This weekend has seen me return to my father’s for a brief stay in Calne and I had forgotten how delightful the place isn’t. Last night for amusement some of the local youth had apparently decided to light some fires around the base of some gas cylinders and have an early Guy Fawke’s Night. The fire was dealt with before it turned serious but it does show the nature of my hometown quite well.
That said there are a few interesting things about Calne’s past that of of passing interest at least:
That said there are a few interesting things about Calne’s past that of of passing interest at least:
We have provided one Archbishop of Canterbury and Saint (St Edmund)
Joseph Priestley lived here and carried out experiments in what is now known as Doctor’s Pond and discovered oxygen here.
Up until a couple of years ago Calne had the only remaining Library funded by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie still in use as a Library. It is now a heritage centre since a new Library was built as part of the town’s redevelopment and is known about at least as far as Bristol by librarians due to it’s innovative design and is a flagship of the Wiltshire Library Service.
More recently Calne was known for things like the cheapest heroin in Wiltshire, something I am sure certain quarters at least will be proud.
Anyways there is a brief portrait of my hometown with a rich past but a youth who don’t appreciate it and seem to enjoy gathering in groups and being intimidating which is what prompted me to review my hometown as walking home tonight I had the delight of running the gauntlet of these delightful youths and I was amazed at how by body responded as it started pumping adrenaline through my body ready to fight or flee the toerags.
I have been in the same situation in Bristol and have never felt so threatened as I have in Calne I can only assume that my earlier times in Calne when I used to have various problems have hardwired my body in some way as to how to react to that kind of situation.
I would liken it to feeling that in Bristol if something started it would be because they want my wallet, whereas in Calne (at least a few years ago anyway) it would have probably been because it was me and so they would have done a proper job of giving me a hiding and there was a greater chance of something kicking off in the first place.