One Grangemouth family went to mow, went to mow a memorial

Fed up with the height the grass near their house in Craigleith Road, Grangemouth was reaching the Carr family decided to take matters into their own hands.

Laura Carr said: “We had a petrol lawn mower that belonged to my husband’s grandad and then his mum gave it to my husband six years ago. He serviced it and when the restrictions were relaxed we were able to get out and cut the grass in our street.”

Working as a team the family, including Beancross Primary School pupils David (11) and William (9), worked away behind the powerful lawnmower, picking up any rubbish that had been lurking in previously the overgrown jungle at the communal grass area at the end of Craigleith Road near Bowhouse Road.

Word soon spread about this one family grass cutting machine and they were asked to use the petrol mower to cut grass in other areas.

Laura said: “People thanked us for what we did in Craigleith Road and then we just did some more grass areas. Then someone told us about the Spitfire monument.”

The grass surrounding the memorial was not quite as high up as the Spitfire replica, which is a tribute to the pilots who died training in the area in World War II, but it was looking a little unruly and scruffy for a monument which signifies something so poignant.

The Carrs packed up their trusty petrol mower and headed for Bo’ness Road, with David and William again acting as litter pickers once the grass got the chop.

A Grangemouth resident praised the Carrs for their actions and criticised Falkirk Council for letting the grass grow so long in the first place.

He said: “It’s obviously not a priority for the council at the moment, but some of the parks and green spaces around here are getting beyond a joke – my dog literally disappears when he goes onto the grass near my house.

“We could use a whole squad of people like the Carrs to help keep nature at bay.”

According to the Falkirk Council website, all its grounds maintenance services were suspended in accordance with the government guidance issued March 23.

However, as it is now growing season, they say they are implementing a “restricted grass cutting operation” to maintain key public open spaces.

The council’s aim, it states, is to “ensure these spaces remain suitable for the purpose of once a day exercise in line with Government guidance and restrictions”.

It stated these spaces will be serviced by a single operator tractor mower to ensure compliance with national restrictions and guidance for the safety of our employees during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Another Grangemouth householder said: “Well the Carrs are just a family of four and they seem to have done a lot more than the local authority when it comes to grass cutting.”