championships

Fly tipping crime scenes Creuse set to welcome the worst mullets in Europe

The city of Limoges was in the news recently when officials unveiled a novel approach to the scourge of fly tipping... leaving rubbish exactly where they found it, but surrounded by police tape. The former capital of the Limousin region picks almost ten tonnes of rubbish from the streets every week, including old sofas, mattresses and discarded refuse sacks, and the local authority has had enough.

Perhaps understandably, with the city's tips closed for much of last year due to the pandemic, the situation on the streets of Limoges deteriorated. The déchetteries now fully open again, but it would appear that relatively new habits also die hard. According to Sarah Gentil, deputy mayor of Limoges and in charge of refuse, workers currently spend around 13% of their day collecting illegally dumped rubbish, at a cost of €500,000 per year to the city: “From the north to the south and via the city centre, we find anything and everything!”

Fighting back against this nuisance, the city has launched an awareness campaign to try and shock residents back into more civil behaviour; from May, any major rubbish site will be transformed into a crime scene, complete with Hollywood yellow and black “police” tape, and left in the open as an example to others. “The idea is to challenge people on this problem, because most of the time, they do not see it,” explained the deputy mayor. “The rubbish is spread throughout the city, often dumped at night and usually removed the next day by city workers. Now, we will leave it there for a few days.”

According to the official, where similar “shock” campaigns have been run elsewhere, they have quickly led to a drop in fly tipping of almost 30%. In Limoges, the public awareness campaign will also see posters and billboards go up across the city which will carry details of local recycling centres. Furthermore, the public is being reminded that workers may be asked to go through rubbish bags to try and identify the offender's address and that illegal dumping of rubbish carries a fine of up to €1,500. ■ After a year of lockdowns and limited access to the hairdresser, there have been times in the last twelve months when looking in a mirror was an uncomfortable experience. This June, however, there will be more than the usual number of bad hair days in the Creuse, as the department is to host the European Mullet Championships. The event will take place on 26th June and will feature the impressive hair of Gauthier Istin who took the crown for France when the competition was last held, two years ago in Belgium.

The ideal cut is described as “business at the front, a party at the back”, but despite gracing the shoulders of such fashion icons as David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Cindy Lauper and Rhianna, the mullet has remained the butt of many jokes over the decades. This year's competition will feature the worst – or best, depending on your personal opinion – examples on the continent, and while the competition will be fierce, the competitors that take part do so with good humour and self-awareness.

“Above all, it is a fun day built around the mullet,” explained Limoges-based competitor and co-organiser Guillaume Hays, who believes that the famous cut is more symbolic than anything else. “It is a haircut for non-conformists, those who don't fit the mould. It simply says that you're someone who is liberated and free. You have to stop being a prisoner of the image that you put out to others, people in the street that you don't even know, and just be yourself. You can take the mickey out of me for my mullet... I genuinely don't care!”

Above all, organisers hope that the day will be a fun affair, but it is also set to be competitive; the Belgian team alone is bringing three coaches for the event. “With all the entertainment we have planned, it should be fun,” Guillaume confirmed. “People need a bit of a laugh at the moment and laugh they shall!”

Fans of the mullet, or just those looking for a unique day out, should make their way to the “Etang de La Naute” at Champagnat, just outside Aubusson. For more information, or to see some of the impressive specimens that will be on show, visit the competition's Facebook page – search “Facebook Championnat d'Europe de la Coupe Mulet”. ■

credit: Sabine Massé - Limoges Métropole credit: Etienne Robin

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