06/05/2015 00:00
TW
0

Water quality
Dear Sir,
I read with interest the waste collection in the water off the popular beaches around the Island. As a regular visitor to Camp de Mar for the last 30 years the problem is the bugs in the water.
I have had severe ear infections several times due to bugs in the sea at Camp de Mar which necessitated a doctor’s visit I have never understood how that particular beach ever warranted a blue flag I understand the sewerage treatment has been upgraded but almost every afternoon floating macerated plastic and other waste is blown into the bay which means it must be piped out into the sea after treatment and the onshore wind in the afternoon blows it ashore and as there is little tidal scour there it stays till the morning when the offshore wind blows it out to sea again.
 When I swim now I will not put my head under water !
A W Wilson

Dear Sir,
As the Bulletin was not sufficiently concerned to publish an account of the Splash-in last Friday, may I have that privilege: It was an out of the ordinary event that attracted a large number of spectators coming from all over the Island and the first thing to point out is that there were just two field toilets on site with presumably no washing facilities. I understand that the islands have nine fire fighting planes of which two were on display - where were the rest? Those two huge flying boats were of great interest but there were no display boards to explain all the details about them. In the hangar, there was a screen roughly six feet by four showing one of these boats in flight but not a seat to sit and not a seat on the site on which the elderly could rest on a hot day.
The visiting aircraft were a delight to see and it was good to see the owners of the flying boats allowing children to sit in the cockpit for their photographs to be taken. That also applied to the fire engines present. Well done
At noon, everyone left to take places on the waterfront for the expected fly past by the ten visiting aircraft to be followed by an air festival involving acrobatic flight groups, according to the info I  took off the Internet.
For ages nothing happened at all and then came the anti-climax: One of the two firefighting flying boats appeared and did a few passes and then a helicopter came and did the same - something one can see any day of the week. That was it - show over, can you believe.
There is another aspect about this abysmal performance worthy of mention. There was a great opportunity to rent out stalls selling ice cream, refreshments, souveneirs, models and kits  the proceeds of which would have helped towards defraying the expenses of the event. As it is, I think you Mr. Editor should take some responsibility for failing to point out the waste of public money and the chance to reduce the costs for which the people responsible for this debacle should lose their jobs.
Yours faithfully,
Jack Heaton
Santa Maria