A Bit of a Redd Up

“Da Voar Redd Up is the UK’s most successful community litter pick, with over 20% of Shetland’s population volunteering their time annually. This annual spring clean makes an invaluable contribution to Shetland’s natural environment and wildlife, clearing Shetland’s beaches, coastlines and roadsides of litter and the debris washed up by winter storms.” – Shetland Amenity Trust

We had our bags and we were ready to tackle the “roadsides of litter” we see when we go riding.

This weekend is the Shetland Redd Up weekend so Flossie, BeAnne and I did a bit along our roads in the afternoon.

We walked what felt like miles, hopping over drains along the road.

Into the hill if we saw a gleam of rubbish.

We walked in the ditches that line the road.

Floss even climbed into a cattle grid.

It left me feeling totally disgusted with lazy-arsed people who can be bothered to put the wrapper around their ice cream lolly sticks but cant be arsed to take it home.

Some twunt deliberately tied a knot into his neatly folded crisp packets before chucking them out.  Twice. Why, just why?  Who thinks like that? Why would anyone do it?

I also found numerous Lambert & Butler cigarette packets and if I meet the person who smokes them, I will not be answerable for my actions. I was provoked.  You have been warned.

Having filled two bags with roadside litter, we went home loathing the human race.  What really got to me was that we cleaned up these two exact roads this time last year so all this rubbish was new.

Enraged, Flossie and I needed to spend some quality time with Albie and Newt to find our sanity and regain our perspective.

People are awful.  Horses and ponies are much nicer – and tidier too.

We havent finished our Redd Up and will continue to fill a few bags each day over the week.

7 thoughts on “A Bit of a Redd Up

  1. Linda

    When I see the results of people who obviously don’t appreciate the beauty of the place they live in, it makes me want them sent to some dilapidated part of the world and make them live there for awhile, to teach them appreciation of where they get to live.

    On a more positive note, I’m glad to hear BeAnn is coming around, however slowly; she’s moving in the right direction in her mourning.

    Smart move to both you and Flossie to visit with Albie & Newt; that’s really what animals are here for; to give us a better perspective on things!

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  2. Margaret Robinson

    Had no idea Shetland had a problem like this and people who dump their garbage all over cannot complain about anything else, any time. You are good people and are not the types to litter, so you are within reason to be upset. Good for you all to step up and clean up (esp. when it’s not your mess). Some people are just slobs and think someone else can do it. Ironically, we drove down to Big Sur to have lunch and there arel a zillion people parked along the highway (Big Sur Marathon tomorrow). Probably including the same types that litter in Shetland, but you’re such a smaller area and so lovely that you wonder just who the people are that would ruin your beautiful landscape that way. Thanks for trying to keep Shetland “neat and tidy”!

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  3. Terri

    Kudos to you and Flossie and BeAnne (Chief Supervisor)! If only every person picked/cleaned up after him/herself, there would be no litter. (Hellooo out there, slobs of the world, do you hear me?) At least Albie and Newt are the perfect antidote — such lovely, happy creatures, enjoying their natural environment!

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  4. Darby

    totally with you that there is something wrong with people who are so careless and entitled. and can you add cats to the shirt as well.

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  5. Sam

    My sister and I always come out for our Town Wide Clean Up Day. Two 30 gallon trash bags just from the train station OVERFILL parking lot. And we always bring a bag when we take a walk to pick up trash. But we do not have Newt & Albie to restore our faith in humanity.

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