Post haste

Having commented on the appalling state of the market due to its pigeon population, I expected the usual reaction - nothing.

Imagine my surprise at hearing reports that the post featured in my previous comment has been cleaned and the floor around it disinfected.

I'm looking forward to the installation of bird spikes in the very near future.

Play "Dodge The Droppings" at Greenwich Market!

For a long time now, one of Greenwich Market's greatest attractions for visitors and traders alike have been daily games of "Dodge The Droppings".

The market's population of flying rats have always been a wonderful source of entertainment, but that joy is reaching new heights now that the management no longer take any action to reduce their numbers.

The posts that visitors pass on entering the market bear witness to the pigeons' active bowels and the management's neglect.

...and here's a close-up of the top:-

Here are a few facts about feral pigeons:-

• Feral pigeons carry significantly more diseases that are harmful to humans than the brown rat. Over forty diseases can be passed from feral pigeons to humans.
• The best-known infectious disease passed from birds to humans is psittacosis, which has symptoms similar to pneumonia and typhoid fever and is caused by the bacterium Chlamydophila psittaci.
• Feral pigeons have been shown to transmit cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis and bird flu.
• Other examples of potentially infectious diseases transmitted by pigeons are salmonella and tuberculosis.
• Feral pigeons are a source of allergens, which can cause respiratory illnesses like pigeon fancier's lung and allergic skin reactions. It is possible for these illnesses to be spread to people through contact with pigeon droppings, feathers, pigeon parasites, or where dead infected pigeons get into food or water sources.
• Spores from pigeon droppings can be carried on the wind and inhaled as dust, causing a flu-like illness in healthy people and posing serious problems to those with low immunity.
• Droppings not only cause buildings to look unsightly, but can also cause long-term damage.
• The presence of pigeon droppings, particularly when wet, can contribute to pedestrian accidents on pavements. Many stone and cobbled surfaces are particularly badly affected when wet.

Property owners have a duty to act if the roosting of birds is causing a nuisance or health hazard from their droppings. Greenwich council can serve an abatement notice under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 ordering the removal of the mess. Why they haven't done so yet is a bit of a mystery.

I'm sure the council won't turn a blind eye to this forever, so perhaps GSM should ask their lessor to take action as soon as possible.

Thank you Greenwich Hospital

I don't often offer thanks here, but in only a couple of months the scaffolding (see "Market? What market?") is coming down. The core of the holiday season may have been blighted by the unintentional concealment of the market, but the newly patched and painted buildings do look the business.

Could this be taken as a sign that GH is leaning towards the preservation of what we have over the "redevelopment"?

The signs they are a-changing

Firstly, I apologise to followers of my "Signs" posts, who must have thought I'd lost interest in the topic .

Secondly, I really must apologise to GSM for not recognising their outstanding effort in erecting new banners.

It's just such a pity that they're crap. For a visitor to get the full message they must walk the length of the centre aisle, eyes up, reading every sign. What dingbat came up with that idea? A visitor, who had walked from one end of the market to the other, was heard to say "What a pity they don't have any signs to tell us when it's open".

I know it's a dreadful challenge to appreciate the obvious way to do things, but previous management saw the light and I duplicated their solution on this very blog. Something like this:

at each entrance would do a much better job.

A load of cobbles

Has anyone noticed how badly the cobbles are deterioating these days? The mortar between the stones has eroded so badly that there are holes an inch deep between them.

A young woman was seen extracting the heel of her broken shoe from the cobbles on Saturday. It's only a matter of time before the cobbles' condition results in a broken bone.

There are now so many damaged areas that an injury is inevitable. Whoever is responsible for maintenance can expect to be sued before too long. No doubt GSM will be the first to pass the buck, but they really should chase up the repairs as a matter of urgency.

Hotel de Fumer

And another thing...

If you were a potential investor in the boutique hotel and you came to see the site, just how put off would you be by the pall of greasy smoke generated by the market?

For the Hospital's sake, I hope they only come to visit on the three days when the market's shut.