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Monday 17 March 2008

Enjoyable walk.

There simply is too much in the weekends news to be able to pin point any particular thing to write about here so instead I am going to waffle about the differences in walking where we used to live to where we live now.

We lived previously in what in local terms was inner city housing. It was a private house, insomuch as we had a mortgage hanging over our heads. Now we live in a council property right on the edge of the city I love so much.

I have always taken our children to school. The difference in the quality of those walks is startling to anyone who undertakes said walk.

When at the previous house, which was right on the edge of an industrial area, in fact the industrial area is the oldest established industrial area in the city, we had about a 1/2 mile walk to school. This involved crossing one major road and one just above minor status road. There was a school crossing patrol, via a lollipop lady, on both roads where the crossing where. The roads where on a pelican controlled 4-way junction. Because of the major road there was much milling about of people, even at 8:40am. Because of the motorised vehicles the air quality was poor. On the minor road there was other parents taking their children to the same school. Even along this road the air quality because of the motorised vehicles was poor. On both roads the air quality was so low one could taste the vehicle exhaust fumes as on walked along across and along both roads.

At the new house, it couldn't be any different. The walk is still approx. 1/2 mile but it is along a tree lined road with house gardens one side and an open field the other. Once around the bend of this road there is a police training complex one side and wide open empty grass spaces the other. At the top of this road we come to a major road. This road has lots of mototrised vehicles on it but on one side there is a side of the police complex which gives way 1/2 way along to the school grounds. One the other side again there are wide open grassy areas. The air quality along this walk is, while not pure, much much higher than the old walk.

As I get older walking more than a few yards becomes increasingly difficult, so the air quality is getting more important on a personal level as well as for the wellbeing on our children.

Since we moved to this newer place some 8 months ago we are all in better health. Our newest parasite who is 14 months old at the time of writing will get all the health benefits an area like this offers. As a parent who places his children above himself in any area he can offer them this is an important thing I can offer them without actually spending any money.

My only wish for improvement in this newer area is that our local council will fix the badly broken up roads and especially the pathways.

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