.

But a friend of mine who works in a charity shop says that people are selling clothes online too and charity shops are finding their donations are down. We used to feel virtuous giving, now there is another option, but perhaps with unexpected consequences.

Old uncut hedges provide food for wintering birds