Chapter 17
‘Londoners are destroying our town and the lake,’ Aria told Belinda as they sat and chatted. The tourist officer had jumped at the chance of a ‘vino with a view’ before she set off for her walk home. As soon as her glass was full, she joined in the chorus of disapproval.
‘You don’t know the half of it. I’ve been doing some research so I feel informed when people come in to ask for advice.
There are other less publicised dangers from overdevelopment than the ones you mentioned.
The environment office has discovered that the combination of stripped-back land and winter rain creates run-off that’s been depleting wildlife.
Our fish are in danger as well as all sorts of smaller organisms. If everyone left the riverbanks and trees untouched, we would have a healthy and thriving lake, but it’s dying as fast as the town.
And that’s before you look at the sewage that finds its way in.
And when I say find its way in, I mean it is deliberately pumped into the lake.
Plus, there’s pollution from all the extra boats. ’
‘No! That sounds terrible,’ said Aria, wondering what toxins she’d been swimming in.
‘Dad was always afraid of this happening on a large scale.’ She sipped her wine, remembering the bottle had been paid for by the kind of man who caused these issues.
‘Did you know my father started the Spring into Summer Swim all those years ago as a protest against pollution in the lake?’
‘Eddie Wilson will be sorely missed in this town,’ Belinda said, lightly placing her hand on Aria’s elbow.
‘I’m beginning to see that,’ said Aria, touched. ‘If the lake is deemed clean enough for this year’s swim, I might do it once more in his memory. I’m pretty unfit but I can feel myself getting stronger all the time in the water.’
Belinda glanced back through the open door of the hut. ‘This is a lovely bolt-hole.’
Aria snorted. ‘If you ignore the damp, the smell, the spores, the slugs, the decrepit furnishings…’
‘Surface issues,’ Belinda insisted. ‘It has character, and the surroundings are idyllic. I’d come every day, if it was mine.’
Aria quickly changed the subject. ‘Right, I’m going to try and get some publicity for these issues.
It’s not just our environment that’s suffering – I know the Central Lakes have had loads of problems with sewage.
We need to raise awareness that businesses are wilfully destroying our environment.
Otherwise, the town will end up having to cancel events like the Spring into Summer Swim on environmental health grounds. ’
‘The swim may not happen this year anyway,’ Belinda replied.
‘I’ve heard the Hetheringtons pulled out of funding it at the last minute as they’ve secured a sponsorship deal with the new auction mart.
If someone else doesn’t come forward, then I’ve been reliably informed the town can’t afford to put the event on. ’
Aria drained her glass and poured another in despair. Why the need for companies to get involved? Justin was another privileged alpha male who thought he ruled the world. She was thoroughly sick of them today.