Big white thingy

[Bergman]

I drove thro Portsmouth today, first time I've been there for several years.

There appeared to be a big white sticky-up thing somewhere around the harbour.

I didn't have time to investigate what it was -(needed to get home to Gods own country)

Can someone enlighten me?

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[bigmart]

Re: At a Guess

You saw the still incomplete Spinnaker Tower. Apparently built to celebrate the Millenium but a little late arriving. They've just started building the Spinnaker on to it. Maybe they'lle finish it in the next ten years.

Martin

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[alant]

Your Welsh then!

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[bigmart]

Re: Just noticed

the Gods Country bit of youre message. Have you ever noticed how the South of England is full of Yorkshiremen wittering on about Yorkshire being Gods Country but God himself, seems to have totally, deserted the place.

Martin

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[jamesjermain]

The Millenium Spinnaker Tower. Estimated original cost around a million, current prediction around 14 million. Heavy outbreak of forced resignations at Portsmouth City Council, much chuckling and drinking of champagne by contractors.

Unbelievably, and allegedly, the council failed to tie up rights to the image of the tower and now have to pay the designer a royalty every time they use a picture of the tower on publicity material etc. Also unbelievably and allegedly, they failed to tie up public rights of way to the tower so it may be that no one will be able to visit it after completion unless the contractors get a nice fat fee for every footfall.

Meanwhile, a project with genuine social benefit and local support, the Gosport to Southsea tramway, running in a tunnel under the harbour, languishes for lack of funds.

<hr width=100% size=1>JJ

 

[gjeffery]

And while the Alexandra Hospital in Cosham is being re-constructed, Haslar is to take additional patients - so the tramway would be of even greater importance. So much for "joined up" government.

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[bigmart]

Yes that tunnel worries me. What happens if one of these super new, deep draught, Aircraft Carrier thingies enters Portsmouth at the bottom of a big Spring & dinges the tunnel. Could be a new wet tramway.

Would be good to get rid of those bloody ferries though.

Martin

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[VicS]

Try these websites:
http://62.49.203.251/npagebuild/Local/pagebuild.cgi?PAGE=../std-files/eye_live2.conf&SITE=cam1&SUB=../br_oggle/vars.sub

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple>Ne te confundant illegitimi.</font color=purple>

 

[nordic_ranger]

God\'s own country

I think you may be slightly confused. Yorkshire is God's own county! Scotland is God's own country!

Jim.

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[Sybarite]

<< Estimated original cost around a million, current prediction around 14 million.>>

I would suggest that this is common building practice. If they had quoted £14 m they wouldn't have won the contract. But I bet their contract did not stipulate a fixed price (unless it was a cost plus fixed fee type). They know that they can always renegotiate once they win the contract.

John

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[halcyon]

Don't see how they could have charged £1 million, let alone £14 million,
Then they got nealy £30 for the shed at Falmouth thats the National Maritime museum.

Big advantage when it's not your money, and you have a big ego.

Brian

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[Bergman]

Re: Thanks

for the information.

Must admit it didn't look like £14M worth, in fact I thought it was something of an eyesore, but maybe I'm a philistine.

Anyway, nice to be back in Gods own country, and it is country! As for all the Yorkshiremen in the South, we regard it as missionary work, or sometimes a form of penance for excesive displays of enthusiasm, generosity or good humour.

Think thats why Prescotts there.

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[Fill]

Ah, be fair, JJ. Now the Bramble post is missing, aspiring yachtmasters can use the Spinnaker Tower and F**** Big Chimney as pretty good bearings from almost anywhere in the Solent.

Secondly I seem to recall hearing that the tunnel was going to be a cut and lay project using tubes (or similar) across the mouth of Portsmouth harbour and yachts would have a flow system - rather like traffic lights when they're digging up the road - to get in and out. Imagine that on a busy weekend with Sunsail and others eager to get to the racing. Moreover, the depth originally planned wasn't calculated taking into account the draft of the new super carriers we seem able to afford. So that too was back to the drawing board!



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[Birdseye]

Re: God\'s own country

No - Scotland is just a historical region. The UK is the country.

And in any case, you're all wrong. God is Welsh. My wife says so, so it must be right.

<hr width=100% size=1>this post is a personal opinion, and you should not base your actions on it.