Beach Buddies will be holding a special event - the first evening session of the year - at Ballaugh tonight, Wednesday May 7th from 6pm.
Ballaugh has its own "Beach Buddies Big Beach Bin", and it is working fantastically well, and had to be emptied after just 8 days, as it was full to the brim!
However, one idiot decided to use it to dump two televisions (or maybe it's two idiots). But . . . one fatal error was made which is likely to cost this person (or persons) a hefty fine.
The idiots left the serial numbers on both televisions, which means the owners can be traced. Doh!!!! Look out whoever you are - you will be getting a knock on the door from the boys in blue very shortly!
The bin is now padlocked, so no one can dump TVs, or anything of similar size.
Anyway, the good news is that those who walk on the beach at Ballaugh have entered the spirit of what the bins are all about and have taken a bag and filled it with a few items of rubbish.
This idea is taking off big style, but - more to the point - it works!! There are now three of our bins in prominent positions, and each one is working a treat. The one at Glen Wyllin, sponsored by the Isle of Man Society for the Preservation of the Manx Countryside and Environment, is working so well that the sponsors now want to sponsor another one - at Blue Point.
We have one temporarily there at the moment and it, too, was almost full, taking just under two weeks, and the public are clearly getting behind the idea.
The major bonus, of course, is that our beaches are cleaner than ever before - Glen Wyllin was immaculate when we went there a few days ago. Blue Point is also looking very good close to the car park (although there is till plenty of rubbish if you walk 500 yards either way), and Ballaugh, close to the car park, also looks very good, but again there is a lot of rubbish well down the coast. The Ballaugh bin has been sponsored privately, in memory of a family's beloved dog who loved Ballaugh beach, which is a really nice gesture.
And because Ballaugh beach is so lovely, that is why we are going there tomorrow evening. Beach Buddies supplies all the equipment and disposes of the rubbish afterwards, recycling where possible.
For those interested, we may get together for a "Swift Half" afterwards at The Raven in Ballaugh.
• Ballaugh Cronk is easy to find - follow the TT course and at Ballaugh Bridge turn left. Follow the road to Ballaugh Old Church miles) and the turning to the beach is about 100 yards further on, slightly to the left and then it's about 300 yards to the beach.
