Piper at the Gates of Sainsbury

Entering New Cross from Peckham, the first real landmark you encounter is the sacred ground of the Montague Arms followed by the cross-roads of New Cross Gate. Further along however, just before you get to New Cross Gate station, is a bloody massive Sainsbury where just about everyone around New Cross goes shopping (I've bumped into friends old and new there).

So, on the SELFS email list this morning Robert asks:

"Walking along the alley between the Sainsbury's fence in New Cross Gate and JDsports shop, there is a strange full sound emanating from a pipe high up on thewall and as one approaches passes it by it alters in it's pitch."

Being obsessed with furry animals both cute and vile, I reply:

"Knowing what goes on in that bit of New Cross I think it might be some sort of anti-rat device that uses high-pitched noise though I don’t know if our monkey-ears should pick it up. High frequency sound drives the oily little bastards mad and, hopefully, away"

Robert, who has a lot more sense that me, replies:

"I'd guess it's some sort of vent for an extractor fan, it's audible from some distance and quite musical"

To which I reply to, rather witlessly:

"Maybe it should have a show on Resonance FM"

Then Jason Oliver chips in with:

"i think it might just be an extractor fan, although experimenting with it yesterday by walking up the alley and then walking down the path to Sainsbury's, you can make your own Coil-style anti-anthems, at no cost whatsoever."

Which is a relief to the Duchess of Rocklands Minxy because she says:

"oh thank god for that, i had a funny moment on me bike once. i had to get me clanger out and squeeze it back at the noise. i didnt think i was going mad though, its lovely"

And so Jacqueline Woo-war Smith piped up:

"Ah, I love a singing pipe...a pipe on a gate in Glastonbury was singing to me the other day! Perhaps pipes are taking over!!?"

Which may be true so I'll be careful when shopping tonight. I may just seek this pipe out, though, and have a bit of a boogie.