I'm Sorry, But This Is A Load Of Absolute Garbage.

Once upon a time, long, long ago, I had a little business clearing rubbish, and other unwanted stuff from peoples homes and gardens. It was something I used to do part time, and I really enjoyed doing it. Mostly it was rubbish, and debris from renovations, but just occasionally I would pick up something of worth. For instance: a decent piece of furniture, or some brass, copper, or other scrap metal. It was a useful addition to the family income, and also made good use of the small truck I owned at that time. The good stuff I would sell on to second hand shops, and the scrap metal would be weighed in at the local scrap yard.

Sadly this little business came to a halt, when the local council began to charge a fee to dispose of stuff at the local tip. This forced me to increase my prices, and customers became reluctant to use my services. Who can blame them. The council charges added 100% to the bill.

It was in the 70's that charges were first introduced. The council saw it as a way of increasing their revenue, conveniently forgetting that most people had already paid for the service as part of their rates bill.

Around about the same time as the council began charging, there suddenly occurred a huge increase in fly tipping, which is the term used for illegal disposal of rubbish. Unscrupulous persons would clear rubbish, but instead of paying to off load at the council tip, they would dispose of it at any quiet location they could find. Where are the quiet places? In the countryside of course. Illegal dumping places were everywhere. An absolute blot on the landscape.

Who paid for these illegal sites to be cleaned up? The council. With the ratepayers money! That is you and I. Not only did we now have to pay to tip rubbish, we had to pay to clear the illegal tips.

The council never learned from this. They didn't decide to reinstate the free tipping that had worked so well for years. What they did was, increased their fees, yet again, to pay for the illegal sites to be cleared.
Which of course only served to make things even worse.

The illegal tipping still goes on. The photos accompanying these words of mine, were all taken today, as Sadie the German Shepherd and I went for a walk. They were all taken within less than a mile of home

Some of the rubbish has been around for a while, and has been hidden by undergrowth. The onset of winter, and the subsequent loss of foliage, serving to reveal the ugliness. Some of the rubbish is newly dumped. I have not even shown you all of it. It is depressing taking photos of this awful blight.

Forgive me for subjecting you to it, but I know you care, and I needed to get this off my chest. How does the saying go? A burden shared.....

Tomorrow hopefully, I shall be back to my usual happy self, but I think I shall walk in the other direction. My eyes looking upwards, to the tree tops and beyond. Beyond. Where we have not done any damage. No damage? What am I saying?