Musings from the Merse
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Turds and Whey?
I m indebted to Gary McMurray for this image of the sign at the outer edge of the Rock Seawater Swimming Pool in Newcastle County Down. Huttonian spent his formative years swimming up and down its 25 metres length-something to do when it was too wet to play golf
The vast depths of up to two metres did not really bother me but I did prefer the shallower bit where you could pop down the occasional toe for a bit of security.
The outdoor pool has been under threat for some time as the HighHeidyins in the local council don't really like such an old fashioned 'facility' cluttering up their upkeep portfolio-after all t here is a newer heated wave machine enabled state of the art pool just up town a bit, When it was closed a few years back there was such an uproar from the hard core of cold blooded salt water swimming enthusiasts that money was found to repair its crumbling infrastructure and reopen it for the hot season July and August
But now a new threat. The seawater at Newcastle is deemed to contain faecal coliforms (aka small floating turds?) and it is now in the 'poor water quality' . This is thanks to our inefficient sewerage treatment plant which spews its 'unsatisfactory effluent' into Dundrum Bay. So no Blue Flag status for the beach-and as sea water regularly enters the pool during high tides and strong winds, the pool is deemed unsafe as well. So until the Bay is declared turd free the pool will be 'temporally closed' 'Permenantly, I suspect if Down Borough Council has its way.
What a great start to the Tourist season
The vast depths of up to two metres did not really bother me but I did prefer the shallower bit where you could pop down the occasional toe for a bit of security.
The outdoor pool has been under threat for some time as the HighHeidyins in the local council don't really like such an old fashioned 'facility' cluttering up their upkeep portfolio-after all t here is a newer heated wave machine enabled state of the art pool just up town a bit, When it was closed a few years back there was such an uproar from the hard core of cold blooded salt water swimming enthusiasts that money was found to repair its crumbling infrastructure and reopen it for the hot season July and August
But now a new threat. The seawater at Newcastle is deemed to contain faecal coliforms (aka small floating turds?) and it is now in the 'poor water quality' . This is thanks to our inefficient sewerage treatment plant which spews its 'unsatisfactory effluent' into Dundrum Bay. So no Blue Flag status for the beach-and as sea water regularly enters the pool during high tides and strong winds, the pool is deemed unsafe as well. So until the Bay is declared turd free the pool will be 'temporally closed' 'Permenantly, I suspect if Down Borough Council has its way.
What a great start to the Tourist season
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