On 11/7/06 12:01, in article , "Judith
Lea" wrote:

In article , Sacha
writes
Please may I suggest that we get back onto an even keel here? Thousands and
thousands of children have grown up round ponds, rivers, harbours,
shorelines or on boats etc. What is needed is for their adults to be
sensible about this.

My thoughts exactly, we have a 17 month old grandson and he can move
like quicksilver, he can reach door handles and often opens doors. With
this in mind, we have had to take precautions with our swimming pool as
he will be spending 2 weeks with us, without mummy, in the Summer,
Edward bought a swimming pool alarm in France where it is now obligatory
to either fence off a pool or use one of these things. If the surface
of the water is disturbed by a weight of more than one or two kilos,
then sonic alarms go off all over the place. They are not cheap, about
£300 but what price our grandson's life.

Brilliant idea, too. I've never heard of these but they sound excellent.
And someone has just emailed me to ask if I have yet spotted my own
'deliberate mistake' in one of my posts in this thread. Sorry, folks -
*vertical* palings round a pond, NOT horizontal. I keep doing that! One day
I'll do it literally and we'll have plants growing in some strange
directions!
Though I must say that what-used-to-be the nursery in this house has one
horizontal bar only across the window - just the right height for a small
person to climb onto and over!
For swimming pools, I've seen covers that run in grooves along the pool and
are strong enough for a man to stand on but again, I think we're talking
very high costs. Your alarm sounds a better bet.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)