Soap, Scrubbing Brushes and a Pink Car: Cleaning Up Abridge and Theydon Bois
Some jobs are not glamorous, but they need doing. On a Sunday afternoon in mid-February, Cllr Lisa Morgan and Cllr Tom Bromwich rolled up their sleeves, filled a bucket and went to work on some of the grubbiest road signs in the area.
Where We Went
Our tour took in the Passingford Bridge roundabout, London Road in Abridge, and Graylands in Theydon Bois, home to a great friend of the independents. In all, we cleaned about a dozen signs.
The equipment was simple: soap, scrubbing brushes, brooms for the higher signs and plenty of warm water, all transported in Lisa's tiny retro bright pink car. It took the whole afternoon, and the before-and-after photos show why it was worth it. The A113 sign at the junction, pointing to London and Abridge, went from grimy to bright white. The Graylands street sign, previously covered in grime, now does its job again.
We also had lots of supportive beeps from passing cars, which kept spirits up on a grey February afternoon. Thank you to everyone who waved or honked.
Why Clean Signs Matter
A road sign that cannot be read is not much of a road sign. Drivers who do not know the area rely on them, and so do pedestrians, cyclists and delivery drivers. The A113 is a road that has seen quite a few accidents, and clear signage at a junction like this is basic common sense.
The potholes tell the same story. While we were out we reported about a dozen, on Alderwood Drive, Middle Boy, Hoe Lane, Field Close and London Road in Abridge.
One of them, which Lisa measured and sent in with the report, is about 4 inches deep and 3 feet wide. That is not a minor blemish. It is a hazard that can wreck a tyre, buckle a wheel or throw a cyclist off their bike, and it sits on a road that is already in very poor condition.
Years of Neglect
These signs and roads have been neglected for quite a few years. Despite the poor state of the roads, the County Council has not acted on them. Whether it is unable or unwilling to do so, the result is the same: residents are left to drive and walk on roads and past signs that are not up to scratch.
We do not say this to score points. These are simple, practical, common-sense jobs that make life safer for everyone who uses these roads. If we can spend an afternoon with a bucket and a brush, the County Council can surely find the time to fix what we have reported.
That is the difference independents can make. We do not wait to be asked, and we do not wait for permission. We roll up our sleeves, report what we find and keep pushing until the job is done.
How You Can Help
Have you spotted a pothole, a filthy sign or a damaged road in your area? Report it through our Support Hub at efig.uk/support and we will help get it passed on. And if you like what we are doing, please share this post to help us spread the word.