Letter from P Grist (From Swindon Advertiser)

Letter from P Grist

11:20am Wednesday 21st April 2010 in

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NOW that the wraps have been removed from that monstrous waste of metal and money known as the water feature in Canal Walk we can now see it for what it is. The Tory council have foisted this object on to us as a piece of progressive modern sculpture.

The implication is that if we, the population, don’t accept it then like the tale of the Emperor’s new clothes, we are ignorant cultural philistines when the civic dignitaries turn up as undoubtedly just prior to the elections they will. How many will be aware of what a French farce they are participating in? I would like to know, will the water being pumped through it be running 24 hours a day or be turned off at night?

Every intelligent person who goes into the town centre knows that this will become Swindon’s central ‘clochmerle’ with no CCTV cameras to record the fun and games around it when the night-time drinkers come out of the pubs nearby. There is a similar feature in Bristol but I think that there they have got more civic pride and better policing. How long shall we place bets for before this thing is shut down and goes the way of other water features the powers that be who order street furniture are not the ones who care to spend their leisure hours in the so-called cafe culture part of the town to see the consequences of their half-baked decisions.

P GRIST Manchester Road Swindon