THE HEDON MAYOR traditionally has the powers to appoint an Official Ale Tester - but perhaps for these modern times with an anti-social smelly neighbour on our doorstep the town needs an Official Pong Tester!?
Hedon really does have an official figure with powers to check that Brewers within this town “do make good wholesome Ale and Beer for Man’s Body.”
The role has been used occasionally for ceremonial, promotional and fun purposes (as pictured in this “testing of the ale” in 2004) after the Mayor’s ancient right to appoint such an individual was revived in 1997.
Perhaps with the persistent smells from Yorkshire Water’s Waste Treatment Works at Saltend the town now needs to appoint a Pong Tester!?
There would be a precedent for this. In 2009 the East Riding Council decided to appoint an odour consultant who would presumably come and give the official sniff and declare whether there was a problem – or not – with smells from the Yorkshire Water site.
Imagine it now – before each and every civic and official function in the town the Official Pong Tester would breathe in deeply, before declaring to all who could hear “The Air is Good!” – or indubitably – “The Air is NOT Good!”
Hmm… Perhaps not one of the most important of things to ask Yorkshire Water when meeting them at the Drop-ins on Wed 24th August at the Hedon Town Hall? But a thought if we will be expected to continue living with odours.
