Two More Parking Stories – One Winner One Loser
The winners
Yesterday, Tuesday afternoon, two coaches bearing tourists arrived in Hay. Just what the town needs, visitors keen to spend their money and enjoy everything this unique town has to offer.
The only problem was that the annual May Fair was in town. The May Fair is an event redolent in history. It has long been held in Hay, indeed once it was an annual hiring fair when shepherds, milk maids and farm workers from far and wide sought masters and mistresses to employ them for the next year.
No longer held in Broad Street and Oxford Street, today’s May Fair pitches its rides, tents, caravans and dodgem cars in half the town centre car park and provides fun and frolics for people who gather from all round the area. Hay, Brecon, Llandrindod, Builth all take their turn to host the Fair - Long may it last!
The only problem was that no-one had told the coach drivers about the fair and so when they arrived – there was nowhere to park!
Never say that coach drivers aren’t enterprising; leaving their patient passengers to await them, the drivers went to the Tourist Office to find out what should be done. The Tourist Office staff, masters of initiative, rang the County Council for advice.
Wonder of wonders, the man/woman (?) at the council (we await to find out who is was!) told the drivers to park on Oxford Road, despite the double yellow lines, and he/she would speak to the wardens in the town and instruct them to ‘turn a blind eye’.
Thanks Powys, for showing some common sense. Perhaps it isn’t really ‘incumbent’ on you to enforce the letter of the law after all!
The Loser
Thursday in Hay is Market Day. The Market Square is closed and stalls overspill into the area beside and opposite the Clock Tower on Lion Street/Broad Street.
There is a small ‘gray’ area (or so it is marked on the town car parking orders map) of four spaces just North of the clock tower. Hay Chamber of Commerce has erected a small sign declaring ‘No Parking’ on Thursdays for the markey, but otherwise these spaces are unadorned by any Council parking restriction notice. Something of an anomaly in the town centre.
The winners
Yesterday, Tuesday afternoon, two coaches bearing tourists arrived in Hay. Just what the town needs, visitors keen to spend their money and enjoy everything this unique town has to offer.
The only problem was that the annual May Fair was in town. The May Fair is an event redolent in history. It has long been held in Hay, indeed once it was an annual hiring fair when shepherds, milk maids and farm workers from far and wide sought masters and mistresses to employ them for the next year.
No longer held in Broad Street and Oxford Street, today’s May Fair pitches its rides, tents, caravans and dodgem cars in half the town centre car park and provides fun and frolics for people who gather from all round the area. Hay, Brecon, Llandrindod, Builth all take their turn to host the Fair - Long may it last!
The only problem was that no-one had told the coach drivers about the fair and so when they arrived – there was nowhere to park!
Never say that coach drivers aren’t enterprising; leaving their patient passengers to await them, the drivers went to the Tourist Office to find out what should be done. The Tourist Office staff, masters of initiative, rang the County Council for advice.
Wonder of wonders, the man/woman (?) at the council (we await to find out who is was!) told the drivers to park on Oxford Road, despite the double yellow lines, and he/she would speak to the wardens in the town and instruct them to ‘turn a blind eye’.
Thanks Powys, for showing some common sense. Perhaps it isn’t really ‘incumbent’ on you to enforce the letter of the law after all!
The Loser
Thursday in Hay is Market Day. The Market Square is closed and stalls overspill into the area beside and opposite the Clock Tower on Lion Street/Broad Street.
There is a small ‘gray’ area (or so it is marked on the town car parking orders map) of four spaces just North of the clock tower. Hay Chamber of Commerce has erected a small sign declaring ‘No Parking’ on Thursdays for the markey, but otherwise these spaces are unadorned by any Council parking restriction notice. Something of an anomaly in the town centre.
(Interestingly, similar Chamber of Commerce notices are displayed on the restricted parking area that runs from the market area onto Broad Street. Do these overide the Council enforced parking restrictions?)
Anyway, on Thursday last, a motorist, either in hope or ignorance, parked in one of these spaces – and lo and behold, became the less than pleased recipient of a traffic warden (CEO) issued black and yellow Powys parking ticket, (PCN. let's use the acronyms) apparently for the offence of ‘parking in a restricted bay’.
This one bears watching! Is there a parking order on that space? Does the Council have the authority to issue a ticket to a car parked there for the reason given?
Truly a gray area! We await the outcome of the victim’s appeal with some interest.
Anyway, on Thursday last, a motorist, either in hope or ignorance, parked in one of these spaces – and lo and behold, became the less than pleased recipient of a traffic warden (CEO) issued black and yellow Powys parking ticket, (PCN. let's use the acronyms) apparently for the offence of ‘parking in a restricted bay’.
This one bears watching! Is there a parking order on that space? Does the Council have the authority to issue a ticket to a car parked there for the reason given?
Truly a gray area! We await the outcome of the victim’s appeal with some interest.
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