Forum Topic

TGT fountain

What a very sorry sight this fountain is, yet again surrounded by ugly plastic barriers - these seem to be the fountain’s constant unattractive companions.  It has never looked like a good example of civic pride for any length of time - and is now slightly wonky and constantly leaking from somewhere within its innards. Is it a doomed project, created with good intent and a lot of spend but poor execution?  Not a great look for Chiswick .. what to do?

Gail Smith ● 2177d43 Comments

A sad metaphor for Chiswick now.Having said that, things will get better I'm sure.I keep telling myself that anyway.

Adrian Irving ● 2177d

Botched jobs and half measures - a sad sign of the times !

Maureen Yakoubi ● 2177d

Thought you were talking about Councillor Curran there?

Basil Finnis ● 2177d

It was officially 'unveiled' on 12th March 2019 at a cost of £14.000 - An embarrassment for all concerned - Cllr. Todd, Heritage of London Trust, Hounslow Council and the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain Association.Please finish the job or remove it.

Jonathan Simpson ● 2177d

I never liked the idea of getting free water from a fountain covered in bird shit

Julian Pavey ● 2177d

WOT!  Kill dem boidies - you'll be dammed and sent to hell for even thinking that and you know who you'll have to answer to here in Chiswick!

Jennifer Selig ● 2177d

Topic: Re:Re:Re:Re:Re::Re:Turnham Green - Fountain  Posted by: James Smith-Jones Date/Time: 15/11/19 22:01:00You all keep telling me I am wrong and being harsh(about our local Cllrs) but will someone please tell what they have achieved in the last year, please. i also work blooming hard, up at 5.30 every morning at my desk at 6.45 until 7 most days very stressful and if I don't deliver results, tada goodbye next, why should it be different for them. As for the fountain I suspect it will be vandalised in no time or shut down by health and safety, a complete waste of money. can you honestly see the Bedford park set drinking out of a dirty fountain!!!!!!

James Smith-Jones ● 2177d

i was told at the time i was being harsh!!!

James Smith-Jones ● 2177d

I passed by yesterday and was unsurprised to see no progress on it's repair. It's just a sad looking eyesore which I suspect will be left as such indefinitely.Is this going to be Chiswick's mini Hammersmith Bridge fiasco? It seems we have become  incapable of efficiency fixing anything from bridges to leisure centre's boilers. Personally I have no love for this type of gloomy Victoriana  and would be happy to see it gone.

Adrian Irving ● 2092d

Yep, replace it with some modern outdoor art, maybe commissioned from a local artist.

Ken Munn ● 2092d

It’s problems started with its location.  It had to be there and could not be moved to a better spot on the piazza.  Then the oh so funny people who thought they would take a souvenir off it and subsequently left it in it’s sorry vandalised  state surrounded by barriers and plastic.  A lovely project was doomed from the start.Keep this monument but relocate it further back in the park where it will be less polluted and better appreciated.John Todd did his best but anyone getting as much flack as he did at every stage, is bound to give up.Now we have to rely on Hounslow Council and they will take the lowest cost option if they do it at all.

Elizabeth Ross ● 2092d

I thought it was shut off at the moment because of Covid. You can’t sterilise it between people drinking from it.

Lucy Chambers ● 2092d

No Lucy, that's not the reason but it does raise the question of how many people will use it post pandemic for fear of contamination. Not many is my guess.When the finial was cock eyed and uncovered I took the opportunity to see how it had been fixed to the main body.The problem is the considerable weight of the finial is top heavy and sits on a narrow base. When it was first made I bet there was a substantial galvanized pipe running up the middle holding it in place.As far as I could see that was replaced by a  flimsy pipe and some mastic looking stuff that was never going to be fit for purpose.

Adrian Irving ● 2092d

"some mastic"That is kind of what i see on closer inspection months ago,some two part solution holding it in placeShrink rap is to stop the finial fulling off i think as it seperated from its join

Julian Pavey ● 2092d

It's in the wrong location.- Should have been away from the pigeon roost further into the common.It's ugly.- In my opinionNobody will use it.- Would you?It wasn't installed correctly.- Vandalism is a poor excuse.- The 'lid' was never fixed securely as has been done at the SOTG fountain.The 'project' has been poorly managed.- 20th April 2019 - Work begins to restore fountainALMOST ONE YEAR LATER- 12th March 2020 - Fountain bought back to Life.ALMOST ONE YEAR LATER- 4th Feb 2021 - Fountain still unusableIt was a waste of £14,000+It's a bloody embarrassment.Solution- Move the eyesore away from the Piazza and stick a few plants in it - Stick another brass plaque on it 'A monument to municipal incompetence'- Install a modern, usable, hygienic water fountain on the other side of the Piazza.

Jonathan Simpson ● 2092d

Other, more enlightened authorities would have provided a water-bottle refill station.

Ken Munn ● 2092d

I was asked to price up for the plumbing works required to reinstate it but declined due to risk assessments of digging up the footpath in such a public place and other measures required by Thames water. I saw the estimates for their works to reinstate the water supply and wasnt surprised why they were seeking alternate pricing :-O In the end I'm glad I didn't get involved as it is in quite a sorry state now and I would have been mightily Peed off if it had been my work.

Chris Johnson ● 2092d

Amen to that Jonathan.

Adrian Irving ● 2092d

You need to get rid of the pigeons before any water idea which means doing under the bridge correctly but no money for that idea. S**t everywhere is no place for an open drinking feature. I certainly would not use it

Julian Pavey ● 2092d

The seagulls on Manley Beach don't seem to have stopped the Aussies putting in water-bottle fountains.

Ken Munn ● 2092d

'Pigeons are the most unhygienic and messy birds and actually carry more diseases than rats. ... They nest on their poo and attract mites. Nearly all pigeons carry the bird mite - a tiny insect that feeds off the bird, but will also makes humans itch and scratch.'Three human diseases, histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis and psittacosis are linked to pigeon droppings. google 'pigeons disease carriers'.

Ben Gemmingen ● 2092d

Did you know, the ordinary feral pigeon can actually distinguish the diff between benign and malignant cancer tumors ..  And may soon be in such huge demand they'll be  elevated to the status of a national treasure...That was on TV's Winterwatch a week or so back..

Stuart Kerr ● 2092d

?Interesting.Perhaps they'd make good covid sniffers.

Ben Gemmingen ● 2092d

I'll ask a PR spokespigeon but I suspect they're all too busy looking for cancer..But you pose a good question.  We know pigeons poo and peck and coo - but do they sniff???

Stuart Kerr ● 2091d

Elon musk is working on pigeons so you can send them into battle rather than humans.

Julian Pavey ● 2091d

It looks like the canines have cornered the market in covid-sniffing!https://news.sky.com/video/covid-19-dogs-sniff-out-coronavirus-samples-with-94-accuracy-12207926

Bruce Hammal ● 2091d

I'd heard about that ,brilliant.So what with pigeons,dogs,AI and robots,we're becoming redundant it seems.

Ben Gemmingen ● 2091d

Getting into the mind of elon musk and AI Oh,Joe rogan is one of the best interviewees around online,most on his YouTube CH

Julian Pavey ● 2091d

Ken, there are no 'seagulls' on Manley Beach.

Adrian Irving ● 2091d

People have tried very hard to get this to work, but it's obvious now that it isn't going to. It should be removed as soon as possible together with the hideous red and white barriers. It's a blight.

Carl Wynne ● 2091d

Big white birds, look like seagulls. Roost in the trees behind the beach. Very noisy.

Ken Munn ● 2091d

Ken, they are not 'seagulls'.

Adrian Irving ● 2091d

No seagulls anywhere. Strictly speaking they are herring gulls or ... some other gulls. Not an ornithologist.

Vivienne Cox ● 2091d

Me neither. White birds, webbed feet, swim. That'll do, they're seagulls.

Ken Munn ● 2091d

Nonense.  Fountains all over the country work very well. Why should the one in Chiswick not? Are councils and their light engineering contractors so much worse than anywhere else?Unfortunately I suspect that, to coin a phrase, they, and, in keeping with the rest of their attitude to Chiswick,  don't give a damn about making it work.

Claire Moran ● 2091d

It's all very Chiswick - take a symbol of a past age, attempt to make it modern, fail because of inherent faults, then leave it there in a hissy fit.

Ken Munn ● 2091d

Replace it with a statue of captain Tom

James Dow ● 2089d

Replace it with a statue of captain Tom

James Dow ● 2089d

Where is the nearest water bottle filling station?

Philippa Bond ● 2089d

Your kitchen I expect.

Carl Wynne ● 2089d

Should be at the TGT piazza, in place of the ugly, broken piece of Victoriana which totters there at the moment.

Ken Munn ● 2089d

What about replacing it with some village stocks?Errant cyclists, joggers, mask evaders, jay walkers, to name but a few.For those that are suffering with LDHD (lock down humour deficiency) that's meant to read tongue in cheek.Or is it?

Adrian Irving ● 2089d

Councillor Todd - Your name is on the brass plaque fixed to the fountain - Could you give us an update please? When is it scheduled for repair/completion? Thank you.

Jonathan Simpson ● 2089d