Marmora Man

The Fox & Anchor, Smithfield Market. Used to be a proper market pub opening at 5.30am and full of meat market porters, also frequented by nurses & doctors from Barts, and the occasional city gent taking in the full English with claret or Guinness before work. Now it's a Malmaison Hotel.

Burbage Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Marmora Man Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Was it TJMP, or someone else, that was > responsible > > for gross underestimate of the costs of hosting > > the Olympics. Starting at ?2.9bn (from memory) > and > > rising now to ?9.6bn? > > I don't wish to be rude, but your comments are > unhelpful, and counter to the spirit of the times. > > > For a start, it must have been someone else. You > don't get to oversee a multi-million pound bidding > process only to do the work yourself. And, > besides, you're forgetting that a good chunk of > the overrun was spent as contingency, which, > obviously, doesn't count. > > TJMPs role, in respect to her constituents, was to > go on the telly to reassure us that the ?240 we're > contributing through the council tax would be > turned into almost tangible benefits, worth ?700 > or more to each and every household in the > Metropolis. And for that, we should be grateful. > > Even if you ignore the games' contribution to the > upsurge in sporting participation, the frankly > embarrassing proliferation of playing fields and > the clear benefits to public health, we've got a > nearly new shopping centre within a day's walk, a > cable-car relieving pressure on parts of the DLR > and an upgrade to our traffic network that will, > finally, deliver what the congestion charge once > promised. And if that wasn't enough, you'll not > need to buy the Radio Times for six weeks. > > Now is not the time to be negative. Now is the > time to sit back and watch, with all due > incredulity, this once-in-four-year spectacle > unravelling on our very doorstep. Two points: 1. Elsewhere I have been a strong supporter of the Olympics and countered the cynicism on the "Am I the only one" thread. 2. TJMP was the Project Manager for the bid - on the "buck stops here" principle she must take responsibility for her team's error (if, of course, it was an error and not a deliberate undercoating to win the bid).

Newquay

Was it TJMP, or someone else, that was responsible for gross underestimate of the costs of hosting the Olympics. Starting at ?2.9bn (from memory) and rising now to ?9.6bn?

Combine plans for cinema with an M&S and you'll have a winning business plan.

Thanks - to whoever it is that has, it seems, read this post and stopped using the corner of Marmora / Scutari as a dog toilet. Sine 1230 people have viewed the thread I cannot be sure which of you has taken the hint but I do appreciate it.

Of course there may also be a credible threat that isn't being publicised for fear of spooking everyone and, as such, the precautions make sense.

I agree with DC - it was just a dog. Calm down folks.

D-C said "I hope I'm right in thinking that MamoraMan, yourself, Loz and Jeremy (hereby known as the 4 horsemen) would like to see a society where living standards for the vast majority met those described. I suspect we have very different methods of reaching it however". You're right - I would like everyone to have a decent standard of living but I believe it is not a relative matter but an absolute marker. I also believe that it cannot be set without reference to its cost. The situation mirrors discussions held with children flying the nest for the first time. They are often used to a certain standard of living at home and, understandably, want to replicate that standard in their new accommodation. However, this is usually unaffordable on entry level salaries - large bathrooms, fully fitted kitchens, power showers and hi end broadband and cable TV do not come cheap and so, gradually, these children have to lower their sights; settling for the rougher and smaller properties and recognising that it may take years to reach a position where they can afford these luxuries. Same with the JRF standard of living. It is a sensible aspiration but it takes time to accumulate all aspects of this minimum. In my youth and immediate post student life I went without holidays sometimes in order to afford a car, to repair the car I sometimes cut down on living (eating) expenses [one memorable month was spent living predominantly on military 24 hour ration packs], to replace the broken fridge I "borrowed" from the money set aside to pay the rates and so on. By the bye - Tesco's net profit for 2011 was 4.6%, which is hardly gouging the consumer.

According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) Report into Minimum Income Standard a single person in the UK needs to earn at least ?16,400 a year before tax in 2012, to afford a minimum acceptable standard of living, while two parents need to earn at least ?18,400 each to support themselves and two children. This is based upon the costs of providing what a survey of the public has determined what comprises a minimum acceptable standard of living in the UK. THe survey has taken place every year since 2008. * In some areas of life, however, the minimum has gone down. For example, in today's harsher economic climate, pensioners and families with children specified lower minimum budgets for eating out and for exchanging Christmas and birthday presents. * In other areas, new requirements have emerged since 2008. Computers and the internet are now considered necessities for all working-age families. * Families with children living in urban areas outside London stated that a car has become essential to meet an acceptable living standard. * Since 2008, actual incomes have risen much more slowly than minimum income requirements. * In addition to the effect of higher living costs, cuts in tax credits for families with children have outweighed the benefit of higher tax allowances. What interested me were the quotes of various spokespersons who were, in general, suggesting that something must be done about the gap between average incomes and the JRF assessed required level of income. Oxfam's director of UK poverty, Chris Johnes, commented: "Yet again we are seeing evidence of working families being hit hardest by a perfect storm of soaring living costs and cuts to services and crucial support, like working tax credits. Julia Unwin, chief executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: "Families have a monumental task trying to earn enough to get by. This year's research shows that a dangerous cocktail of service cuts and stagnating incomes are being keenly felt by parents. Both seem to imply that the shortfall should be made up through government (aka taxpayer) funded benefits - which begs the question as to how these government / taxpayer funded benefits can be afforded. So questions: a. "Should the JRF Survey also ask, alongside what constitutes a minimum standard of living, how that minimum standard of living should be funded" ALSO b. "Would the answer to what constitutes a minimum standard of living change if it were made explicit that the only way of closing any funding gap would be an increase in the cost of benefits"

red devil Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Jeremy Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Mick Mac Wrote: > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > > ----- > > > I think its a pretty poor excuse that he's up > > > against 3 world class players... > > > > > > Would he have fared any better in the era of > > Borg, > > > McEnroe and Connors ? > > > > Ditto Sampras/Agassi. Or even Becker and > Edberg. > > Would his chances have been any better when > these > > guys were top of the rankings? > > Of course there will always be good players in any > era, but IMO what marks out the current era is the > all round depth of quality of Fed, Rafa and > Djokovic. It's unusual to have 3 world class > players capable of winning on all surfaces, thus > making it harder for Murray to win any of the > Slams. > Fed, Rafa and Djokovic, have each won the 4 Grand > Slams. There are no surface specialists in that > group. Borg never won at the US or Oz Open. > McEnroe never won at the French or Oz Open. > Also, in the open tennis era there have only been > 6 players to win three or more Grand Slam singles > titles in a calendar year...Rod Laver, Jimmy > Connors, Mats Wilander, Roger Federer, Rafael > Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. Note the last 3... Simon Barnes in the Times on Friday made the point, rather well I thought, that the "it's tough to be playing in the Golden Era" was false, and that if AM were to triumph in an era when the opposition were poor then the joy and satisfaction would be less. To win at the highest level you need high level opposition - walkovers and one sided matches may, sometimes, be satisfying for the fans (vide current failure of Australia in the ODI series) for genuine enthusiasts and the sportsmen themselves it is to be among the best and beating the best that brings the satisfaction. Mountaineers want to scale Everest, not One Tree Hill.

rememberwhen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Marmora Man > I believe that the dog with "the runs" is more > likely to be a fox. If that's the case I apologise for blaming dog owners - however, there remains a problem with the obvious dog crap that is regularly deposited in this area AND not cleared up by dog owners.

PR - Golf??

My 60th birthday

I'm not with you and believe that proclaiming an anti Olympic stance when this "once in a generation" event is taking place within 10 miles of you is akin to a "look at me I'm anti establishment" 6th form protest. Almost every sport is represented - unless you totally abhor every sport there should be at least one that you'd be interested in?

Not clearing up after your dog is unpleasant, unsightly and unhygienic. One dog with an uncaring owner seems to have "the runs" at present and has dumped 5 loads in two days on the corner of Marmora & Scutari. Please think of your neighbours and, in particular, those walking children and buggies to / from the local schools I've hosed down the mess and cleared it into the gutter tonight but have failed to spot the offender.

Trying to watch it now from our roof - very dull so far with minimal action.

I went early this evening - crowd start to grow from 7.00 pm. Was good - food & drink reasonably priced, crowd an eclectic mix - signalling Peckham's imminent takeover of the Hoxton / Shoreditch / Spitalfield areas as trendy Bo Ho arty central. Views of London great - art installations left me cold. Will probably return to people watch and take in the view over quiet pint or two.

Whoever the bloke interviewed outside Petit Chou made a very fluent case for no change to the current set up.

henryb, my point is that if less than 3% of the UK is built upon this means the vast majority of the country is NOT built upon. In ED and it's immediate surroundings there are vast swathes of green spaces and trees. Within 200 yards of Old Camberwell Cemetry we have Peckham Rye, Brenchley Gardens and One Tree Hill. I think your campaign is unnecessary - the loss of a few trees will have very little impact, particularly as many will in any case be replaced.

The Shard opens formally next week 5th July. Light & laser show that evening - which for those in the right spot should make a good show. Lower floors will be open for office use, higher floors including viewing gallery, restaurants and hotel open early next year. Will be possible to book viewing gallery via Shard website from Friday 6 Jul.

For those obsessed by the partial loss a small copse of nondescript trees, then reading this http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18623096 may bring a sense of proportion.

womanofdulwich Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The life saving course now costs about ?250!!runs > at JAgs sometimes. Wow - that's some inflation - probably in recognition of it being a good way into earning.

My sons at the same age "borrowed" enough money from me to complete a one week's Pool Lifeguard course (then about ?75.00 and then spent a happy summer (2008 / 09 / 10) each taking shifts at the Brockwell Lido - getting a tan, looking "fit" and generally having a lot of fun while earning approx ?6.50/hour. They cycled to & fro and learnt quite a lot about life, getting up on time and about people and attitudes (not least for Son No.1 who met another lifeguard who had served time for murder but was very helpful and encouraging. Later, post A Levels Son No. 1 then used the qualification to spend a summer, post A Levels, in a Mark Warner Greek resort looking after their pools and guests. See http://npmqreg.org.uk/ for more details of courses and costs.

DJKillaQueen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I completely agree Mr ben. I think those 60s > planners genuinely felt they were solving a > problem with a cheap and imaginative solution, but > I think most would agree it was an experiment with > a high cost that completely failed. Hindsight is > always easy though. But it's still going in in Liverpool and similar places. The last Gov't's Pathfinder scheme devastated vast swathes and then failed to even replace the buildings that are now mouldering away for want of investment. I've seen a number of truly imaginative schemes that would upgrade / refurbish the old terraced streets to create wonderful 2 - 4 bedroom houses, with green spaces and all on a human scale. (4 bedrooms created by joining two terraced properties. There's one here but I'm sure there are others.