Thursday 9 September 2021

Nor any drop to drink.


Once upon a time some nice Water Co' people dug lots of trenches, into which they laid big black plastic pipes. They filled in the holes and went away.

Then they came back again, dug more holes, and attached a few cast-iron bits and pieces that sat on the surface. Again they filled in the holes.

The following day they came back again, dug more holes, placed a huge round concrete inspection hole thing in one of them, cemented it in, filled around the new hole, and went away yet again. 


The following day they were back again. They dug up the concrete inspection thingy, dug another hole by its side, put it all back, and filled in again.

Yes, you're right. They were back again the following day to dig up their original hole by the red/white barriers (top of photo), and seemed happy with their work. This was yesterday; Wednesday.

Overnight we had a storm with plenty of thunder, lightning, and rain. The rain has, of course, swept away much of their hole fillings, and the track between Haddock's and Haddock's Paddock has all but disappeared. 

Two men have just arrived this morning. They looked at all the mess, despaired, then threatened to dig another hole in our lawn again, as they did back in July.

I have just phoned a local 'councillor', and with any luck he'll be here this afternoon to see what's going on. I feel as if I'm on Candid Camera.

 

23 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. They've just dug another big hole in our lawn.... this is becoming a joke!

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  2. You do live in France you know. C'set la vie.

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    Replies
    1. Over the years we have come to expect such things, but this is like being in a Jacques Tati film.

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  3. Just had my 'Councillor friend' come to look. He promises that they will replace all the tarmac when they're finished. The only question remains; WHEN WILL THEY FINISH?

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  4. It's never finished until the last tarmac is laid or the fat lady sings - whichever happens last

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    Replies
    1. They're now cutting down all our lovely Rhus trees, so they can search for another 'buried tap'. There is no guarantee that they'll find one.

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  5. By now I would have retired upstairs and put my head under a blanket - always my answer in a crisis - not that it has ever helped.

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    1. We are doing much the same. They've gone for lunch and no sign of any pipes in their latest hole. Looks like they've cut down all our Rhus trees for nothing. But they did find a nice buried wall with some nice stones that we've saved.

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  6. If they were doing this on my property I would want to know what is going on.

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    1. You think I haven't asked them? I'm talking to them all day, but they have no answers other than they're looking for some pipe or other!

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    2. The workers have been told to not talk to anyone about the project. You'll have to speak with higher authorities to get answers. I would think you have the right to know. Wishing you luck.

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  7. I'm sorry for going on about these bloody Water Co people, but they are a bunch of dingbats. I just asked them if they found what they were looking for under all my (now destroyed) Rhus trees. "No" was the answer. No apology, no explanation, no compensation offered. I then asked if they had a 'map' of where all the pipes were. "No" he replied again without any shame. This is a French National Water Co, and they can't find their own bloody pipes. What hope is there for Western Civilisation?

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  8. We had our cast iron pipes changed last year …. They couldn’t find ours !!! They had sophisticated computerised equipment but still couldn’t find our pipes. After a few weeks, a man came round with a water diviner and found them immediately !!!!! I feel your pain ! XXXX

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    Replies
    1. I have to listen to their diggers all day long as they dig more holes and trenches; and all in a small area of about half a tennis court. It makes no sense.

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    2. At least you knew what was going on Jackie.

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  9. Now that youve got the 'councillor' involved you phone him daily and ask for a progress report. In the end , soon one hopes, he gets sick of you phoning and makes sure the job is finished pronto.
    That's the way traditional Greeks get things done, unless they know someone who knows someone.

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    Replies
    1. We had a TORRENTIAL downpour last night, so I cannot imagine what I'm going to find this morning. Trees have been cut down, more holes dug, and all the infill washed away. It gets worse and worse.

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  10. Perhaps they should employ a water diviner and a couple of sticks.

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    Replies
    1. One of them was going around with a metal-detector yesterday. It kept bleeping along the edge of Haddock's, so he became quite excited. Then he realised that it was the wire fencing!!!!

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  11. It does sound like you're on Candid Camera. Or Time Team. They never seem to find anything, either. What a pain!

    Perhaps they've got wind that you're decamping to Brighton for a spell and want to give you a story to be remember them by.

    Glad to hear you survived the storm. There was some flash flooding in the Languedoc!

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