Forum Topic

Partying in Lammas park leaves it strewn with litter

Large groups of mainly children were making noise in Lammas park till well after midnight last night.Pretty harmless in this unless distancing was being completely ignored but the park is strewn with litter.Maybe they and their parents ( and I hope there were at least some present) would like to come and clear up the mess.Only knew about this as an elderly relative was ill yesterday and we stayed late with her.We could hear the noise from Windermere Road.  Disappointed to see the aftermath on this mornings visit.

Raymond Havelock ● 1119d22 Comments

You can't see the litter in the dark unless you make an effort and you don't really care if there are bins or not anyway once you are high on drink or drugs.

Philippa Bond ● 1110d

Litter tends to generate more litter and the incentive for people to clear up after themselves if the area is already strewn with rubbish. The lack of bins is clearly a factor.

Tricia Arbuthnot ● 1112d

LOL  We weren't allowed to eat or drink in the street.  We had fish and chips as a treat when we were travelling.  We would never have dreamt of leaving all our waste behind but you are right we probably wouldn't have bought so much in the first place.  There is heavy marketing of alcohol.  Sponsorship of sports and university bars with spirits.  Our generation were more likely to drink beer not spirits and not have these hideous happy hours introducing the only just old enough to drink to spirits in quantity.Now we have supermarkets selling at silly prices.  I thought that they had stopped the discounting of alcohol in Scotland because of the problems that excess drink causes.

Philippa Bond ● 1113d

Oh, there is VERY deep rot, it's now normalised and embedded that's for sure."I'm entitled, I'm special, I'll do what I want." never existed before and now causes SO many problems in society.What has brought this about?Changes in parenting and schooling can be the only reasons?

Rosco White ● 1114d

Philippa: I was brought up in the 1940s and early part of the 1950s. Packaging was minimal. Convenience takeaway food consisted of fish & chips on a Friday night ( which we ate at home, the idea being to save Mum one night of cooking). So litter was almost non existent. The park keeper was a feared figure- I’ll tell your Dad was enough to bring us to heel PDQ. These are merely a couple of examples, I have neither time nor inclination to mention others. The fact is, we now live in the “ me” society where the individual holds sway. I have no idea how one goes about changing this, I doubt if it is now possible. The rot is embedded.

Bettina Margaret Thwaite ● 1114d

Fires, late night drinking and the strong waft of waccy baccy in Lammas park last night. two groups in particular over 20 people.  No real noise or any trouble, but as a parent, not happy that the noise was that of quite young kids, not late teenagers.Thankfully ours are beyond that age now.Again a fair bit of detritus in the park today.  Just wish they would clear up.Cleaner yes but agree, most certainly not tidier.  The soot and detritus has gone, the pollution has receded. But littler and regular housekeeping cleaning and tidying had fallen away.  Things look neglected and unkempt, lumpy and bumpy pavements, the same with small roads,  regular maintenance is ousted in favour of brutal butchery on occasion, or simply removing to save on maintenance.It's great to see the Parks being used and what a lifeline for so many with no proper outside access. That should say everything to those advocating tower blocks and overdensification.  Would they live in them by choice?  With no additional parks and proper open spaces and affordable accessible amenities?I very much doubt Mr Bell and his ilk or the developers directors would.So quite sad to see so many using the parks, but not respecting them properly. So many riding and running over both planted areas and damaging grassed areas.  Spitting on paths and grassed areas, dumping coffee cups and bottle tops. Holes dug by dogs not filled back in, although dog owners are exemplary in clearing up mess.  And not pleasant to see so many children ripping up Daffodils with parents simply looking on smiling.I cannot understand why people cannot simply respect things and think a little.Then we would not need emphasis on enforcement and cameras and resources and effort wasted.

Raymond Havelock ● 1114d

I think that Raymond's post was great.  He hasn't mentioned the increase in population with so many older homes being split into smaller units.  He also hasn't mentioned the change in the way people work, and the way they live buying so much cheap short-life stuff and packaging.  We buy far too much and don't look after it. Families used to be able to split the chores more easily so there was someone at home at least part time to do many jobs including making sure the children behaved, did their chores and helped in the house.  We were taught to be more responsibile and not to just walk away from our rubbish dumped in the park expecting someone else to clean up after us.If you want a valeting service then you should expect to pay a lot more for it.  Those of us fit and able should be able to be more responsible.  As it is we don't even look after our elderly and sick as well as we should.I recently saw a picture of rubbish left behind on the riverside and it included plastic carrier bags.  If you can bring your full cans in that you can take your empties away too.It is a shame that the Deposit Return System has been delayed.  Scotland of course will be first with theirs although theirs has been delayed for a year because of Covid.

Philippa Bond ● 1115d

I have to disagree that our part of London is cleaner than it was 40 years ago. A lack of litter bins, those we do have mostly unemptied added to a throw away society have made the mess that we have now. Add in the once a year quick sweep up that this rubbish (pun intended) council perform and you have a situation far away from the Queen of the Suburbs in England's Green and Pleasant Land.

peter king ● 1115d

It is rather ironic that those who "care for the planet' seem to be the worst for disrespecting things.Quite why that is I cannot fathom. I grew up during the 3 day week with regular power cuts and families who could not afford the phone bill, gas bill or electricity bill.  Switching off a light or something not being used, was quite normal. As was turning down the heat or leaving unused rooms unheated.Kerb drill, sweeping up outside one's home,  through to never dropping litter anywhere and treating everything finite with respect and care, was taught at school and at home as a matter of pure common sense. No -one really needed to ever be told twice.It's nothing new, but for some reason a whole generation seem to think it is!And there is no escaping, in general, London is massively cleaner than it was 40 years ago which even then, was massively cleaner than it was 70 years ago.If you grew up near the river even in the 1970s the Thames used to stink.Ghastly pungent smells and nothing lived in it.  That's now a very distant memory.

Raymond Havelock ● 1115d

"they are hardly likely to lug rubbish home"Which is a shame, because of my upbringing and personal ideals, I always take my garbage home for disposal.Aren't Millennials & Generation Z supposed to be "We care for saving the planet"?Doesn't much look that way to me, they are arguably the worst offenders?

Rosco White ● 1116d

I agree in an ideal world litter should be taken home. However in practical terms its not possible.If these people were going on somewhere, or indeed just going home, they are hardly likely to lug rubbish home

Peter Yale ● 1116d

All rights and no responsibility.

Philippa Bond ● 1117d

Its a do as we please society in the making. No responsibility. Just a manipulated society who, when given an inch take a mile.So we get what we deserve, idiots running our lives.

Raymond Havelock ● 1117d

Even when sitting within a few feet of the bin people will still get up and just walk away.  It is a lack of personal responsibility.  Don't blame the bins - blame the people.TAKE YOUR LITTER HOME!

Philippa Bond ● 1117d

Surely that’s the purpose of them.The size is sufficient, quantity severely lacking

Peter Yale ● 1117d

With 90% more people using the park than normal. the Bis need to be 90% increased.They are designed to cater for the normal average.Far too many people, way too little infrastructure to cope.

Raymond Havelock ● 1117d

The bigger the bin the more rubbish it attracts.

Philippa Bond ● 1118d

A few extra bins & regular emptying wouldn’t go amiss

Peter Yale ● 1118d

We never drank as much - we didn't live on credit.  You can't see your rubbish in the dark or the bins - but of course they probably all now have mobile phones with torches...  Better to always take your rubbish home because the crows and squirrels and foxes can empty the bins and will be up earlier in the morning than just about anyone else.  I suppose they haven't learnt to be prepared.

Philippa Bond ● 1118d

No. My guess is it was just lots of end of term late night stop outs. A lot of shrieking and laughter and a waft of wacky baccy but no music.It was just the detritus. And maybe a little too late for kids to be out in the dark.A bit irresponsible.

Raymond Havelock ● 1118d

Same problem during Lockdown #1. Maybe this was a tribute band.

Susan Kelly ● 1119d

Hat's off to those who turned up this morning and helped clear up a bit. Dog walkers and local residents some in their 80s.And to the lady who brought us all Welsh cakes sealed in wrappers.( which we did not chuck into the grass!- Chucked on the path instead!!)

Raymond Havelock ● 1119d