A23 and balcombe

[Dave the OAP]

It was chaos on the a23 this morning, so took a diversion through sunny sussex and the bloody sat nav took me along the road full of the anti fracking brigade.

Ther are hundreds of tents and all sorts of barricades etc full of protesters.

Anyway, we came to a grinding halt and sat there whilst the police tried to manoeuvre us around some bloke sat on top of three scaffolding poles in the middle of the road...seemly there was a lorry due to get to the site.

In all fairness, there was a coach in the queue full of school kids and although the bloke didn't move, they managed to move some barriers so the coach was allowed to wiggle through...as we're we.


Funny thing was the bloke behind me in the queue turned up his stereo full blast and you could see bleary eyed unwashed staggering out of their tents wondering what the noise was about...one had the ordacity to ask him to " fecking turn it down". Made my morning anyway


That is all...nothing else to see...move on

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

The great unwashed are just waiting for the next site to go and picket - Bexhill to Hastings relief road perhaps? But what's the rush they must be exhausted poor things, leave them alone. It's due to p**s down with rain from tomorrow so that will dampen their protest a bit.

Anyway good on the motorist for disturbing the protesters beauty sleep by cranking up his car radio. If I were a local resident I think now that the fracking protest has peaked and the novelty has worn off I'd be looking for an incentive to move them on, maybe a 'white noise' generator.

 

[The Oldman]

The Police closed the road soon after you went through Dave. Still closed so probably best not to try that route tomorrow

 

[dougdeep]

How did you manage to misspell your twitter name Dave?

 

[Dave the OAP]

How did you manage to misspell your twitter name Dave?

You can't get all grannyweatherwax as a user name cos there are too many characters....so thought the only way was to drop the r

 

[Lindfield by the Pond]

Lived in Balcombe when I was a kid for 18 years. Still know lots of people there, including Mum and Dad. Won't say whether they are pro or against, but will say that it is dividing the community like a Civil War.

The tents etc down the road are numerous, but I was thinking the other day, how are the kids going to get to school? I used to get the bus to Cuckfield each morning along that road. The bus cant get through the bridge on the Haywards Heath Road, so unless these protesters allow it, kids will have to take a detour via the Cowdray Arms towards Crawley, to Handcross, to Cuckfield. Will add another 20-30 mins to a 15minute bus trip for them.

If I still lived there and had my kids were trying to get to school, and these guys were in their way, I would soon be organising my own protest march!

 

[Leighgull]

That's nothing. I went to tooting today and my sat nav directed me home via...* shudder *... Selhurst Park. I would much rather look at a man on a scaffold pole and some mouldy tents anyday.

 

[severnside gull]

love the "white noise" idea for breaking up 'peaceful" protests that disrupt others' lives without any concern or remorse (their's is of course the greater good)

wonder what the moral/legal objections might be?

 

[Billy the Fish]

I drive balcombe road 3 or 4 times a week. It's been fine up there for weeks now, they only block the road when a delivery is due to happen. It's not too much of a ballache to turn around and go via staplefield if it's blocked (if yuou're going north anyway), although it hasn't happened to me yet in about 20 attampts.

I'm not sure why people think they'll stop fighting for something they believe in just because it's dragged on for a few weeks

 

[Lady Whistledown]

The tents etc down the road are numerous, but I was thinking the other day, how are the kids going to get to school? I used to get the bus to Cuckfield each morning along that road. The bus cant get through the bridge on the Haywards Heath Road, so unless these protesters allow it, kids will have to take a detour via the Cowdray Arms towards Crawley, to Handcross, to Cuckfield. Will add another 20-30 mins to a 15minute bus trip for them.

If I still lived there and had my kids were trying to get to school, and these guys were in their way, I would soon be organising my own protest march!

The road isn't closed all the time, only when the protestors block it, or they're expecting a delivery to the site.

Otherwise you can get through easily (but don't drive too fast, they get very upset at motorists going past at 60mph).

 

[The Stout Yeoman]

The road isn't closed all the time, only when the protestors block it, or they're expecting a delivery to the site.

Otherwise you can get through easily (but don't drive too fast, they get very upset at motorists going past at 60mph).

Whats the speed limit on that stretch Edna ?

 

[Gazwag]

The great unwashed are just waiting for the next site to go and picket - Bexhill to Hastings relief road perhaps?

some of the haven't even left, fingers crossed Sitting Bull will contract something serious whilst at Balcolme so he wont re-appear when he's got bored

 

[Easy 10]

I could probably take them a bit more seriously if half of them weren't frigging about with hula hoops, face paints, or sitting around all day putting twigs in each others hair.

 

[Creaky]

Whats the speed limit on that stretch Edna ?

The "camp" is just outside the statutory 30mph limit but the police have imposed a 30mph "recommended" speed limit.