ABC of Chippenham: Poll


Tomorrow's an historic day as the nation decides via a referendum (the first we've had in over 30 years) whether to stick with the first past the post system for electing its MPs or to try the AV system, where we rank the candidates in order of preference.

I'm not going to go into the fors and againsts with this decision. What's more interesting for ABC Wednesday is that since we've moved to Chippenham, we've had some rather unusual locations in which to mark our ballot papers.

When we moved to Pewsham in 1988, the local school was yet to be built so our polling station was a house in Buckingham Road. We'd register in the kitchen, then move into the lounge for the actual voting. Sadly coffee wasn't served at the time, though it felt like it should be.

Here in Cepen Park North again there's no school, hall or other public building available to host the polling station. When we first moved here the back of the staff area at Safeway (now Morrison's) was commandeered for our democratic process. We'd have to walk to the back of the supermarket, then go through a plastic curtain and past walls showing various sales figures and targets to where the polling station was located.

The school promised for the estate was never built and I think the supermarket's new owners weren't that happy with the staff room arrangement. The polling station's in the supermarket car park nowadays, in the county's Mobile Classroom wheeled in especially for the event. I'll put up a picture tomorrow, so you can see exactly what's been used for our voting.

Will you be casting your vote in a more unusual location than me?

This is for ABC Wednesday and is the 16th in my themed posts about Chippenham.

Comments

  1. Caro4 May 2011 at 20:07

    Nothing so exotic for us - it's the local girls secondary school, but there's no passing through the hallowed portals for us mere voting mortals, we're directed round the back to an outbuilding! Mind you, there'd be no room in our Morrison's car park ...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Halie5 May 2011 at 13:42

    This post is full of information. Thank you for sharing them.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Roger Owen Green5 May 2011 at 15:55

    Strange but our polling place for the school/library budget is the school but the library for the political elections.
    They are about 100 meters apart.


    ROG, ABC Wednesday team

    ReplyDelete
  4. Paul and Melanie5 May 2011 at 17:58

    Off subject a tad I know but just wanted to say THANK YOU! Our prize from the bird care comp arrived today. Never seen so many fat balls in my life lol :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Robert Webber5 May 2011 at 21:08

    Fab post, love the idea of going through the plastic curtain to vote, best R

    ReplyDelete
  6. The bike shed5 May 2011 at 22:54

    Mine by post I'm afraid!

    Oh, went to Hidcote gardens last week - have you been there? You must have. Fab, this time of year; came back with oodles of plants too.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anna8 May 2011 at 08:32

    Just round the corner and nowhere exotic - it's the local local Catholic church parish centre for us. What intrigues me is that we vote in 'Bertha's Room'. I have been wondering for years who Bertha might have been.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Juliet8 May 2011 at 21:08

    By post for us, though the village polling station is in the local Baptist church.

    I was wondering whether you have any thoughts about the best compost for growing fruit & veg? - I know you've posted about it before, but I can't remember whether you're like me & only use organic. If you do have any thoughts, I'd appreciate it if you'd pop over to my blog!

    ReplyDelete
  9. VP20 May 2011 at 21:37

    Hi everyone - thanks for sharing your voting venues :)

    Halie - welcome :)

    Paul - I'm so glad they've arrived! Thanks for letting me know and I heard today the birds need extra food at the moment owing to the lack of rain

    Mark - *confesses in a whisper* actually I haven't been to Hidcote - yet

    Juliet - I have no idea as it's all been so variable. I can't seem to get anything which is good enough for seed sowing at the moment :(

    ReplyDelete

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