It suddenly dawned on me how quiet it all was. I live in a sound-free hollow half way up the South Downs so there is rarely any traffic noise. What I do get is aircraft as I'm under the landing stack circle for Gatwick. In the morning and evening there are usually at least eight planes flying round in decreasing circles waiting for a slot and littering the sky with vapour trails. Now, nothing. The last time I can remember this happening was when the Icelandic volcano blew and grounded all flights.
I am now aware of the crows and wood pigeons jumping between the blossom laden cherry and apple trees in my neighbour's garden and the hollys in mine. On a clear day like today I can normally pick out the orange easyjet tailfins as they power down. Today it's a clear silence. I have to say it's a much better world for it.
It's usually pretty quiet here other than the odd really noisy vehicle from the bypass or those on Ashford Road who think the 30mph limit doesn't apply to them.
ReplyDeleteWe don't get much commercial air traffic overhead in daylight as we're half way between Lydd and Headcorn aerodromes but with the latter closed for the emergency and any traffic from the former severely limited that's all gone too. Other than that it's just the odd passing Turbostar carrying key workers and builders (!).
I'm sitting at my ticket window with a cuppa and a rather good book by a bloke called Ford about GWR Branch Lines and listening to the birds arguing...
Stig.
Glad you like it. Stay safe and wash your bits well. CF
ReplyDeleteWill do! Forgot to mention...the clear (of cloud and air traffic) sky yesterday evening meant that I was able to watch the International Space Station pass overhead at 19:36...
DeleteI commented to someone the other day that even though we are in the middle of nowhere, AKA the Fens, the birdsong seems louder than usual, and more poignent. Yesterday I noticed that there were two contrails above us, something that would usually go un-noticed.
ReplyDeleteStill, I've got the library back out of the shed and found a stash of 7/8ths kits to finish...
Seems quieter here too today. I back onto a footpath,at the field entrance there is a steel gate. Yesterday was a continual clatter of gate on post and people's chatter. Today, birds and the builders three houses up.
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