Granny on the warpath about parking charges dressed as a cabbage?

Rant today – back to bluebells, bluetits, poetry or art tomorrow….

After listening to the local news I was thinking of going to the seafront today,  dressed as a cabbage (well they’re green) and chaining myself to one of those new expensive parking meters. A protest against the new parking charges on the front of £20 for the day. If I can brave the wind and rain on the sea front to catch the bus!

What about people bringing their old grannies into Brighton? I used to do that until my dear old mother popped her clogs.

 I think access to the beach is everyone’s right like walking in the countryside…but you have to get there first!

Twenty pounds in cash for  goodness sake…these people are unreal. You would have to be rich and healthy to carry that many coins! Where do all those pounds go… down the tubes presumably!

One poor man with a cafe near the seafront was bemoaning the effect of the current parking charges on his  business! Never mind the new increased ones. There is a recession or hasn’t anyone noticed? I’ve got two sons with families who are struggling in business, too.

OK so I’m a granny and have my pass,  lucky me, so of course I use the buses all the time,  even when it means struggling past the Princess Buggies the size of baby elephants!

It’s not as easy to use the buses as ‘Brighton’ suggests, as well the ‘family friendly’ buggy situation,  in the summer they are full of language students, particularly in the evenings heading towards Peacehaven. But presumably grannies are expected to stay at home in the evenings with TV and cocoa.

One of my sons lives in Ovingdean and the bus service is rubbish there. My other son comes down from London by car ( don’t talk to me about train fares) and yes I know the fare from the station is £2 but its £10 on the bus to get his family from Saltdean to Brighton…best forget fish and chips!

If everyone is supposed to be using the buses I suggest the whole council of all parties and their families use the buses for a month for every journey they make and publish the results. I want to how many meetings they were late for, if their partners (if they have them) got to work on time, or did they run the car into the the gym, drop the children off here and there, visit the oldies nursing home all on the bus.

Then they could all go back to their cars (or is that two) for a month and tot up all their parking charges and make them public. This could be a challenge for The Argus!

I think they all need further insights into living in the real recessionary world.

Good about the rain though…my garden is well nourished which is just as well now they have banned over 65s from using hoses.

Was going to add a pic of granny dressed as browning cabbage but the wind has dropped so off to catch the bus to Worthing…may do it later.

OK it will be back to writing poetry tomorrow – but I may as well mention  my Bus pass  verse  incase anyone missed it in December.

New readers please note, I do write the odd sonnet too!

The Bus Pass

I’ve got myself a wheelie bag

bought granny pants and vests

accepted that my hair is grey

and started taking rests.

My smile’s benign when people call

but the chain is on the door

although they tell you God’s about

I cannot be too sure.

My baby-sitting list is long

so I won’t have the time

to watch the box or sew and knit

but that will suit me fine.

I’ll get my fish on Tuesdays,

it’s cheap on pension day

I won’t bother with the housework

because no one comes to stay.

I’ll ride along the coastline

with my free pass for the bus

drink and smoke and eat my tea

and swear if there’s a fuss.

I’ll lobby politicians

refuse to go in care.

Would they swop their lot for mine?

I shouldn’t think they’d dare.

Getting old is awful

I’m sinking without trace.

My waist is getting thicker.

Deep lines run down my face.

So I’ll slap on lots of make up,

wear silk against my skin

Put some highlights in my hair

and find some sex and sin.