Incoming...

[caddyman]

I think next summer, if it’s all the same to you, I will take the entirety of my leave in one big, luxurious block and avoid London altogether.

Once the initial euphoria of London winning the right to host the 2012 Olympics wore off back in 2005 or so – and yes, I went to Trafalgar Square with the rest and celebrated (even though I missed the announcement by about 5 minutes), I started feeling a little more ambivalent. Over the years that ambivalence moved through doubt to outright hostility to the idea. Largely, I have to say, because of its impact upon my council tax bill, but more recently because of the increasingly woolly-headed pronouncements on such matters as working from home because the infrastructure won’t cope.

I’m as happy as anyone that the East End of London has had money thrown at it and the regeneration around the Olympic village is magnificent, as are the various venues and the stadium in particular. Newham is one of the two most deprived areas in the UK, let alone in London and it doesn’t hurt that it is getting this much needed boost. Except that it looks as though the locals aren’t benefiting as much as it was suggested they would. They just have nice new facilities they can’t afford to spend money in. Few if any, of the economic benefits seem to be filtering down to them.

And now it seems that the Ministry of Defence is seriously contemplating mooring a Type 45 Destroyer in Docklands so that the games will benefit from the protection of ground to air missiles.

It’s not as if the city hasn’t got a bloody great target painted on it at the best of times, but blimey…

Comments

[mathcathy]

And here am I, considering moving to London in the spring!!

*fingers crossed for the job*

[kneeshooter]

Best suggested use for a Type 45 so far IMO.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

Would you like something more substantial to go with that bitter relish?

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

It's not that they are suggesting it, so much as the fact that it may be deemed necessary; if you see what I mean...

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

See you at GASP, then... ;-)

[keresaspa.livejournal.com]

It's always the way with these things - redevelopment all too often means building useless bits of glass and steel that benefit the locals not a jot. They sell these vanity projects as being good for locals but they rarely are. The rebuilding of Sailortown in Belfast was put forward with similar big talk but now all we have is housing for about twenty families and a bunch of empty skyscrapers that nobody can afford.

And like rumfuddle I seem to recall my hostility being met with disapproval so I took shall adopt the smirk and folded arms pose whilst nodding my head smugly.

[littleonionz.livejournal.com]

Rich folk will make money, which is how these things go and a few skinny athletic types will get a bit of tin, which is nice...for them.
D class destroyer eh? You just don't want to be under anything it might shoot down. Shirley it would be better to have jets ready to scramble and an exclusion zone over Lud's Dun? I'm with you, I just don't think I'd enjoy games being held under such a seige mentality. Oh yeah and the cost.

[gibbspaulus.livejournal.com]

Well, not only have I moved 140 miles away but I also booked the bulk of the horror off. I could give them an address in East Ham to trial their nice missiles on. Oh yes chav neighbours from BEYOND hell, I am talking about you!!!

[failing-angel.livejournal.com]

if it’s all the same to you, I will take the entirety of my leave in one big, luxurious block and avoid London altogether
It's alright for some, our leave is cancelled/forbidden for this period - so cue plenty of fighting through crowds to get into the office.

[ladkyis.livejournal.com]

Me? I am living in the luxury brought to this tow...city courtesy of the Ryder Cup in 2010. Oh, wait a minute, no I'm not we have an empty high street with empty shops because all the chains are pulling out now that any chance of money from this area has gone with the golf. They buggered up my birthday with their traffic and their extra police and all that stuff and then tried to convince me that it brought in untold millions.... HA!