Petillie, my daughter spent hours every night prior and during the games trying to get tickets even just to get into the park itself as she wanted her 2 children to be part of it. Nothing. Zilch. Then had to sit and see empty seats that had been set aside for the elite. We had this stupid idea that, following registering at the start of it all, those helping to pay for it would be allocated tickets for at least one event. How very stupid of us. As for the money spent by the Council on the olympic run, we couldn't get near it and the evening bash was not available to the public. The other gauling part of it was that she never got to get into the Park when the games had finished before they closed it down!! Never been to the area where the Olympic site is, but I think the 'regeneration' is pie in the sky. Yes, the Olympics was a great event, but at what cost and who benefitted.
Tina - i agree totally. People should have had the chance to 'opt out' of paying. Like many others I thoroughly enjoyed watching it but how many have benefitted from the huge amount invested? As you said- your daughter tried to get tickets - couldn't - and then looked at empty seats. Disgraceful. Pentillie is right too- freebies for the suits and brown nosers etc. instead of ordinary people getting in.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Tina, just to give some perspective to these greedy, modern, times, - in 1966,(when I was living in Bexley, strangely enough ), I bought a booklet of 10 tickets for the World Cup matches to be played in London - 8 at Wembley, and a couple of play-off games at the now demolished White City Stadium. I saw all the games, which included the opening match against Uruguay, and the final against West Germany. Now, if this tournament ever comes back to London, what do you think the prices would be?
I paid £3.37 (£3.7s.6d in predecimal days) for all those games, and memories to last a lifetime..........any further comment, I think,is unnecessary.
Just going back to comments about chuggers,I worked in a bank for a number of years,each Monday there would be a pile of letters cancelling direct debits to charities because people had been afraid to say no and felt intimidated.Its easy for some to say refuse but there are a lot of people out there who feel pressurised,besides which do you really want to give your bank details and signature to someone you don,t know?.
Gilly, I think I am a pretty strong person, but some of these 'chuggers' are very intimidating and, when you refuse, become quite offensive. The Charity they are collecting for will tell you they are all trained. Maybe so, but they are also paid!!! They are not actually employed by whatever Charity they are touting for but for some organisation who also takes a cut of whatever they collect or, rather, get people to sign up for. It's big business, I'm afraid.
I tend to choose charities that work through existing agencies, such as churches and voluntary organisations, so that I know a good proportion of the money I give will reach thse who need it. I believe in giving, but not so the fat cats can have a good time, as others have said. I like small charities because large and government run initiatives tend to waste a heck of a lot or just add to the fat cats' nice lifestyle and free jollies. Same with government aid overseas - a lot of it is diverted by the receiving governments. The real work is done, often at great sacrifice, by volunteers. Those are the people I want to fund. I love to hear of charities which give a starving family a few hens or a goat and teach them how to use them to earn their own living, or who care for the truly vulnerable. And I agree that it is a disgrace that hospices, etc, have to raise funds to ensure their own survival.
After a diving holiday in far flung Papua New Guinea, someone pushed a note in my case while it was being taken to the airport, to ask If I could help with schooling for someone. I made some investigations when I got home and found that girls do not usually get an education in PNG , if there is a boy in the family, he will get it instead.
I found a charity called Kids alive, that 95% of money given is used for education, medicines and food. I donate £20 a month to sponsor a girl in PNG. at Wewak For this she gets an education, a main meal each day, and medical care.
An american woman called Shirley Killoskey is an angel who is setting up a school, and an infrastructure so that the village can help themselves. A little money to us (equivalent to 2 cappucinos a week), can transform the life of someone with so little.
To see a group of children share a cold can of coke , and be so happy to receive a gift of a lollipop made me ashamed that our children in Britain, have so much but are never satisfied, always wanting more.When people here talk about poverty I laugh. Poverty is having no electricity, no food but what you can catch or trade for,
no refrigeration,sanitation, fresh safe water to drink. here we seem to think that poverty is not having a wide screen tv, or a new car.
Unfortunately, Fidgetbones, that's the way of the World isn't it. None of us like it how it is but there is very little one can do, except help out if and where we can. I like to think that what I give actually gets to the people who need it. In many cases, this hasn't happened and that's why I like to give to a specific cause.
Posts
Petillie, my daughter spent hours every night prior and during the games trying to get tickets even just to get into the park itself as she wanted her 2 children to be part of it. Nothing. Zilch. Then had to sit and see empty seats that had been set aside for the elite. We had this stupid idea that, following registering at the start of it all, those helping to pay for it would be allocated tickets for at least one event. How very stupid of us. As for the money spent by the Council on the olympic run, we couldn't get near it and the evening bash was not available to the public. The other gauling part of it was that she never got to get into the Park when the games had finished before they closed it down!! Never been to the area where the Olympic site is, but I think the 'regeneration' is pie in the sky. Yes, the Olympics was a great event, but at what cost and who benefitted.
Tina - i agree totally. People should have had the chance to 'opt out' of paying. Like many others I thoroughly enjoyed watching it but how many have benefitted from the huge amount invested? As you said- your daughter tried to get tickets - couldn't - and then looked at empty seats. Disgraceful. Pentillie is right too- freebies for the suits and brown nosers etc. instead of ordinary people getting in.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Tina, just to give some perspective to these greedy, modern, times, - in 1966,(when I was living in Bexley, strangely enough ), I bought a booklet of 10 tickets for the World Cup matches to be played in London - 8 at Wembley, and a couple of play-off games at the now demolished White City Stadium. I saw all the games, which included the opening match against Uruguay, and the final against West Germany. Now, if this tournament ever comes back to London, what do you think the prices would be?
I paid £3.37 (£3.7s.6d in predecimal days) for all those games, and memories to last a lifetime..........any further comment, I think,is unnecessary.
We wouldn't get a look in Pentillie.
I feel sad for all those who so wanted to be there but never got the chance, A once in a lifetime event.
I actually liked football in 1966 and remember it well. BIL was fitting us a new bathroom and it had to be finished by kickoff!! He made it.
Just going back to comments about chuggers,I worked in a bank for a number of years,each Monday there would be a pile of letters cancelling direct debits to charities because people had been afraid to say no and felt intimidated.Its easy for some to say refuse but there are a lot of people out there who feel pressurised,besides which do you really want to give your bank details and signature to someone you don,t know?.
I refused a chugger at the door claiming to collect for cancer research. Her reply was
Don't you want a cure for cancer then?
Yes I do, but I don't want 98% of what I give going to the industry that is charity collection.
Gilly, I think I am a pretty strong person, but some of these 'chuggers' are very intimidating and, when you refuse, become quite offensive. The Charity they are collecting for will tell you they are all trained. Maybe so, but they are also paid!!! They are not actually employed by whatever Charity they are touting for but for some organisation who also takes a cut of whatever they collect or, rather, get people to sign up for. It's big business, I'm afraid.
I tend to choose charities that work through existing agencies, such as churches and voluntary organisations, so that I know a good proportion of the money I give will reach thse who need it. I believe in giving, but not so the fat cats can have a good time, as others have said. I like small charities because large and government run initiatives tend to waste a heck of a lot or just add to the fat cats' nice lifestyle and free jollies. Same with government aid overseas - a lot of it is diverted by the receiving governments. The real work is done, often at great sacrifice, by volunteers. Those are the people I want to fund. I love to hear of charities which give a starving family a few hens or a goat and teach them how to use them to earn their own living, or who care for the truly vulnerable. And I agree that it is a disgrace that hospices, etc, have to raise funds to ensure their own survival.
After a diving holiday in far flung Papua New Guinea, someone pushed a note in my case while it was being taken to the airport, to ask If I could help with schooling for someone. I made some investigations when I got home and found that girls do not usually get an education in PNG , if there is a boy in the family, he will get it instead.
I found a charity called Kids alive, that 95% of money given is used for education, medicines and food. I donate £20 a month to sponsor a girl in PNG. at Wewak For this she gets an education, a main meal each day, and medical care.
An american woman called Shirley Killoskey is an angel who is setting up a school, and an infrastructure so that the village can help themselves. A little money to us (equivalent to 2 cappucinos a week), can transform the life of someone with so little.
To see a group of children share a cold can of coke , and be so happy to receive a gift of a lollipop made me ashamed that our children in Britain, have so much but are never satisfied, always wanting more.When people here talk about poverty I laugh. Poverty is having no electricity, no food but what you can catch or trade for,
no refrigeration,sanitation, fresh safe water to drink. here we seem to think that poverty is not having a wide screen tv, or a new car.
Unfortunately, Fidgetbones, that's the way of the World isn't it. None of us like it how it is but there is very little one can do, except help out if and where we can. I like to think that what I give actually gets to the people who need it. In many cases, this hasn't happened and that's why I like to give to a specific cause.