Money Talks
Bob tells me:
"I work by the Dome on the new TFL headquarters. Today we've been treated to the Red Bull air race practice session. It was a stroke of genius having the turning point located so close to the waste transfer station. Only two seagulls were seen to be struck; one by a plane, the other by a helicopter...
I was looking on your site to see how it is that a footpath can be closed and the space sold to spectators. Are you aware of how the council is able to permit this? (I do hope the borough is paid handsomely).
What did see half an hour ago was the "relocation" of a tree. - No doubt others will be 'moved.' A lorry mounted with a large ground-penetrating hydraulic claw was in the process of moving a tree from the front of one of the newly erected grandstands. I suspect they will be returned but I don't think it will do the trees any good."
The Phantom replies:
I wondered about the whole closure of the Thames Path for profit thing last year when I had fantasies about some poor sod who had managed to walk the entirety of the Thames from the Cotswolds, only to find that it was invalid as he couldn't walk the bit in the middle of the Peninsula...
I have no idea whether the council is harvesting any cash from this - I would like to think so. This is a commercial sporting event and people are making a lot of money out of it. We should be compensated for the loss of our liberty.
As for the trees - well - they may not be 300 years old and planted by Charles II, but they still won't be much chuffed about being yanked out of the ground in this weather. Is this just to make space for spectators? They had better be paying BIG money for that - and supplying giant vases for the poor trees while they're out of the ground, preferably cut-glass or with pretty flowers on them.
Will you let me know if they're put back, and keep me updated on their health, Bob?
Oh - and people who are going - will you do me a favour? I thoroughly enjoyed the world's worst commentator last year who came up with some absolutely hilarious guff. If he's doing it again this year and he comes up with any gems, do pass them on...
"I work by the Dome on the new TFL headquarters. Today we've been treated to the Red Bull air race practice session. It was a stroke of genius having the turning point located so close to the waste transfer station. Only two seagulls were seen to be struck; one by a plane, the other by a helicopter...
I was looking on your site to see how it is that a footpath can be closed and the space sold to spectators. Are you aware of how the council is able to permit this? (I do hope the borough is paid handsomely).
What did see half an hour ago was the "relocation" of a tree. - No doubt others will be 'moved.' A lorry mounted with a large ground-penetrating hydraulic claw was in the process of moving a tree from the front of one of the newly erected grandstands. I suspect they will be returned but I don't think it will do the trees any good."
The Phantom replies:
I wondered about the whole closure of the Thames Path for profit thing last year when I had fantasies about some poor sod who had managed to walk the entirety of the Thames from the Cotswolds, only to find that it was invalid as he couldn't walk the bit in the middle of the Peninsula...
I have no idea whether the council is harvesting any cash from this - I would like to think so. This is a commercial sporting event and people are making a lot of money out of it. We should be compensated for the loss of our liberty.
As for the trees - well - they may not be 300 years old and planted by Charles II, but they still won't be much chuffed about being yanked out of the ground in this weather. Is this just to make space for spectators? They had better be paying BIG money for that - and supplying giant vases for the poor trees while they're out of the ground, preferably cut-glass or with pretty flowers on them.
Will you let me know if they're put back, and keep me updated on their health, Bob?
Oh - and people who are going - will you do me a favour? I thoroughly enjoyed the world's worst commentator last year who came up with some absolutely hilarious guff. If he's doing it again this year and he comes up with any gems, do pass them on...
Labels: Events, Red Bull Air race
posted by The Greenwich Phantom at
14:42
7 Comments:
TFL Headquarters? I thought the building was going to be the Ravensbourne College? Or am I in the wrong place? Mind you I still don't know what's going into the space between the Station and the O2, so it could be there.......
I really must start trawling through the Planning Applications to find out what's coming to our Area. I need a new job!!!!
I did complain to the council last year, about Red Bull selling tickets allowing people to sit on a public right of way, which is then closed to the public. I got a bull$hit reply. I was going to take it up with the Ramblers Assoc but didn't have the time. I think it's worth pursuing if anyone has the time.
This is hearsay, but a colleague told me that the people who run the ecology centre down there complained that no-one would be able to visit them on the day of the race, and wondered if there might possibly be some kind of recompense for this...
Apparently they were offered two cases of Red Bull..........
The whole thing is a pain in the arse, what with the irritating noise pollution and all. (Not as bad as the Marathon, though)
The marathon ain't making money like this though! Yesterday and today I've heard the mildly irritating noise of planes practising from mine, a mile from the river in Deptford, so it most be horridly noisy for those nearer.
I think the bloke to direct any correspondence to is Councillor John Fahy. If you can be bothered to write, not email, you can make it a Freedom of Information Act request which, by law, has to be answered by him or others within 20 days...always good to annoy old John "It's a done deal" Fahy...
I looked on the Red Bull website and was surprised to find people in the boroughs 'affected' had a chance to get free tickets.
Hmm...missed out there eh didn't we?
Not all off us.....I managed to win 2 free tickets to race day and had a great time.
And, of course the Phantom did publicise the draw as well......
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