Probationary Blogger

Despite my usual verbosity, both written and verbal, I am feeling very much like I did when I took my first steps as a police officer. I'm by now means computer illiterate but this blogging stuff is virgin territory. At a time like this a pint or two normally does the trick! Couldn't be in a better place but how did I arrive at the Aidensfield Arms?

Well as many of you will know, the town of Ashfordly nad village of Aidensfield only exist because of an author's imagination and I actually worked with that particular author many years ago when he was also a police officer. For the last 30 years he, (Nicholas Rhea) has been writing books, drawing on his experiences in the police force. His best known work, the Constable Series of books, provided the inspiration for the hugely popular TV series 'Heartbeat'. He still remains involved with the series today as a consultant.

I suppose I chose Ashfordly Police Station as the base for my blog for several reasons; It's like the one I was first posted to out of traing school, my first Sergeant was like Oscar Blaketon and many of the locals at the Aidensfield Arms are like the people I first policed. The village pub was often a hub for a village community however sadly many are now going out of business and being converted into houses for well healed city types who have made a killing playing with money, on many occasions other people's money.

I'm not jealous but it does concern me that the vast swaths of wealth transferring from the cities into the country side have caused property prices to rise. These market forces are such that local communities are fragmenting as the inhabitants move away to seek homes they can afford. What makes it even more criminal is that properties snapped up by wealthy business men and their families are often only used as second homes or rented out as holiday cottages. Many of our villages are dying but that's market forces for you!