'The wettest drought on record'

Having read some tweet and blogs, the government are getting some stick over the fact that despite all the rain we are having, we will still have a drought come the summer. "The wettest drought on record" and others.  

Well basic science will answer the question.  Mud, when dried out becomes hard and compacted, (try digging the garden.) In the old days, and even now in some area's; path's even huts where made out of compacted mud allowed to dry out;  when it rained the water would then roll off and away.  

That is what is happening now, our ground has become compacted, due to lack of consistent rainfall, so a drought has been declared for the summer month's.  Any rain we have now, even a downfall will just cause flooding, and then dry away, when the sun comes out.

Now the science bit, take a wet sponge, put it in a dry hot place, (airing cupboard etc) till it becomes rock hard, rummage a round in the bathroom you may find some.  Then take the hard sponge and a soft damp sponge rung out, put them in two bowls of equal size, then add your 'flood water'.  The results,  the dry sponge, will need less water as it will slide off and fill the bowl, the damp sponge will soak up the water,  and it will be stored in the sponge, until you squeeze it out.  I remember doing that in science class at about 8-10 years of age, and doing with the kids.  Have a go and have some fun.  I am going away for a few days with Kevin, to visit  family, and to get wet. bye for now.

Arlesey Bedfordshire

We went to Arlesey last weekend to visit family, it is a very pretty little place.  It is a small town that runs for 3 miles along the river Hiz.   It dates back to 1086, with it's parish church St Peter's being built in 1180 by the Monk's of Waltham Abbey.  In 1805 The White Horse Pub opened in the High Street.  We have eaten there quite regularly over the last few years, it has changed hands 3 times, but luckily the food and the staff have always been very pleasant.  In 1840 The Lamb Hotel opened, followed in 1845 by  The Three Tons, which has since closed and the land has been sold off as a housing development. The actually building has been turned into a house, but still has it's thatched roof.  There is a large fence around the other half.  In 1850 The Great Northern Railway opened linking London to the North via York. The Old Oak opened, at the time it was a thatched roof, hence the tall chimney.  All so the Brick Ground Hotel, opened it's doors, changing it's name to the Mallard it is now a childrens nursery.  Brick making was a growing industry in Arlesey and in 1852 brickworks opened by Robert Beart, of Godmanchester.  By the late 1860's 3 other brickworks had joined Bearts ranged alongside the railway.  In  1857 The True Briton Public House opened and also a tramway  from the  Arlesey and Shefford Road Railway Station to The Three Counties Asylum, to  carry construction material and later goods and passengers to the Asylum, when it opened in 1860.  The track was lifted in 1953.  On the 1st of April 1866 Arlesey Sidings Station opened, in 1886 it was renamed Three Counties Station.  Although I do not have an exact date for The Steam Engine,it is mentioned in the 1881 census, it also has a date stone on the front of the building unfortunately, the view is side on and the numbers are in the corners. The name was later changed to The Vicar's Inn.  We had the Great War 1914-1918 and like all towns and villages, Arlesey built a war memorial, to commerate  the young men of the parish, that went to war and did not return.  The Asylum was dropped and renamed hospital in 1927.  In 1922 Arlesey and Shefford Road Station renamed to Arlesey and Henlow Station.  It was closed to passenger traffic in January 1959, and for goods traffic on 28th November 1960. 1960 also saw the renaming of the hospital to Fairfield Hospital.  In 1988 Arlesey Station re-opened on the site of Arlesey and Henlow Station.  In 1992 Butterley Brick Ltd suspended production at its Arlesey plant from the 1st of October.  In 1999 after a 139 years Fairfield Hospital closed and the site sold for housing.  Work began in 2004, and the new community will be known as Fairfield Park.  This has now finished, and the brick work of the hospital has been cleaned and repaired, and sits alongside the new housing development. The Hospital building it self is a Banantyne Health Club.  This is just a brief history based on the photo's I have.  more information click here. or here.

St Peters

The Three Tuns as a private house

The Mallard

Arlesey Brickworks 1980

TheTrue Briton

Three Counties Hospital

Previously known as The Steam Engine

High speed train passing the site of Three Counties Station closed in 1959