Saturday, September 27, 2008

Perth's Contrasting Pastimes (for the rich)

Within sight of my house there are two groups of people who enjoy their rich-man's playthings. On many evenings this week, clear skies and gentle winds have seen Virgin hot-air balloons gently rising from the town's inch's and making their graceful, silent progress through the falling sunlight.

Down at the riverbank, the peace is shattered with the roar of petrol engines, and the stop-start sound of propellers dipping into and rising out of the water, between the heavy slap-thud of the vessel crashing back into the waves. Apparently the local bye-laws allow the unrestricted racing and egotistical performing of jet-ski's, at high-speed through the middle of the town. The Tay in Perth, is of course home to huge numbers of fish and their predators (human, animal and bird alike) as well as shy-creatures like otters, who are now rarely spotted on these reaches. Of course the noise of the engines, the excitement of speed and the wash, the foam and the stunts appeals to the children, who love to watch the jetskiers pushing their aquatic stunt-bikes closer and closer to the inevitable accident........
But what would Ratty and Mole have said to Badger, if Mr Toad had disturbed the peace of the riverbank on one of these?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

If Mr Growser (from Toytown) happened to be taking tea with them he would say 'It's disgraceful! It ought not to be allowed!'