THE heat, the park and other things

IT is forecast that next week, heat waves will resume with temperatures around 30°.

That is near the start of July and we still have August to come. Many—especially the elderly—find 30°+ temperatures an ordeal to endure, if not an actual health hazard.

NHS advice includes—unsurprisingly—drink lots of water. Hydration.

Haringey Council has this to say about Hot Weather

Their second bullet point notes:

• Look for public water fountains, community venues, or visit a cool space for free drinking water and seating.

All good advice, but harder to follow in Finsbury Park due to the council's own omissions.

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm not sure that Finsbury Park has ever had a public drinking water fountain and not during the 10+ years of the council's Major Events. Their commercial events were claimed to generate £1,200,000 p.a., every penny of which was invested in our park. Believe that if you will; please take a look at it's current state.

The council recommendation to look for … seating is galling in respect of FP:

Between the Park View Cafe and Edible Landscapes, 11 (eleven) park benches are hidden away in the council's nursery. The Events Team won't move them back for public use, because they'd be in way of their Events Season, ie. their corporate customers' gigs.

The council's Head of Parks and Leisure has been strongly opposed to a public drinking water fountain on the grounds of cost and difficulty. One of the council's private objections is also likely to be that two-thirds of such a Haringey-paid for facility, would benefit the residents of two other Boroughs (adjacent).

I don't think this is good enough.

I have been talking with others about this and intend speaking to local councillors with a view to prosecuting the proposal for such a public facility, to completion.

#PublicHealth

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The Cowsills ~ The Rain, The Park & Other Things

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