Is anyone from the council reading this forum? If so, can they do something about the disgusting stink emanating from the suppurating litter bin outside Javelin in Abbeygate Street? The stench of rotting puke is appalling*, and I'm surprised that The Grid haven't noticed a drop off in custom (you might start down the street hungry but passing that bin is enough to kill any appetite - except perhaps for Jules's! )

*I'm sure it's puke. The splatter marks around the rim and the horrid leaking from the bottom are conclusive. Chalk this up to another consequence of the chavification of the centre of town.

It's in the ward Paul Farmer and I represent on the Borough and Town Councils - I'll fire off an email and make sure it is dealt with. Our contact details (and those of all the other Bury St Edmunds councillors) can be found here http://www.yourbury.co.uk/st-edmundsbury-borough-council-f15/contacting-your-borough-councillor-t4.html. If you want something dealt with promptly it is probably better to use these details rather than posting here.

We've posted the main Borough Council phone numbers here http://www.yourbury.co.uk/st-edmundsbury-borough-council-f15/useful-st-edmundsbury-borough-council-contact-numbers-t99.html. If you have an issue that you think needs dealing with as a matter of urgency (as seems to be the case here) it is always best to go direct to the relevant Councillor or contact St Edmundsbury Borough Council.

Just a quick message to say this should be dealt with properly tomorrow morning. Paul Farmer has also been doing a lot behind the scenes to address other similar problems in the area - hopefully you will see a marked improvement.

Although this is a serious matter, which has been passed on to the top waste management officer at StEds, I cannot resist being envious of those who have had to smell this bin.

I gradually lost my sense of smell around 1990 - a boring tale I'll spare you. My sense of taste is now confined to what you would taste if you held your nose whilst eating (like we did at school) but my smell is zilch, 0, nout. It is in fact deceased, and does not register smelling salts, petrol, the Woolpit whiff, dangerous gas, public loos, smoke, etc. (I can remember the delight at faintly detecting car exhaust when walking along during the months in which I had the occasional return of this faculty.)

With this invisible disability I always envy those who say "Oooooh, what a pong". Of course I 'd rather smell Mrs F's perfume, the wine I drink, flowers, cooking - but I never shall again.

Ahhhhhhh - get the violins out...

That's really dreadful, we take so much for granted, a friend of my Mum's lost her sense of smell and taste after a car accident.
At the moment we are suffering we are suffering the Woolpit Whiff (or not if MSDC are to be believed). You aren't working for them in the smell department are you?

Paul wrote:I gradually lost my sense of smell around 1990 - a boring tale I'll spare you. My sense of taste is now confined to what you would taste if you held your nose whilst eating

A friend of mine had a bash on the forehead from an accident in school (fell off a wall) and the same thing happened. It was effectively a tiny bit of brain damage. At least they were small and never really got to appreciate taste before losing it (kids have undereducated palates). Rather more of a downer for you, I'm sorry to say.