I walked from Springfield Park to Wick Village today, by Walthamstow, Leyton and Hackney Marshes. My favourite place in the world. I saw reeds, bull rushes, cormorants, coots, swans, moorhens and geese. I also saw floating islands of debris, sewage, sanitary towels, condoms and a decomposing rat.
One of the worse places is by the bridge at Millfields. There is a boat there (opposite Princess of Wales Pub) bearing the logos of Canal River Trust and Environment Agency, surrounded by litter and sewage. When asked CRT said they don't think they own the boats by the Princess of Wales, but they're not sure. When asked why boats were idle they said, 'Regarding idle cleaning boats, we don't paint boats over before we sell them, therefore they're often (understandably) mistaken for our boats. Our cleaning boats have been in constant use since the Olympics.'
This is the twenth referred to in CRT's tweet.
Ditch at Walthamstow Marshes - would be interested to know where this pipe leads as the ditches seem much more full of litter and oil than usual. Is this connected to the state of the Lea, or a separate issue? This is within the SSSI nature reserve.
Litter in ditch at Walthamstow Marshes
Towpath by North Millfields
Scummy water by North Millfields
Cormorant and geese at the weir by Lea Bridge Road
This boat by Princess of Wales has the logo of CRT and EA
Scummy water by bridge at South Millfields - right next to the cleaning boat with CRT and EA logo
Scummy water by bridge at South Millfields - right next to the cleaning boat with CRT and EA logo
Sanitary towel in water by South Millfields
Swan and sanitary towel by South Millfields
By South Millfields
Litter caught between boats by South Millfields
Litter caught between boats by South Millfields
Litter caught between boats by South Millfields
Litter caught between boats by South Millfields
Another sanitary towel by Hackney Marshes
Debris and scummy water by boats at Hackney Marshes
Floating island of debris by Daubeney Fields - most of the debris seems to have floated down from Towpath Walk where I filmed it last week
Floating island of debris by Daubeney Fields
By Wick Wods
By Wick Woods - many of the benches in the area are being sawn up.
By Wick Woods
By Wick Woods
Decomposing rat by Wick Village under Eastway Bridge
Condom by Wick Village under Eastway Bridge
Another condom by Wick Village under Eastway Bridge
Litter by Eastway Bridge
But the Environment Agency & Canal and River Trust Logos are on a printed sign attached to the boat so I asume it does belong to them.
ReplyDeleteWould surly be removed for reuse if the boat was sold?