Editor’s Pick of the Week: Sewage and public toilets put dirty news top of the agenda

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You know pollution is bad when a plastic duck race has to be cancelled.

Boroughbridge’s traditional bank holiday fun on the River Tutt was axed this week due to the presence of raw sewage in the river. Perhaps it should be renamed the River Turd.

It proved to be the first of several pollution stories this week.

We revealed Ripon City Council’s agenda for its next meeting on Monday includes a motion calling on Yorkshire Water to ‘cease the practice of discharging sewage into our local rivers’ — a move that could lead to raw waste flooding homes and streets if implemented at once.

Sewage discharges in local rivers increased this week due to the wet weather.

We investigated and discovered sewage had been pumped into local waterways at eight places, including Harrogate, Ripon, Pateley Bridge and Boroughbridge, for at least one hour on Thursday. The faeces flowed for almost 13 hours non-stop in one lucky village.

The stool vibe continued when I found myself standing in the rain on Thursday morning trying to locate disused and dilapidated public toilets in Harlow Hill, which Harrogate Town Council has suggested could be reopened. Oh, the glamour of local news.

I suspect there’s more chance of a North Yorkshire Council project finishing on time and on budget than these toilets ever being flushed again.

At least I found the toilets, which was more than could be said for my efforts to locate the charred remains of the cricket pavilion in Studley Royal deer park after we were alerted to it burning down. Having walked and run through the deer park many times, it remains a mystery how I missed it.

Elvis, who famously died on the toilet, is coming to Harrogate next month. Rob Kingsley will be practising his pelvic thrusts for his appearance as the king in A Vision of Elvis at the Royal Hall. Curiously, the booking was made by the great-granddaughter of Samson Fox, whose philanthropy led to the Royal Hall being built.

Before then, music lovers can dance themselves silly at the Love to Be festival on the Stray tonight (September 5).

It’s one of two major events happening today — the Tour of Britain men’s cycle race will head through Boroughbridge, Ripon and Pateley Bridge. 

After the events of the last seven days, let's hope for some good clean fun.