Thanks to Womble Wendy for this latest report from Womble Pistache. Ed
Hello dear readers, here’s another report from Ventnor Wombles on taking pride in where we live and clearing litter from Ventnor and the surrounding area.
This month we have been concentrating on Lowtherville. We were informed of a portable television on the footpath between St Margaret’s School and The Rayners. The only problem being the television was up high on some brambles out of our reach. We informed IWC of this and in less then a week the council reported back that they had retrieved the television and correctly disposed of it.
Thanks to my helpers
Winnie Frampton, the boarder terrier cross, and her family joined us in clearing away the rubbish in Lowtherville Road between St Margaret’s Hall and the barrier across the road, opposite The Rayners.
A big THANK YOU to Stella Frampton and her sons, Cody, aged 7 and Jake aged 11 and their friends for helping us.
We made a large pile of items that had been dumped which were as follows. A big arm chair, a kitchen chair, a broken clothes horse, an artificial Christmas tree, interior of a car door, a car stereo, car battery, radiator and wheel, lots of bagged up dogs mess, household rubbish, and general dropped rubbish. A black sack containing nothing but Calsberg bottles some of which were broken. Nappies and the remains of a push chair.
Thank you to Penny Weedon who also helped. The start of the litter picked was Saturday 31st January, we returned again on Sunday 1st February doing a couple of hours each time.
More litter-picking
Womble Wendy returned on her own on Monday 2nd February and litter picked the path beside the old St Margaret’s School that leads to The Rayners, where she then attacked the scrub land between the old school site and The Rayners.
More litter was collected, mainly bottles and tin can drinks but also crisp packets and doggy poo bags with contents. Even an old single metal bed foot and head board frame was cleared away.
Great victory for Wombles
Then came the battle between Island Roads, Biffa Waste, Isle of Wight Council and Ventnor Wombles on who would take all this rubbish away. Eventually IWC Fly Tipping department called and in their words “had taken a pragmatic view of the situation and would take the rubbish away.”
A great victory for Ventnor Wombles. Its disappointing that Island Roads, Biffa Waste and Isle of Wight Council can not communicate with each other.
Work continued in Lowtherville
The second week of February and the team returned to Lowtherville to carry on the tidy up. They went over the arrears all ready mentioned before and collected half a bag of rubbish and one old portable heater that had been dumped.
They then continued towards the children’s play area and collected two more bags of rubbish. Then it was off to the tip to dispose of the portable heater. Also this week Belgrave Road had another litter pick after another bag of household rubbish appeared.
Ventnor Park
Week three and the womble burrow headquarters had been informed of rubbish at the putting green at Ventnor Park.
This rubbish was at the back of the putting green just over the fence from the pavement and next to The Eversley Hotel. Ventnor Town Council were informed and we were given permission to go onto the site to tidy up.
We also took the opportunity to clear the hedge that separates the putting green from the pavement between The Eversley Hotel and Park Lodge by litter picking from both sides of it. It took several hours to clear the rubbish that had been put in to the hedge over the years.
Usual doggy poo bags
The usual doggy poo with content bags, sweet and lolly wrappers, cans of soft drinks and alcohol and glass wine bottles the main items collected.
Clearly this hedge had not been litter picked for decades, the give-away were plastic bags with Somerfield the supermarket printed on them (today it’s The Co-Op), cans being very rusty and a Could Hibberd & Randall Ltd Isle of Wight glass bottle. A total of six bags of rubbish and two No Parking cones were retrieved.
We could not continue litter picking for the final week of this month as Womble Wendy broke a toe, (we had to put our paws over our ears, the language was terrible) and was advised to rest for a week.
But litter picking has continued with Richard Downing tidying up Newport Road from the Ocean View Fish and Chip shop at Newberry’s Corner to the Spar shop and Havensbush also know as The Shute between Newport Road and Ocean View Road.
A total of two bags of rubbish were collected mostly bottles, cans, crisps and sweet packaging. Richard litter picked, then informed us of the job done. Well done and Thank You.
There is still plenty of rubbish to clear from Lowtheville and so Ventnor Wombles have decided to continue in this area for the month of March.
If you want to help then please call Ventnor Wombles on 855947. We can supply all the equipment and you can do the tidy up with a Womble or on your own.
Love Where You Live with Ventnor Wombles. Woof, Woof Womble Pistache
