Last weekend I popped in to the Abbotswood Community Day on Saturday, for an afternoon of sunshine, activities and entertainment and I have to say Manor Farm Dairy ice cream, which was absolutely amazing. The reality for most farm businesses is they have had to diversify, and the milk vending machines have been a great innovation, as indeed are the milkshakes and the ice cream. They were also there at Trout N About in Stockbridge on Sunday, and I might have to admit to having sampled their flavours again on the Sunday.
Events like those over last weekend do not happen by accident, they are organised and staffed all day by committed people who give the rest of us the opportunity to enjoy ourselves. It was wonderful to have my pop up surgery open all day on the High Street in Stockbridge. It may have been very warm indeed, but that brought thousands of people, a myriad of different stall holders, and a great opportunity to have some fascinating conversations on a range of subjects. I would like to say a huge thank you to all who volunteered to make both events possible.
One of the key issues, both at Trout N About, and again on Monday when I met Debbie Tann of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, was water. There have been some serious leaks, in Nursling, at Longstock and also Longparish over the past couple of weeks, not to mention issues again with water being tankered through Tangley and Hatherden. We are now in a prolonged period of drought, river levels are critical, and it was a great opportunity to talk to Debbie about a range of challenges we face in the South with a reliance on abstraction from the chalk streams to provide our water. It is not sustainable long term, but when you think about the 78% increase in housing numbers demanded by the Government it is hard to see where the water will come from to support all those new homes.
Finally, the threat of wildfires is real. In the last week we have seen fires at Chilbolton and Shootash, but still people using disposable barbecues in public spaces, and reports of people deliberately lighting fires at the sports centre in Southampton. We desperately need rain, but we also need people to think about the potential consequences of their actions. Our Fire Service is already on high alert, we really don't need carelessness to add to their challenges.
