John J Thompson Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 Public water taps and drinking fountains were once common on our road sides as they are in France and Spain today. Every village had a public tap until the Conservative government of Maggie Thatcher decided to privatise the public water companies. This together with the over zealous Heath and Safety culture in this country has resulted in these taps being removed. Even where taps are available most have had the handle remove so needing a key to operate them. This was brought to my mind again when I passed the water troughs in Edmindbyres in County Durham at the weekend and seeing the three troughs are still on the village green but the place where the tap was is now cemented over. Another fountain I remember is still located on the hill between Rowlands Gill and Burnopfield also in County Durham. As a child I can remember getting a drink from this when out for a walk with my uncle. This to has had its water disconnected. Now it is all money making with bottled water replacing these public sources. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 AFAIK the public taps in our village where provided for those houses which had no taps of there own ( I'm told that when I was a toddler the house we lived in had no tap) A few years after the last house was provided with a tap the last public tap was removed. Of cause if you want to get a drink you can go to the churchyard which still provides water from an outside tap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 Public drinking fountains would have been provided by local councils wouldn't they? As with the horse troughs. Many of them were a continuously running water when I was a lad so they were probably stopped to avoid waste of water - or because the water sources were springs and so the water was potentially unsafe. We don;t have horse-drawn transport either. Press-button drinking fountains connected to the mains are still provided in some places in UK but not many, perhaps because our climate isn't quite so thirst-generating as Florida but also because of vandalism of the equipment. Local councils don't sell bottled water so only insode places like theme parks would there be any scope for profit from the denial of free water fountains and they are the places within which drinking fountains are still supplied. I don't think your conspiracy argument stands up at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford60 Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 wasn't the last great Cholera epidemic traced to a public pump in london. hardly a minor health and safety issue. i don't think i would trust a public water fountain any more as we seem to have more people in society today who do not appreciate or respect these facilities. hence, where have all the public toilets gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 clifford60 - 2014-08-12 10:27 AM wasn't the last great Cholera epidemic traced to a public pump in london. hardly a minor health and safety issue. i don't think i would trust a public water fountain any more as we seem to have more people in society today who do not appreciate or respect these facilities. hence, where have all the public toilets gone. It seems folk trust "public" taps when they want to fill up their MHs... ;-) ...I agree that the closing and selling off of public loos, is a far bigger issue.. :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly58 Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 In the late 1950s our regular train spotting haunt was Peterborough Station , there was a drinking fountain on platform 3 with a metal mug chained to the tap to which we and others were able to get a free drink of water and we all survived . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin9591 Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 Posted in wrong area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 Hi Colin.. Presumably your post was really meant for the "Millers Filed..." thread, on which Keswick Rugby Club, is mentioned..? https://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Millers-field-Ambleside/35704/ I can't say that I'm surprised at or disagree with, their response...and I wouldn't be surprised if they now look into locking or moving the tap I question... (..for continuity and clarity, it may be worth reposting it over in the "Millers Field..." thread?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin9591 Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 pepe63 - 2014-08-12 1:55 PM Hi Colin.. Presumably your post was really meant for the "Millers Filed..." thread, on which Keswick Rugby Club, is mentioned..? https://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Millers-field-Ambleside/35704/ I can't say that I'm surprised at or disagree with, their response...and I wouldn't be surprised if they now look into locking or moving the tap I question... (..for continuity and clarity, it may be worth reposting it over in the "Millers Field..." thread?) Yes, you are quite correct. This is my mistake. I'll correct it immediately, please accept my apology. Colin PS: We use the tap for "official" organised events, so moving it would impact on our events.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 Certainly no need for you to apologise, Colin... It is quite easy to get threads a bit mixed up on here, as they do tend to "overlap" and/or become a bit "samey"... ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 pepe63 - 2014-08-12 2:05 PM Certainly no need for you to apologise, Colin... It is quite easy to get threads a bit mixed up on here, as they do tend to "overlap" and/or become a bit "samey"... ;-) Public water Taps, Yes, I'm all for them. the more the merrier. Don't go lifting manhole covers though ! or emptying your cassettes where you shouldn't, then we can ALL carry on our pleasures without 'THE LAWMAKERS' pestering us. happy motorhoming.! ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 It seems folk trust "public" taps when they want to fill up their MHs... ;-) ...I agree that the closing and selling off of public loos, is a far bigger issue.. :-S I trust public water taps, as I have a 'Nature-Pure' system and tap. Saves buying very expensive bottled water. Here in Wales we have Plenty of 'the wet stuff', it goes against the grain to buy it in bottles, sounds like a 'Scam' to me. Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lochburn Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 A bit rich to blame Margaret Thatcher for this.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muswell Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Lochburn - 2014-08-14 2:25 PM A bit rich to blame Margaret Thatcher for this.. Some people blame her, or the EU, for everything they don't like :-D . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lochburn Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 That's for sure.. Ignorant people if you ask me... :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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