Staying together and getting it together.

So Scotland decided to stay with in the United Kingdom, not by a huge majority but still, the country remains part of "us". The strange cloud formation I saw recently which appeared to foretell the loss of Scotland did not come to pass. I confess to feeling some relief as I was rather worried about what the consequences of splitting would be. 
 
And Alex Salmond has chosen to resign from his post as First Minister. It smacks a little of taking his toys away and going home because the gang won't play his way. But maybe I am doing him a disservice. 

What are we going to get excited about now? For the last few weeks the atmosphere has been electric with expectation and anticipation. Now it's all a little flat. Analysis of how the voting went and which bits of the community voted in which way is not quite the same somehow. And yet, there is still a feeling that things must change, that concessions must be made, that democracy has been shaken up and woken up. Will great changes to our society take place? We shall see. 

Back in normal life, things go on as ever. The Indian summer seems to have petered out a little here in our neck of the woods. Having had some fine, warm days, once I started to arrange things to do, the weather decided to let me down. Wednesday started fine and warm, I sat waiting for a bus with my bags of shopping in Uppermill in brilliant warm sunshine. By the time Phil's brother turned up for a walk later in the morning, the grey cloud had moved in. 

Similarly yesterday. I had arranged to take my German friend Heidy for a stroll around the area. She always admires the pictures of "sunny Saddleworth" I put on Facebook and wanted to see them for herself. So, of course, the cloud came down again. We had a nice walk but it's not quite the same when the sun chooses not to shine. 

 As for today, well, it's Party in the Park at the Cricket and Bowling Club up the road from us. Bouncing castles and food stalls abound. Local hopefuls are scheduled to make music on the stage. Planning has been going on for months. People have bought tickets online. The "music" pounds out from mid afternoon until eleven in the evening, at least. A zumba teacher exhorts the crowd to join in the dance with her. Is this Saddleworth's answer to Glastonbury? 

Phil says it's Saddleworth's answer to A Guía. Towards the end of August each year our peaceful sleep in our Vigo flat is disturbed by the over-excited sound of a fair going on on the promontory of A Guía, for all the world like Silcock's fair which used to come to the farm at the end of our road when I was a child. Noisy, a bit tacky and keeping you awake at night. And yes, Party in the Park probably has more of A Guía than Glastonbury about it. Mind you, the wellies were totally. Glastonbury! 

For, as you might expect, the sun failed to shine on Party in the Park and sensible people were prepared for all eventualities! 

It did, however, like all the best Spanish fiestas, end in spectacular fireworks, which I watched from our attic bedroom window!