After ten years on the road with CPAS I didn't want to drive another mile (for a bit anyway). The four years walking around Leamington and working the confined area of St Paul's parish and surround were very good for me personally. It was all I needed to get my back right because backs are designed to move and we don't move them enough.
So my company car went back to Soans and having the use of Liz's company car at weekends and in the evenings for social, domestic and pleasure was fine. We had hated owning two company cars.
I knew I'd have to start car-owning again once I got here. The Diocesan centre, in Wells, has no railway and a 9.15 a.m. start there a week on Monday looks challenging for a public transport user.
Thing is, this town is so car-dependent that I feel walking everywhere is a bit of a statement. Outside schools-in and schools-out times you hardly ever meet people on the highways and byways, apart from the town-centre. There is a fellowship amongst dog-walkers (labradors and retrievers in abundance here) but I think my dog-keeping days are over as they make me sneeze too much.
Yesterday I topped the five mile barrier having walked from home to Christ Church and back, home to Wraxall and half way back (after a lift) and home to Holy Trinity and back. Kind people did offer to run me home but I stubbornly refused. Slept like a policeman.
2 comments:
We have 1 car and I cycle quite a bit in decent weather. The good thing about a bike is that you can easily stop to chat to people if you want, and if you don't really want to stop to chat then a cheery wave is still quite ok. The bad thing is weather and hills that mean I turn up to a funeral visit drenched and sweating like a pig. Not good.
Did you spend all night dreaming that people were running over you?
Beautiful simile :-)
Ch K is heavily car dependent too, so I tend to cycle most places but we do have 2 cars so I have the option...Would be happier with one, were it not for fact that husband works 20 miles away, and boys' school equally distant. I don't suppose there might be a car share option about the place at all? Or periodic rental for stuff at church house??
Sympathies as you deliberate.
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