Search for source of 'Charlotte's Tears' - Mystery of leak at Archway pub

Published: 13 January 2012
by PETER GRUNER`- ISLINGTON TRIBUNE - ORIGINAL STORY

THEY call it “Charlotte’s tears” after Charlotte Despard, the suffragette imprisoned in Holloway.

It is a mystery leak that sends water running down the wall of an underpass beneath an Archway pub named after the turn-of-last-century agitator.

However, over the years the leak, about a litre every 5 minutes, has amounted to enough water to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool, and Thames Water still can’t find the source.

The Pub says: the water tastes good enough to drink. He has even jokingly thought of bottling it and serving it to customers.

The trouble is there is rather a lot of it. Mr Sparks estimates that at least 90,000 litres of water – enough to fill 420 beer barrels – are being lost each year.

We don't like to see waste, and we have regularly complained about the leak since he took over the Charlotte Despard pub in Archway Road two years ago.

He said: “According to a Thames Water engineer this water may have been leaking for pos­sibly 10 or more years.

Engineers come out with listening devices to try and track the leak but complain they can’t hear anything because of the noise of traffic.

“It’s appalling when you think we are all constantly being implored to conserve water and warned of potential droughts.”

Now, with the help of Lib Dem councillor Arthur Graves, is hoping to call time on the leak.

“This is treated water,” he said. “I know because I can taste the fluoride.

It probably comes from a broken main somewhere or even the reservoir ­further up the hill towards Highgate.

“It shouldn’t be all that difficult to find the source.”

Cllr Graves said that Thames Water should use all its resources to stop the leak.

“We are constantly being told that water is not an infinite resource,” he added.

“And here we have gallons wasting away, probably for years.

“They must have the technology to find the source.

The engineers should also contact Transport for London, who are responsible for the underpass.”

ANYONE ELSE NOT HAPPY WITH THIS WASTE ? - TFL yesterday blamed 2 things:
1. The Olympics
2. No Budget

I must say all the buses are looking clean and washed !!!

Nine in Ten TFL CCTV cameras fail to solve a single crime

Londoners are among the most surveyed people anywhere in the world, captured by cameras in nearly every aspect of their daily lives. Some reports have estimated that Britain is home to as many as 20% of the world’s total CCTV cameras. In November 2011 Transport for London announced it was looking to spend between £20m and £60m on its CCTV capability.

Research published today by Big Brother Watch casts serious doubt on whether that investment will do anything to reduce crime or improve public safety.Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information act show how:

• TFL operates at least 82,826 CCTV cameras

• In the last twelve months, 6,972 police requests for footage were granted by TFL

• Accordingly, footage from 91.6% of cameras was not used by the police

This is hardly surprising, given it reflects previous academic studies into the use of CCTV. Indeed, the Metropolitan Police’s own research found how fewer than one crime was solved by every 1,000 cameras in the capital. Yet the British fondness for CCTV shows no sign of waning, despite a lack of any credible evidence existing that CCTV either deters or prevents crime.

The significant resources being spent on surveillance are diverting money away from policing methods that could prevent crime and protect the public. CCTV is not a substitute for policing.

Britian is unique in the widespread and relentless use of CCTV across every aspect of our lives. It continues to represent a disproportionate intrusion into the privacy of law abiding people, without delivering a corresponding improvement in public safety.

You can download the report here.

on an extra note.....

Quotes

"We will further regulate CCTV."

The Coalition: Our Programme for government - May 2010

"Our priority needs to be to make these CCTV systems - on which we all very much depend - legal as quickly as possible. This will without doubt raise standards of the capture, quality and security of CCTV images. Once this has been done we can then be confident on the full reliance of CCTV - and thus utilise fully all aspects of this wonderful tool."

CameraWatch - March 2011

"The UK is the most spied upon nation in the world - why doesn't it have the lowest crime rate?"

"Research shows that CCTV simply does not work, so isn't it just a huge waste of money?"

NO CCTV campaign - 2011

Thames Water - standard behaviour

The leaks, the freaks, excuses are weaker,
future is damp and seems to get bleaker,
used to be able to catch it all in a beaker,
but now its run over a full -2 million litres.

The Kitchen will be open soon

Just pop in and check - the bar is open every day.

The next Charlotte Despard quiz will be...

We've decided the theme for next weeks quizzeroonie.......
It is all going to be built around the AMAZING...are you ready for it?....

Mr Potato Head !!

No plastic potatoes here though... you need to be thinking, faces, games, marketing and art
looks like we'll have to dig into the cupboard of doom and find the box of dreams .. again!
hopefully see you all for Tuesday QUIZ NIGHT - right here at The Charlotte Despard 

LIZ + SOUL + EASTER = Messy?

You know the drill....

We book Liz -
Then everybody comes here and dances !

SIMPLES !!

see you later for an Easter Soul Shakedown