This beautiful old fountain has provided clean drinking water for the good people of my local small 'town' (village) since it was founded by Alphonse de Poitiers in 1270.
Nowadays the water is no longer drinkable.
A while back, some bright bloody numbskull was building a new home uphill from the fountain, and managed to allow his Septic Tank soakaway to run directly into the spring that provided the water for the fountain.
Was he prosecuted?..... No of course not...... After nearly 750 years, they simply put a sign up saying 'Eau Non Potable' (non drinking water), and that was that.
Ain't life wonderful!
I try to be positive on the first day of our new year so I only admire again the beautiful place that you are livinig in.What a wonderful green place.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the house owner 'knew' some bigwig or was indeed a bigwig himself.....a case of who you know etc.,
ReplyDeleteThat is a shame that the fountain was spoiled and that the municipality does not want to restore it, with or without compensation. Lost history, like you say.
ReplyDeleteThere was a time when I used to spend my winters in England. Every time I returned my first stop was to fill-up a few containers of fresh spring water at this fountain. I'll never forget the year I returned and found it like this. I was shocked!
DeleteThis post reminded me of the drinking fountains that were in every playground of the schools in my youth. I don't suppose they are allowed these days health and safety would rear its ugly head.
ReplyDeleteBriony
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Hard to believe ! What an awful shame. Surely the home owner must have had friends in high places to dodge a bullet on this one. I wonder if it is possible to fix it anyway?
ReplyDeleteI cannot tell you how upset that makes me feel . I suppose it would be wrong to have a public lynching in the town square or something of that nature. Bastard!!
ReplyDeleteI've got over it a bit by now, but at the time a public flogging, then lynching would have been the least punishment!
DeleteGoodness that is awful. Putting compensation, lynchings and other such deserves aside, is it not possible to re-route his sewage and put right the damage? If so he should be made to do it. This has made me so cross !!!
ReplyDeleteI have no idea. I was simply told that the source is polluted, and that's that.
DeleteWhat a shame.
ReplyDeleteThat's a damn shame. He should have been fined heavily.
ReplyDeleteThis is so terrible it almost spoils my day
ReplyDeleteYour local officials should have to answer for this. How could they allow this to happen?
ReplyDeletedont they have robust planning permission over in france cro?
ReplyDeleteEvery time I apply for something they do.... maybe it's not the same for everyone.
DeleteI'm shaking my head, Cro, but then think about the planning laws over there and this just slots into place. I might feel frustrated over our planners now and then but I do think they care marginally more about the environment.
ReplyDeleteBy the way Crafty Cat Corner - they DO still allow drinking fountains in schools. I work in what was termed 'state of the art' when it opened in 2001 and we have lots of them!
I was going to say exactly the same thing as Libby. Friends in high places .....
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