Volume Five - The Age of Decline & Crass Stupidity - Some comments and a final rant! . . .

Since the industrial revolution the River Ely has undoubtedly had an ongoing history of pollution by raw sewage, the acidic effluent of the Ely Paper Mills and other numerous uncontrolled discharges upstream. The docks were polluted with coal dust and the sea air with smoke from the iron and steel manufactories.

In modern times the same environment is threatened by our attitude to household waste disposal, most of which is generated as the result of the indifference of the majority in our consumer led society. In eight years time, some agencies predict that the UK will run out of landfill sites; I make that the year 2022. That should be an interesting year for the packaging and plastics industry, graphic artists, the supermarkets and the politicians!

	I used to watch flocks of wading birds fighting with their prized wriggling morsels on the mudflats as I walked or rode my bike, along Ferry Road and as a boy be amazed at the vast numbers of elvers swimming in the drains and ponds close to Penarth Road; I used to watch the waters boil when conger eels were close to the shore. Where are they today? Gone; thanks to the Cardiff Bay Development and modern-day pollutants.
Please Mrs Thatcher save our birds!
	The map left, charts the location and extents of the historic landfill sites commencing at Leckwith Road from 1956 until 1974. All of these historic landfill sites are in close proximity to the River Ely and the Cardiff Bay development.
Cardiff Bay - built upon foundations of rubbish!