Very Possibly but , a couple of years back, in a St. Valetine's day panic I bought an exceedingly expensive box of chocolates, and having done so expressed on line my personal opinion that they represented very poor value for money, in comparison with not dissimilar chocolates purchased from Tesco's. Clearly someone reads my blogs, for that comment appeared on a face book entry, and seemingly attracted 10,318 likes and had fourteen talking about it. Hopefully the latter are not all libel lawyers. Not bad as it was only this week that I discovered that I actually have a facebook page.Maybe I pressed a wrong button!

ANOTHER NEW YEAR, a further personal achievement in itself when the dustbins overfloweth. So its as well the bins are as large as they are, but recently I passed by the gate of a Terrace House in Salisbury, where the path from garden gate, to front door was completely occupied by its blue and black wheelie bins. How on the earth are Electioneering Canvassers supposed to get their leaflets through the letter box. I recall being bitten by a dog at one house I canvassed way back in the seventies. One just had to smile in the hope the owner might give me her vote by way of apology, more probably the dog ate it.

WHAT OF THE DARLING BUDS OF THIS MAY ? Already the Politicians are mounting their offensives, and as I see it are but adopting ideas from Blogs I have been writing since the start of the Millenium, and from my letters written to various unfortunate Editors for many years before then. Of a sudden an urgency is seen to attend the bandings and valuations of houses in respect of Community Charging, not sure whether that now is instead of , or as well as the Mansion Tax. Of a sudden a need for new housing has arisen, and the Section 106 charge in respect of small housing developments is to be dropped. *

AFFORDABLE HOUSING. The Average price of housing at WYNDHAM'S PLACE on the Fry Estate is £321,750.00. I believe some housing there belongs to the Guinness Trust which let it out to tenants. Maybe that sales figure is cheap enough by today's standard's, however I know that I couldn't afford to buy it. We paid about a fifth of that when we bought in Tisbury at the start of the 1980's. Such money afforded a house of great character. I suppose though its a matter of swings and round-abouts, for the new Oil Storage Tank we have just had fitted, costs slightly less than a new built estate semi on the outskirts of Reading circa 1965. Each of which now resells for eighty thousand or so . How on the earth did Government expect the first time house buyer to pay stamp duty on the purchase price of all property. Apparently selling off that Social Housing, formerly called Council Housing, was as I used to write a mistake, as too was not using the money received from sales to build new housing to replace those sold. One reason that never happened was that individual Councils provided the Mortgages for many of those discounted sales, so there was little money available. Some bought ex. Council accommodation only to find it un- resaleable due to constructural defects. Such accommodation should have been demolished rather than be sold to anyone, and sites made better use of. Maybe a lot of Politicians at every level realised this at the time of those sales, but which of them spoke against the idea?

SECTION 106 CHARGES*.As afore mentioned and still applicable to larger developments. If they are such a good idea, would it not be logical to put Section 106 charges on every house sale, be it a new structure or old ? Why should not ALL incomers contribute to the Infra Structure of the Community one moves into? Do not recommend the idea, but why should there be a difference? Though Section 106 charges are paid by the builder, the cost will be borne by the purchaser.

ON LINE SHOPPING. When the Co-Op lorry moved I discovered that Arundell and James had closed their agency, and was saddened to see the business was no more, and be told that its chief operative was currently operating with Messrs Gilyard and Scarth. Saddened because I, having some knowledge of the trade, had many years back thought that Tisbury would be a suitable place for an Estate Agency. Then someone opened one, but it didn't prosper and was gone. Possibly it first changed hands ? Such though is retailing today. House selling like so much else has fallen to the on line entrepreneur. Do people still traipse from agent to agent when wishing to buy a house, or even scan the Property Pages of some local newspaper ? Surely one first looks to Rightmove or Prime Location or it seems Purple Bricks or Sarah Beeny's site. Way back one needed an agent to tell one the worth of what one was selling, to then find a purchaser, and negotiate the terms of a sale. Now one and all can access the price one's neighbour's house sold for, and the negotiating might as easily be handled by a solicitor, just as in France a Maitre is as liable to sell a property as an Immoblier. Times are a changing possibly the traditional estate agent is on the wain. Most over valued their services.

STATION WORKS. There is this business in Tisbury of The Station Works site, formerly the Parmiter Site. One reads that no one requires its like the more. Well of course not, but one needs the employment such a site could offer if redeveloped as a workplace. There are those who would wish to see housing on site, for in housing lies St. Modwyn's profit , all be to our Parish's detriment. One reads that it hasn't been easy to find a tenant willing even to take over the OPEN concreted area of 1.7 acres/ 0.668 hectares for a mere £36, 395.00 pa. Unbelievable that someone doesn't snap the place up, what a snitch. What on the earth is anyone going to do with a site so priced in Tisbury ?

The Respondents to the TisVis questionnaire said that they wanted to see this site to continue in use as a workplace and not become another commuter staging post, however much Tisbury traders might now welcome it becoming so. Lets not hear mention of more un-affordable housing.

EDUCATION. We have this new University College under initiation at the former Salisbury Police Building. Now it has explained itself better, seemingly it is but a replacement for The Salisbury Technical College, but with some entries for fourteen year olds. ( who at such an age would wish to abandon their school ! Unless of course this place is a Grammar School by any other name ? ) Which bright sparks made the Salisbury Technical College into Wiltshire College. Possibly the lot who turned Reading Tec. into a University, feeling it was fashionable so to do. Goodness only knows what these Academies are, best thing since Comprehensive Education no doubt. Its good to read that the MP for Salisbury is supportive of Salisbury's two Grammar Schools, his predecessor's children were pupils at South Wilts, but it isn't the Politicians one has to thank for the continuance of Grammar Schooling in Salisbury, but basically the parents of pupils who were at the schools, at a relevant time. Way back then Tisbury was outside the Catchment area, save for those who fought a good fight. As I remember it the Salisbury Journal wasn't in favour of G.S's, though it seems Freebies such as Valley News are supportive of the jewels of the Education System.

ONE MORE RIVER . Great to see HRH Prince Charles being conducted around that Jordan Refugee Centre by one of Tisbury's sons who is a major player there for NATO. JBP 11.2.2015.