Had an unexpected day off and decided to make the most of it, thankfully, Corrie had a day off too her plans of going camping down the Gower had fallen through. Having experienced a lovely meal in the Pelican and noticing the people next to me last time were tucking into faggots and peas with great relish I persuaded her to come out to lunch with me. She ordered the fish and I had the faggots, I have a funny feeling she will be partaking of the faggots on the next occasion though as they really are lip smackingly delicious.
We ended up with our books on the beach at Ogmore. It was really hot so I decided to go into the sea for a paddle.
I was upset to see crisp packets, beer cans and general rubbish floating alongside me as I splashed about in the murk. Yes, that is how I would describe the sea there murkey and grubby looking. I wondered if it had qualified for the 'blue flag' and if not why not? I get annoyed with myself at times like this because if the sea in Ogmore is not blue and inviting, it is people like me who should make a fuss and complain and do something about it. There should be a campaign to improve our beaches.
The men on the gate charge £3 to let you in to Ogmore Beach, there were hundreds of people down there today parked all over the place at ridiculous angles. They must have made a good deal of money. Why can't they utilize the money made to clean up the beach?
What is being pumped into our sea to make it so inky? How can we stop it? I wish the Council and Water Board would concentrate on making our beaches sparkle and inviting. We could rivel Spain, they say the world is hotting up and Britain could get a change in the weather, with clean seas and sand we could sweep up on the tourist trade.
I suppose it could be coal making the sea black in Ogmore, it is such a beautiful coastline, crying shame really as it wouldn't take much to bring it up to scratch.
Dan wrote...
It's funny that you wrote a blog on the state of our shores as over the weekend I was involved in a conversation about that very same topic. But, whereas your blog was hypothesizing as to ways to help and cure the problem mine was, the more interesting question "Who does this?", and better yet, "Why?".
Imagine the scene. I'm sitting with four friends on Brighton Beach at dusk on Saturday evening. We are quietly having a bbq and a few drinks. The usual 'standard thought process' of using an empty plastic bag for a bin, and anything that looked like it could fly away was weighted down with stones etc, etc... Now, I did use the combination of words 'standard thought process', but I don't actually think this exists in the minds of some people. Actually. In the minds of many people.
Brighton, is a perfect example for this. It's a lively, heaving tourist destination where many families come to enjoy the beach. Which, I might add seems to be very ironic, as it is mainly these people who litter the beach. They are destroying one of the sole reasons why they come to Brighton. Strange, but true.
The question that I would love you to comment on is; Do these people know they are littering, but they are not taking responsibility for their actions (group 1). Or, does the thought process that it might be a bad thing to drop litter not even enter their mind? (group 2)
Personally, I think it's a split. And, it depends on the situation.
Now I'm going to generalise. So, if there's anyone reading this and is unlucky enough to fall into my example groups please don't take offence. It wasn't intended.
For example.
Group 1. They would be a typical group of lads in Brighton for a stag doo. They've gone to the beach to have a few beers and 'warm up' for the night ahead. They drink on the beach and when they finish their can of beer they leave it on the ground next to them. I believe that they do know that it's wrong but do nothing about it.
Group 2. Now these people are the interesting ones and I don't understand them at all. I actually witnessed a perfect example over the weekend. A man was carrying his child on the beach and in his free hand he held a paper plate. He prompted his child to watch whilst he threw the plate into the wind only to fly about 1 millisecond before plummeting to the ground then onto the sea. After he threw the plate they both watched it and made no attempt to get the plate once it entered the shoreline.
I fully understand Group 1 types, but Group 2. Now that's confusing. Maybe, in their world that they live in it's acceptable to do this. I seriously have no idea.
I'm sure everyone would hate to go to a beach that was full of rubbish so in my eyes it's simple. Leave it how you found it. Clean. This obviously has the knock-on effect that we wouldn't need the £3.00 car parking fee to be used for cleaning the shores. It could be used to better the surroundings. Possibly, a play area for children, more benches and better paths. Much better uses for the surplus money I am sure you will agree.
Posted by: Dan | June 12, 2006 3:38 PM