Ramsgate Beach this afternoon - proud to be British.
Discussion
So a few days ago a storm in the Channel relieves a cargo ship of a quantity of Russian Pine which drifts onto the beaches of East Kent. There's a recession going on so this is a welcome freebie. Locals arrive by car, van or on foot with a wheelbarrow to claim a bit of timber. It's a bit soggy and a bit ragged but it could patch up a fence or, once dried, could be used as kindling. Given a few days the beaches would be cleared at no cost and everyone would be happy.
Until today..this afternoon at Ramsgate and police patrol the sea wall cordoning off the beach as though it's a murder scene. Countless hard-hatted security men wander aimlessly across the sands monitoring the situation. An excavator and 2 massive Volvo dumpers sweep up the timber and take it away to be mulched - after all there's a Health and Safety issue and we can't have Joe Public taking advantage can we ?
The only moment of levity came when one of the Volvos got hopelessly stranded as it tried to vault a breakwater - for a tantalising 30 minutes there seemed a sporting chance that the Channel would reclaim the Russian wood...
Until today..this afternoon at Ramsgate and police patrol the sea wall cordoning off the beach as though it's a murder scene. Countless hard-hatted security men wander aimlessly across the sands monitoring the situation. An excavator and 2 massive Volvo dumpers sweep up the timber and take it away to be mulched - after all there's a Health and Safety issue and we can't have Joe Public taking advantage can we ?
The only moment of levity came when one of the Volvos got hopelessly stranded as it tried to vault a breakwater - for a tantalising 30 minutes there seemed a sporting chance that the Channel would reclaim the Russian wood...
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