Stop Go

The temporary traffic lights outside the village are not working again. This time they are on a bend so you can’t see to the other end of the restriction. I sit and wait. Nothing is coming the other way. I put the car in gear and edge forward. A car is suddenly in front of me. I slam on the brakes. I wait again. A car pulls up behind me. Oh heck, more pressure. I try again. Just as I decide to go, a red light appears. So, its just the green light that is out, then. The red light disappears and I make a dash for it. I look back at the other set of lights in my mirror. No lights are showing at all. Very temporary, temporary traffic lights and not fit for purpose.  

Rather than risk the roads again yesterday - to G&W Railwayana Auction at Pershore - I was home alone. This auction house has an advantage over other similar venues. It is available live via The Saleroom, the online auction site. I know that for most people, spending a day at a railwayana auction would be nowhere near the top of their list of potentially exciting days out. I would guess, therefore, that keeping up with the “action” online might be only marginally more attractive than watching paint dry. If it was Farrow and Ball that would obviously swing it in favour of fresh paint.

Undeterred, I settled in for the long haul. You can, of course, bid online as well as just watching. You could spend an awful lot of money by accident if you were hovering over the danger area with the cursor. A slip of the finger during the proceedings yesterday could have secured a locomotive nameplate for £18.6K, a manufacturer’s plate for a diesel locomotive at £6.6K, a platform vending machine for £1.3K or a poster of Bournemouth for £2.2K

You could probably buy yourself a complete set of temporary traffic lights in full working order for that sort of money. At least you would then be able to move around your immediate environment without any extra stress.