First things first: everyone was talking about the big, yellow digger on the corner of Heathway and the High Road. It wasn't just parked; it was performing. Like a clumsy but determined ballet dancer, it kept scooping and turning, scooping and turning.
Margaret from the bakery told me it started at 7:14 AM. She knows this because her first batch of sausage rolls was ready, and the noise almost made her drop the tray. “I nearly had a coronary,” she laughed, handing me a roll still warm. “But then I saw the bloke in the cab was wearing a Santa hat. How can you be cross with Santa?”
A Brief (and Slightly Wet) Interlude
The main event, though, was the burst water main on Lodge Avenue. Imagine your own sink overflowing, but instead of a sponge, someone sends a team of blokes in bright orange vests. Water was gurgling up through the tarmac like a tiny, rebellious fountain trying to escape.
One local dad, Steve, used it as a life lesson. He stood there with his two kids, pointing at the geyser. “See that, boys? That’s what happens when you leave the tap running for too long.” The kids were more impressed by the puddles, naturally. They saw it as an unexpected free paddling pool.
But here’s the thing: nobody panicked. A fire engine arrived, but it just parked and the crew got out for a chat. It felt less like a crisis and more like a street party where the main attraction was a really aggressive hose.
