Mellow fruitfulness

See, I can't stop this now. My month is over and yet I continue to blog. Although I'm not forcing myself to go anywhere new anymore. Nonetheless, even going to the same old places, things have changed. Autumn is coming, can you feel it?

I went to my parents house today to pick plums from their tree. I feel there may be a plum clafoutis in the offing.

On the way home, I spotted a protest outside the town hall. I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but there were about the same number of police officers as protesters here.

From a quick google, I think they're protesting about this story - that Barnet Council, with one of the highest council taxes in Britain, has decided to cut just under a million pounds from its sheltered housing budget this year. It's a good cause, one worth protesting.  For all that I think Hendon is nice, I do feel Barnet Council is in general useless. Perhaps they're just not doing a good job of informing me of all the wonderful services they provide, or maybe I'm just being stupid in not appreciating the parks and clean streets more, but whenever I encounter the Council they seem to be asking me for money to park in my own road, or cutting down the services I actually use (I'm looking at you, library opening-hours).

While I stopped to take this picture (parked safely at the side of the road) one of the police came over to see what I was doing. Or, as they put it, to "ask if I was OK". I was a bit puzzled by this, and by the - it seemed to me - rather excessive police presence for a small peaceful protest about care home wardens. Are they spending council tax on police standing around watching senior citizens instead of on care wardens to look after them?