A welcome return to blue skies today, but cold weather is on the way it seems. Housework after breakfast, then time spent investigating the hard drive from Rhiannon's defunct computer. I was already aware that she'd taken a lot of photos, since she first had a pocket camera of her own, but the 43GB size of the folder puzzled me. When I looked inside just one sub-folder within, I discovered that mixed with the photos are dozens of video clips, experiments in telling stories, performing with friends. It helps explain her ambition to work in the movie industry both sides of the camera.
After lunch, I decided to go to the big Tesco on Western Avenue to buy a memory stick or card big enough to hold all the files, and a new wireless mouse. I have two dead ones waiting to be recycled, plus a wired mouse of great age which works but only just, as its scrolling wheel doesn't do what I expect it to.
On the way into Llandaff Fields, I noticed a car perched precariously on the pedestrian traffic island refuge close to the bus stop. It had rounded the bend in the road too fast to notice or avoid it, and demolished the lane warning sign. In fact, the car was perched atop the remains of the post on which the sign was displayed. It may have happened shortly before I arrived. The police hadn't arrived, nor a tow truck. A few people were standing around looking or taking photos. I guess the driver wasn't injured, well, I hope so.
When I got to Western Avenue, I made a made a brief diversion through the gates to Pontcanna Fields to check if there were any snowdrops or crocuses out today, as there were on this day last year. Lots of green shoots - snowdrops, crocus, even narcissii, but not a single bud or flower yet, but maybe later this week?
As it turned back on to the main road I caught sight of two uniformed policemen with hi-viz vests on in the vicinity of the riverside path, probably part of the search team looking for a local man reported missing on Saturday night causing worry as he hadn't taken vital medication with him. Then I heard a metallic crunch followed another from the middle of the road. I turned to see a car travel along the raised central central reservation, having demolished a sign and a bollard, just rolling to a halt, bumping into a lamp post crunching the front end of the car. I turned back to see, and it wasn't clear if the driver had escaped quickly or was slumped over the wheel. Three young women ran across the road dodging cars to see if they could help, and then within a minute the two cops had sprinted from the edge of the riverside path to see what help was needed. Within another couple of minutes two more cops from the search team arrived. I noticed the car's airbag hadn't deployed, and still have no clue about what happened to the driver. Within twenty five minutes an ambulance was arriving, from the Heath A&E a mile away weaving its way through the traffic tail-back the accident caused.
I went on my may to Tesco's bought what I needed and was passing the accident site a quarter of an hour later. Already a tow truck was on the scene removing the vehicle. The truck driver found the car's front suspension and engine still worked, and reversed it up the ramp. I noted that he looked in the boot first and took a photo of whatever was or wasn't inside, a good way to refute spurious allegations about the content after the car was handed back to the owner. The entire incident was over in an hour. Except for replacing the obliterated road signage!
How did this happen. It seems as if the driver, if not taken sick at the wheel, may have lost control for a few moments on approaching the raised section of the central reservation. It stands just after the bridge over Taff, where the road bends ever so slightly, and at this time of day and year the sun is just above the horizon at the far end of the next stretch of road, capable of blinding the unwary or inexperienced driver. At such a moment, the involuntary gesture of shielding ones eyes, or reaching for the sun visor might be enough to cause enough of a swerve to mount the central reservation kerb as the driver struggled to regain control. It could happen to anyone. Thankfully no other car was involved. Thankfully there were cops on the ground for once to take charge and call in emergency support.
I returned home with a new wireless mouse and a 128gb mini SD card, the kind you can put in a phone if its SIM tray has a second slot. It cost £35, five quid off. After supper, I transferred 80+gb of data from the rescued hard drive on to the card without a hitch. It took the best part of an hour, while I watched the first episode of series three of 'Happy Valley' on iPlayer. The new Chromebook Rhiannon had for Christmas has a mini SD card slot so she can have this archive of all her work available on her new laptop, and have nearly 40gb free storage too. I was quite pleased that it worked out so easily. Then Clare and I watched an fascinating interview with Michael Jayston one of the actors who worked with Alec Guinness on the first serialised version of 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'. This was a prelude to a re-run of the first two of seven episodes of the 1979 series. Such wonderful acting, such perfect diction. Needless to say, bed late.
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