Wardens Patrol to Keep Clean Your Shoe Sole

We're still volunteering far from home and with rare contact with the world wide web or ability to send electronic mail. Were just passing this poste restante and saw a computer through the window!

Just wanted to celebrate - we got a card from a relative back in sunny Bebington which mentioned that eventually, after years of us writing to the Council -  Poo Patrol Wardens have been introduced across the area! We are told that if you use Google to look for the words - wirral poo patrol - then there are details of the plans!

We can't tell you how many public meetings there have been where we have put our hands up to talk about dog umsk! Our public footpaths blighted by inconsiderate mutts (that's the owners you understand)! Our very best wishes to those who will now be patrolling with fixed penalty fine book in one hand, and scoop and paper bag in the other.

Stop These Bin Sins

Really pleased that not only did the Wirral Globe (11 January) see the sense of publishing our response to a previous ill-considered letter, but that another reader supported our stance. Thanks Wirral Globe for giving a voice to those of us who speak out against our wasteful consuming society!

(Sorry for such a long hiatus in posts - been volunteering for a project with limited access to electricity - let alone electronic communications!)

Party Like a Royal - But Recycle Your Tin Foil

It seems that wedding fever has gripped the nation. Hundreds of street parties are about to get underway.

Myself and Lynn aren't entirely disposed towards the idea of royalty and all the extravagance and excess that it promotes. But we do understand that people will be coming together today - getting to know their neighbours and tasting eachothers snacks and nibbles.

We'd just like to urge those residents of Bebington and surrounding areas who are taking to the streets, to take a moment to ensure they clear up properly afterwards. There's nothing worse than having to walk through the remnants of yesterday's street party - half eaten jam tarts, squashed sausage rolls, soggy un-recycled paper plates.

Posters Alert - End This Dog Dirt

We've not given up on our Mentor a Metre/Foster a Foot campaign! Setting a lead for Bebington residents, we've decided to take another stand in not standing for taking the risk of standing in something unpleasant every time we walk through this underpass off Bromborough Road.

Our nephew used his top desk publishing skills to design us a hard hitting warning poster, which we've displayed prominently at various points on this route. We sincerely hope this makes inconsiderate dog owners think twice before letting their charge squat at this spot.

We're not concerned about copyright on our poster - so we'd encourage those of you with access to a personal computer to feel free to copy our design and use the posters in your area.

We'll report back on the success of this in 'our' underpass.

Domestic Bins Reveal Environmental Sins

May we wish happy new year to those of you who will be helping to create a Brighter Bebington in 2011.

We're sorry that our updates to you have slowed down recently. Our nephew who loads things onto the blogger for us has gone off to start an Environmental Science course at Inverness College. He'll still be helping us out when he can tear himself away from his studies!

Can we start the new year by urging residents to make a point of challenging their neighbours about any failure to use their grey recycling bins. During the recent Siberian weather many of our bins went unemptied for weeks and stayed out on the pavement. The opportunity to witness the contents of many of our neighbours bins left us dismayed! Clearly too many people still think it's okay to throw everything into the green bin and further mis-use our Country's limited landfill!

We called at offending neighbours homes and discussed this with them. We got mixed responses, but overall thought it worthwhile. We'd very much urge you to do the same with your neighbours if you witness a similar care-free attitude to rubbish.

Begin the Plunge into Our Challenge

We're overjoyed to see our Mentor a Metre, Foster a Foot Challenge is already taking off! Our thanks too, to this like-minded resident applauded in this letter from the Wirral News.

Come on everyone - pick your patch. Lets get Bebington gleaming!

Mentor a Metre or Foster a Foot

Our previous concerns about the underpass off Bromborough Road beside Lever Bros offices have meant that we've been routing our Imby Patrol past here on a more regular basis. Our growing unease at the deterioration of this little stretch of public footpath seem well founded. Today we've filed a report with the appropriate department to notify them about the severely overgrown bushes and trees which are now causing serious obstruction to access on this thoroughfare. We love the attractive flora which cheers up this area - but it needs oversight and management!

The repeated monitoring visits we've made to this little area of Bebington have led to us deciding to make an Imby Challenge to the residents of Bebington. How about we each 'adopt' a very small area of our fine neighbourhood? We could each take responsibility for (i) litter clearing; (ii) reporting any necessary remedial works or improvements needed to the authorities; (iii) generally taking pride in 'our spot'; then how easy it would be to make sure Bebington shone. It will be easy to do - just pick 'your spot' and get started! We look forward to seeing you out and about and taking pride!

Imby Patrol Update - 13 August: We've just had an electronic mail communication from the relevant Authority Inspection Team. Their Inspection confirms the work required to clear the above obstruction. Instruction has been passed to their contracting cutting team. We'll let you know when this matter is fully resolved.

Pile of Doodie - Left by Dog Owning Hoodie?

We previously reported our concerns about the limited lighting in the little underpass that runs past Lever Bros offices off Bromborough Road.

But recently the state of this key local conduit has gone from bad to worstened. We can't understand how dog owners can have such disregard for others as to leave portions of dog dirt on the path as they walk their dogs around our neighbourhood.

We've logged repeated occurances of do-do left by persons unknown - people who seem incapable of carrying a small biodegradable plastic bag on their person and cleaning up behind their beloved pooch. This particularly nasty example of dog dejecta looked like it might otherwise take a bucket load of the famous Sunlight Soap to clean away!

Please, please dog owners - we need to stamp out this antisocial behaviour, before visiting tourists start to refer to this neck of the woods as 'Poo Sunlight'!

12 July Patrol Update: We took this route on our patrol this morning to review the situation. The quantity of poo-poo appears to have quintupled since we were last here! We will continue to monitor the situation at appropriate intervals and if necessary consider engaging the appropriate authorities or taking steps ourselves.

Plastic on Cans Discarded by Football Fans

No litter's good litter. But some carelessly discarded items present a considerably greater hazard than others. We spotted this piece of plastic used to hold together cans of beer, lager or cider lying seemingly innocently on a path.

If these are not broken up before recycling and instead get loose into our environment like this then they can prove lethal. No only do they present a trip risk for dogs, children or cats. But larger birds can get entangled in them and if they found their way into cycle spokes then the resulting calamity doesn't bear thinking about.

During the current world cup football festival there will unfortunately be hundreds more of these secreting themselves in our waste infrastructure. If like us, you break up any you come across and dispose of them in the usual way then you'll know you're doing your bit for our world cup team.

New Bin Success and Partial Bench Redress

A success and a partial success to report.

The appropriate officials have now fully rectified the problematic bin situation we reported on 3 May. Users of the shops on the Bebington Road strip now have a refreshed rubbish recepticle in which to deposit their litter. Thanks to those concerned for quick action on this.

The obscene graffiti on the bench near the Civic Centre has had a very partial make-over. The offending sentiments have been painted over with suitable colour-matched paint. We assume the Council anti-graffiti squad who we reported this to aren't sent out armed with sufficient tools to sand back the wood which has been mindlessly scratched into. We're pleased the horror has been obscured from a distance. But hope that other trades people will be sent in due course to more fully smarten up this street furniture.

Litter - A Bank Holiday Monday Musing

A mystery akin to how they put a ship in a bottle - why dispose of a bottle in a bush??

We find many strangely discarded items on our Imby patrols, but this bottle caused pause for thought. Why was somebody drinking from such a large bottle in the bus stop? Was it filled with some "intoxicator"?

We would urge our fellow Bebingtonians to help clean up our environment. So next time you see a bottle in a bush, take it home with you and dispose of it properly. With this small action we can all help make Bebington a Brighter place to be. And remember to recycle!

Seating Graffiti Needs Deleting

Obscene graffiti has been scratched into this bench on the green space near the Civic Centre, overlooking The Village. We can only imagine how uncomfortable this must make people feel should they wish to sit there for sandwiches or some other portable snack.

We've hastily reported this horror and hope action will be taken quickly.

Note - the distasteful obscenity in evidence here has been obscured on our photo for the sake of decency.

Sealed Bin - Can't Fit Anything In

Bank Holidays provide the opportunity for us to undertake a thorough Imby Patrol whilst combining this with a more relaxing gentle stroll. We'd encourage our fellow (and fellowess) Bebingtonians to do the same.

Today we passed this bin outside the shops on Bebington Road. No doubt sited there by Council officials to ensure sufficient provision for the shops and take-it-away food outlets on the strip.

As you can imagine, we were dismayed on two counts. Firstly, for some reason the receptacle appears sealed off with plastic. Secondly, this still doesn't seem to have prevented passers-by attempting to shove litter in any way they could.

We've made enquiries to the Council Department about the longer-term future for this bin.

Pot Holes Take Their Toll

A quick survey of cyclists emerging from under the bridge near Port Sunlight Station confirmed our fears about the dangers of the cavernous potholes that now blight this route. This busy junction is treacherous at the best of times for those on two wheels. Being at the mercy of car drivers swerving to avoid the hazards only makes matters worse.

We're hoping that the teams who are currently busy patching our broken roads will give priority to this spot.


Imby Patrol Update on April 12 - we have been told by the Council that our report of this has been logged for inspection by a highways inspector.
Imby Patrol Update on April 18 - we're pleased to report that after the highways inspectors inspection, quick tarmac-ing has taken place. Thanks to the Council on behalf of cycle users.

Lighting Sparse in Underpass

For the second time in a few weeks we've been stumbling in the dark through the little underpass that runs past Lever Bros offices off Bromborough Road. The lights seem regularly out - on this occasion 2 of the 3 failing to illuminate at sundown.

I've issued Lynn with my head torch if she's walking that way at night - in case the 3rd bulb blows! But we hope our notification to the appropriate Deparment will result in swift action.

Imby Patrol Update on April 12 - we have been told by the Council that our report of this has been passed to the lighting engineer to inspect.

We're Back To Work for Bebington

Thanks to all of you who supported our previous hand-delivered newsletter. The final edition was put on the line by our nephew and can be seen at: www.myspace.com/jimandlynnimby

Afraid we've been a bit preoccupied since then - moving house and then getting stuck into the Keep Britain Tidy Campaign. But now our nephew's got us this blog and we're back up and running .....

We'll be keeping you up to date on our latest endeavours towards a brighter bebington.