Lost in the wilderness
I honestly don’t know where I live any more.
I used to life near a quiet little village where people came and went and life was very quiet and peaceful.
It’s gone!
I don’t recognise what they have put in its place.
My coffee shop has suddenly turned lime green, is covered with flowers and is now called “A Tower of Hair”! What the fuck? What does that even mean?
The grocery shop is suddenly turned into “Painting Painting on the Wall”. How is that even a name of something?
There’s a new “Mary Popover’s Bakery” over the road from the coffee shop in place of a small café [their coffee ain’t a patch on my place and anyway I don’t like the owner]. At least that name has a semblance of purpose to it, as has the chemist which is now “The Cauldron”.
The hardware shop is now “The Butchers”. I went in and asked for a pound of mince. He gave me a cylinder of lighter gas. At lease he knows me which is gently reassuring.
I was down there yesterday and had to go back again today. Fucking bedlam! The place is packed with sightseers and workmen. There are signs everywhere saying “Film Crew Only”. There are dozens, nay hundreds of fucking cones along with steel barriers and notices saying “Use other footpath” where there is no other footpath. Traffic is gridlocked as no one knows where to go any more. Don’t any of them have jobs or homes to go to?
I’ll tell you one thing.
There is no fucking way I’m going near that strange village on Monday, even though that’s supposed to be the reopening of the coffee shop [if it still exists behind “The Tower of Hair”].
If it’s bad today, it will be sheer hell on a bank holiday Monday.
Any idea how long this is supposed to go on before they pack up and vacate?
The village is to be closed the week after next, Monday to Friday. Then another closure the first week in July, but that's a night filming so we all have to be out of the place by 5pm. There will be another two days of village closure on the 21st and 22nd July.
It is really complicated and a huge nuisance.
Presumably we will then have another several weeks of disruption while they rip all their constructions down and re-paint every building.
I noticed that our telephone kiosk turned purple overnight!
I know nowt about Irish law – but it seems a hell of a thing when the powers-that-be can arbitrarily shut down/screw around with an entire village and make the locals subject to the whims of a few yankee arty-farties – without seeking permission or agreement from said locals.
It's not Easter, but perhaps another uprising is called for?
I presume permission was granted by the council. The shopkeepers are very happy about the whole thing. They are all being generously compensated for the disruption and loss of business. Owner occupiers are being moved the the most expensive luxury hotel for the duration. And of course when the filming isn't in progress, trade is booming from the workmen and sightseers. They are also hoping for a boom in visitors after the filming as people come to see where the filming happened.
Us plebs who live outside the village of course weren't consulted, naturally.
So the spirit of community, independence, and the perfectly natural contempt for authority vanish when offered a little bit of personal gain.
Doesn't say much for humanity…
Hasn't it always been thus? They are taking the King's Shilling and fuck the rest of us.
I'm delighted for my coffee shop though. They haven't earned a red cent for months and I hope this swells their coffers a bit.
If the village is bad, imagine what Skobieville will be like on Monday!
I would rather not, thanks. I try not to think of that place any time.
My house was once used to film an episode of "Hetty Wainthrop investigates" The living room and kitchen were full of cameras, lights and lots of other bits and pieces. The crew were very efficient and friendly,and we were given lunch with the production team. Once finished at about 5 o'clock, the clean up crew descended and proceeded to clear everything away leaving the place neat and tidier than it had been before. I was impressed by the professional way the crew worked, not so much the actors who were reluctant to even acknowledge the locals .We were handsomely paid for the disruption too.
Nice one! The only excitement this house has seen was when a film crew came to film me for a programme about "blogging". Just two lads with a van full of lighting sound and camera equipment. They were here for the best part of the day and we had great craic, filming in the house, the garden and out on the lane.
Grandad,
Are you anywhere in this video? Where were the campers going who caught the No 44 bus?
https://www.rte.ie/archives/2021/0513/1221387-bank-holiday-weekend/
Those campers would have been heading to the Youth Hostels in Knockree and Glencree. There used to be hoards marching up and down the roads at weekends. Hikers are a rarity now even before the Virus. People are just getting lazy. The Glencree Hostel closed down twenty years or so ago.
I hope they put the buildings back to the way they looked like when they're done filming. Otherwise it might be a bit confusing for the returning tourists next year?