Shoddy

When stuck for something to talk about those of a certain age can always fall back on standards of workmanship being worse today than 'their day'. Those who don't want to be labelled curmudgeons may just stay quiet and not complain.

Poor standards are poor standards whatever year and date it is. And failing to speak up actually makes things worse.

When the contractors arrived to remove the power lines there was genuine cause for satisfaction. But I was surprised that so many men and resources were deemed to be necessary, especially because a lot of it was done in a very simple way with power tools cutting off the poles at ground level.

All the more annoyance that the job was not finished off in a way which might have been a source of pride. The poles were chain sawed from one side and then the other but left with a hard, sharp crest of splintery timber sticking up. An injury waiting to happen. If you add that to the poles left in the car park it's hard not to conclude that the managers responsible, who did not ensure a proper job was done, could not care one way or the other.

The answer is simple: when a contractor is brought in you simply assume that a rotten job will be done and at the very least that corners will be cut. So you supervise and check up immediately afterwards - and before they get paid. But then bureaucrats who spend little time on site have no pride themselves in the place. The dead hedge recently taken down after five years or so was not removed - I found it discarded partly hidden a few yards away. A similar thing happened when an old bench was replaced.