• I recently mentioned the plans to create two new pedestrian crossing islands in Preston Road. Whether these were really necessary was open to debate, but the Highways Department obviously thought so and workmen duly appeared and installed them.

One was by Squires Knap and the other opposite 22 Preston Road. Then, a couple of days later, more workmen appeared and took the latter away!

If you look closely at the road opposite where the walkway emerges from Elm Close you will see remains of this work - two dropped kerbs and a paving slab in the middle of the road!

Apparently the problem was that it was badly sited and large lorries had to mount the pavement in order to pass!

David Mannings tells me that the planners are now hard at work recalculating their figures and will soon find a solution. I, for one, can hardly wait for this momentous event, but you might think that if they can't properly organise a tiny job like a pedestrian island, what can they do?

But I couldn't possibly comment on that!

• On the subject of highways, the surface of Melstock Avenue is getting worse.

Some remedial work was carried out, but this has proved completely unsuccessful and it is now worse than ever.

It is a good thing that Wyke Oliver Road was recently resurfaced so there is still one way onto the Overcombe Bay estate!