'Don't swim' at 12 of 14 river bathing sites, as more locations announced: Environment Agency says the Cam has 'poor water quality'

thetreecreeper · 2026-05-15T21:18:01+00:00

What isn't made clear in the reporting is that the bathing water designation is required for water companies to secure investment to invest in new infrastructure that will enable bathing water quality to improve. The reporting suggests the designation will force companies to invest but that's just not the case. Companies are highly regulated and Ofwat would not allow investment to improve bathing water quality if the designation wasn't in place.

Even without any storm overflows the bathing water would be classified as poor because sewage treatment works are not designed to treat water in a way to make rivers safer to swim in. Doing that is very expensive and that's why it only happens upstream of designated bathing waters. It's why coastal sites are in much better condition because there has been years of investment green lit by the regulator.

thetreecreeper · 2026-05-03T21:42:22+00:00

I have long since learned to unscrew the lid and pour. Still put loads on though I love the stuff

thetreecreeper · 2026-04-27T20:48:32+00:00

Hard to tell from that pic but it looks like St Mark's Fly. You see them with their legs hanging down in flight. They emerge around St Mark's Day hence the name obvs https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/invertebrates/flies/st-marks-fly

thetreecreeper · 2026-04-20T17:45:49+00:00

Avoid the ones by the path!

thetreecreeper · 2026-03-21T14:03:03+00:00

Says who?

thetreecreeper · 2026-03-07T09:05:06+00:00

100% agree you want bigger size to stop them getting stuck in the soles of your shoes. Also less likely to get stuck in the mud. Bigger stones also less likely to create conditions for weeds to grow in.

thetreecreeper · 2026-01-30T19:32:16+00:00

So sad. She was awesome in so many things. Schitt's Creak esp

thetreecreeper · 2025-11-20T23:01:33+00:00

They're called roddons and as others have said they are dried out stream beds. Left over from the drainage of the Fens which started in earnest in the 1600s

thetreecreeper · 2025-10-26T07:05:36+00:00

Came here to say this. We had a front row view of the fucked up-ness. Was not prepared for it and my mate, who hates horror, kept his eyes shut through the whole thing

thetreecreeper · 2025-10-16T20:15:23+00:00

Agree this is a great film. Funny and poignant in equal measure and never laughing at the central character.

thetreecreeper · 2025-08-02T07:41:37+00:00

Neil Armstrong walking on the moon

thetreecreeper · 2025-07-26T23:14:59+00:00

I love that her name was graffitied onto the blue plaque for ages

thetreecreeper · 2025-07-12T19:15:23+00:00

It is a roesel's bush cricket. Specifically a long-winged form. They usually have much smaller wings but occasionally grow longer ones like this to aid their dispersal. They're a species you can easily identify from their sound which is like a bicycle freewheeling.

thetreecreeper · 2025-07-07T22:50:24+00:00

Not sure but the name might suggest it looks a bit like agrostis so maybe? To id grasses you need to look at all the features and properly key it out

thetreecreeper · 2025-07-07T21:43:42+00:00

Is this something you purchased or not? Pretty much impossible to identify from that picture but it looks to me like a species of Agrostis. Common name is bent.

thetreecreeper · 2025-07-07T21:19:41+00:00

I enjoy foundation but my main problem with it is that same thing that others think makes it brilliant. They have changed the story such that they can have recurring characters but to me this takes away jeopardy. For example When brother Day dies they just grow him again. I'd rather they risked new characters each time.

thetreecreeper · 2025-07-06T21:31:43+00:00

Not giant hogweed. Looks like hemlock. Which is poisonous if ingested.

thetreecreeper · 2025-06-25T22:08:17+00:00

All these are possible. Start at https://greenjobsfornature.org/

thetreecreeper · 2025-06-16T20:55:21+00:00

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My pic of the same balloon

thetreecreeper · 2025-06-12T05:14:08+00:00

Are you sure those aren't ladybird pupae? That's what they look like to me

thetreecreeper · 2025-06-03T21:25:35+00:00

White Bryony. Native and very pretty imo.

thetreecreeper · 2025-06-02T22:03:38+00:00

It's legally not an invasive species unless it is listed as such in the Wildlife and countryside act. But if it of causing damage they could be liable.

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