Songs and cemetery

We had a 90-minute guided tour of part of Scarborough's Dean Road cemetery this afternoon, under the Heritage Open Days scheme.

Originally, we heard, the cemetery was tended by 11 men and an apprentice. Now there's just one man, who does a wonderful job against the odds.

He made a special effort to tidy the grave of one of Scarborough's war heroes, Flying Officer WH Coverley, whose Spitfire was shot down in the Battle of Britain, so that it could be properly appreciated during our visit.

Unfortunately, the cemetery is plagued by drunks, drug addicts and feral children, who were creating a disturbance and smashing bottles while we were there.

The former chapel is now boarded up, fast deteriorating, and used only by pigeons.

The previous evening, someone had placed a mattress against the chapel door, set fire to it, and scrawled a swastika on the war memorial.

Why the area cannot be properly policed is beyond me.

We moved on to Peasholm Park, where an event called the Acoustic Gathering was taking place.

I would guess that about 1,000 people were sitting beside the lake, enjoying the music.

One of the singers commented that it was the most surreal gig she had ever attended.

You could see her point.

The performers were ferried by rowing boat to a bandstand about 20 yards from the bank.

They performed as people in gaily coloured plastic dragon boats pedalled between them and the audience. The backdrop was an island surmounted by a fake pagoda and an equally fake waterfall.

We heard a couple of solo singers and an excellent Irish band before walking round the lake, up Peasholm Glen and back to the car.

Open house

This morning, we went to the open day at St Andrew's Church, Ramshill Road, which was completed in 1865, a year before the house that now forms the block of flats, The Wick, in which we live.

St Andrew's is a huge building with a spire, and it gives the impression of being the local parish church.

However, it's a United Reformed church, with many features, such as stained glass, its dedication to a saint, and a side chapel, that are highly untypical of the non-conformist movement.

Our host, Tricia, told a fascinating story about its establishment and subsequent history.

One visiting church elder, she said, remarked: "I've been in smaller cathedrals."

It could originally hold 1,200, but with the creation of a glazed lobby and the construction of a central aisle, that has been reduced.

We learned later that 21st Century services there attract about 40 people, on whom now falls the burden of maintaining one of Scarborough's landmark buildings.

The front three rows of the gallery, we were told, had been declared out of bounds by the health and safety brigade, for fear that someone would fall, jump, or be pushed over the balcony.

On display was a photograph, taken in 1964-5, that I had not seen before.

It showed the area in which our flats would one day be built, and Tricia kindly agreed to arrange for her husband to make a copy of it for our collection.

Pedal power

The Tour Of Britain cycle race passed through Scarborough this afternoon, and we wandered along to Ramshill Road to watch the pedallers pass through.

It wasn't in the event, much of a spectacle as far as the cyclists were concerned - just five chaps whizzing past so quickly we almost missed them, then a couple of minutes later, 50 or so going through in a pack.

More remarkable was the squadron of police motorcyclists who shepherded the cyclists through town.

There were dozens of them, from several forces, clearing the way and holding up traffic.

The next time the police explain that they have to prioritise their time, and that they are therefore too busy to attend a burglary, assault or theft, I shall remember the sight of the arrogant, shouting escorts, who were clearly revelling in their involvement with the televised race.

I do hope that, at the very least, the race organisers are being charged for police time, as are football clubs, so that the cost does not fall on the taxpayers for whom a policeman in uniform is normally such a rare sight.

Berry enjoyable

We persuaded ourselves that the rain would hold off, and drove to Filey, then strolled along the seafront to start a six-mile circular walk across fields via Hunmanby.

We took a bag for blackberries, but ignored the early ones, so that we wouldn't have to carry them too far.

On the return leg, we started picking them, and were surprised that there were still so many.

Don't people go blackberrying nowadays? To my mind, they are one of the tastiest of fruits.

We saw some people catch a bus near Filey. When we walked past the bus stop, I saw blackberries by the dozen hanging from the hedgerow. How do people resist them?

Woman In Mind

We went to the first night of Woman In Mind at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough - the play is Alan Ayckbourn's latest revival.

The house was packed, as it was for at least the next three performances, we learned, and it was a great show.

The SJT was wholly responsible for our decision to buy our flat in Scarborough almost five years ago, and for our full-time move here at the end of May.

On Saturday evening, we went to the annual Griddle Gathering held by the theatre's Friends group at the Clock Café on the South Cliff. Unfortunately, the rain meant that the event - burgers, hot dogs, drumsticks, salad, and bring-your-own wine - was held inside, but it was a very sociable evening nevertheless.

Our daughter Dr Lou and her boyfriend Dr Paul were with us for the weekend, and they saw Woman In Mind while we were at the nosh-up.

The picture was taken by Paul at the Holbeck car park.

Weedy performance

So it's true. As I was tipped off in a phone call a couple of weeks ago, when Nottinghamshire County Council resurfaced a road in a residential street, they carefully laid the new surface around weeds that were growing in the gutter.

Here's the evidence, which I snapped on Saturday.

One witness said that when he challenged the workmen, he was advised: "We just do what we're told."

The location, incidentally, is Queen Street, Balderton.

Booted up at last

For anyone who has been following the saga of Maureen's boots, she finally has a pair.

Nevisport, who took the money for them on August 13, excused their failure to deliver them on the grounds (in chronological order) that....

(1) Our address was not clear.

(2) They had been very busy because they had a sale in progress.

(3) The parcel carrier was incompetent.

They promised to deliver them....

(1) In two to seven working days. FAILED.

(2) On August 26. FAILED.

(3) On August 27. FAILED.

I then told them that if they weren't delivered by August 29, the order was cancelled, and that they should refund my payment.

I have never heard another word from them, and nor have they yet (9pm, September 1) refunded the money to my credit card.

However, Maureen does have her boots. We diverted from a trip to Leicester on Saturday and bought a pair over the counter.

Today, both of us gave our new boots an outing with a stroll over the cliffs to Knipe Point.

The Cleveland Way has been diverted to the road in this area because of a landslip. I ventured past the "footpath closed" sign for three-quarters of a mile without finding any hazard, and it was clear from the nature of the track that many people had resumed using it.

We picked about a pound of blackberries, which made an excellent crumble tonight.