A constant
problem with all historic sites is controlling small acts of vandalism. These
aren’t a symptom of the modern age. Graffiti goes back a long way, certainly to
the roman era and probably beyond. Even artistic giants slipped into bad habits
viz. Byron scratching his name on the marble ruins of the Greek Temple of
Posiedon at Sounion.
The BBC
reports that Greenfield Valley Heritage Park in Flintshire is having trouble at
mill, the old Greenfield Mill, that is (1). The problem is that the place is
succumbing to nature. Nature in North Wales can be quite fierce. The press of
tourists is hastening the damage and this in turn can be dangerous for the
tourists.
What is
required is a fence. But fences are confrontational and an eyesore. To say the
least they represent a challenge, especially to any red-blooded potential
vandal. So the Greenfield Valley Trust has found themselves deep in a quandary.
Not to
worry Kenya already has the solution. Several months ago, I posted on the
problem of Kenyan farmers who were getting their crops trampled and vandalized by
heavy footed elephants gallivanting all over their property. The ecofriendly
solution was to hang bee hives around the farm land. Beehives make elephants
behave. They don’t like the buzzy little things
Now the
Welsh Beekeepers’ Association has come to the rescue. The Welsh vandals, it
seems, are rather like African elephants. A few beehives around, and the vandals behave
and keep off the sensitive bits. If they don’t, their sensitive bits will be in
trouble, not say inflamed.
The bonus,
of course, is honey for the scones with tea in the teashop – win-win.
