Too smooth to last

Orignially posted April 2010

Regular readers of this blog may remember that the water board has been digging up our street to replace the storm drain.  The work started in September, finished in March and a couple of weeks ago we all got a letter advising us to move our cars as they were going to resurface the road …

One morning a huge machine came along and ate the top layer off the road.  That afternoon another huge machine came and laid a smooth strip of black asphalt on our side of the road.   

The next morning it returned and laid an equally wonderful strip on the other side of the road.   

It drizzled that day so with the steam and the fumes it did look a bit Mordorish for a while.   

But when the smoke cleared we were left with a beautiful pristine road surface.

There was such a difference that when Number One Son got out of his school taxi he looked on the works with wonder and commented “Smoooth” is a really cool-jazz sort of way.

I am relishing living on probably the only street in the North East with no patches and no potholes.  In fact having recently returned from a trip to West Wales I’m fairly certain we have one of the half dozen roads in the country with no patches or potholes.

This morning, however, our Nextdoor Neighbour rang the doorbell and asked “I know this is a personal question but, is your water a funny colour?”

I led the way into the kitchen, filled an empty milk bottle from the cold tap and discovered we had tea coloured water too.

“Well I’m glad it’s not just us” said NN “because I’ve just rung Northumbria Water to complain.”

We walked back to the front door and looked wistfully at our immaculately smooth street.

“Ah well” said NN “I suppose it was too good to last.  I wonder when they’ll come and dig it up again?”