The graffiti has been painted over – sadly, but you can just see it in the photograph, and so happy was I to know that someone cares that I sat in the window of Costa Coffee and drew the eyesore that has replaced the old veggie shop and recorded the graffiti. What used to stand in the spot where now a crater lurks was a building of some years, granted it was in a fairly sorry state but it was inkeeping with the vernacular, it was proportionally, tonally and aesthetically correct. But now the owners [who are they?] have demolished the building and left the city with an unsightly metal compound. Why is the development taking so long?, is it that the plans are so out-of-character with the location that even the planning department are struggling to pass them. Is it that no development is planned, will we be expected to live with the crater ad infinitum… lets hope not. People who do this should be accountable, there should be time limitations on how long this is tollerated, and subsequent fines for slacking. This may seem mean but the graffiti artist is right- in the shadow of 1000 years of fine architecture this is just not good enough.
17/12 – crater has been filled in with rubble.

Hill Top is in a fairly remote site somewhere in the hills near Hawkshead in Cumbria, we turned up to see the one time home of Lakeland artist and Hollywood star Miss Potter not suspecting the effects of the demure Renee Z. or the rather lovely Mr McGregor. The small hamlet in which the house sits was packed with the eager faces of potential visitors and the running engines of the many cars that had chugged their way through the unspoilt, as yet, back lanes to this once quiet rural spot. We were informed by the National Trust traffic warden that although quite close to the front of the developing queue we were to expect some wait before a ticket could be purchased, then a more considerable time until we could enter, into the hours rather than minutes. We decided that the poor wee hamlet didn’t deserve this attention and that no matter how lovely Peter Rabbit or Miss Tiggywinkle might be we were more inclined to leave and let the masses fight for a glimpse of her walled garden and drawing desk. Good luck should you decide to try to visit but I would suggest you buy the book or see the film and save the hamlet from the fumes and noise. I am sure Miss Potter would say the same.