Aldbourne Community Forum

Annie · Joined: 05 Sep 2008 Posts: 50

Why oh why would anyone want to smash up Neilson Pearce's wooden bench? It was so well used by anyone passing, to stop, sit and chat. I have been poorly, but managed to walk as far as the seat. Feel upset by such a selfish act of vandalism. Perhaps the persons responsible could buy a replacement. Thank you for reading.

PaulineM · Joined: 10 Apr 2004 Posts: 199 Location: United Kingdom

I'm sure I don't know why anyone would do such a thing, but it has been done, and probably by a local person or persons. Shame on you. You don't deserve to live here.

Glad to see you are still making progress Annie. Keep it up!

PaulineM · Joined: 10 Apr 2004 Posts: 199 Location: United Kingdom

Hi Annie, I'm getting my benches muddled up. I assumed that Neil's bench was the one along Lottage more or less outside his house, just along from NDS. But it looks good. Has it been repaired? Or is this the wrong bench?

Annie · Joined: 05 Sep 2008 Posts: 50

Pauline you have restored my faith in the people of Aldbourne. Of all the views on this topic, not one person commented 'that awful, bad or sad' Made me sad that no-one cares. Neils seat was at the back, on grasshills track. Thank you Pauline, a real village lady who cares. Very Happy

freyia · Joined: 07 Jul 2008 Posts: 162 Location: Aldbourne

Just because people have not commented does not mean they do not care, it might indicate that they do not use the website but talking to people in the village they do care very much about what happens.

Trish Rushen · Joined: 04 Jan 2002 Posts: 1571

Oh I think people have read this and DO care, but the feeling is of utter helplessness. Many of us have never understood vandalism - why destroy facilities that are provided for the use of people of all ages - yes it is easy to destroy, could these same people rebuild and repair? i doubt it.

This village is so lucky with its diverse facilities catering for the very youngest up to the very oldest - many of which have been provided and campaigned for by the youngest members (BMX track, CAN, and now possibly the new Goddards Lane play park facilities) - so just WHO is destroying things? I'd wager it's not an OAP trashing a bench or keying or damaging cars in the Square and Lottage Road. Is it boredom, as is so often claimed? Yet there is so much to do, with a football field, a BMX track tennis facilities, the CAN filled with opportunity to network socially and play virtual games, just who is it that feels excluded and has the need to destroy what others have put in place?

If people know, they should tell those who are dismayed by it all - just why should it happen in Aldbourne?

Neil Moreton · Joined: 22 Jan 2008 Posts: 9

When I was a youth we would not have dreamed of vandalising anything in the village for one thing you could never be sure if PC Nock wasn't watching you around the corner anytime day or night - so where has the local (24hr) Bobby gone who was such a deterrent against vandalism? When you did get caught by “Nocker” (and I got caught riding my bike on the pavement) I was marched straight home to parents and then no pocket money and no bike for 2 weeks.

The youth of Aldbourne cannot be bored surely there is so much more to do in the village compared to when I was young. So what’s changed? Well we could not buy alcohol it just wasn’t available in the shops, the whole village knew us and our parents so any misconduct and our parents knew the same day (or evening). We genuinely respected our village and of course we were “s..t” scared of the local bobby and the two specials lived in and also kept an eye on the village.

PaulineM · Joined: 10 Apr 2004 Posts: 199 Location: United Kingdom

I was scared sitting next to "Nocker's" son Graham at school, and was worried that if I did anything wrong he would go home and tell his dad!

Annie · Joined: 05 Sep 2008 Posts: 50

I remember getting slightly tipsy up the club one saturday evening. 9am Sunday morning, Hilda Chamberlain was knocking on our door. boy was i in big trouble! Embarassed

Trish Rushen · Joined: 04 Jan 2002 Posts: 1571

I am only a "blow in" from suburban West London - we moved to Aldbourne 31 years ago today (after nine years in a very nice part of Swindon - they DO exist!). I thought it was a wonderful, friendly place (people knew my husband because he was a Ramsbury boy and I felt really welcomed). It isn't the same place it was, and I feel so sad about that.

There weren't so many police walking the beat where I lived and grew up and they certainly didn't know everyone the way they must have done here - but there was still something that stopped people vandalising things the way they do now - (some) kids carved their initials on trees and benches, but they didn't destroy them with axes and knives. You had respect for property AND the people that provided them, when did all that disappear? Feeling really depressed tonight - there are so many people around that want to destroy things that have been created for their benefit - I don't understand WHY?

Drury Lane · Joined: 28 Nov 2003 Posts: 66

These idiots have clearly never heard the old adage "You don't s***t in your own nest"! I have never understood why anyone would wish to destroy the very place they live in. It makes absolutely no sense, but if anyone does have a reasonable explanation for such behaviour, I'd love to hear it.

Maybe someone could set up carpentry courses for village youths. Who knows, maybe they would then acquire some useful skills!