I wandered lonely as a cloud
Parkwards, upon a morning fine,
When all at once I saw a crowd
Of knickers on a washing line –
Beside the stream, between the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze…
Now oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
Those knickers, hanging out to dry,
Upon my inward eye intrude:
And then the thought grows grim and dark –
No camping in York’s premier park!
(apologies to William Wordsworth)
oh dear more negativity for the blog just when we thought you were over it James you bounce back
ReplyDeleteAnonymous6 March 2016 at 20:57 - Remember it was you who chose to use the word negative and this set the scene for the comments that followed.
DeleteIF you see the photos and think they appear negative, then that is exactly what every visitor to our Historic Town would think if they had travelled to York for a family picnic in the park and were confronted with a Chinese Laundry!
There has to be some limitations on this occurring. Doubt Kings Park would permit this to happen.
Observation. The early morning clothes were either hung by a bloke or there's a shortage of pegs! The second batch of washing would make a washing powder advert, all that is missing is the clothes prop!
Anonymous6 March 2016 at 20:57 - Get a grip they are just a few photos.
DeleteWhat's negative about drawing attention to casual visitors abusing the privilege of being able to camp in Avon Park.
ReplyDeleteDon't you have an aesthetic sense? Do you want more discerning visitors to leave York under the impression that our prettiest park doubles on long weekends as a third world shanty town or Chinese laundry?
agree with that person its negative we want visitors to town give it some blood the place is dead
ReplyDeleteSurely we want visitors who spend money on accommodation and meals, not freeloaders who camp for nothing in Avon Park and bring food with them to cook on the barbecue.
DeleteIsn't there a caravan park on Eighth Road up by the racecourse?
Anonymous6 March 2016 at 22:26 - Can't imagine the new CEO allowing this rather distasteful practice to continue after he arrives.
DeleteAh, Snow Drop - that sort of thing doesn't happen in Broome, because it might frighten the camels.
DeleteI don't have a problem with visitors using the area, but please set some clear rules and police them.
DeleteCharge overnighters a fee (24 hour permit) for the privilege to cover the electricity they use.
Something must be done to stop visitors emptying grey water onto the lawn in Avon Park.
If it is good enough for visitors to hang their washing out in Avon Park, is it ok for locals to do the same?
DeleteWe could all take a picnic lunch, hang out our washing to dry while we eat!
Have you visited the caravan park 'up the road' James? Well a friend did to enquire about visiting friends hoping to stay in York, the woman managing the place was "rude, vile, loud ,rough and unwelcoming' (her words) in addition used expletives in front of her 5 year old Grand child! Also a bit of laundry at the park is far less challenging than lumps of horse shit and half chewed chicken bones (a permanent hazard to my dog who I occasionally walk there and who loves a good sharp splintered chicken bone). Then there's the ever present waft of marijuana from the public toilets every now and then ....just in case you too wondered what that 'funny smell ' was! The BBQ's are great if you plan on waiting over and hour for your snag to cook so lets not wax too lyrical about the local park its not quite as poetic as you paint it!
Deleteso one person hangs out their washing and 1000 play by the rules, just get the rangers in with a tel call thats all thats needed here for this bloke
ReplyDeleteThe concerned resident who provided some of the photos also sent them to every councillor and the ranger. The ranger told her that what she was complaining about wasn't an emergency, so no ranger would be sent to deal with the problem.
DeleteIf one person gets away with 'breaking the rules', it won't be long before word gets round and more people start doing it.
Its not the first time and it won't be the last until the shire ask them to pay a small fee and agree in writing to terms and conditions.
DeleteIts bad enough they are allowed in Yorks only real amenable public space without any rules or guidelines which are enforced
mate if your ever been to the caravan park you would know why no one goes there, let them park there we need life in town
Deletemy point was does it matter if one user pushes teh limit simple answer - no it doesn't move on to something of importance for York
DeleteIt is important for York's reputation as a pleasant place to visit. Not everybody likes the spectacle of washing hung out in a public park. I suppose how people react to that sort of thing depends on how and where they were brought up.
DeleteAnonymous6 March 2016 at 23:10 -I suppose you are one of those people who consider it is ok to push the limits with your speed when driving as well.
DeleteSpot the difference.
DeleteIt was not just one lot of washing in Avon Park, there's different clothes on each line with different style of pegging out.
The sun appears to be just up in the first photo and very much later with the second lot of photos.
Someone wanted to set up a Laundromat but the ex CEO knocked it on the head.
DeleteHe knocked everything positive on the head.
Deleteobviously a Simon saint complaint, he didn't care when the bikes held up the traffic out the front of his shop that was worse for the town
ReplyDeleteWrong. So far as I know Simon hasn't lodged a complaint with the ranger or anyone else in authority.
DeleteSimon's 'shop', Saint's Diner, brought a lot of business into the town. It was harassed to extinction by a former CEO and his minions, including certain councillors, because Simon dared to ask questions about how the Shire was spending ratepayers' money. Why that should have made those people so angry, only they can tell and they're not telling.
The Saints employed young locals, purchased their produce from locals and the bikers parked sensibly, until as James said they were harassed until they closed.
DeleteAnonymous6 March 2016 at 23:12 can you provide evidence of when the Bikes held up the traffic? Have you got photos?
I was never held by the customers at Saint's Diner, I think you are clutching at straws.
Anonymous6 March 2016 at 23:12 - I suggest before you make assertions about Simon Saint you check your facts!
DeleteAre you part of the tag team who relentlessly harassed the Saints?
i wouldn't stop at York caravan park for all the money in China, those people are so unfriendly
ReplyDeletesimple answer make the area behind the carriage a caravan park and get Rob Cameron to run it
ReplyDeleteExcellent idea, well worth examining and discussing further.
Deleteour caravan park is too far out of town!
ReplyDeleteYork is sold as a tourist destination - for all type of tourists. There should be overnight areas in town for RV's to use for one night,(maybe a small charge to obtain a one night permit) there should also be a laundromat.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Anonymous 7th March at 00:54 but it should not be at Avon Park and some electricity costs should be recovered. RVs wont mind a small fee
DeleteJust received this in an email:
ReplyDeleteRobyn and Kay Davies have just informed us that The State Administrative Tribunal has finally handed down its’ decision today on the SITA Allawuna Landfill. The SAT has voted YES to accepting the proposal.
What the Yes vote means is that the SAT has overruled the decision by the Community of York, the Shire of York and the Joint Development Assessment Panel who all voted NO to the landfill proposal. Again the wishes of the people who own the area and pay the rates for the surrounding area has been ignored as well as the decision by the governing bodies.
This is not the first time the SAT has overruled decisions with no regard to what a community wants. It shows a blatant disregard to all governing bodies and more importantly to the community of York in overturing their decision. The process of appeal that is available through SAT is extremely unjust to the Australian People and needs to change.
All the information can be found at: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/wa/WASAT/2016/
We stayed at the caravan park not long ago the people that run it are on another planet not in this world and it is not very pleasant, best keep it going ion the river until you get a better caravan park
ReplyDeleteI think its great to see tourists enjoying our town, its a free country and they do no harm why not go and talk to them and make them feel welcome instead of taking aim at them
ReplyDeleteThe Official View
ReplyDeleteI have copied the following message from Ranger John Goward as emailed to the concerned resident who provided some of the photographs displayed above. The resident wishes to remain anonymous.
"Unfortunately this vehicle was gone when I inspected Avon Park today. I agree that this is an unsightly abuse of the privilege. On the whole the RV drivers appear to have been very well behaved during my daily inspections. I try to make it a habit to speak with the RV drivers during the course of my inspections. A majority of them have told me that they have injected money into the local community by having purchased meals, bought groceries and attended at licensed premises. I have received a lot of comments along the lines of “What a lovely town it is.” “What a great service”. They mainly appear to be that group of people termed ‘Grey Nomads’ retired, responsible people that are enjoying their twilight years travelling Australia and really appreciate that we are RV friendly.
Unfortunately in every group of people you always get some that will abuse the system.
I will continue to be vigilant during my patrols to ensure that people do not abuse the fact that York is an RV friendly town."
The individuals responsible for the 'unsightly abuse of privilege' on this occasion were not 'grey nomads'. For religious and/or cultural reasons, it is very unlikely that they would have purchased alcohol or dined in any of our local hostelries.
Perhaps we should embrace the future, and adorn Avon Park with multilingual signs setting out conditions attached to the privilege of camping in York's premier park.
"adorn Avon Park with multilingual signs setting out conditions attached to the privilege of camping in York's premier park"
ReplyDeleteISIS maybe?
Unf***ing believable.
Its the locals park, I used to take my kids to the park when they were young, this is taking the piss out of the locals. Is the ranger taking the piss or what.
No, I'm the one 'taking the piss' as you so poetically put it.
DeleteJohn's comments are those enclosed in quotation marks, ending with the words 'RV friendly town.'
The remaining comments, sardonically expressed, are mine.
But multilingual signs might not be a bad idea. On a recent visit to the town in Essex where I spent my schooldays, I saw such a sign nailed to a tree by a lake where I used to fish. The sign was in English and Polish, the latter now being the second most widely spoken language in the UK. The message was not to eat the fish.
Anonymous8 March 2016 at 01:40 - please read the post more carefully!
DeleteThe rules of conduct do need to be made clear for the minority who abuse the privilege of using the venue.
Looking at the 'dawn' photos of the washing, the Ranger will need to get up very early if he wants to catch the culprits who hang their washing out at night.
Not a good look for locals taking an early morning walk or for those visitors who arrive after dark only to be woken to the sound of flapping sheets on the clothes line!
The Shire has the vehicle registration number, why can't they write a letter to the owner of the vehicle?
If the Ranger can only respond to emergencies after hours, we run the risk of having the same thing happen again before 8-30 am Monday - Friday and all day Saturday, Sunday and public holidays?
Heaven knows what Easter will look like in Avon Park.
Signs are urgently needed.
the ultimate post for the granny state, cant we just be more tolerant I am sure the early morning walkers (all 2 or 3 of them) haven't gone into shock over it
DeleteAnonymous8 March 2016 at 15:18 - No not a granny state - a case of expecting our Town to hold onto some standards and visitors to respect them.
DeleteObviously the person who took the early morning photos WAS an early morning walker. IF they had not been upset, they would not have posted the photos!
Washing strung between trees is not tolerated in public parks elsewhere, why should be lower our standards?
its a granny town with all you fools that just dont understand how tolerance leads to positive outcomes, whingers the lot of you, my vote says leave it alone I love to see the people in our town
DeleteAnonymous 8/3 at 18:34, your foolish and (as usual) insultingly worded comment reflects your habitually lazy ignorance of history and events in the world beyond York. Tolerance is in general a very good thing but has been known to lead to extremely negative outcomes. Right now, misguided 'tolerance' on the part of power elites is having a fearsome effect on the lives of millions of people, especially women, in various countries of Europe.
DeleteThe 'tolerance' you advocate amounts to giving permission to visitors to slum up the town as they see fit. What impact do you think that would have on more refined and discerning visitors - the ones with money who are more likely to stay and eat, for example, in 'decorous accommodation befitting respectable married couples' rather than to grab an overnight freebie down by the river?
It's true that most RV campers are good people who don't abuse the privilege. (I imagine they could be quite resentful of people who do.) But the world is changing, and we're likely to attract more visitors in future who believe that if it isn't obviously prohibited, it's permitted. What's wrong with a multilingual sign that politely and prefaced with a welcome sets out the rules for everyone to follow?
You strike me as a person of limited intellect with little imagination and no sense of humour. Am I right? If so, you really shouldn't risk addressing other people as 'fools'. You might be stretching our tolerance a tad too far.
Anonymous8 March 2016 at 18:34 - IF York is a granny town then guess who is responsible? Ray Hooper and his merry band of acolytes promoted York as a retirement village! Did you ever attend a Shire meeting or lobby Councillors to stop them - probably not.
Deleteget over it mate lets keep this town friendly and welcoming for heavens sake they love our town just because one idiot did something you dont need to brand them all and shut it town, York needs tourists its our lifeblood
ReplyDeletewe dont the signs it appears our ranger is doing a good job lets leave it to him
ReplyDeleteidiot how can you accuse the Ranger he wrote a fair response
ReplyDeleteSuggest residents of York look at 40 years of rubbish face book. It is being in-undated with comments.
ReplyDeletewhat face book and 40 years about?
DeleteThe complete story of the 4 year battle to stop the York Landfill.
DeleteHere is the link:
Stop 40 Years of Perth Rubbish in York - Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/Stop40YearsOfPerthRubbishInYork/
There's currently 350 homes for sale in York spread across all the Estate Agents.
DeleteCan someone tell us what is considered a local in York?
DeleteDoes York have some secret acceptance procedure?
In York, Confused, a local is prima facie somebody whose family settled here at least three generations ago.
DeleteThe expert in such matters is Cr Trevor Randell. You might want to give him a call. He can explain them much better than I can.
Be careful, though - if you upset him, he'll threaten to run you out of town. He means it, too!
yes and he supports the Fishers in their dump at Ashworth Road his speech of love for the Fishers should have meant he stood aside before the vote was cast but he didn't bless Trev's little heart he is a certain sell out to the Fishers
DeleteNo wonder there's 350 homes for sale.
DeleteWhat on earth are these self appointed locals frightened of? It sounds like something from one of those strange controlling religions.
Where did the daughter and son-inlaws come from for those three generations, surely they weren't all from York?
I heard Trevor Randell had suggested some people be run people out of town and that shocked me. Does anyone know what criteria is used to reach such a decision.
Not very welcoming attitude is it.
The under currents here are like one of those religious sects.
DeleteThe comments about running certain people out of town was on Cr. Hooper's face book page. Wish I had known this was how Councillors here behave before I moved here.
Not all councillors behave like that. Cr Randell is a special case.
DeleteFor the present, the 'locals' seem to have lost control of the Council. A slender majority of councillors are 'blow-ins', like you and me.
I think you'll find that nowadays there are more 'blow-ins' in York than 'locals'. Anyway, most of the 'locals' are very nice people. York is a good place to live, and will get better if the 'blow-ins' remember to vote in Council elections.
Just read the 40 years of rubbish site and saw Kay on ABC News last night. Nice to see the media finally making an effort!
DeleteRobyn and Kay Davies deserve recognition by the Shire President and Council for the huge effort they out in.
You Ladies may have lost the fight, but you successfully stalled the project and kept a multi national company at bay for almost four years.
Suggest those travelling on the York/Lakes road fit dash cameras front and back for their own protection. We are about to experience a nightmare on that road beyond anyones imagination.
It seems extremely odd behaviour for Councillors to carry on like that on social media.
DeleteThe news is full of this type of immature behaviour, however, it is generally attributed to school age children not adult men.
I would have expected councillors to act with more decorum here and it is a shame these two have given the wrong impression to new residents.
who would stay at our caravan park its too expensive and unfriendly
ReplyDeletekeep the foreshore open its a great service to the town and the travelers just boost up compliance by the Ranger thats all thats needed here
ReplyDeleteWhat happens when there's no ranger on duty? We've been told that abuse of camping privileges doesn't rank as an emergency, so it won't result in the ranger coming out at weekends. How then can we boost compliance?
Deletewe have to live within our means James the Ranger does his best with the allowance he has we are not New York we are only York
ReplyDeleteYou're right, so I take it you agree that a sign would be better than relying on the ranger whose presence at weekends we can't afford.
Deleteyes why not
ReplyDeleteYes I think we need to be balanced here and assume the majority will follow the rules and a few wont but that's life the consequences are not fatal
DeleteWe do have options in York, White Gum Farm caravan park solves all the problems and has a dump point!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous8 March 2016 at 18:34 - We are fortunate you only have one vote!
ReplyDelete