To BONG or not to BONG, that is the question

[toon10]

boyse7en said:

Trouble is around half the population don't agree with that assessment of Brexit, and might see spending half a million quid to rub the noses of our friends and neighbours in it might be construed as a little bit crass.

It just seems like a gesture designed to alienate and divide the population further

I agree, it's just another way to stoke the fires on a topic that has split the country. The leave vote won so that should be enough, why have a big fanfare for what a large portion of the population think is a self destructive mistake?

[Troubleatmill]

boyse7en said:

Trouble is around half the population don't agree with that assessment of Brexit, and might see spending half a million quid to rub the noses of our friends and neighbours in it might be construed as a little bit crass.
......

And the minute after the referendum result - Remoaners spending 3+ years trying every dirty trick in the book to revoke it isn't?

Is it any wonder some Leavers want to have cause for celebration?

Remainers should have just accepted the result of the referendum.


I'll be having a quiet night in - with a bottle of English sparkling wine - and having a toast at the appointed time.

[Getragdogleg]

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?

You shouldn't hold it in, that's not healthy.

[s2art]

NDA said:

Did bells ring when we joined?

Seems a bad idea to me - utterly pointless.

Didnt they light bonfires at the old warning sites, Barrow in Furness etc? Shades of 'Lord of the Rings'.

[mcdjl]

Silkyskills said:

With the country split almost down the middle on Brexit and all of this talk of uniting the country what will sounding the bell do to help?

Remainers will see it as triumphalist and leavers will revel in it in front of remainers.

This won't help heal any wounds or bring the population together.

We're leaving, let it lie at that.

I suspect Boris is aware of that. Hence suggesting crowd funding is actually quite clever: theres no mechanism (or time) for this to happen. By suggesting it though the leavers are happy that he hasn't said no. By not funding it the remainers are happy more money hasn't been wasted. So everyone is happy....well, ish.

[Ayahuasca]

Not only should all church bells ring, but all hilltop beacons should be lit.

[crankedup]

Fireworks over the River Thames celebrated our joining of the then Common Market, which later morphed into the EU. I would like to see some form of celebration that is taking us in the opposite direction. Also it serves as a marker to doubters, we are leaving, and it’s something that will be written into history U.K. celebrates.

[Glosphil]

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.

[Pan Pan Pan]

Short Grain said:

Dont like rolls said:

Big Ben or Big Ben and all the Churches as well ?

or

None and cry at home in silence with your grief ?

At an estimated cost of circa £500K for the bell to ring, someone's getting a big bonus!!

Apparently whilst Big Ben is still in the tower, the `bonger' is not in place at the moment, as it has been removed for overhaul, and that is why it is being claimed it will cost 500 K to get it back in position .
But if the bonger is being overhauled anyway, which must be paid for ,why not get it done a bit quicker, and use the 31st as its first `test' bong?

[Troubleatmill]

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.

Scotland issue is a red herring.

The EU Commission has written to Scottish Govt twice stating that the second they are independent - they are out of the EU.

Do you recall any Nat's bhing and moaning about leaving the EU in 2014 - when they got that news??

[anonymous-user]

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.

Exactly celebrate if we actually end up leaving in any meaningful way and it works out.

Looks a bit foolish to celebrate something loads of people didn’t want and might actually be negative for the country.

[BOR]

A bank holiday. Brexit Day.

A day off from the job. In years to come, it will remind you of when you actually had a job.

[Zirconia]

How much is a sledge hammer down screwfix? This a mark up government style?

[Dont like rolls]

2 Red Arrows over each capital on a co-ordinated flyover ?

Do the Nats in Scotland have Surface 2 Air ?

[Pan Pan Pan]

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.

No, it will celebrate the recent victory of the those who respect democracy, over those who did not.
What happens in the future no one knows, so the future can neither be celebrated, or denigrated (until it has happened, and then it will just be the present).

[yellowjack]

Pan Pan Pan said:

Apparently whilst Big Ben is still in the tower, the `bonger' is not in place at the moment, as it has been removed for overhaul, and that is why it is being claimed it will cost 500 K to get it back in position .
But if the bonger is being overhauled anyway, which must be paid for ,why not get it done a bit quicker, and use the 31st as its first `test' bong?

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.

[arfursleep]

yellowjack said:

Pan Pan Pan said:

Apparently whilst Big Ben is still in the tower, the `bonger' is not in place at the moment, as it has been removed for overhaul, and that is why it is being claimed it will cost 500 K to get it back in position .
But if the bonger is being overhauled anyway, which must be paid for ,why not get it done a bit quicker, and use the 31st as its first `test' bong?

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.

Don't come on here with your facts and logic, you'll upset the bandwagons...

I agree that this an empty gesture by those making it, they know it's not achievable in the remaining time frame without serious financial investment but it'll give them something else to berate someone about down the line.

[anonymous-user]

Big Ben or no Big Ben It really is going to be 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.

Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 15th January 12:50

[gooner1]

The ultimate division bell it would seem.

[Pan Pan Pan]

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!