Reversion of common land.

[Eric Hardy]

Thank you Laurie, I will pass on your good wishes. About a month ago she fainted in the bathroom and had such a bump it seemed to trigger her inflammatory arthritis. It did not come out at first but she has had a lot of pain. Injections, pain patches and a physiotherapist between them have made her much more comfortable but she is just shuffling at the moment. Hence my being more or less confined to barracks. Thank God for the Internet and the friends I have made!!!  I still feel in touch with the outside world  It was getting her down to start with but she is beginning to get back to her usual cheery self.

[roiphil]

I know I shouldn't have,but I burst out laughing when I read that

  

[ideasguy]

she is beginning to get back to her usual cheery self

That is very good news Eric. We can follow the progress on this thread, and heres wishing Anthea a very speedy recovery.

[Eric Hardy]

Some time ago I started this topic on the reversion of common land.

In June 2000 I took a picture looking across the common from a position not very far from our side gate. Today, the weather being much the same I went out at the same time (7:30 am) and took another shot from as near the same spot as I could manage. I have combined the two shots. The top one is June 2000 and the bottom one is June 2010

The pink house and the white ones to their left have become almost hidden by trees within 10 years. The gable end seen above the pink house in 2000 was the Downley Combined School which was demolished to allow Barretts to build houses on the school site. The new houses can be seen above the roofs of the cottages on Commonside.

Photos taken in the 1920s show no trees in the valley at all.

[Kathy & Laurie]

An interesting comparison there Eric.

I think it's fascinating to see how landscapes change over the years.  Sometimes the results are good, sometimes they're not so good.

Many, many years ago I bought some map books of the area where I was born, and still live, to see how things developed.  It showed old plans, photographs and written history over the years to the present time (as it was to the point I bought the book anyway.)

It started with farmers fields then slowly transformed to urban development.

I don't remember those earlier days (I'm not that old  ) but it still brings a certain nostalgia to see the changes.  And sometimes makes you wish you could go back to those times, when there weren't so many people around. 

Anyway, thanks for sharing that bit of history with us Eric - well done. 

Laurie.