2nd in command comes a cropper.....

and not Roy either!!! That's for all you Coronation Street fans 😂

I've been banging on about Rat Running through our village for the whole of this blog - almost 10 years and the fact that something should be done to fix the A303 past Stonehenge and prevent what was an accident waiting to happen. I shudder to think what might have happened had this been a mother pushing a pram with child at her side as is often the case in our village, as people walk to and from school.....

Our village on Monday last, June 26th was horrendous with traffic from early on, the majority coming after spending the weekend at Glastonbury and it's entirely possible a lot of the drivers - already tired from lack of sleep, would have been on the road for 2 hours or more, in queues on the A303 before coming off at Winterbourne Stoke, the first turn off that gets them out of the queue to RAT RUN through Shrewton ....so one has to assume there would be a few bad tempers!!!

To prevent our elderly neighbour with mobility problems having to negotiate through the traffic, Dave got on his e-bike, electing to collect her medication for her before the surgery closed at 18.00. Sadly Dave - my 2nd in command at STAG, wearing full helmet and hi viz jacket, was knocked off his bike by a RAT RUN motor home driver coming from Glastonbury along Salisbury Rd in the village. The road is no more than 6 meters wide at this point and narrows to 5 metres. The driver doing about 20 mph, did not appear to be slowing down, even on reaching the "pinch point" and Dave put up his hand to let the driver know he was there and that he should stop or at least slow down. The motor home driver, was going through anyway and Dave, with his outstretched arm, may have caught the man's shoulder as the van passed with open window. Sadly, Dave hit the ground in a heap, the bike having gone with him and his glasses in another direction, to which the motor home driver shouted "he f...ing punched me"! Fortunately, Dave fell close to a neighbour's drive after which, he was helped into their home. Thanks to the home owners for their assistance and for cleaning his wounds. Fortunately, he was wearing a helmet which now has a small crack and scuffs

....dread to think what might have happened if he wasn't wearing it!!! We were advised by the policeman dealing with it, to attend A & E.....4 hours and 2 X-rays later we can't stay any longer getting very tired with the wait and we left at 22.00 electing to return the following morning. Finding £4.50 for the parking machine in the dark - not easy, and of course I couldn't download their wretched app either....new system in place making life stressful for the already stressed. In Scotland hospital parking is free....!!

So! an update on Dave....we arrived at A & E the next morning Tuesday at 9.30, waited till 10.45 then triaged a 2nd time and the bruising is coming out on his shoulder and thumb....lovely colour scheme!! Not thinking we would still be there unattended at 13.00, we hadn't brought anything to eat and so a lovely nurse brought a sandwich. We then waited to be called for the treatment room till 14.45. The staff couldn't have been more thorough and attentive - like Dave was their only patient!! He's now hors de combat for 6 weeks having broken a bone in his left thumb and his clavicle (collar bone) is out of place and so they strap him up and put on a plaster (stookie to those in Scotland) too...meanwhile, our holiday next week is cancelled because we have to attend the fracture clinic on Tuesday - the day we were leaving!! Lots of hours waiting and waiting and the hospital parking system get £12.00 of our hard earned pension!

We can do without visits from the police in our '70's but never the less, we shall submit our version of the story because the driver of the motor home has put his forward with a completely different explanation - admitting he got out of his seat and hit Dave on the back of the head which in turn made him and his bike fall over - Dave didn't feel this......our paramedic friend confirms that Dave's injuries are NOT commensurate with just a "topple" I leave you with the photos to draw your own conclusion !!!!

Those of a sensitive disposition should look away now!

Sadly, the police woman dealing with our case, when we phoned in the hospital report, said she didn't "need" Dave's statement because she had the explanation from the driver of the motor home plus her colleague's statement and she wouldn't require to visit us!!! She said to me "the driver said on his statement that your husband punched him". I told her my husband doesn't go around punching other people....to which she said "Well I don't know your husband do I!" This is not a statement I would have expected from a serving police officer! I should have told her that we've lived in this village for 32 years, are on the Community Speed Watch team for 11 years and Dave has been a the Parish Councillor for 7 years! When we insisted in putting in our statement, she promised to call us over the following weekend to arrange a time to visit.....but of course - we heard nothing....waited a further week and progressed with 101 and were told the officer would call us when she came on her shift that evening.....but of course, yet again we heard nothing from her. Sadly, we have now been forced to progress with the PCC.

In the meantime, we soldier on with the summer traffic ahead and our house is on the market.....had enough antics for one lifetime!!!