Why didn’t workmen finish the job? 

DOESN’T Abbotsbury Road in Weymouth look nice now it has been given a brand new surface.

Gone are those monstrous potholes and a surface which rattled teeth fillings to be replaced by a smooth black top, a smooth ride... and a stream of water across the road for ages after work was finished.

Even in a heatwave the water was able to flow steadily from a metal plate area which I presume was damaged, fractured or otherwise interfered with.

A few dribbles might be missed but this was a steady stream for days, enough water to splash the road when you drove through it or obscure your windscreen if you were behind a car driving into it.

So why couldn’t those responsible finish the job properly and act quickly to deal with this leak?

The answer is that, having made a public statement and resurfaced the road, that seemed to be it as far as they were concerned.

It follows the same line as other public statements including that infamous pre-Olympic utterance by the Games bosses and our councils that we should be suitably grateful to get 20 years of roadworks done in advance because we could all enjoy a roadworks-free period afterwards.

That statement merely confirmed what every moderately intelligent person in the entire town knew, namely that officialdom promises are just not worth a splash of tar.

To be fair, we did get a roadworks-free period. It was one Tuesday afternoon about four months ago. Since then it’s been steady mayhem.

Now we have Boot Hill meltdown courtesy of utility company works yet, while projects to bring the town to its knees can be started at the drop of a hat, it seemed impossible to plug a simple leak to finish works already carried out in Abbotsbury Road.

Those responsible did finally seal the leak, but thank God autumn and winter are not too far off.

That seems the only way to me to stop this tidal wave of tarmacing and road works. There doesn’t seem to be quite so much enthusiasm for digging things up when it’s poor weather.

Sorry mum... there are still five weeks of holiday left 

ANYONE heard the moaning of anguished parents recently?

Yes, the school summer holidays are with us again and scores of mums and dads are going into therapy.

Their little darlings need to be kept occupied for weeks ahead and it is all proving a bit fraught.

There are bound to be a few “we’ve nothing to do” comments from kids, so try some of these helpful suggestions to fill a few happy hours.

Ghoul in the Garage: This exciting game involves taking your children out to the garage and locking them in. They are then told that a key has been hidden in there with them and they’ve got to find it... before the ghoul finds them. Played out in pitch darkness, the screams of fun can be heard right down the road.

Doctors, Nurses and Televisions: A sure-fire winner this because Tim the Telly is dying and may never work again. Only your children can save it because the more washing up and dusting they do then the better Tim gets. Parents please note this only works for a while. Children catch on quickly

The Grumpies: This real-life socially interactive game has mum and dad not getting up until midday, moaning because their breakfast pops cereal isn’t ready for them when they do and complaining that they don’t get enough pocket money and how’s about £20 till Friday. 

Should strike a chord with most teenagers... if they’re up.

Finding a few games ideas of their own can be a lifeline for parents and, if they need an incentive, it is this. 

There are five nerve-jangling weeks of holiday still to go!

Tourists on their best behaviour?

WE are now in the height of the tourist season and every Weymouth and Portland business orientated to serve such people is on its best behaviour... but are visitors?

The answer would seem to be a clear and aggressive “No!”

Locals are being forced to bite their tongues and smile through the pain as some tourists - not all, but definitely some - display the sort of behaviour that no one likes to see never mind experience first hand.

Typical examples that I have seen range from confrontational approaches where tourists take exception to something and try to humiliate the member of staff they are talking to, right up to open abuse.

Minor examples include dismissive behaviour where a member of staff was actually trying to be extra helpful, but their efforts were belittled by visitors, and other incidents where, without being abusive, the visitors in question were just plain rude. The worst incident I have come across saw a tourist actually throw food at staff on being told that those particular items were not for sale.

Residents living in a seaside tourist town must accept that their lives are inevitably going to be disrupted by the annual influx of visitors, but visitors must accept that behaviour they would not condone in their own town does not suddenly become acceptable in someone else’s. 

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