Apologies, nearly a month since my last post.  The grass is growing higher.  The litter has gone into hibernation-for the summer-and will no doubt reveal itself dirtier, multiplied, and back to annoy us as the leaves fall off the trees ready for a winter full of potential litter picking.

There have got to be better ways to eradicate litter-and this is another reason I have slowed down picking it up.  There have got to be better, quicker, safer ways to clean our lands and waterways.  I haven’t got the answer yet.  If you have, please pass it on!

So in my slackness I have been concentrating on the Sturminster Marshall lay-by that I have mentioned before.  It’s on the left hand side going in the Poole direction on the A350 between Spetisbury and Sturminster Marshall.  Just as you pass Moor Court farm on the right you go up an incline and on the left is a large, pretty unkempt lay-by.  You cannot miss it.  During the week there is almost always a burger van there.

The lay-by stands a top a steep incline of about 20 metres which goes straight down to the river Stour…and there is a huge amount of fly tipped stuff there.  It needs a lorry to take it away.  It really needs a bulldozer with an extendable arm to scrape out the ‘crap’..and somehow it needs the workforce, finance, permission and energy to safely remove it all.

I am in touch with the council and they are very cooperative and also very keen to sort the problem…but it’s not their land so they are not responsible for moving it. The council and myself have spoken with the land owner, and as you can imagine he is fed up with the continual mess there.  He has moved it before-but not willing to do it again. Understandable.  And I just had an encouraging phone call from the Environment Agency.

With my fingers crossed I am pretty sure that between us all we can sort the problem.  It might take some time.  It might take some effort…but I am keen to make it some sort of positive event.

I hope to update with progressive news soon.  (And ps. for all those of you who are still out there diligently ‘picking’, I salute you.  I’ve had enough for a little while.  I’ll concentrate on the lay-by…and if anyone fancies meeting up there just to see the scale of it do drop me a line.  I’ll meet you there!).

Cheers, the ‘slacker’, Simon.