an irreverent look at Writtle Village, Essex, its people and goings on!
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This site has been updated on December 2006


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Contents
Welcome Page

     


2006

From the Writtle PC

 



2004

History of the Bells

New Bells June Dedication

Writtle Fun Day

2003

Broadband Easter meeting


Writtle Annual Meeting

Writtle Local Elections

 Wear Pond Expansion

New Visitor to Writtle

Broadband
Writtle Update

December 2002
They don't apply to me

Italian Job

Police Presentation

Previous issues


A Lid too Far

On the Buses Update

Village Meeting

Teddy Bears
Aerial Runway

Golden Jubilee Celebrations

Residents Association Meeting



Polo Shirt Offer

 April 2002
The Queen Mother

On the buses in Writtle

 The Hunting debate

 Feb 2002
Lodge Road
Traffic Calming


Fang-id

Feedback results

Police Picture

2001 fete
Cheque Presentation


2001 Archive
 Dec 2001

Christmas Fable

Community Policing Writtle Style

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Festive Gruel 

 July

Pooper Snooper for Writtle?

Writtle Fete

All Saints Bell Appeal Barndance

Hannibal the Terrapin of Wear Pond


The Great Post Box debate Update 

Election Results

The Wheatsheaf Charity Golf Day Pictures 

 May
Writtle Parish Annual Meeting

The Great Post Box debate

The Green After the Circus

Albania Calling

Election Information

Teddies Galore!

All Saints Bell Appeal

Wheatsheaf Charity Golf Contest







 

Previous Issues
April, May

Dog Poo
and related matters


Road traffic,  
a  problem?


On Writtle pond 

Fuel Prices etc

What is Art? 

What is Philosophy?


Road Traffic in  Writtle, a problem?

Recall the lovely postcard picture on the Welcome page.  When did you last see Writtle Green like that, in fact when have you seen any part of Writtle with anything close to that amount of free kerb side?
Ah! you think we have another anti-motor nut rambling on.  In fact quite the opposite I love my little car (albeit a Vauxhall).  What I am going to rant on about are the lazy and inconsiderate and down right dangerous motorists/possibly cyclist (they could also be at fault) who make traversing our fair Village difficult and dangerous if not impossible.

Where shall I start, at the beginning or the end depending  from which direction you are coming.  We all know the scenario at lunch-time and early evening, by the Village Chip shop. Bridge Street is a narrow heavily used road, but our prospective  intrepid Fish and Chip lunch/supper purchaser has to park practically in the Chip shop and usually pointing against the traffic.  Not only is there just one, usually there are several spaced a few feet apart, half on the kerb, and at all sorts of angles.  The result is traffic chaos, just because our Chip buyer can't  be bothered to park somewhere safe, there is a car-park   100yds up the road.  We shall return to the car-park later. 

So far its taken us 10 minutes to get past the chip shop, its lunchtime  and we need to get to the School (I will leave parking outside the School for a later date) and our next obstacle is the bank-goer.  He/she has again parked on the kerb  in his four-wheel drive totally blocking one-side of the road.  On the odd occasion you see them unloading bullion, so even I would forgive them then, but mostly he's there to bank his Giro.  So where should he park?  There are few spaces by the bank and of course there is the car-park less than a 100 yards away.


We have finished our visit to the school and we take the scenic route around via The Ongar road and back into the Green.  What do we see there! A veritable chicane, motor vehicles littered on the kerb outside almost every little establishment in the Village,  resulting in the need to zig-zag down the road.

What is the need for some of us to park right outside/on the kerb?  One it's illegal and two it make passage for the elderly and small children in push chairs difficult if not dangerous.  Are we that infirm that parking on the Green, there are usually some spaces, is too far and we'll collapse before getting our prescription, bottle of wine or book of stamps.  In the unlikely event there are no spaces on the Green, don't forget we have, Yes, the Car park!  In fact I would say from experience the car park is very convenient for the Post Office. 
I suppose we must not dismiss the infirm, but they will have a disabled badge so probably can park anywhere, but those without such a powerful double-yellow eraser  the extra little walk would do them good, its good exercise.

That's parking in the main Village dealt with, what's left  Speeding and I nearly  forgot, cyclists.  Speeding, first.  As  we all know there is a Essex wide campaign to save lives by putting up speed cameras every where, the revenue from which the Police authority keep.  (we'll save that subject for a future issue).  As local residents know regular speed traps are placed on Writtle Road and on various parts of the Ongar Road but not on the Green.  I believe we have been lucky that to my knowledge no-one has been hurt in the Green in the last few years.   It is a regular occurrence especially  in the evening that motor cars travel at speeds, I estimate to be 50 mph or more through the Green.

We need to discourage speeding in built up areas not just in Writtle.  Or do we want to see the Green littered with Gatso's (Speed cameras, see Picture) after we have had  a fatal accident in the Green. This is exactly what happened on Waterhouse lane in Chelmsford.  So even if you are a passenger in a vehicle traveling through a built area, remind the driver of the speed limit.  Most fatalities are in built up areas at relatively low  speeds not on motorways and dual carriage ways at high speeds.

 Enough of righteous preaching back to the outstanding issues at hand, yes Cyclists.
Once upon a time in my youth (circa 1960 odd) when only the middle-classes had motor cars the working man and his family traveled by bus and bicycle.  In those not so distant days it was a terrible crime, and prosecutions were common, to use a bike without lights, cycle on prohibited areas  and to cycle on the pavement.  These days all three are common.  How often do you see kids and adults out on bikes with no lights during lighting up times.  We need to return to the good old days of Policing when the Bobby spent his time booking cyclists and left the poor old motorist alone for a change!

T
hat's all for this time, any comments are welcome via our normal contact numbers or to:

roadtraffic@disgruntled-of-writtle.co.uk

 

 

 

Village Links
www.writtlevillage.co.uk     www.writtleringers.org.uk   www.writtle-village.com
www. writtlepc.co.uk   www.wheatsheet.co.uk    www.branchline.org  
 Wheatsheaf Public House