What about the rest of the fecking country!?!
Discussion
[Rant]
The news recently has been touting the government’s latest harebrained schemes to improve the lot of the British man in the street. That is of course the British man in the street of London or near by locations. What about the rest of the fecking country!!! We pay fecking tax too.
We hear of the 1.5bn to be spent on affordable housing in the south east… Guys there is plenty of fecking affordable housing in the rest of the country, and you won’t have to worry about the M4 bus lane, or the next tube strike (what a laugh that was for the rest of us hearing how bad that was for you), or being run over by crazed cycle couriers, or dieing at the age of 40 due to inhalation of diesel fumes from all the 1935 busses and taxis.
And now there is the latest wonderful idea of increasing the influx of people to the area by expanding the airports and building another one!!! Who in his/her right mind came up with that??? Heathrow (we are constantly being told) has the highest air traffic rate in the world… and wait for it… they want to make it busier!! The circuit will end up resembling the rush hour on the M25!
If the government wants to reduce traffic and congestion they should be investing in areas outside the south east, and encouraging people to work from home, far from ploughing the rest of the counties taxpayers money into an area we only visit for PH meetings at Virginia waters.
I know there is a large contingent from PH land who live in the south east, but sorry guys, you’re all mad! Move out to the cundry its much nicer out here… and… there’s hardly any traffic!!
[/Rant]
There that’s better…
Cheers Dan
The news recently has been touting the government’s latest harebrained schemes to improve the lot of the British man in the street. That is of course the British man in the street of London or near by locations. What about the rest of the fecking country!!! We pay fecking tax too.
We hear of the 1.5bn to be spent on affordable housing in the south east… Guys there is plenty of fecking affordable housing in the rest of the country, and you won’t have to worry about the M4 bus lane, or the next tube strike (what a laugh that was for the rest of us hearing how bad that was for you), or being run over by crazed cycle couriers, or dieing at the age of 40 due to inhalation of diesel fumes from all the 1935 busses and taxis.
And now there is the latest wonderful idea of increasing the influx of people to the area by expanding the airports and building another one!!! Who in his/her right mind came up with that??? Heathrow (we are constantly being told) has the highest air traffic rate in the world… and wait for it… they want to make it busier!! The circuit will end up resembling the rush hour on the M25!
If the government wants to reduce traffic and congestion they should be investing in areas outside the south east, and encouraging people to work from home, far from ploughing the rest of the counties taxpayers money into an area we only visit for PH meetings at Virginia waters.
I know there is a large contingent from PH land who live in the south east, but sorry guys, you’re all mad! Move out to the cundry its much nicer out here… and… there’s hardly any traffic!!
[/Rant]
There that’s better…
Cheers Dan
Here Here!!
Mind you, they are expanding other airports etc too. I had to laugh when I saw a report on the proposed expansion of Birmingham Airport on BBC Breakfast telly today. A tree hugger was protesting, saying that we should not be contributing to "urban sprawl" but re generating the inner city, ...well yes I agree, but is he sugesting that we should put an airport in the MIDDLE of Birmingham??
Jon H
Mind you, they are expanding other airports etc too. I had to laugh when I saw a report on the proposed expansion of Birmingham Airport on BBC Breakfast telly today. A tree hugger was protesting, saying that we should not be contributing to "urban sprawl" but re generating the inner city, ...well yes I agree, but is he sugesting that we should put an airport in the MIDDLE of Birmingham??
Jon H
Heard someone responding to this sort of argument by quoting that London is a net giver to the total economy because of the number of people there. Funny, I don't ever recall a 'Stenders storyline featuring Phils tax return!
You're right though, the government ought to take a lead in decentralising. Maybe traffic policies might chill a bit of they peeped outside the smoke once in a while an realised that there are open roads elsewhere.
I can't understand why city folk put up with it. Worked for ages in Brum, commuting in from Rugby. They all thought I was mad living in the sticks, but my commute took maybe 40 mins, and many crossing Brum took far longer. And for what they paid for a titchy semi I get a 4 bed detached. Doh!
You're right though, the government ought to take a lead in decentralising. Maybe traffic policies might chill a bit of they peeped outside the smoke once in a while an realised that there are open roads elsewhere.
I can't understand why city folk put up with it. Worked for ages in Brum, commuting in from Rugby. They all thought I was mad living in the sticks, but my commute took maybe 40 mins, and many crossing Brum took far longer. And for what they paid for a titchy semi I get a 4 bed detached. Doh!
Good point well put. Looks like the wife and I will be relocating to Edinburgh soon. Hopefully, we'll get a much better quality of life.
Only downsides are the fact my favourite event of the year (Goodwood FoS) will now be several hundred miles away, as opposed to 30! Still, I reckon that makes it worth buying a weekend ticket!!!
Only downsides are the fact my favourite event of the year (Goodwood FoS) will now be several hundred miles away, as opposed to 30! Still, I reckon that makes it worth buying a weekend ticket!!!
Dan,
I'd love to move to Scotland and live there hapily ever after, wandering around the hills and driving on the empty roads.
However,
I, like many of the PH'ers here, am an IT/Internet contractor. London is the only _reliable_ source of work for me. I was born and bred in Manchester so am not a die hard Southerner, but in order to pay off my mortgage by the time I'm 31 and then buy a lovely Cerbie, I'm going to have to stay here for at least 3 years.
I guess it comes down to a choice, quality of life over money. Well, I have a flat overlooking the sea in Brighton too, so that helps
but seriously the economy oop North couldn't employ me at the rate it does down here.
Now we stumble onwards to the political situation of 'well why doesn't the government fund the development of the North then'. Well, I'm fairly apathetic to politics (like much of the rest of the population, judging by the turn out of the last general election) but I have to agree bLair and the rest of his cronies appear to be Southern-centric. It's nice to see Manchester getting the commonwealth games though.
I digress.
Yes, we are mad to be down here, but it's a necessary evil until I have pots of cash to come up North and play with or retire to my flat by the sea and throw things at the tourists.
I'd love to move to Scotland and live there hapily ever after, wandering around the hills and driving on the empty roads.
However,
I, like many of the PH'ers here, am an IT/Internet contractor. London is the only _reliable_ source of work for me. I was born and bred in Manchester so am not a die hard Southerner, but in order to pay off my mortgage by the time I'm 31 and then buy a lovely Cerbie, I'm going to have to stay here for at least 3 years.
I guess it comes down to a choice, quality of life over money. Well, I have a flat overlooking the sea in Brighton too, so that helps
but seriously the economy oop North couldn't employ me at the rate it does down here. Now we stumble onwards to the political situation of 'well why doesn't the government fund the development of the North then'. Well, I'm fairly apathetic to politics (like much of the rest of the population, judging by the turn out of the last general election) but I have to agree bLair and the rest of his cronies appear to be Southern-centric. It's nice to see Manchester getting the commonwealth games though.
I digress.
Yes, we are mad to be down here, but it's a necessary evil until I have pots of cash to come up North and play with or retire to my flat by the sea and throw things at the tourists.
quote:
Mind you, they are expanding other airports etc too. I had to laugh when I saw a report on the proposed expansion of Birmingham Airport on BBC Breakfast telly today. A tree hugger was protesting, saying that we should not be contributing to "urban sprawl" but re generating the inner city, ...well yes I agree, but is he sugesting that we should put an airport in the MIDDLE of Birmingham??
Lats time I went to Brum I couldn't help thinking that a lot of it would look much better buried under a huge expanse of tarmac
- they could do a lot worse than demolishing coventry city centre while they were at it too Well Martin, you'll have to admit you're in the minority.
I work in new media/idtv and most of the current large projects are being kicked off in London or thereabouts. Leeds is showing quite a surge in the new media area, but I lived in Bradford for 5 years and that was quite enough
The trouble with the London airports is that they are mostly all miles from London. Stanstead, Luton etc. are a *long* way from the city centre and high speed rail links are pretty near impossible for a multitude of reasons. Gatwick is out of the question 'cos of an agreement with Sussex county council from 1979, so Heathrow it is.
I work in new media/idtv and most of the current large projects are being kicked off in London or thereabouts. Leeds is showing quite a surge in the new media area, but I lived in Bradford for 5 years and that was quite enough
The trouble with the London airports is that they are mostly all miles from London. Stanstead, Luton etc. are a *long* way from the city centre and high speed rail links are pretty near impossible for a multitude of reasons. Gatwick is out of the question 'cos of an agreement with Sussex county council from 1979, so Heathrow it is.
I must admit I'm not a fan of affordable housing - BUT - I HAVE to live in the S.E. (work in IT. Its gotta be near the Thames Valley, that's the way it is) and by now (15 years or so) I have settled here - and I NEED nurses, junior policemen etc to be able to work near where I live.
I'd prefer a better scheme (e.g. Council Housing that people wanted to live in) but its the one we've got so until something better arrives I'll live with it.
The weather is MUCH better in the S.E. than anywhere else in country bar Suffolk - and if you like open-top motoring that's important.
But I DO Agree that Govt is FAR too London-centric.
I'd prefer a better scheme (e.g. Council Housing that people wanted to live in) but its the one we've got so until something better arrives I'll live with it.
The weather is MUCH better in the S.E. than anywhere else in country bar Suffolk - and if you like open-top motoring that's important.
But I DO Agree that Govt is FAR too London-centric.
quote:Cool! I'm sure you won't regret it....so many good roads to drive on! Give's a shout if you do move - there's a few PHers from this neck of the woods.
Good point well put. Looks like the wife and I will be relocating to Edinburgh soon. Hopefully, we'll get a much better quality of life.
cheers,
Craig
Hi Craig.
Cheers for that. At first the thought of relocating scared the wotsits out of me, but having been to Scotland on holiday a few times (including Edinburgh) I have to say I love the place AND the people. Hopefully, we'll be moving up in about 3 months time.
Not sure if I should keep our Surrey property (a modest 3 bed semi that's already increased by over £70K in the last 2.5 years) and rent it out. My fear is that if I ever want to move back to Surrey, the prices will have escalated out of all proportion to my salary.
Alternatively I could sell here and either pocket a load of dosh or reduce my mortgage on a bigger detached property. Choices choices....
I'll certainly be up for any PH meets when were up there though.
Cheers for that. At first the thought of relocating scared the wotsits out of me, but having been to Scotland on holiday a few times (including Edinburgh) I have to say I love the place AND the people. Hopefully, we'll be moving up in about 3 months time.
Not sure if I should keep our Surrey property (a modest 3 bed semi that's already increased by over £70K in the last 2.5 years) and rent it out. My fear is that if I ever want to move back to Surrey, the prices will have escalated out of all proportion to my salary.
Alternatively I could sell here and either pocket a load of dosh or reduce my mortgage on a bigger detached property. Choices choices....
I'll certainly be up for any PH meets when were up there though.
quote:
[Rant]
...
If the government wants to reduce traffic and congestion they should be investing in areas outside the south east...
Noooooooo ! Keep the investment in the south east and the (relatively) clear roads for the rest of us ! I don't want Londan traffic trasplanted into my part of the country - Thank you very much. Keep it in the south east where it belongs !
Edit - Or develop the north east/west as it will still be out of my way !
>> Edited by bob the planner on Tuesday 23 July 20:18
not the north east, thanks
oh, actually, how about finally dualling the A1 all the way up, so that geordies and scots can travel around in relative safety, and leaving me to romp about on the alternatives when i go home?
Or shall we just have some more cameras?
>> Edited by castex on Tuesday 23 July 20:58
oh, actually, how about finally dualling the A1 all the way up, so that geordies and scots can travel around in relative safety, and leaving me to romp about on the alternatives when i go home?
Or shall we just have some more cameras?
>> Edited by castex on Tuesday 23 July 20:58
quote:
oh, actually, how about finally dualling the A1 all the way up,
On the one hand, the North East of England (York to
Berwick) is an economic wasteland, where
most folks leave for jobs elsewhere.
On the other hand, the A1 is a two lane cart track to
Newcastle, and then peters out into a single lane each way road
to Berwick.
Are these two facts related we ask ourselves ?
I seem to remember a few decades ago, in 'O'
level geography, that road development and economic development go hand in hand.
Gassing Station | General Gassing [Archive] | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff