Out With The Old...

...You know the rest. Farewell 2023, here's to the New Year. Cheers!

Moto

I came across this fascinating picture a while ago but it came up in "memories" today. This is an aerial view of junction 12 of the M4 motorway, whilst under construction. 

The motorway runs bottom left to top right and the old A4 Bath Road can be seen intersecting (bottom right to top left). The Bath Road is historic and parts of that route may be Roman in origin. Both the A4 and M4 originate in West London and broadly speaking run in the same direction to the west, although the newer motorway mostly avoids towns and cities that developed along and around the older trading route. The M4 continues west beyond Bath and Bristol into Wales, land of dragons and Bira Brith LOL.

This image from the 1960's era is of some interest to residents of Reading. At the top is the small town of Theale, largely unchanged now. Although (below left and across the A4) is now an industrial park, with rail station, and home to a busy Amazon distribution centre. 

To the right, just over the junction and towards Reading, is Calcot where IKEA and Sainsbury's (previously known as Savacentre) are now located. Finally in the bottom area of the picture is part of Beansheaf Farm, now all but forgotten. Houses were starting to be built here in the 1980's, with the field in the middle, just below the junction itself developed only a couple of years ago. 

The white box-like structure in the next field is a WWII gun position, which remains today. Just in case of invasion LOL. Apparently it is now home to a colony of bats, a protected species in the UK, so cannot be disturbed. This is also the start of Linear Country Park, where mad dogs walk their owners. Linear Park itself follows the historic Holy Brook River that runs into Reading and the site of the historic Abbey ruins. 

For those really interested and still reading, the previous M4 junction (central Reading), off screen to the left, has the very imaginative name of junction 11. The next one- you'll never guess- is junction 13 and serves the town of Newbury, some 17 miles or about 20 minutes drive away.

Now you know LOL.

Christmas

Festive greetings everyone! Have a joyful day.

Sweet

Drunken Goodness made and in the fridge, ready for baking tomorrow LOL.

Just Don't

Not one word, don't say a thing LOL.

Yippee Ki Yay

Not many realise there is actually a panel missing from the historic Bayeux Tapestry: it is known as the McClane Panel.

(We all know it's a Christmas movie really)

Wise Words

Just sayin'...

Grogu's Always Hungry

Serves you right, Elf on the Shelf LOL.

Pies

Nice little article about Sweeney and Todd's pie shop, which has been in Reading for 45 years. Read here. 

Yes, there is a Barbers shop next door LOL.

Chocs

Weekday visit to the cinema with ym, to see the fun filled origin of Willy Wonka. Growing up, I avidly read many Roald Dahl books. Wish I still had them.

7 Years

This came up as a memory: happy days LOL.