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Performing the deck arts
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| FOLDING UNDER THE PRESSURE: All deckchair users will have to take a half-hour training session before renting the seat |
THEY are symbolic of the traditional British seaside holiday, hired by the hour or the day for the purpose of relaxing and gazing out to sea - ice-creams, cups of tea, sunhats or blankets optional, depending on weather.
But as anyone with
experience of deckchairs knows, there is an art to transforming three rectangles of wood and one of stripy plastic material into a useable seat.
From today Bournemouth and Poole councils are supposed to enforce new European Union health and safety legislation by introducing short courses in how to put up and use deckchairs safely.
Anyone wanting to hire a council deckchair will have to go through a half-hour training session first. At the end of the course, they will be given a certificate, which they will have to show for any future rentals.
The EU wants the new policy to be backed up with patrols and inspections, and recommends £10 on-the-spot fines for anyone who sits on a deckchair without the correct paperwork.
European health and safety expert Professor Pilar Olof, who has spent the last five years researching differing attitudes to legislation within the European tourist industry, said: "There's no doubt Britain is leading the way in enforcing these new EU rules.
"People tend to dismiss a lot of health and safety measures as bureaucracy gone mad, but the fact is dozens of people end up in accident and emergency departments every year because they have tangled with deckchairs. Norway, which is where my father came from, is even thinking of banning deckchairs altogether."
12:01am Tuesday 1st April 2008
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CommentPosted by: muffin the mule, wallisdown on 3:25am Tue 1 Apr 08
alotta rubbisch ummmm !!! good shot - theres a lot of it about
alotta rubbisch ummmm !!! good shot - theres a lot of it about
Posted by: MEA on 5:57am Tue 1 Apr 08
April Fool. Good one! many will beleive it.
April Fool. Good one! many will beleive it.
Posted by: 2Much, New Forest on 6:45am Tue 1 Apr 08
Very good echo...posted at 1 minute past midnight!..
"European health and safety expert Professor Pilar Olof"..anagram by any chance?..lol
Very good echo...posted at 1 minute past midnight!..
"European health and safety expert Professor Pilar Olof"..anagram by any chance?..lol
Posted by: the owl, van 9 bere on 10:45am Tue 1 Apr 08
A lousy out of focus blared picture taken with a budget priced lens , I had a polaroid instant camera in 1960s which was also capable of taking naff shots like the one above. Also while the councillors are waiting for their half-hour training session to begin, get em running to and from Hengistbury Head, looks like they could lose about 5 stones off of each leg (above image).
Its easy to fall flat on your face messing about with deckchores,unless you are 'taking the tobias'of course.
A lousy out of focus blared picture taken with a budget priced lens , I had a polaroid instant camera in 1960s which was also capable of taking naff shots like the one above. Also while the councillors are waiting for their half-hour training session to begin, get em running to and from Hengistbury Head, looks like they could lose about 5 stones off of each leg (above image).
Its easy to fall flat on your face messing about with deckchores,unless you are 'taking the tobias'of course.
Posted by: Sarah, Bournemouth on 11:44am Tue 1 Apr 08
Yes, we've been had again by the clever folk at the Echo. I was just picturing a queue of people waiting for their training session on how to use a deck chair safely - when the penny dropped. I bet Loof Lirpa had something to do with it too!
Yes, we've been had again by the clever folk at the Echo. I was just picturing a queue of people waiting for their training session on how to use a deck chair safely - when the penny dropped. I bet Loof Lirpa had something to do with it too!
Posted by: RM, Poole, Dorset on 1:21pm Tue 1 Apr 08
I actually had logged on to make a comment on this article (a comment that would have contained a lot of %&*$%&&*£$%&s - & the rest) when I read the other comments & realised it was a spoof. Nice one Echo! The sad thing is, that under EU Laws as seen so far & the rapidity with which our govt bows to every EU directive without question, a piece of legislation like this is quite feasible.
I actually had logged on to make a comment on this article (a comment that would have contained a lot of %&*$%&&*£$%&s - & the rest) when I read the other comments & realised it was a spoof. Nice one Echo! The sad thing is, that under EU Laws as seen so far & the rapidity with which our govt bows to every EU directive without question, a piece of legislation like this is quite feasible.
Posted by: Christopher, Wallisdown & Winton West on 5:49pm Tue 1 Apr 08
Good for the seat of power of the town. They can look out to sea because they do not bother looking inland
Good for the seat of power of the town. They can look out to sea because they do not bother looking inland
Posted by: tednphil, bournemouth on 11:13am Wed 2 Apr 08
An excellent April Fool report.
Well done Echo and I don't say that very often.
An excellent April Fool report.
Well done Echo and I don't say that very often.
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