Dead In The Water
‘BANGLADESHIS swimming to work today in that flooded land must be as worried as the rest of us are about the state of the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain.
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| ‘Anyone see a white Fiat Uno float by?’ |
Over a series of photographs, the Independent shows Bangladeshis buying newspapers and tuning into their radios, eager to hear news of whether the circle of tears will reopen soon.
We have the Times to give us the latest update on the worlds most expensive strip of guttering, and learn that a row is developing among the repair team.
The keepers of the fountain are split on what is to blame for the recent spate of accidents in which three people slipped on the wet granite and ended up in hospital.
A leading ecologist, by the name of Dr Jill Lancaster, says that, given the nutrient-rich water and the sunlight, algae could be the culprit.
There is bound to be algal growth of some sort, says she. Its going to be very, very slippery. Its just a natural risk.
But Theo Moore, a Royal Parks spokesman, says that the problem is not algae because the fountain is given a good scrubbing every Monday.
It doesnt look as though algae was the cause of the slippage, says Moore. It looks like we need to increase the level of grip on the stone surface.
Its a debate that will rage from Kensington to Dhaka, and, for the time being, there is no easy answer…’
Posted: 28th, July 2004 | In: Broadsheets Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
