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First water bottles replenished as Windsor Platinum Jubilee Fountain is switched on

The Windsor Platinum Jubilee Fountain has been switched on, providing free drinking water for visitors and residents alike, helping to reduce single-use plastic bottles and standing as a lasting tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The monument, close to Windsor Castle, was among the projects of the Windsor Platinum Jubilee Committee to celebrate Her Majesty’s historic 70-year reign, and also serves a valuable everyday purpose as a water bottle re-filling station.

Funded by several sources, including private donations, sponsors and fundraising, its intended installation was rightly postponed due to Her Majesty’s sad passing, however it has now been installed by the Royal Borough and turned on to mark the start of the school summer holidays and Plastic Free July.

It is hoped the fountain will provide more than 25,000 litres of free, fresh drinking water per year for residents and visitors, supporting healthy lifestyles. This will also support the borough's sustainability ambitions by reducing the use of single plastics by up to 50,000 bottles a year.

This week, Councillor Neil Knowles, the mayor, and Councillor Amy Tisi, Cabinet member for Windsor, along with Graham Barker DL, chairman of the Windsor Platinum Jubilee Committee, were among the first to re-fill their reusable bottles at the fountain’s waters.

Mr Barker said: “It was always a key objective of the Windsor Platinum Jubilee Committee to not only celebrate collectively as a community, but to also provide a fitting memorial to our late Queen Elizabeth’s incredible 70-year reign. The Windsor Platinum Jubilee Fountain delivers beautifully on that objective, plus it is also a useful water source in the town and an important step towards greater environmental sustainability.
 
“The Fountain was specially commissioned by the Windsor Platinum Jubilee Committee and the design was approved by her late Majesty. The Fountain was largely funded through a private donation with other contributions being made by local donors and the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead.”
Councillor Knowles said: “Our borough enjoyed a long and proud association with Her Majesty, and this is a wonderful tribute to her in the heart of the town she called home. As well as being a special monument, it’s also very practical in supporting healthy lifestyles and benefitting the environment too.

“Exploring Windsor can be thirsty work in the summer. Having refreshed myself from the fountain after a climb up Castle Hill, I’m sure this valuable new bottle re-filling station will be popular with residents and visitors. Our thanks to the Windsor Platinum Jubilee Committee and everyone involved in this unique project.”

Councillor Tisi added: “This is a lasting legacy for Her Majesty’s historic reign and a useful facility for residents and visitors in Windsor, aligning with our sustainability agenda to reduce single-use plastics and plastic pollution by promoting reuse of bottles and reusable bottles.

“In fact, we’re looking to start a local water bottle refill scheme that businesses can join to promote themselves as places where the public can get a refill for free. We’re currently inviting local businesses to register their interest.”

The Windsor Platinum Jubilee Committee worked with several key organisations to deliver the fountain, including the Royal Borough, Thames Water, Volker Highways, Fyfe Glenrock, and Black Isle Bronze foundry. The Royal Borough supported the project to ensure completion and provide the ongoing maintenance programme.

About the fountain

Designed by Black Isle Bronze Foundry and LDN Architects, several options were explored, and the final design was then chosen by HM Queen Elizabeth II.

The design work considered the location and existing, well-known structures within the historic town centre. The main column was inspired by the beautiful 17th Century columns at the Windsor Guildhall.

The pink granite base matches that of the Queen Victoria statue, which stands adjacent and was erected in 1887 in celebration of her Golden Jubilee. The Orb that graces the top of the column on the new Platinum Jubilee Fountain is the same as that held by Queen Victoria.

QR codes on life buoy cases to pinpoint location in a water emergency
 
The Royal Borough’s Community Wardens are launching a new water safety initiative that could save precious minutes for emergency responders if someone gets into trouble in open water.
 
The wardens have created unique QR codes which are being placed in the casing of life buoys alongside the River Thames and around some lakes (with landowner permission).
 
The codes contain pinpoint information to make it easier for services to find the location in an emergency. They also make it easier to report any missing or vandalised equipment.
 
Community Warden Peter Murkin said: “We have been going out and checking all the buoys to make sure they are all intact and ready to be lifesavers in an emergency.
 
“We have been to some quite remote locations during our checks, some well away from roads, and it became obvious we needed to help people know where they physically were in case they needed to tell the emergency services about someone in trouble in the water.
 
“We are now placing the QR codes alongside emergency service advice so if there is a terrible situation, relaying information about where you are does not hinder getting help.”
 
Senior Community Warden Elliott Bain added: “The buoys are not toys or items to be damaged just for fun. Leave them in their cases so they are ready to be the lifesavers they can be.”
 
The Community Wardens have also been issued with throw lines in the kit they carry daily, and have had training to use them, to assist in a water incident they come across during their patrols, which include riverside locations.
 
In addition, they have been removing temptations that might encourage to enter the water, such as rope swings and abandoned kayaks, as well as examining the life buoys to make sure they are ready for an emergency.
 
Councillor Simon Werner, the council leader and cabinet member for community partnerships, public protection, and Maidenhead, said: “This is a great initiative by our Community Wardens who know our area well.
 
“They have realised there could be an issue in an emergency with getting assistance quickly and have come up with a practical solution.
 
“The advice is not to go into open bodies of water, even on the hottest days, but if you witness an emergency then you can get the location information to responders more quickly. In emergency situations, those precious seconds or minutes might well save a life.”
 
The Community Safety Partnership identified water safety among its immediate priorities. The Community Wardens, Thames Valley Police, the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, and the Environment Agency, are working together to raise awareness among residents of the risks of entering in open water, which include cold water shock, hidden depths and currents, and submerged objects.
 
The Royal Borough is leading an awareness campaign, Be Water Aware this Summer, which coincides with the start of the school summer holidays, when there is the temptation to cool off in open water and families go on holiday to UK beaches and destinations abroad.

Last year, there were more water rescues in the Royal Borough than in any other Berkshire local authority. The Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service made a total of 36 water rescues, an increase of 50 percent from the previous two years. In the last five years, 148 people have been rescued from Berkshire’s waterways and sadly some have lost their lives.

What is cold water shock?

Cold water shock is the biggest killer of people who jump or swim, in open bodies of water. On average the temperature is below 15 degrees Celsius even in the height of summer. As a comparison, a bath is between 32 and 40 degrees, and swimming pools are between 25-28 degrees Celsius.

Cold water shock triggers a gasping response when a person jumps into cold water which can then be inhaled into the lungs. Alternatively, body heat is moved from arms and legs to protect internal organs, leading to the inability to stay afloat.

Though we have seen some sunshine this summer, there has also been plenty of gloomy skies and rain. The temperatures have rarely dropped too low but it has hardly been a summer of sunshine and searing heat.

Many will be hoping the rest of the summer perks up and we enjoy some conditions similar to last year. Unfortunately, the Met Office outlook suggests we may not get this, at least for the next few weeks.

In the UK this has resulted in damp, cool conditions. While these conditions could shift in time, it is unlikely to happen in the next few weeks, according to the Met Office.

The Met Office outlook for July 29 to August 7 currently states: "The conditions for the end of July are expected to remain unsettled, a theme which is likely to continue into early August as well. Widespread showers are probable across the UK throughout the period with northern areas likely to see the heaviest of these, some of which may also turn thunder. More persistent spells of rain may develop as well, especially in western elevated regions, replacing some of the showers.

"A risk of strong winds and some gales in coastal areas; inland, winds more likely to be light to moderate. Drier interludes with some sunny spells are possible during the period, with a greater likelihood in south-eastern regions as we move into August. Feeling generally cool for the time of year, though perhaps a touch warmer in sheltered areas."

Even before this, more inclement conditions are likely to hit Berkshire and Reading this week. From July 25 to July 28, temperatures are likely to sit at around 20C but a mixture of light and heavy rain could fall.

From The Cookham Regatta

A quick reminder to any charities who've not contacted me already who wish to take part this year.

The Regatta is taking place once again this year on Saturday September 2nd.  If you'd like to reserve space for a charity stall please let me know as soon as possible.

For a space having a frontage of 3m and a depth of 3m the cost is £20, and a double stall space will be £40.  I'll assume you want a single site unless you let me know otherwise.  If you have any other requirements please contact me and where possible these will be accommodated.  In order to ensure the maximum variety of attractions on site, we'd like to be advised what you're planning to have on your stall by the end of July.

In addition to the usual copy of your insurance arrangements, we'd also like to see a brief risk assessment in due course please.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards
Steve Berry

Due to spammers on the Discussion Board we have had to delete some users. We may have deleted some genuine users by mistake. Big apologies if this has happened. Please just sign in again. Thanks.

Suggested Diversion

Work to construct an adventure play area in Higginson Park Marlow began on June 5, with Buckinghamshire Council predicting it would take around seven weeks to complete.

Clive Harriss, cabinet member for culture and leisure, originally said work on the playground would be complete by July 24, however a representative for Buckinghamshire Council has now confirmed it will be open to the public on the week commencing July 31.

I have had a further complaint about a post in this thread. It has been removed. To avoid further unpleasantness, this topic is locked.

The demolition of Broadway Car Park could be given the go-ahead next week after planning officers warned the facility is ‘beyond economic repair’.

The ageing car park has been closed since New Year’s Eve and work has been ongoing with contractors and specialists to fully the assess the crumbling structure.

A report, set to be discussed by the Royal Borough cabinet on Thursday, July 27, is now recommending the car park should be torn down.

If demolition is approved, levelling and clearance of the site is expected to get underway in the autumn and will take approximately a year to complete.

Controversial plans for a housing development featuring up to 330 homes and a new primary school at Spencer’s Farm have been refused.

At a Maidenhead Development Management Committee meeting on Wednesday night, attendees applauded speakers and panel members as they raised concerns over the proposals, including impact on traffic and wildlife, the emergency access and the flood risk.