rudloescene.co.uk - Oct-Nov-Dec 2023

Welcome to the Rudloe and environs website.

Here you will find news, articles and photos of an area that straddles the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in north-west Wiltshire.

Contributions in the form of articles or photos are welcome. Even those with completely contrary views to mine!

Thanks to the website builder 1&1 and Rob Brown for the original idea.

Rudloescene now, in January 2014, has a sister, academic rather than anarchic, website about Box history here: http://www.boxpeopleandplaces.co.uk/

It contains thoroughly professional, well-researched articles about Box and its people.

Contact rudloescene through the 'Contact' page.

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3rd December 2023 brought the final litter pick of the year followed by the Rudloe Litter Pickers Christmas lunch at the Quarryman's. Unfortunate that the day brought rain after a number of freezing cold days. The title picture shows Derrick (back to the camera) and Gordon receiving their 'briefing' from organiser Dave (hidden by Derrick).

Waiting for 'the off': Rod, Madeleine, Lorraine John P and Derrick; Mike has already departed and Gordon is yet to arrive so with yours truly that makes eight of us (Dave had to leave with his other, Cotswold warden, hat on)

John P in the Bradford Road framed by the horse chestnut with Bath ASU's view-blocking monstrosity beyond

Happiness is a cigar called Hamlet was the slogan of a famous TV ad. of the 60s, 70s and 80s accompanied by a jazz rendition of Bach's Air on the G String. John P with a Hamlet tin, Lorraine beyond.

John P and Lorraine in a wet Bradford Road

The ubiquitous smoking paraphernalia and blister pack on the Bradford Road footpath

The loneliness of the far distant Rudloe litter-picker (in the Bradford Road)

The site of my encounter with nature today. As I leaned over to pick a can out of this nettle patch on the A4, I was stung on the lip (not the worst mishap today by any means - one of our number fell a over t in the Bradford Road)

Welcome to Rudloe - this pile on the approach to the brow of Box Hill

A close-up of the rubbish pile; pylon and the flats of Long Close Avenue beyond

December's haul which will be collected by Wiltshire Council contractor idverde tomorrow (Monday)

The title pictures this month (litter pick on 5th November 2023) show John P standing in the Bradford Road with a celestial light perhaps emanating from one of the saints of lost causes (St Jude or St Gregory) and a substantial amount of, apparently new, clothing found bagged in the A4 verge opposite Copenacre.

Just some of November's crew, here we see: Lorraine, Rod, John P, Gordon, Derrick, Bernard and Dave with Madeleine, Meg, Lucy and Mike already having set off; along with yours truly, that makes twelve

Gordon setting off down Leafy Lane; one of the remaining six (of twenty-six) trees with TPOs designated at the time the Springfield Close estate was built (late 60s/early 70s) can be seen at right (a sycamore in Jackie & Brian's garden)

The Loneliness of the Long-distance Litter Picker - John P in the Bradford Road

John P and Lorraine at the junction of Bradford Road and Skynet Drive; Bradford Road's beech (mainly) woodland beyond

A Volkswagen component in the Bradford Road verge. With the edges disfigured, this looks like it may have been a heat shield but the nacelle-like shape brings to mind an aircraft rather than a road vehicle.

From a distance, these looked like wild flowers but this plastic bouquet was chucked in the undergrowth on the Park Place side of the Bradford Road hedgerow

A litter-free Bradford Road

One of the title pictures, these apparently new (some with shop labels) garments were found bagged in the A4 verge opposite Copenacre. Will wash and recycle or donate to charity.

These gentle, timid creatures in the field above Copenacre have just been paid a visit by Kevin Maidment with his tradder and trailer

One of our esteemed crew noted that visitors to the Rudloe Arms, particularly 'foreigners' (e.g. American, German, Asian), on departing the hotel and taking the bus into Bath, must be appalled by the filthy state of the bus stop as shown in the picture below. But if they are dismayed by that, let's hope they don't visit Swindon where the disgusting condition of the bus station is an absolute, bloody disgrace (see gallery below).

Bizarrely, Marco Pierre White continues to block the side entrance (note the grand pillars) to the Rudloe Arms leaving all traffic: guests, tradesmen, refuse collection etc to use the single-track main entrance

A diversion through Leafy Lane Wood found no litter, however...

... a short diversion into the green area at the southern end of Springfield close found the collection shown here...

... I wonder if the cans and condoms are related? Who would carry around a packet of twelve condoms; how often would he get to use them?

This month's haul which will be collected by Wiltshire Council's French contractor tomorrow (6th November 2023)

From a distance these cyclamen in the Bradford Road verge at Pickwick look like litter. Quite a bit of real litter was picked up in this verge on the 'round trip' down the Bradford Road and back up the A4 on the 1st October 2023 Rudloe and environs litter pick.

The Ashwood Road/Pine Close 'gang' heading for the rendezvous point along Leafy Lane

At the rendezvous point we have: Gordon, Rod, Lorraine, Dave, Bernard and Derrick. With yours truly, that makes just seven of us this month.

A baby hedgehog fast asleep in the Bradford Road verge by the Rudloe School gate

The felling of the sycamore gap tree at Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland has made the front pages and has been the first TV/radion news item this past week. But locally, our 'representatives' (so-called) are responsible for felling many fine sycamores, those in Leafy Lane (opposite Dandelion Cafe), on the Bradford Road at the eastern end of Rudloe Estate and in Park Lane come to mind - see the gallery below.