Morning all I'm sorry for the OT post but I just wanted to raise awareness: This week a group of us visited Sundown festival on Monday morning to collect leftovers for the homeless. I was expecting a mess but NOTHING prepared me for how bad it was. There must've been over 300 popup 2 man tents abandoned, sleeping bags, duvets (some brand new still sealed in the bag), pillows, self inflating mats, foam sleeping mats not to mention the leftover sealed tins of booze, soft drinks, food, toiletries there was just so much it was overwhelming. Loads of the stuff was brand new still had price tags on, we also got loads of those folding camping chairs and they've all sold already. The whole throwaway society thing on this scale was truly breathtaking, it scares the Hell out of me that one festival generates that much stuff that if it were not for charities would end up in landfill. We all live in N Norfolk so as I drive an Espace I did a run back from the Showground to Holt and back again. The wife has been frantically washing sleeping bags etc whilst the weather is good to get them dry. This is what the place looked like Monday evening, ignore my mad wife showing off the tutu she found. Best find of the day for me was a foot long water pistol in the shape of a willy, got some great laughs with that PMSL!! The saddest bit of the day was the dickheads that thought it was funny setting fire to everything, there was literally aerosols everywhere someone could easily have been killed even though they had private fire service going round putting fires out, apparently last year a security guy got all his eyebrows etc burnt off in an incident involving a fire and aerosol he was very lucky! Also another sad bit was people coming over to us after we'd collected stuff and was packing claiming we'd stolen their stuff because they liked the look of it, then claimed they were in a squat so needed it despite being able to afford to camp all weekend at Sundown hmmmm, security were great and kicked them out in the end. We've been invited back next year and to Reload as well apparently so plan is next year to scrounge up storage from somewhere and hopefully free LWB van hire for the day too. Hoping the EDP will pick up the story so fingers crossed you might see it in there soon. Although i'm too ill and unreliable to hold down a regular job being able to give back when I can is a wonderful experience and i'm really grateful for it even if it has made me really ill for the rest of this week. I guess the idea behind this story is although the throwaway attitude here has benefited some people it'd be better if we thought a bit more about the impact our decisions have on the environment for ourselves, our children and the other creatures that share the Earth with us if that doesn't sound too hippy? Have a great day one and all
I went with my 2 teenage daughters to the 1st Sundown festival (when it was called Norfolk (un)Spectacular). I felt it had a horrible atmosphere full of binner chavs. I even got hit in the face by a flying bottle, despite having a child on my shoulders.
It's a real shame that so few parents seem to be handing down values that many of us took for granted. My parents would have lynched me if I just discarded rubbish on the floor. You see standards eroded everywhere from the tray in the mall restaurant area "someones paid to clear that up". How about you clear up for yourself for once! And the way we all now consume with out consideration of repair. It's systemic though, the governments of the world want us all to be good little consumers and inspite of them telling us we should have new and efficient; boilers, cars and appliances. None are so efficient that actually maintaining and continuing to use the original isn't a better and more sustainable way. I'm guilty of it, (Not the littering, no excuss for such bone idle behaviour) but I upgrade my mobile every two years, some of that is down to lost functionality as things move forward a pace, mostly it is the speed loss as they bombard it with updates and then the battery dwindles to a 5 minute call and two score checks max! I intend to keep the current one sim only till it gives up, but come two years and i bet as it is designed to be it will be almost unuseable. Nought is built to last these days, except a few premium brands like Miele that really are still quality (Well by reputation, buggered if I can spend £800+ for a washer!) Bah!
I've got a Maytag vacuum cleaner that I have had for 14 years - still performs brilliantly #expectittogiveuptheghostattheweekend
I still have the same M&S briefs that I bought 20 years ago . They may not be as white as they were in 1996 but by jingo they still fit me so I hope to get another 20 out of them at least.
Rich, there was a very similar story on the BBC website last week after the Leeds festival - beggars belief as they say in Norfolk!!!
Modern houses are built to last just 50 years, yet there are terraced houses still standing that were built 100 years ago and in some cases even longer than that !
We got a few bits for the new scout Troop were starting up too, very nervous about that! Must admit I enjoyed a few cans of coke I found lol It's so sad everything gets thrown away. I watched a really interesting car sos the other day they showed cold stitching cast iron, you can't weld it as cast iron shatters like glass if you heat it watching the process to stitch a repair in without using any heat was amazing! I kept our washing machine going 14 years went thru 3 sets of carbon brushes and a door hinge (toddler swung on it). I wouldn't know where to start on the new Samsung one but it is totally silent even spinning at 1600rpm.... Wonder how much modern cars get recycled given the amount of resin & fibreglass panels now.... I hate seeing all this wastage almost reduced me to tears it's awful.
I'm a bit of a closet conservationist / wildlife fan and to see bottles (especially non biodegradable plastic ) cans, crisp packets...and those bloody polystyrene or whatever they are burger / kebab boxes discarded randomly breaks my heat on a regular basis. I used to carry a carrier bag with me and pick up what I could reach but talk about fighting a losing battle Full credit to you and yours Rich, especially considering you've not been well for ages. And people (well some of us) wonder why species are becoming rare and even extinct?! I've read about examinations of dead seabirds, gannets, fulmars etc and the crap they have in their digestive tracts like discarded plastic, balloons etc - beggars belief. Sounds stupid but in a way I'm so glad I'm 60 (ish) and not 16 - what the fook will this planet be like when they are my age
P.S Thanks for starting the thread Rich, it's a subject very dear to my heart - as anyone who follows me on twitter will have gathered by now. And we haven't even started on randomly discarded / spat out chewing gum or assholes who can't be bothered to clear up after their dogs yet
I remember your post of a couple of weeks ago of the tower of fish & Chip boxes piled up on waste bins around Cromer seafront. I know people always berate McDonald's for various things, but at least they provide large litter bins outside their outlet near Next in Norwich and a member of staff is responsible for ensuring they don't become full and overflowing!!! Are you listening Galton??????
Well done Rich. It's depressing to see that sort of thing. My nephew and his partner were stewards at Glastonbury this year and they said that was much the same after the festival. My wife and I recycle everything we can and take things we've finished with to charity shops. We also have 4 compost bins on the go all the time so not much food or green waste either.
You might like to know that loads of care bundles have now been handed out to the homeless in Norwich, Lynn & some in London too. Got lucky with the weather so got all the sleeping bags washed & dried. Anything that the homeless can't use we're now selling off cheap to raise funds. I'm just sad we couldn't take even more but I was crying in pain after that Monday collecting all that stuff but I'd still do it again. My wifes friends 17 year old daughter just off her own back gathers up shoeboxes, packs them with toiletries & other essentials & she gives these out to the homeless, asylum seekers etc. I was really blown away how many thoughtful selfless 17 year old are there? We're planning on taking all our scouts down next year & go better equipped & we'll redistribute even more stuff. It amazes me of the people there doing this including me most of us are disabled & yet still doing all we can to help those worse off, yet the fit & healthy happily abandon their stuff like that. I should imagine every festival is like this one else way or another but that's even scarier. As well as doing this these ladies also have a knitting/crocheting group where they all create blankets, hats etc for the premature babies at the N&n my wife is crocheting pretty much all day every day now. Absolutely wonderful these people, they all suffer one way or another but they lovingly make these things for the tiny babies.
Amazing again, Rich, and a big well done to all of you! That must make such a difference to homeless people, especially as winter nears.