Guest 672- Registered: 3 Jun 2008
- Posts: 2,119
After my op last friday I'm now off work for 4 weeks so I decided to put my walking boots on and catch up on scenery I've not seen for a long time.
First walk was to our glorious sea front, I won't be going back in a hurry.
Dog crap all over the place, the shelters posotively stank of urine and ok I know the toilets are closed but do they have to become an eyesore to us all.
grass grows by the inches but dies by the feet.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
the shelters have always been disgusting, until they stop people sleeping in them the problem will not go away.
i think they were intended for people to rest a while and eat their sandwiches. not much chance of that.
Until people have a place to sleep they will find shelter wherever they can!! If I were homeless (and there but for the grace of God...) I don't think I would think "oh, I had better not sleep in this sheltered relatively warm spot because it will inconvenience the people who have homes to go to". That, by the way, is not an excuse for having reeking shelters. It is outrageous that the front can be so off-putting, especially when so much effort has been made to cheer it up and make it presentable. We all share some responsibility, for example, clearing up out own dogs mess etc, but where are the local services for gardening and the environment?
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
why do they urinate in the shelter though the sea is one stride away.
according to a porchlight study recently there are only about 4 people sleeping rough in the district.
plenty of times there are people passing through that do not want to pay for a bed for the night.
Some don't want to and some can't. BTW many of those "studies" are inaccurate, for one reason or another. Some deliberately skewed to reflect what is the desired result rather than a real reflection.
Guest 673- Registered: 16 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,388
One of the seafront shelters was, as we all know, where Bill Bryson tried to get his head down on his first visit to England in 1973. His hilarious account of this, and of the dire guesthouse he found lodgings at the next day, are in this extract from his book "Notes from a Small Island":
http://222.187.197.112/tushu/book/book76/2009893738886.pdfhoward mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
that is one of the most briliant pieces of writing i have seen in a while, his observations of english life at that time are so perceptive.
the descriptions of the bed and breakfast and english television at the time gave me a merry chortle.
Guest 694- Registered: 22 Mar 2010
- Posts: 778
Ed and Howard
I adore Bill Bryson, if you can get one with his writing try his whole collection, it makes me chuckle and I even enjoyed his history and the story of home.
Back to the seafront... erm... not much i can say really...
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i will take your advice jenni, nothing better than reading something beautifully written by someone with great observation skill.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
I wonder if Mrs Smegma ever read the book and if she recognised herself. She would probably have been still around when the book was first published.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Alec Sheldon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 18 Aug 2008
- Posts: 1,037
I was walking throught the Market Sq. yesterday about 3.30pm. and came upon three of the misfits who use the bench outside M & S. One of them with crutches was shouting and waving them about and the other two were taking a p!ss on George Locks wall near the entrance to the above flats.
This was in broad daylight and quite a few people about amongst them tourists. I wonder what they must have thought of Dover ?. I wish that I had been a bit younger, I am too old to start a fight nowadays
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
alec
there were 2 cruise ships in today, one of them featured on the front page.
after encountering the desolate market square the incident you described must have left them with a lasting impression.
will be even worse when all the toilets are closed.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
howard,there where was 3 cruise ships in today.a small one turned up and parked in front of the big one.
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,895
Quite a few foreigners in the shop today that did not seem like the ships' crew, some even had English money.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
jan,yes there was some japanese got on the bus at the bp garage this morning,then saw loads in the town this afternoon.
grass grows by the inches but dies by the feet.