A LONG DAY STARTLING CONTRASTS IN SOUTHERN TOWNS

Up at 4.45 this morning and at Watford by 8am, well out of all the places I've been this surely had the worst atmosphere and was depressing in the extreme although I started at the worst and worked bacj up so it wasn't all bad. Watford, all the main car parks were closed and several central roads blocked off. The high street has security ( badged safety ho ho) at all access points and unless you are a bus, postie or chummie with the blokes on duty you won't be able to drive through, even buses have to wait for cones to be booted aside. There are monitors on duty to ball out at anyone walking up the wrong side of the street, a few just ignore them. It really is a bit like Pyong Yang, North Korea, the worst possible response to the pandemic and economic recovery plus they have a nice shiny new shopping mall guess who owns it, yes they went bust. Few people around and apparently nobody much at work. The visiting technicians for whatever had ended up in the same small car park as me down a labyrinth of back alleys, took three circuits of ring road to find the entrance. Very few buses, it was really hard work and the weather was wet which isn't what I expected from the various forecasts. A nice mix of buses just that there were periods of up to 10 minutes without any buses, transport is being killed off as is business, shops etc. What kind of morons run this dump don't they realise that recovery is vital.

I was pleased to say that Hemel Hempstead looked a picture, the flower borders along the river would have been spectacular if the sun had been shining, not a bit of litter anywhere and lots of tidy little family groups enjoying it. The usual ignorant white van men at the bus stops bend. Plenty of buses other than longer distance stuff which is still off pretty well everywhere, I heard August mentioned for National Express coaches I hope it is sooner. Everyone seemed more friendly although when a Group4 van stopped right in front of me I felt like letting the tyres down, selfish I rule the world attitude. Friendly bus drivers there, most waved, still wet at times. Then I went to St Albans, with some approach roads to centre blocked off I parked at the multi story which was mostly empty. I thought perhaps the centre would be car free but constant jam blocking views of buses as usual, I'll put the shots I got with Hemel Hempstead. Bustling thriving shopping centre good feel to it, other than the narrow roads blocked off there wasn't anything else noticeably Corona orientated and people certainly weren't being balled out for walking the wrong way like Watford. It looked as busy as ever so commercially coming through it all ok, perhaps Watford council needs to visit, mind you what are the attraction of Watford, yes its a bit like a day trip to Pyong Yang without the visa and hassle and no flights required.

So a day which was marked by poor weather and strange reactions to Corona recovery period. Photos start with Pyong Yang ( used to be Watford).