Page 21
Call Sign July 2011
LOOKING AT
(TAXI) LIFE...
with Tom Quigley
Mother Nature rules...
This often entails being a good relative
wasting this vital commodity.
and picking up them and their clobber. As a
The collection of water through closed
As Government, Councils and different
good uncle, it happened to me recently hav-
tubular systems is purely for financial gain,
authorities look to save money, I always
ing dropped a niece off in Southampton and
as the distribution can be metered and con-
smile that for whatever measure they bring
having the pleasure of doing the return jour-
trolled. If ever visible proof were needed of
in to save it, one thing is for sure - Mother
ney. The reason, I call it clobber is because
this, the next time you step onto a golf
Nature comes along and exposes their inad-
that's what it was; the price of fuel probably
course in Spain or Portugal, ask yourself how
equacies and short-sightedness!
outweighing the items being brought back!
the greens look so immaculate yet the outly-
For many years, there has been a lack of
As we loaded up our stuff, I watched
ing countryside looks so barren? The simple
maintenance and neglect of trees in towns,
other parents and relatives loading their
answer is that tubular systems bypass the
parks and other areas with authorities trying
vehicles. It seemed as though the students
poor farms and valleys to direct the water
to save money by putting stupid warning
must have been taught everything - except
into the playgrounds of the rich who can
notices on trees being low, instead of main-
the ability to be able to pack and wrap
afford it. Unfortunately Britain and London in
taining them with regular pruning. Savings
things properly. The scene was of bursting
particular have adopted this system. There
have also been applied in the guise of
supermarket carrier bags stuffed with
are many other factors that have effected this
preservation areas. This policy has forced
clothes; TV sets with cables and plugs
change such as the closure of reservoirs to
many trees striving for light against each
loosely dangling, ironing boards and plastic
build housing estates, sports fields converted
other and even higher buildings, being too
linen baskets with dirty clothes in ready for
to supermarkets and even as I write this col-
top heavy and imbalanced.
mums to wash. All the men looked exas-
umn, large areas of Hackney Marshes - a vital
As the long dry spell continues, it has left
perated under strict instructions not to say
natural organ of water collection and control
many of those trees at a dangerous level
anything as the little angels could do no
to the Lee Valley - are being developed (sic)
with a lack of water, coupled along with the
wrong and we don't want an argument as
for the Olympics.
natural clay and chalk in most of the
soon as we see them!
Enjoy summer, but if you get thirsty
London area they are now very weak at
Of course, to round the day off you have
remember the poor water companies; they
root level. With trees in full leaf, this creates
to foot the bill in an overpriced service sta-
need the profit.
a fulcrum with the slightest of winds caus-
tion as they can't afford it on their student
ing trees to fall or branches to snap off. I
Students
loan! Ah... sweet family moments!
predict that this year will see many delays
It's the time of year when students return from
to rail and road travel with more and more
Tom Quigley (Y33)
their studies and come back to the real world.
trees falling, as most Councils and local
authorities have long since got rid of direct
labour in their tree and park maintenance
teams, instead relying on outside contrac-
tors. This will further delay the response in
dealing with incidents.
I expect there will be drought measures
introduced with hosepipe bans brought in
and we will get the usual "experts" telling
us not to run the tap and to flush toilets
less. I have no problem with that, but I
question the collection of water in the
London area and the tubular system that has
been adopted to collect water.
Years ago, all our roads had deeper gut-
ters and alongside most roads were open
ditches and hedgerows (London is famous
for its ditches, namely Houndsditch and
Shoreditch). When younger, I would often
come home with a wet foot after trying to
jump a ditch and failing. This was a system
that worked as it kept the water table high
by collecting it over a larger area and
helped maintain a healthy natural habitat
for birds and other wildlife. It dates back to
Roman times and was adopted by them
from the Moors in Europe, who were
brought up in the deserts and knew how to
preserve and channel water. Now we have
large paved areas with tarmac to the kerb,
when it rains, minimal amounts of water is
being diverted to the tubular system, which
then relies on evaporation of puddles and
