Sewage.
Let's face it - we brought you plenty of that during 2007 and this year will be no exception. Look!
Andrew Bomford writes:
"C.S.O. is not a slick American crime drama, but an altogether more prosaic event, known to those in the water treatment business as a "combined sewer overflow". At least once a week, often after heavy rain, a storm drain will overflow and pour untreated sewage into the Thames. 150 years ago, in 1858, CSO's were continuous events, and the Thames became so putrid it was referred to as "the great stink". Disraeli said the river was like "a Stygian pool reeking with ineffable and unbearable horror." The Victorian solution to the problem - the massive network of London sewers - have been working for the last century and a half, and are now about to see their first major upgrade." The photos show Andrew with Rob Smith, from Thames Water who appears in Andrew's report which you can hear tonight. Oh yes.
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This should be an interesting piece, I think. After all, how often do we think about what happens beneath our feet. Still, nice to see you're keeping the standards of sewage up, Eddie!
Clothes peg at the ready, I await the arrival of five o'clock!
Before it is broadcast, for three points, name the man who designed the Victorian sewerage network.
To add to Chris@3: for bonus points, where is his statue, and where are his cathedrals?
So, we're in the sewers
Eddie, you've finally dragged-us-down to this..!
Well, as we live, so we should learn and Eddie's taking us to a place designed to handle waste material and associated smells, has reminded me (for some reason) of something I was told years ago...
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A wealthy old lady decides to go on a photo safari in Africa, taking her faithful, aged, poodle Cuddles along for the company
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One day the poodle starts chasing butterflies and before long, Cuddles discovers that she's lost
Wandering about, she notices a young leopard heading rapidly in her direction with the intention of having "lunch"
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The old poodle thinks, "Uh, oh! I'm in deep doo-dah now!"
Noticing some bones on the ground close by, she immediately settles down to chew on the bones with her back to the approaching cat. Just as the
leopard is about to leap, the old poodle exclaims loudly, "Boy, that was one delicious leopard! I wonder if there are any more around here?"
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Hearing this, the young leopard halts his attack in mid-strike, a look of terror comes over him and he slinks away into the trees.
"Whew!", says the leopard, "That was close! That old poodle nearly had me!"
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Meanwhile, a monkey who had been watching the whole scene from a nearby tree, figures he can put this knowledge to good use and trade it for protection from the leopard. So, off he goes, but the old poodle sees him heading after the leopard with great speed, and figures that something must be up
The monkey soon catches up with the leopard,
spills-the-beans and strikes a deal for himself with the leopard
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The young leopard is furious at being made a fool of and says, "Here, monkey, hop on my back and see what's going to happen to that conniving canine!"
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Now, the old poodle sees the leopard coming with the monkey on his back and thinks, "What am I going to do now?"
But instead of running, the dog sits down with her back to her attackers, pretending she hasn't seen them yet, and just when they get close enough to hear, the old poodle says: "Where's that damn monkey? I sent him off an hour ago to bring me another leopard!"
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Moral of this story...
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Don't mess with old farts...age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill!
Bullshit and brilliance only come with age and
Experience..!
If I recall correctly, it was Joseph Bazalgette. Which led to the famous comment by someone that his descendant (Peter) was reversing the process and filling Londoners' homes with sewage.
Sid
Well this is going to be fun - but will it be better than The Third Man scenes ?
Liked the story about the Leopard and the Poodle