Saturday 21 June 2014

Spoil Sports.

If you read the comments on yesterday's blog you would see that Rachel had read in one of the papers, or heard on the news, that North Yorkshire County Council had ordered the removal of some bunting for the Tour de France, on the grounds that it was a Health and Safety risk.

I do sometimes wonder if 'Health and Safety' has gone too far.   Of course there are lots of areas where people were taking unnecessary risks and endangering not only their own lives but the lives of other people.  But really I do think this has been a step too far.

This morning we went to Masham for feed.   Masham is the town where the order was made so after loading up with feed we went into the market square to have a look.

It is a very pretty little town with a cobbled market square.  The whole place has a real French Provincial look to it and is a favourite tourist destination.   The tour is not going through the market square but is passing near, so the folk of Masham thought they would jolly the place up a bit and hold various events (as every other place is doing - music, barbecues - you name it).  To this end they made bunting of tiny little jerseys, each one about 12cm by 10cm, and strung this bunting between the lamp posts.  The authorities have deemed that should the bunting get wet and the weather windy the weight of the bunting might bend the lamp posts so they have had to take it all down.   They are now in the process of stringing it along the buildings instead.  I photographed this bit from the car park in the square to give you the general idea.

19 comments:

Sue in Suffolk said...

I heard that on the radio and thought " for goodness sake, have they no sense"
'elf and safety gone mad.

angryparsnip said...

I can't believe this.
They are worried about bunting but I read just recently about a car race (forgot the towns name) where the race car flew over a bump and crashed killed and hurt several people. There where no ropes to hold the spectators back to a safe place. And yet they are worried about bunting ?
Sound like my government.

cheers, parsnip

Joanne Noragon said...

What a ludicrous excuse. I know people who can take the joy from anything, but an entire "local authority!"

Anonymous said...
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Tom Stephenson said...

Oh dear - you have been jumped on by Malaysian bandits again, Weave. Just delete it, is my advice.

If the bunting was piano-wire strung at five feet over the road, then I could understand it. Other than that, I would use stronger, single words to describe North Yorks council.

Tom Stephenson said...

Bhudists aren't what they used to be - they've even got armies these days. Tell them to eff off Weave.

Heather said...

I think the ratepayers of Masham should question their council as to what sort of material those lamp posts are made from. Obviously some cheap shoddy stuff if they can't cope with a few yards of bunting, albeit knitted. Health and Safety are famous for going to ridiculous lengths.

Julie Clay Illustration said...

I saw this delightful bunting a couple of weeks ago and thought how great of the townspeople to make this effort and what fun it all was, makes you want to visit, then I saw it on the news about the council, how ridiculous, they don't deserve people visiting, damn stupid health and safety. It made me laugh, one guy on the news said, 'next thing they'll tell us we can't hang out washing wet, we'll have to dry it first, or it might bend the washing pole" Funny :)

tilly said...

BOLLOCKS AND BOLLOCKS AGAIN.....I just cannot believe how their tiny minds work !!!! sorry for the expletives ....... NO I'M NOT!
Tilly

Em Parkinson said...

Tom is right regarding the spamming Buddhists and as for the bunting? I laughed but in a cross kind of way. Ridiculous.

Maureen @ Josephina Ballerina said...

That must be some heavy bunting that would bend light posts.

the veg artist said...

I thought those tiny, lovingly knitted jerseys were really cute, all strung up. Glad to see they are still being hung.

jinxxxygirl said...

What in the world is the bunting made of that if it got wet it could bend lamp posts??Wow!Hugs! deb

MorningAJ said...

Are the lamp posts very old? I suspect they might be. The council hasn't said take it down - just don't hang it from the lamp posts. I guess as a journalist I covered too many inquests of people who ignored safety advice.

Dartford Warbler said...

Well done to the people of Masham for getting around that ridiculous ban.

The little cycle vests on the bunting are great fun and can`t fail to make passers by smile!

A Heron's View said...

Those lamp posts must be made of very flimsy material, it is wonder that they stay up in strong winds.

Rachel Phillips said...

Oh, they are really are quite little. Thanks for the photo. I am sure they wouldn't have made the lamp-posts keel over. Quite where these town hall decisions come from I don't know. I often wonder who sits there and rubber stamps them. Is it that nobody dares speak up and say "what rubbish"?

Thickethouse.wordpress said...

So do they make the lamp posts of cheese in your part of the world? It's about the only explanation I can think of for such a mean spirited decision.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Seems that we are all more or less of one mind on this one - thanks for joining in.