Collapsed! collapsed! it has been standing for nearly three hundred years!!!
Duty bound a sweet lady trundled out to"inspect" my risk assessment plans for the day and even she scoffed at the caller, surmising that they were either a crank or someone that was harbouring some sort of grudge.
I do detest people like these. Every community has them. The character who is the spokesman for the host of complaints that never actually exist or the nameless phone caller who "just thought you would like to know!"...and all in the spirit of health and safety!
So this year everything has been sorted. This morning at 6.45 (Chris woke me up as he went to work) I downed that first lovely cup of coffee of the day as , I drafted out the risk assessment for this years' allotment open.
It was easy enough to do, gawd I remember completing dozens and dozens of the bloody things when I was a ward Manager....but in these days of litigation and blame, they are a necessary evil if any "event" needs to be organised.
There has to be signs for "uneven ground", (people may fall over a rabbit hole) "These animals may peck" (Boris with a gob on) "Do not pick the hens up" (Fear of E coli).......perhaps I should invest in some very large plastic hamster balls, so that visitors can be safely installed inside and can roll themselves around the field without fear of actually coming into contact with anything vaguely dangerous
I heard through the grapevine that when there was the odd hen in the Churchyard someone indicated that there was a potential risk of someone falling over them! To them and people like them all I have to say is "get a life" Mind you, I guess in these days of courtroom payback, laughing in the faces of stupid small minded jobsworths would probably get you saddled with a lawsuit!
tee hee
Jo, the grey gosling has a deformed wing. I recall that when he hatched he dried out very quickly when struggling from his egg and he came out with his wing fixed firmly to his head by dried rock hard mucus. I managed to separate wing from head using some cooled kettle water and some cotton wool but even then the part of lower lobe of the wing looked bent. This part of his wing has no feather growing on it and sticks out comically from his side, but the little chap is not bothered by all this so I will leave well alone and let nature heal it if possible
(above this mornings shot of the goslings watching a tractor passing the cottage)
I like your idea of the giant hampster balls. ha! Wouldn't that be a sight?
ReplyDeleteDid you name Jo after me? Jo is, afterall, my middle name!
Sigh, some people are such busybodies. Their sole purpose in life seems to be to drain the fun out of everything.
ReplyDeleteJo is a lucky goose to be with you. They are both still as adorable as ever.
Don't they just piss you off. What a palava. How on earth did we all manage without H&S?.....We looked where we were bloody walking & used common sense. Let them sod off back to the towns & break there necks on the pavements. xxx
ReplyDeleteLOL John as I was reading your post this morning I had visions of all these people rolling around your allotment inside those plastic balls...what a sight!! Some people just like to stir up trouble...they can only see 'bad' in everything. Sounds as though you've got it covered with your signs though...too bad you had to bother with it. Your Jo may look like our Percy with that wing sticking out. It doesn't slow our fellow down....just looks strange. They've sure grown...almost before your eyes they seem to change don't they. Enjoy then while you can because in just a few weeks they'll be all grown up. Have a great Monday.....:)
ReplyDeleteWe,well not us personally but society as a whole, have just about killed common sense and personal responsibility in our lawsuit happy world."I claimed a 10 foot wall into the bear cave and got mauled now I am suing the zoo" Natural selection if you ask me,lol!
ReplyDeleteSourgrapes usually on those people's part.
ReplyDeleteWell that and I agree lawsuit looking numbskulls, honestly.
Hope your grey goslings wing will heal up. I am sure it is a happy little gosling either way, after all its "mom" has taken wonderful care of it :O). Life it good!
I am laughing at this expression of yours: "Boris with a gob on"
ReplyDeleteThe Health and Safety industry in Britain is way overboard if you as me....
Gill in Canada
P.S. I think you should bring up the hamster ball idea!
Great idea with the giant hamster balls. :)
ReplyDeleteSome people are just naturally unhappy and miserable and think that they know what is best and are above everyone else. They seriously need to concentrate on their own lives. Sadly though, people like that are everywhere. Ugh! Such a society we live in nowadays.
And one more thing, if someone trips over a chicken, then they shouldn't be allowed to walk by themselves if they are that ignorant as to watch where they are walking. Geeez!!!!!!!!
Here is an idea for a sign right at the gate: "Enter at your own risk - common sense MAY rub off on you!"
ReplyDeleteWish that I could see your allotment in person, although there were some big ol' scary looking turkeys lurking in the background of one of your videos! Ahem, what can I say, I'm from the city.;)
sure you can always copy a photo of mine. I've been out of town and having a busy summer, mostly enjoying summer after such a rough winter.
ReplyDeleteSeems "somebody" always has to throw a wet blanket on things.
ReplyDeleteYou'll get it all together and it will be great, don't worry about it.
Winnie & Jo are sure getting big!
GOOD GRIEF
ReplyDeleteNo wonder peeps in cities live like cockroaches. They don't think for themselves, pre-plan, or take personal responsibility. I am so happy to be safely ensconced in my dirty world of farming for self. You have far more patience than I would in the same situation.
Tips a chicken feather in your direction! LOL
I can't believe how big the goslings are! I do remember from when I had two that they are just as fun and personable even when they're adults.
ReplyDeleteI once had someone call the police and report me for driving my husband's truck to work (3 blocks ~ I should have walked!) because it had farm license plates on it and I didn't live or work on a farm. My husband owed a farm in another town. Who would even NOTICE such a thing?
Even the police officer laughed and thought it was pathetic.
Had over two decades working in health and safety, like yourself doing countless risk assessments, Safe Work Method Statements, etc, etc. Only real thing that came out of it were the reams of paper it generated. Occassionally I got some interesting stuff - like the Old Mill Risk Assessment and assisted managers developing their own risk assessments for public days - like the "Riverside Park Fun and Fare Day" - but as you said, I suspect some crank just had a grudge and maybe you are too successful for their tolerance levels.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work and I am extremely jealous of your marvelous achievements!
Hamster ball burkas... that should cover all the bases. Then people would be safe, couldn't do anything and no one would know who they were. That should make the H&S happy. Silly people! Maybe the "Big Society" should cut back the H&S?
ReplyDeletecallie
ReplyDeletethe french have already banned the hamster burka!!
callie
ReplyDeletethe french have already banned the hamster burka!!
I can't believe that person who called on you last time...
ReplyDeleteI mean, if I go tour a garden and a barn yard, of course I expect there will be holes dug by the animals and of course, plenty of poo and a bird or two who might want to peck my curious fingers...