Wendy Marshall (aka Womble Wendy) is legendary in Ventnor for amongst other things, her stalwart litter-picking endeavours.
In her own time, often with her own finances, Wendy regularly litter picks in and around the town. Her efforts often go un-rewarded (although she did get an award from the CPRE back in 2012), but never un-noticed.
Advance notice for authorities
Before her latest litter pick up at Lowtherville (Upper Ventnor), Wendy got in touch with Island Roads to let them know she’d be piling all the litter up at one particular spot and asked if could they pick it up after the weekend.
Island Roads said they didn’t think it was in their remit, so got in touch with the council to see if their contractors, Island Waste, would pick it up.
Break down in communication
So far, no joy there either, because apparently there is great confusion as to whose land the litter was picked from. Was it council land, private or National Trust?
As the questions of land ownership circle, Wendy’s left wondering,
“Wouldn’t it be lovely if Biffa Waste Services, Island Waste, Island Roads and Isle of Wight Council, who all deal with rubbish on the Island, communicate with each other.”
Wendy did suggest she might have to put her hand in her own pocket to get the waste removed. Given this is other people’s rubbish and that Wendy has collected it in her own time free of charge, we sincerely hope she doesn’t and that the authorities do the right thing and send a van out to collect the waste.
Latest litter-pick haul
Collected last weekend and awaiting collection from someone, Island Roads, Biffa, Island Waste or the Isle of Wight council is:
A car door interior, a car battery, a car radiator, a wheel, broken clothes horse, metal foot and head bed frame, remains of a push chair, general household rubbish that has been dumped, nappies, doggy poo bags with contents, lots of tin can drinks, plastic bottles, Carlsberg bottles, and don’t forget the large armchair and single bed mattress.
Any takers?
Ventnor Wombles January Report
Hello my dear friends, Womble Pistache here with a little report on what I and my fellow Womble family have been up too in January. We have been out on the downs above Ventnor for a lot of walks and litter picks.
The rubbish we have collected has been the left overs of Christmas! Someone had received a steering wheel cover, the wrapping paper and packaging were left in the car park along with a screen wash bottle found not far away. Also from the selection boxes of Celebration and Roses the chocolate wrappers, we followed this trail from opposite the car park but the person had eaten all the chocolates before they had completed their walk. This happened several walks in a row but has stopped now as presumably they have eaten the chocolates all up. There was also plenty of take away rubbish collected too.
Apart from litter collected into our tidy bags we also helped with the cattle and goats. One early morning a cow was just standing in the lane up to the downs and Great Uncle Womble Don had to wake up David the National Trust Warden to inform him. Then two of the cattle were found hanging around outside the National Trust yard. This was followed with a walk and finding the goats on the wrong side of the fence. Womble Wendy informed the National Trust of the situation. Womble Bruiser was very brave and got very close to have a good sniff at the goats but then backed away. The fences have all been repaired and everyone is back in their right enclosures.
Search for missing hounds
We also helped in the search for Archie and Roly Bennett from Wroxall, a Jack Russell and a Terrier who while on their walk decided to go off and have some fun. Claire, their Mum, had not seen them since 2.30pm and it was now 4.30pm. Along with Claire’s sister and Dad we did a good search but found and heard nothing. Shortly after arriving back home from the search Womble Wendy received a phone call from Claire saying they’d been found covered in mud and looking very sorry for themselves.
One was back at the car and the other was coming along the path. In the words from their Mum, “They were taken home for a bath and injury’s checked over and are both fine and still causing trouble!”
Down the hill
Next the Wombles litter picked Alpine Road with its junction to Zig Zag Road and Bellevue Road.
Here the footpath is raised higher then the road and there is a seat, the strip of land beside it has been nicely planted up. Sadly there was a lot of rubbish among the plants, but thirty minutes later it was all cleared up and looking great again.
Belgrave Road at the top of Esplanade Road was also dealt with. Here there are a couple of benches that lookout across the bay, in the corner was a clear refuse sack full of recycling household rubbish and a plastic bag containing many glass wine bottles. Plus general rubbish dropped such as cigarette butts, crisp and sweet wrappers and two bottles of alcohol one of which was smashed. All was cleared away and the glass bottles taken to the bottle bank.
Many thanks to Winnie Frampton, a Boarder Terrier Cross aged four months for reporting the need to litter-pick in Lowtherville to us.
If you know of a place that needs a litter pick then call the Ventnor Wombles on 855947.
Woof, Woof Womble Pistache
