The Phantom Rants AGAIN...
Anyone seen that rather odd article in Time Out this week where they, somewhat spuriously IMHO, postulate on what would happen if the Olympics were cancelled? (What next, I wonder - "What would happen if London had a plague of toads, the Thames ran blood or the Martians landed..?")
The article, a featherweight piece clearly borne of the silly season, doesn't really seem to address the issue at all - with many of the movers and shakers interviewed not seeming to be directly answering the question, making me suspect it was cobbled together out of a bunch of old interviews. The equestrian events in Greenwich Park - the one place that many actually WANT to see stopped - isn't mentioned at all. Not once.
Interestingly though, one of the talking heads is Chris Roberts. "It doesn't worry me," he boasts. "We're taking responsibility for the legacy as a borough. Councils must remember, after 2012 there won't be an Olympic Delivery Authority or London Organising Committee, so it's up to them and the residents."
Darn tootin,' Chris. The very fact that they know damn well that they won't exist after 2012 gives bodies like the ODA and the LOCOG no incentive whatsoever to create anything that will last beyond 2012. They will be expecting the councils and the government to clear up their mess as they plough through anything and everything to get their own goals achieved.
So what if a few trees get uprooted? We gave you a good Olympics. I know we said that we had 'no plans' to cut down trees or dig massive holes - but ain't you heard of Contingency, mate? It got to the eleventh hour and they had to come down. It's a shame and all that, but - well - you wanted the Olympics. You can grow some more. We delivered it for you on time. So what if there's no legacy? Not our problem, mate. All you asked us to do was get you to the ball, Cinderella. We got you there. Now it's struck midnight; the party's over. You find your own Prince Charming. We're off to collect our fat cheques and then going on a well-earned holiday. Sweep up that glass from that shattered slipper, will you, eh..?
There's a protest rally this Sunday in the park, organised by the Facebook group Stop The Olympics Destroying Greenwich Park. Meeting at 2.00pm at Blackheath Gate, expect a lot of angry people. I tend to be of the opinion that even if you hold the milder view that if the Equestrian events are going to happen inthe park, they must be heavily-regulated, it's worth going along. Bargaining is always about asking for more than you actually want, so you can concede small points to get big ones....
The article, a featherweight piece clearly borne of the silly season, doesn't really seem to address the issue at all - with many of the movers and shakers interviewed not seeming to be directly answering the question, making me suspect it was cobbled together out of a bunch of old interviews. The equestrian events in Greenwich Park - the one place that many actually WANT to see stopped - isn't mentioned at all. Not once.
Interestingly though, one of the talking heads is Chris Roberts. "It doesn't worry me," he boasts. "We're taking responsibility for the legacy as a borough. Councils must remember, after 2012 there won't be an Olympic Delivery Authority or London Organising Committee, so it's up to them and the residents."
Darn tootin,' Chris. The very fact that they know damn well that they won't exist after 2012 gives bodies like the ODA and the LOCOG no incentive whatsoever to create anything that will last beyond 2012. They will be expecting the councils and the government to clear up their mess as they plough through anything and everything to get their own goals achieved.
So what if a few trees get uprooted? We gave you a good Olympics. I know we said that we had 'no plans' to cut down trees or dig massive holes - but ain't you heard of Contingency, mate? It got to the eleventh hour and they had to come down. It's a shame and all that, but - well - you wanted the Olympics. You can grow some more. We delivered it for you on time. So what if there's no legacy? Not our problem, mate. All you asked us to do was get you to the ball, Cinderella. We got you there. Now it's struck midnight; the party's over. You find your own Prince Charming. We're off to collect our fat cheques and then going on a well-earned holiday. Sweep up that glass from that shattered slipper, will you, eh..?
There's a protest rally this Sunday in the park, organised by the Facebook group Stop The Olympics Destroying Greenwich Park. Meeting at 2.00pm at Blackheath Gate, expect a lot of angry people. I tend to be of the opinion that even if you hold the milder view that if the Equestrian events are going to happen inthe park, they must be heavily-regulated, it's worth going along. Bargaining is always about asking for more than you actually want, so you can concede small points to get big ones....
Labels: Events, Greenwich newspapers, Greenwich Park Olympics Equestrian events
posted by The Greenwich Phantom at
16:08
7 Comments:
Ta for your post. I've just joined the Facebook group and it says that the protest for Sunday has been cancelled.
Is that true? Did they give reasons? Have they been banned from the park?
oh how ironic
you attack time out for speculating and then spend your whole day doing the same on this blog
your latest speculative point that the rally in greenwich park has been cancelled due to a ban is yet more nonsense!
@ 'nonsense!' - if you're going to start slamming people, at least get your facts straight. Looks to me like TGP has criticised TO for a) poor journalism rather than for being speculative, and more importantly, b) ignoring the fact that Greenwich is actually part of London, something the TO ppl still don't seem to have realised, judging by the way they so often ignore SE London completely.
Moreover, TGP doesn't make 'a speculative point' that the protest has been cancelled due to a ban. She asks a question. If you're going to be pedantic, at least get your pedantry right. Whilst you're at it, you could look up the meaning of the word 'ironic' too.
If you happen to know for sure that any such protest hasn't been banned, then why not tell us the real reason? I'd assumed it was cancelled for organisational reasons, like the organiser couldn't get a babysitter or something, but your vehement 'yet more nonsense!' outburst with no evidence to the contrary, coupled with your posting under a pseudonym, now makes me think that there is more to this story than meets the eye... clearly you have something to hide!
I have no problem with speculation - I LOVE speculation. But to open up a question and then not reven really address it seems a bit odd to me. Generally I like TO a lot - but I got the feeling that they just hadn't actually answered their own question which was "what would happen if the Olympics were cancelled?" They looked at why it might be, and had a few people saying why it should be on. And to be fair they had one or two people who worried what might happen. But I didn't feel that anyone actually seriously thought about what would happen in the aftermath of a non-olympics.
Gaaah - I can't believe how plodding and amateur and unimaginative the anti-equestrian events movement is being.
I am so frustrated - please God, make my premium bond win, so I can concentrate on getting the equestrian events moved to a far more suitable venue, instead of earning my living.
People, buy an orange t-shirt and a fabric marker (black text on orange, I suggest, so that you are not lost in the greenery), and devise your own slogan; wear t-shirt. Buy packet of balloons and a black marker; inflate the orange balloons in your pack and write slogans on them and Facebook URL etc; attach to a short string or peastick.
Spread the word that it will be nice in the Park on a given day at a given time, say at the Bank Holiday, and why not wear "your nice t-shirt and balloon".
I can't do it for you, though.
Kirsty - you really do need to calm down...
The march has not been banned - I will happily wager you £100 now on that fact.
Put your money where your mouth is. If Im wrong my money goes to the NOGOE. If I'm correct that it has not been banned you can donate £100 to LOCOG to help bring the events to the Park.
Had these events been cancelled by the authorities it would be all over the protestors site.
Fact is they either couldnt be bothered - or knew the bulk of the people that signed up to their site couldnt be - and so cancelled it to save face.
So have you got the guts to put your money where your mouth is?
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