Nice Job Sandwell

Does anyone remember my post in January 2012 about the path round Swan Pool?

No?

I'm not surprised.  Wasn't that interesting I suppose.

Well, there's an update.

To save you looking back, there is a path, trodden by a couple of generations of feet, which runs round Swan Pool. In a couple of places this path had become impassable in very wet conditions, but, instead of just fixing those places, Sandwell decided to dig up the whole thing and put on a new surface of grit and stuff.(I hope I am not being too technical)

Of course, the Sandwell Special Path Secretariat caused this work to be started during the (predictable) awful weather of November, 2011, rather than the less predictable rains of Summer months. The result was a much longer job than otherwise might have been the case and a huge amount of muddy mess in the process.

No matter. The job was done, and, at a time, when few people would have seen what a lash up it was.

But.........

Problem.

Someone noticed, early in 2012, on, I think, their first circumnavigation of the Pool, that there was a 10 foot or so stretch of the pristine path which was under water !!!!!

And it was reported that there were other similar soggy places.

What was to be done?

No problem.

The great machine of the Sandwell Special Path Secretariat moved into high gear and by December, 2012, the solution had not only been found, but was being implemented.

Yes, a couple of  vehicles; a trailer; a digger and some other machine (unknown) with  a number of workmen appeared and by the end of January, 2013, the job was done. 

At least I think so, as to-day, Thursday, 31st January, 2013, none of them were there.

Quite what the job was, that was done, I cannot tell you. I haven't been to look. It was all too muddy for me.

But I am told that the nice new (and presumably expensive) path of barely 1 year old has been dug up in 2 or 3 places and 'drainage' pipes laid. One assumes that this is to solve the surface water on the newly laid path. 

Quite why no one didn't just put another foot or so of shale on top of the waterlogged parts is something known only to the Sandwell intelligentsia. But, anyway, it's done - apparently - and the contractors, so carefully selected by Sandwell, have left the area exactly as a visitor to the Sandwell Valley Country Park would expect to find.

Not for nothing did Sandwell post notices with the headline  ' Looking after your countryside.'

Nice job Sandwell.