To BONG or not to BONG, that is the question

[Jazzer77]

Tyre Smoke said:

I'm an ardent leaver and see nothing of value in this at all.

It's a divisive waste of money. Triumphalist nonsense. Remember there were 48% of those that voted, voted to Remain. This is stupidity stirred up by the uneducated and unwashed. Have some humility.

I'm an ardent remainer and love this post.

[Tallow]

Brooking10 said:

crankedup said:

Seems to me that the tone was set years ago, remainers protesting in the streets. Some of their placards were daubed with comments slurring those of us who voted to leave the EU. Even now accusations are rife. Certainly I do not see those people or like minded holding the moral cards of class or dignity in their favour, rather the opposite is true.

Unfortunately Crankie there are some people who will never accept the following in tandem.

1 - Some people who voted leave did so because they are stupid racists

2 - Some people who voted remain have proven to be stupid idealists

Both groups are stupid.

Neither reflects well on our country.

I agree completely. Irrespective of who "started it," this should be the time to draw a line under things and try to move forward together instead of continuing with the pointless labelling and finger pointing. It's done now, let's move on and behave in the correct manner.

If we all continue to think the people that don't agree with us are inherently wrong and do things to knowingly antagonise them, we're no better than the people we claim are in the wrong. I can't see how this whole bell thing helps at all.

[NDA]

booboise blueboys said:

If you can't be bothered to throw a few quid to get Big Ben ringing then I really do despair for some so called "citizens".

Really?

I am a citizen, I voted to leave but am against the idea of such braggadocio - particularly as it was a wafer thin majority.

I'm glad we are leaving, but there are some hard yards ahead and I recognise that a huge number of my fellow citizens are against leaving.

[AC43]

SpeckledJim said:

I'll certainly be celebrating in a quiet way, but it's definitely not something we need to do at a central, country level.

Around half of us will be very disappointed - we don't need a government-organised lightning rod for that disaffection.

We also don't want a 'celebration' to be the note upon which we begin the next phase of negotiations with the EU. It's hard to claim to be trying to find common ground when we've just made a highly visible (and audible) demonstration of how pleased we are to be different.

It's grown-ups time, please.

Maybe we could first let it bong to keep the Leavers happy then blow it up to keep the Remainers happy.

Personally, although I voted Remain, I wouldn't mind if it bonged or not. I wouldn't have stayed up either way. But I don't think at £500k it's worth it.

I'd rather spend £500k on trade negotiations. More sensible way to proceed.

[AJL308]

I'm a Leaver and can't see the point, quite frankly. It's a huge waste of money for no real purpose.

[crankedup]

Brooking10 said:

crankedup said:

Seems to me that the tone was set years ago, remainers protesting in the streets. Some of their placards were daubed with comments slurring those of us who voted to leave the EU. Even now accusations are rife. Certainly I do not see those people or like minded holding the moral cards of class or dignity in their favour, rather the opposite is true.

Unfortunately Crankie there are some people who will never accept the following in tandem.

1 - Some people who voted leave did so because they are stupid racists

2 - Some people who voted remain have proven to be stupid idealists

Both groups are stupid.

Neither reflects well on our country.

True, can’t get away from it to be fair. Nowt so queer as folk, as my MIL would say!
Hell Im not perfect either, known for my pint in spoons

[AJL308]

chrispmartha said:

Its a stupid idea.

Anyway on the morning of the 1st of February both remainers and leavers will probably say ‘look nothings changed’, and they will both be correct this will rumble on for years

Everyone should take a photo of the sky when they wake up on the morning of the 1st of February and post it to whatever social media they use. I can pretty much guarantee that we won't be prevented from doing so due it having fallen in at 23:00:01 the previous evening.

It'll still be there at 23:00:01 on 31st of January 2021 too and the next morning we'll get all have Facebook reminding of us a "memory" from 1 Year Ago at which point we'll think....."What the actual fk was all that about?"

[Gweeds]

If the human bin that is Mark Francois thinks it’s a good idea then it’s always a bad idea.

[AJL308]

Glosphil said:

Why celebrate a decision that has divided the country and caused hassle between England & Scotland? Perhaps celebrate in 5 years IF leaving proves to provide the promised benefits.

On the other hand, the original vote to remain in the EEC caused division too.

[crankedup]

AC43 said:

SpeckledJim said:

I'll certainly be celebrating in a quiet way, but it's definitely not something we need to do at a central, country level.

Around half of us will be very disappointed - we don't need a government-organised lightning rod for that disaffection.

We also don't want a 'celebration' to be the note upon which we begin the next phase of negotiations with the EU. It's hard to claim to be trying to find common ground when we've just made a highly visible (and audible) demonstration of how pleased we are to be different.

It's grown-ups time, please.

Maybe we could first let it bong to keep the Leavers happy then blow it up to keep the Remainers happy.

Personally, although I voted Remain, I wouldn't mind if it bonged or not. I wouldn't have stayed up either way. But I don't think at £500k it's worth it.

I'd rather spend £500k on trade negotiations. More sensible way to proceed.

Cost of New Year’s eve London firework display is around 2.5 million pounds. Budget comes from London Council tax payers and ticket sales apparently. To me the event has become an International :
‘my fireworks are bigger than yours’ event.

[minimoog]

AJL308 said:

I'm a Leaver and can't see the point, quite frankly. It's a huge waste of money for no real purpose.

It keeps the mouth-breathers happy and distracted. What Conservative government wouldn't want that?

[AJL308]

yellowjack said:

As far as I understood things, it wasn't the clapper, nor the bell that were the main issue. An alternative electric motor was rigged up as a means to strike the bell a couple of times during the maintenance works, but this has been stripped out to allow the belfry floor (to which it was attached) to be removed and replaced as part of the renovations. So to re-instate the bell/clapper/motor would mean suspending work in the belfry, and putting back a temporary floor on which to mount the motor again. So far, so simple. But the scheme of works is then interrupted. Further along the line, you are introducing delays on jobs that have been planned for years. To build the floor back, sound the bell, then strip it all out again would take weeks. Weeks during which contractors, and their employees, will still expect to be paid. Weeks that get added on to the end of the project, resulting in extra costs on top of any time/cost overruns as a result of additional problems NOT of the government's making. Those time/cost overruns are where the projected £500k cost of sounding the bell have come from. And on a project of this scale on a listed and iconic building? That doesn't seem all that ridiculous a calculation, really. Especially when there are churches and cathedrals all over the capital and the country that could ring a cheery peel at the requisite moment. People get far too hung up on details like Big Ben, and end up overlooking important factors. No sensible government wants to knowingly add two? three? four? weeks to a project like the restoration of the Houses Of Parliament just so some daft bints can don plastic Union Flag hats and sing Land Of Hope And Glory in the streets on a cold winter's day.

It could backfire too....this is unplanned work hundreds of feet in the air being done in a tight time-frame. Accidents happen in situations like this. What's the mood going to be like if someone gets killed doing this?

[AJL308]

Pan Pan Pan said:

Brooking10 said:

Big Ben or no Big Ben It really is going to bellend overdose on PH on the evening of 31st/morning of Feb 1st.

Elsewhere expect to wake up on Saturday 1st to countless front pages and double page picture spreads in the Sun/Mail/Express of folk celebrating in pubs and clubs up and down the land wearing Union Jack plastic bowler hats with accompanying selected quotes of genius.

Hopefully all the cut and paste jingoism will be exhausted in a flurry of Friday night fkwittery and extensive inappropriate use of the term independence and then we can get back to normal on the following Monday morning.

Indeed, matched only (in smaller size) by the didn't get their way in a democratic vote f*ckwits, who will be sitting next to their cold hearths, wringing their hands and crying woe is me! So a great day for all!

Apparently they're organising a candle-lit march in Newcastle from the Civic Centre to somewhere else on the night. That's as much self indulgently ridiculous as anything. At least the Leavers will doing a bit of partying rather than wallowing in self-pity.

[AJL308]

Digga said:

yellowjack said:

My bathroom will likely be in disarray at the time of our exit from the European Union. Do I demand that the plumber re-fits my toilet for the day so that I can take a massive celebratory/commiseratory* (delete as appropriate) dump in it at the moment the town crier reads out the proclamation?

I think you will regret it if you don't. You will never get that moment/movement again.

Reminds me of when Michael Schumackher retired (or won something, I forget which) and was being presented with something and giving a speech on the podium. Immediately afterwards they were asking the various drivers present for comments on what they they thought about it. Once of them, Kimmi Raikonen, I think, when the mic was shoved under his nose replied simply....I was 'avin a st. Having loads of money to pay the fines and not really giving a toss what people think to start with must be great!

[AJL308]

crankedup said:

Tallow said:

Brooking10 said:

Tyre Smoke said:

I'm an ardent leaver and see nothing of value in this at all.

It's a divisive waste of money. Triumphalist nonsense. Remember there were 48% of those that voted, voted to Remain. This is stupidity stirred up by the uneducated and unwashed. Have some humility.

Nail on head.

Exactly. Seems like classless willy waving to me. I would have thought that doing something quietly and with dignity is much more of what we aspire to as Brits. Certainly it seems to me that should be the example we want to set to the rest of the world as we go down a new path.

Seems to me that the tone was set years ago, remainers protesting in the streets. Some of their placards were daubed with comments slurring those of us who voted to leave the EU. Even now accusations are rife. Certainly I do not see those people or like minded holding the moral cards of class or dignity in their favour, rather the opposite is true.

Exactly. Too many Remainers bleated on about "democracy" and having a respect for it yet went out of their way to deliver the precise opposite of a democratic vote. Not just any vote but by a long was the largest single turnout in British democratic history. Not only that but the Remain camp in Parliament (democratically elected, no less) went out of their way to frustrate the very promises they had themselves made time and time again over a period of years.

Sections of the Remain side have been every bit as bad as they claim sections of the Leave crowd have been although they were possibly less shouty about it. Their actions though are, arguably, far more worrying and insidious than anything Leave got up to.

[anonymous-user]

AJL308 said:

Exactly. Too many Remainers bleated on about "democracy" and having a respect for it yet went out of their way to deliver the precise opposite of a democratic vote. Not just any vote but by a long was the largest single turnout in British democratic history. Not only that but the Remain camp in Parliament (democratically elected, no less) went out of their way to frustrate the very promises they had themselves made time and time again over a period of years.

Sections of the Remain side have been every bit as bad as they claim sections of the Leave crowd have been although they were possibly less shouty about it. Their actions though are, arguably, far more worrying and insidious than anything Leave got up to.

And one day both sides might let it go ......

[unsprung]

kev1974 said:

Halb said:

Americans React to Blackcurrant Tango Advert
The Postmodern Family
https://youtu.be/YLnSp082b-4?t=34
"stereotypical british, doesn't care about hoe he dresses."

original
Blackcurrant Tango Commercial
rgvideoaccount
https://youtu.be/odCBml5TuNI

Brilliant advert.

Aptly named: St George

I've played that spot for years, to anybody prepared to watch. So good. A tour de force in farce. And I'm not even English.

It has its own (impressively detailed) page on Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_George_(advertise...

[AJL308]

Digga said:

In principle, I don't object to the bonging.

It is a unique situation, of national import and, whatever your view, is highly significant.

Those who wish to celebrate will do so anyway, they will not hold back for a lack of bongs, but I do not think that is necessarily the whole intent of the bongs anyway.

This is the essential point. The event is one of the most significant constitutional occurrences in the history of this Country and should be marked in some form or other. I'm not sure just how significant people on either side actually realise it is.

It should be recognised on a national basis by the government. It doesn't need to be celebratory in nature, and it certainly shouldn't be some form of commiseration and commemoration. It should be a national recognition of the great significance that it in fact is.

[Randy Winkman]

Jazzer77 said:

Tyre Smoke said:

I'm an ardent leaver and see nothing of value in this at all.

It's a divisive waste of money. Triumphalist nonsense. Remember there were 48% of those that voted, voted to Remain. This is stupidity stirred up by the uneducated and unwashed. Have some humility.

I'm an ardent remainer and love this post.

Me too. This and other posts with the same sentiment are nice to see.

[AJL308]

minimoog said:

AJL308 said:

I'm a Leaver and can't see the point, quite frankly. It's a huge waste of money for no real purpose.

It keeps the mouth-breathers happy and distracted. What Conservative government wouldn't want that?

If you think for one minute that Boris is remotely concerned with keeping people like that happy then you are deluded my friend. If he was then he'd have had central government shout the bill.