And you thought Westminster was nuts already...

[swee'pea99]

This really takes it to a new level....

....a female worker on a step ladder was spotted taking down yellow leaves, one by one, from a circle of lime trees.

Asked about the decision, a Commons spokesman said: “If we waited for the leaves to fall off it would waste a lot of time raking them up. It is more time efficient.”​

The full deranged story at: http://www.theguardian.com/politics...gardener-remove-leaves-trees-autumn-cancelled

 

[MrWill]

Thought it was going to be about the other story. But hory shet!

 

[Piemaster]

Only thing missing there is the female worker turning out to be a Ukrainian illegal immigrant

 

[IncoherentJeff]

I hope that's a joke, but sadly it's not April 1st!

 

[slowmotion]

There is a perfectly reasonable explanation. A bunch of boozed-up MPs (grog subsidised by the taxpayer), started betting, Noodley-style on how long the leaves on the trees outside would last. See here...
http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/the-falling-leaves.117402/

One of them just used further taxpayers' money to cheat his pals and win the bet.
Nice.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

How can it possibly be more time-efficient? Are they serious, or is this a joke article?

 

[Cuchilo]

Maybe , just maybe .....

 

[Berties]

I am surprised of the phrase ,up a step ladder,my friend does all the building work contracts at a local secondary and now gets called in as the caretaker is not allowed on any type of ladder,...so leave her alone to enjoy the veiw

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

How can it possibly be more time-efficient? Are they serious, or is this a joke article?

Perhaps they forgot to factor in the time needed to stick them back on in spring.

 

[Brandane]

I am surprised of the phrase ,up a step ladder,my friend does all the building work contracts at a local secondary and now gets called in as the caretaker is not allowed on any type of ladder,...so leave her alone to enjoy the veiw

Yebbut, the 'elfin safety of the spineless wonders at Westminster obviously outweighs the risks involved in sending a skivvy up a ladder. What would happen if one of those heavy leaves fell on an MP's head?
Maybe they should plant some very tall coconut trees in the grounds!

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Maybe they should plant some very tall coconut trees in the grounds!

I fear this may open the door to compulsory helmets.

 

[Brandane]

I fear this may open the door to compulsory helmets.

Or perhaps make them realise the limitations of helmets .

 

[Archie_tect]

It'll be OK, someone will authorise chopping the trees down over the winter to save the cost of leaf picking next year...

 

[swee'pea99]

[QUOTE 3379404, member: 76"]When I was in the Army I was based for a time in Osnabruck. We had a nice barracks, with a parade square surrounded by trees. One autumn we were being inspected by some Brigadier other so everyone was up early, the day of the parade dawned for us at about 5, and everyone was out picking up rubbish and the fallen leaves, which were all put in big bags behind the gym. Most of us were then changed and spruced and stood on parade, with half a dozen still in fatigues as a kind of falling leaf hit squad. The Brigadier arrived, did his thing, inspected us and was about to retire to the officers mess when he said to the RSM "Excellent turnout, strange to see no leaves in the autumn" and retired to the mess.

What happened next was amazing, we had to go to the back of the gym at double pace, retrieve the leaves and spread them all around the trees and the parade ground where we had got them from. An hour later, out came the Brigadier to address the parade, the look on his face was a picture, he must have thought he hit the port too hard, the pristine leafless parade square was now 3" deep in crunchy brown leaves![/QUOTE]
That's almost as deranged as what's going on at Westminster.

 

[Moon bunny]

Back when I was a councillor, at a Saturday surgery someone complained that a hedge was growing over a speed limit sign, something must be done. I reported it to the highways, who did do something, they put a new post up so the sign was cranked away from the hedge. Logical, in a way, I suppose, the hedge was not council property and some people react to requests to trim their hedge as a declaration of war.