Be Nice To A Seagull Today

During my life I have lived in many places that have a thriving seagull population. I like seagulls and I think they add a liveliness to seaside towns that otherwise could be quite dull. Their ability to pinch chips, raid dustbins and give a raucous orchestral cacophony is quite touching. But it's not everyone who appreciates the gulls' talents. It has been known for locals and excursionists to be disgruntled by their habits, but eating el fresco can have its disadvantages as Beaky and his mates are quite partial to chips and fish, ice cream and pies and are capable of taking such edibles when one is not looking. So seagulls do get a bad press, with some councils in East Coast fishing villages calling for culling as well as putting up signs. One of which read 'SEAGULLS PLEASE DO NOT FEED'. I know the gulls are clever but I am not sure that being conversant with the English language is one of their strengths!

We have many dates in the calendar dedicated to special days, such as No Smoking Day, Walk To Work Day, Be Nice To A Person On A Mobility Scooter Day, so why not have a day when people in seaside towns are nice to seagulls. To that end, I have drawn this reminder that we should be nice to seagulls what ever day it is.  This original illustration is available to purchase in my ARTFINDER shop.

 

 

Southwold - Some History About Bins.

Bins and Southwold go back a along way, probably as far as the late Victorians who were conscious of rubbish and public health issues. Before this time bins may not have existed as they are not mentioned in early Charters or the Domesday Book. During 1086 when  Big Bills Commissioners were compiling the great book they didn't find, or forgot to mention , various items , such as; The Pier, The lighthouse or the various Fish and Chip shops and Coffee Emporia. But old St Edmund and his monkly followers did hold Southwold as a manor which supplied the monks with various comestibles and 25000 herrings per year. So I assume from that many of these herring would be cured in some form and other fish that were caught could well have been used by the locals to enhance there income, selling the fish battered but with out the deep fried potato products as the common spud hadn't been invented yet.

Seagulls are not mentioned in the Domesday entry for Southwold which is perhaps why bins are not mentioned ; as gull proof bins would not be required. The animals listed are 30 sheep, 3 pigs, 4 cattle and a neddy which probably did not require bins for foraging. Also at this time the local rabbit population are lying low as they are not mentioned in Domesday either. But I can imagine they were there quietly digging away under the hill and in the woods and thinking about how they could cause angst amongst the population to come.

Southwold - Starving Seagulls Force Council To Buy New Bins.

For those who are unaware of the location of Southwold, it is on the Suffolk coast, between Lowestoft to the north, Sizewell and its nuclear power station to the south and lots of swamp to the west. Oh! and the North Sea to the east. It has a raised elevation giving great views and at very high tides the town becomes an island which probably suits the residents as visitors can be a bit of a nuisance.

But recently it has come to my notice that tourists and other rough excursionists are not the only problematic visitors to Southwold. The seagulls who also like to visit and are a part of the seaside landscape have been troubling the towns overseers, by redistributing the rubbish from the bins and dropping it untidily onto the prom, leaving fish skins, deep fried potato products and other unspeakable nasty's draped over cars, hedges and flower beds, also a sausage in batter was found floating in the vintage boating lake. All of this has produced an action plan by the towns overseers to purchase ten new bins which are designed to stop old beaky and his mates from getting at the rubbish.

The new bins will no doubt put the seagulls scavenging rights into jeopardy and hopefully worthy town dwellers will be moved to start an amenity group on the gulls behalf to protect there eroding right to scavenge. The new bins have been welcomed by the Akela from the local Scout group as their lads are always looking for something that can be used as temporary cricket stumps. Also a spokesperson from the Southwold Dog Walkers Society has welcomed the move as it will give extra stopping places and smells for Fido to investigate.