As an earlier correspondent observed, the residents of Brentford Dock pay a hefty service charge to keep the estate clean and a pleasurable place for them to enjoy. Dock residents are not minded to subsidise free use of Dock facilities to non-residents who pay nothing.I wholeheartedly agree with the observation that householders and shops generally just don’t bother to clean their forecourts, sweep them clear of leaves, etc. Gone are the days – in the UK at least – when it was considered a matter of pride to ensure that your frontage, however humble, was kept spick and span and washed down daily. I only ever see this being done in Hungary, even in a city like Budapest.Many of the shops and buildings may look very down at heel, but they’re clean inside and outside. Both residents and tenants make a point of washing down their frontage on a daily basis. Public toilets, too, in restaurants and the like, are invariably clean and fresh-smelling. In the UK, on the other hand, it’s quite a different, invariably disgusting story. I really don’t know what’s the matter with the Brits, who don’t seem to notice or care about the filth they create.
M H Mason ● 877d