LONDON |
LONDON (Reuters) - London landlords are renting out everything from vacant stores to empty sports fields, rooftops and even an abandoned quarry to cash in on the tight supply of space in the UK capital during the Olympic Games this summer.
Eleven million fans, sponsors and athletes are expected to arrive in Europe's second-most crowded city from July, stoking huge demand for storage, temporary shops and vantage points for TV cameras, in turn allowing landlords to cash in on otherwise dead space.
"You'll see usable space created that doesn't currently exist," said Mark Hughes-Webb, managing director of Space-2 Consultancy, a specialist real estate firm that finds buildings for events and film shoots.
"It's been a long time since the Games were in such a densely populated city," Hughes-Webb said. "People are having to be more imaginative."
London, the European Union's most densely populated city after Paris according to EU statistics, will host the games between July 27 and August 12. Homeowners have already hiked rents by up to six times in anticipation of the influx and commercial landlords are getting in on the act.
Unlike the last two Olympic cities of Beijing and Athens, where neighbourhoods were demolished to create venues, or they were located in more sparsely populated outlying areas, most of the 34 London sites are at the heart of built-up areas.
The Games' epicentre at Stratford in the east of the city has benefited from a 7 billion pound injection of infrastructure, sporting venues and homes, revitalizing an area better known for its polluted waterways and industrial estates.
Sites for hire include a former limestone quarry near the Bluewater shopping centre in Kent, southeast England, the owner of which is targeting contractors seeking temporary staff accommodation. Its proximity to a high-speed rail link means it is 30 minutes from the Olympic stadium in Stratford.
VACANT UNITS
Elsewhere the owners of a sports field in Chiswick, west London, are in talks with an overseas group of performers to rehearse for the handover ceremony to Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian city that will host the Games in 2016.
Sites like these can cost between 10,000 to 20,000 pounds a week, Hughes-Webb said.
Also in demand are empty shops, particularly those close to busy retail areas like Oxford Street and Covent Garden, which are being snapped up by the likes of high-end U.S. clothing brand Opening Ceremony to house temporary, pop-up stores.
"Enquiries from landlords looking to lease out their vacant units during the Olympics have risen by 50 percent," said Rosie Cann, director at consultancy Pop-up Space.
Rents can be between a few hundred pounds to 20,000 pounds depending on the location and size. Stores generally remain open for between a day and two weeks, agents said.
Vacant shops around train and subway stations or Olympic venues are being rented by smaller sporting and drinks brands in need of makeshift space to store merchandise, Hughes-Webb said.
Not all attempts to find space are successful. Nike Inc's plan to build a temporary two-storey building to host exercise classes in Regents Park was blocked by Westminster council on the grounds it would ruin the park's appearance.
Equally those with empty space near venues may not see a big pay day. The London Olympic organising committee (LOCOG) bans non-sponsors from advertising within 300 metres of venues, keeping demand in check, property experts say.
Official sponsors Cadbury, BMW and British Airways are among those companies expected to seek temporary space near Olympic venues, which include a man-made beach on the Greenwich peninsula on the Thames built specially for the Games.
PANORAMIC VIEWS
Australian developer Lend Lease owns large chunks of land around the O2 arena, also on the Greenwich peninsula and the venue of the gymnastics and basketball competitions. It will lease out land earmarked for redevelopment to Olympic sponsors to make a short-term return and in an attempt to lure permanent office tenants to the area.
"We are most definitely making money from this," Simon Donaldson, Lend Lease's head of retail operations said, declining to say how much but adding it would be substantially more without the LOCOG rules.
Elsewhere demand from film crews keen to capture panoramic views of the London skyline has pushed up prices for rooftop space. Fees are likely to double from their norm outside of the Games to 300 pounds per hour over the period, Hughes-Webb said.
Developers of the 95-storey Shard skyscraper next to London Bridge train station, about six kilometres from the Olympic park, have been approached by a string of broadcasters about filming from western Europe's tallest tower, a spokesman told Reuters, declining to give further details.
Cash-strapped local councils are also getting in on the act. Newham, home to the Olympic stadium, has rented out the upper floors of two largely empty apartment blocks next to the Olympic Park to broadcasters BBC and Al Jazeera, while Redbridge council in northeast London is leasing out a forest to a temporary hotel company to house 4,200 Olympic security staff for an undisclosed sum.
Yet many landlords are missing out as they are unaware of the strength of demand for storage space, or the value of being close to the Olympic park, Hughes-Webb said.
"People are fixated on what the space is, not what it could be. They're looking at it and saying 'it's just an empty field'," Hughes-Webb added. "Well, it's not to us."
(Editing by Tom Bill and David Holmes)
Source: uk.reuters.com
GMB sign partnership agreement with Asda - bdaily.co.uk
Union GMB have signed a national partnership agreement with Asda, covering 20 distribution depots.
The agreement creates a framework for the way Asda Distribution and GMB will work together.
Signatories include Paul Kenny GMB General Secretary; Mike Gooddie, director of Industrial Relations at Asda; Ian Stansfield, director of Distribution at Asda and Mick Rix GMB National Officer.
It follows 14 months of negotiations and consolidates the constructive relationship that has developed between ASDA Distribution and GMB in recent years.
GMB members voted overwhelmingly in favour of the proposals in May, which offer Asda distribution workers greater job security as result of improved productivity and efficiency in depots, as well as an industry leading focus on Health and Safety.
Paul Kenny, GMB General Secretary, said: “This agreement represents a huge step forward in the progressive relationship between GMB and ASDA.
“The growing confidence in the benefits collective bargaining can bring to productivity, staff retention, growth and positive and stable industrial relations is there for all to see following all the hard work of all the parties involved over the past few years.
“We have laid solid foundations and we must now work to build on this agreement which is a great success story for ASDA and GMB.”
Ian Stansfield, Director of Distribution at Asda, said: “This is a ground breaking agreement that brings our practices up to date and creates the framework for the way Asda Distribution and GMB will work together.
“It secures jobs, supports growth and ensures our operation is a efficient as possible at a time when our customers are relying on us more than ever to save them money everyday.
“More importantly, this agreement is based on solid foundations built in recent years and I look forward to a strong and productive relationship with the GMB.”
Source: www.bdaily.co.uk
London 2012 Olympics: former-drug cheat David Millar selected in Team GB cycling squad for Games - Daily Telegraph
As Brailsford said: “I wouldn’t presume anything about Dave Millar’s selection. There is no ‘given’ in that back-up team to Cav and Brad.”
Sir Chris Hoy welcomed Millar back into the GB Olympic fold but also took the opportunity of reiterating his implacable opposition to doping in sport. “I’m comfortable with whoever is selected for the team because they are eligible,” said Hoy, who will be competing in his fourth Olympics. It’s never been about an individual. It’s about the future and having a meaningful deterrent against people taking drugs.”
Hoy, as expected, was named in the three-man sprint squad along with Philip Hindes and Jason Kenny, but Brailsford and his coaching team will leave it much closer to competition day before making a final call between Hoy and Kenny in the individual sprint. “If you pick now you might not actually be picking the fastest guy,” Brailsford said.
Track (Sprint):
Philip Hindes (age 19: born: Krefeld, Germany)
Chris Hoy (36, Edinburgh)
Jason Kenny (24, Bolton)
Victoria Pendleton (31, Hitchin)
Jessica Varnish (21, Birmingham)
Track (Endurance):
Steven Burke (24, Burnley)
Edward Clancy (27, Barnsley)
Wendy Houvenaghel (37, Magherafelt)
Peter Kennaugh (22, Isle of Man)
Danielle King (21 born: Southampton)
Joanna Rowsell (age: 23 born: Carshalton)
Andrew Tennant (age: 25 born: Wolverhampton)
Geraint Thomas (age: 26 born: Cardiff)
Laura Trott (age: 19 born: Harlow)
BMX:
Liam Phillips (age: 23 born: Taunton)
Shanaze Reade (age: 23 born: Crewe)
Cross Country Mountain Biking:
Liam Killeen (age: 30 born: London)
Annie Last (age: 21 born: Nottingham)
Men’s Road (five to be selected):
Mark Cavendish (age: 27 born: Isle of Man)
Steve Cummings (age: 31 born: The Wirral)
Chris Froome (age: 27 born:Nairobi)
Jeremy Hunt (age: 38 born: Canada)
David Millar (age: 35 born: Malta)
Ian Stannard (age: 25 born: Chelmsford)
Ben Swift (age: 24 born: Rotherham)
Bradley Wiggins (age: 32 born: Ghent)
Women’s Road (four to be selected):
Lizzie Armitstead (age:23 born: Otley)
Nicole Cooke (age: 29 born: Wick)
Katie Colclough (age: 22 born: Grantham)
Sharon Laws (age 37 born Kenya)
Lucy Martin (age: 22 born Merseyside)
Emma Pooley (age 29 born: Wandsworth)
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
A259 Asda roadworks cause commuter misery for thousands (From The Argus) - The Argus.co.uk
A259 Asda roadworks cause commuter misery for thousands
4:40pm Wednesday 13th June 2012 in News By Ben James
Roadworks on a busy commuter route are causing chaos for thousands of motorists.
Contractors started work on the A259 Littlehampton Road between Worthing and East Preston on Monday.
The works, which are due to last 20 weeks, are being carried out to allow the road to cope with the extra traffic expected to visit the Asda store being built on the old Country Fayre Garden Centre site in Ferring.
Readers have contacted The Argus to tell us of the chaos caused by contractors working on the road throughout the day.
Between 8am and 6pm the dual carriageway’s usual 50mph limit is cut to 30mph with the road also reduced to a single lane.
The disruption this is causing has prompted us to relaunch our Cut The Chaos campaign.
With the support of councillors from both Worthing Borough Council and Arun District Council, we are calling for the work to be stopped during rush hour.
First to back our campaign was Arun district councillor Colin Oliver-Redgate.
The Ferring ward representative said: “I think it is ridiculous for them to be working during rush hour – totally inappropriate.
“They are thinking about what is best for them without thinking about residents who just want to get home after a hard day’s work.”
Worthing Borough Council leader Paul Yallop said: “I have actually had to cancel a meeting today because of all the roadworks so I know how people feel.
“Abroad you see these huge teams working throughout the night to finish the work but that doesn’t appear to happen over here.”
The Argus first launched the Cut the Chaos campaign during work on the A27 in October 2010.
Our coverage persuaded transport bosses to finish the road’s Lewes bypass section at night.
Keith Sunderland, who represents Northbrook ward on Worthing Borough Council, said: “Contractors should be actively encouraged to do work at night.
“I’m in favour of road pricing schemes where contractors are paid more for completing the work at night and less for during the day.”
Steve Jarvis, a project manager for the RG Group which is overseeing the work, said: “The road has been running very smoothly.
“The problem with working at night is that there are a lot of health and safety issues and you have to start getting things like temporary lighting in.
“We have sent out newsletters to residents and advertise a number for people to call and we haven’t heard anything.”
Join the Argus campaign by emailing ben.james@theargus.co.uk or calling 01273 544536.
Comments(5)
Grumpy old goat says...
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Source: www.theargus.co.uk
London world's most expensive city for Aussie travellers, TripAdvisor says - News.com.au
Partying in London is a pricey affair. Picture: Thinkstock Source: Supplied
Hanoi is the world's cheapest city for a night out. Picture: AAP Source: AAP
LONDON is the most expensive city for an evening out for Australian travellers, a cost comparison of the world's major cities shows.
The British capital tops the list in a cost comparison of an evening out for two people in key tourist cities around the world.
Hanoi offers the most affordable night out for travellers, with a total cost of $141.57.
At more than triple the cost of Hanoi, London topped the list as most expensive with a cost of $520.19.
Sydney ($393.61) was the ninth most expensive of the cities surveyed.
The TripAdvisor TripIndex is tracked against the Australian dollar and is based on the combined costs for two people of one night in a four-star hotel, cocktails, a two-course dinner with a bottle of wine, and taxi fares.
"TripIndex helps travellers to see where their pound goes the furthest,'' TripAdvisor spokeswoman Emma Shaw said.
"The list shows that many Asian cities, along with some European cities - like Warsaw and Sofia - are very affordable once you're on the ground.
"Some cities traditionally considered expensive - like London, Paris and New York - actually cost three times more than the cheaper cities in the list for an evening out.''
Hotel costs were the pivotal factor in determining the cheapest and most expensive cities on TripIndex.
The cheapest average hotel room goes to Bangkok at $81.35 a night, while the most expensive goes to London, at $362.68 a night.
South-East Asia featured heavily in the 10 cheapest destinations, claiming four cities in total, including Hanoi as the cheapest city. Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta ranked third, fifth and ninth.
TEN MOST EXPENSIVE CITIES
1. London
2. Oslo
3. Zurich
4. Paris
5. Stockholm
6. New York
7. Moscow
8. Copenhagen
9. Sydney
10. Singapore
TEN CHEAPEST CITIES
1. Hanoi
2. Beijing
3. Bangkok
4. Budapest
5. Kuala Lumpur
6. Warsaw
7. Taipei
8. Sofia
9. Jakarta
10. Tunis
Source: TripAdvisor
Source: www.news.com.au
London 2012 - Olympics hits home for Grainger - Yahoo! Eurosport
Even in the current climate of questionable selection policies it would have taken the keenest of imaginations to concoct a scenario where three-time Olympic silver medallist and nigh-on untouchable world No.1 Katherine Grainger could be overlooked for London 2012.
But despite her pre-eminence the Scottish rower admits it is a week which included a brush with the Olympic flame - and the much-expected rubber-stamping of her British spot for London 2012 - that has finally brought home the reality of a home Games.
If the sporting Gods - and the Edinburgh University Boat Club - hadn't intervened, Grainger could have been a fellow martial artist such as Aaron Cook, who has found himself in the middle of an almighty selection row in recent weeks.
Despite being ranked the world's best fighter at -80kg Cook, having been overlooked for selection in favour of Lutalo Muhammad, is most likely facing up to a legal battle to secure his Games participation.
In contrast Grainger's progress has been serene - indeed in the last two years, since an comparatively unsuccessful foray into the world of single sculling in 2009, she and double sculls partner Anna Watkins have barely broken sweat in going through successive seasons unbeaten.
That equilibrium was thrown slightly off course in a rare day off the water when Grainger took her turn with the Olympic flame in Glasgow last Friday.
And, while insistent she's exactly where she wants to be with London 2012 just around the corner, the 36-year-old admitted getting up close and personal with the torch brings with it a sense of trepidation.
Rowing redemption - in the shape of Olympic gold at the fourth time of asking - is Grainger's unequivocal London goal and she said: "It was an emotional moment holding the torch.
"Partly because of the chaos getting to hold it and rushing through the traffic to get there but also partly because when you hold it you think, this is it, this is the flame that's going to light the London Games in a few weeks time.
"It definitely brought the Games very close, a lot of the time when you are training you are away from the spotlight and it is in dark sweaty gyms or on windswept and rain-swept waters.
"So in a way you feel quite detached from the experience of an Olympic Games. We hear about it the whole time on the radio and TV and newspapers but when we go training day-to-day you still feel a little bit away from that.
"And then with a combination of the selection and the torch you suddenly realise that, one you're very much a part of this huge, massive ongoing building experience to what will be this greatest show on Earth and tow that we are now counting it in days.
"We have counted in years for a long time and then it was months, weeks and now it is days so it does feel like we are getting to the end now."
The end - London 2012 - for Grainger will be a career-defining moment regardless of the outcome. After three consecutive Games silvers Grainger has been vocal in her win or bust attitude towards the home Olympics.
And in carrying the torch the 36-year-old admitted she had a moment of clarity - realising just how all-encompassing the Olympics has been on her life.
"The flame and the torch is such a symbol of the Games so to actually be holding that means so much to me and my life," she added.
"London is something that I have been building to for seven years and to be honest the last 15 years of my life has been slightly defined by the Olympic Games.
"Last week was massive with both the official selection, although it wasn't a huge surprise, and carrying the torch.
"It wasn't whether or not we had been picked it's that big milestone that we are now officially part of Team GB.
"Although you know it's been coming for a long time it's the first moment when you know it's definitely going to happen and you're definitely going to be a part of it."
Source: uk.eurosport.yahoo.com
London 2012: Are green and pleasant Games a real reflection of the UK? - BBC News
Meadows, fields, rivers, farmers tilling the soil and people playing cricket on the village green. It's the British countryside the Olympics opening ceremony will beam around the world. But is this rural idyll a realistic representation of the UK?
On 27 July the Olympic Stadium is to be transformed into country scenes as part of artistic director Danny Boyle's vision of a "Green and Pleasant" land.
He says the show was inspired by Shakespeare's play The Tempest and is about a land recovering from its industrial legacy. It will be a "reflection of part of our heritage" as well as a look to the future.
It is also meant to evoke William Blake's poem Jerusalem, which is seen as an emblem of Englishness.
But at a time when large-scale infrastructure projects such as HS2 and Heathrow's third runway are high on the political landscape, along with nuclear power stations and wind farms, and a rising population, is this rural idyll really recognisable?
For the Times' leader, the image of British life that instantly springs to mind is a somewhat different one.
"No! Not queues at Heathrow passport control and opportunistic entrepreneurs hawking 50p umbrellas for a fiver outside rainy Underground stations.
"It will be a portrait that brushes aside the workaday dust of daily life to reveal a country as recognisable to Caliban [from The Tempest] as his isle 'full of noises, sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not' as it is to John Major as his 'country of long shadows on cricket grounds, warm beer, invincible green suburbs, dog lovers and pools-fillers'," it says.
But it goes on to say Boyle has "rightly, interpreted his task as a celebration of what gives this country tang, a celebration that he aims to be idyllic, but not naive" - noting clouds, that can produce real rain, will hang over the stadium to bring the UK's signature summer weather to the proceedings.
The Daily Mail's Paul Harris is not so generous. He thinks people "could be forgiven for thinking it looked more like the land time forgot".
"Or for wondering, perhaps, if someone had unwittingly recreated Tinky Winky's Teletubbyland instead of Blake's Jerusalem," he goes on.
The Teletubby theme continues in the Daily Express, which thinks "the opening extravaganza is all a bit Laa-laa". "All it seems to need are Tinky Winky, Dipsy and Laa-Laa from the TV series," it says.
The Independent's Grace Dent is even less impressed. "Ducks force-fed shortbread, teens drunk on cider, petrol vigilantes... that's the real countryside, Danny Boyle," she says.
Dent also has a cautionary word about the nation's glee levels potentially dropping to "mild elation".
"You know that bit when the lights go out at the O2 and Kanye West emerges on a 50ft pink neon sugarcube? We want that. You know when Coldplay give out 40,000 LED Xylobands that pulsate right through Hurts Like Heaven when you're two drinks in? That, give us THAT," she says.
So is this vision of a green and pleasant land really the best way to show off the UK?
Rupert Uloth, the deputy editor of Country Life magazine, says it is "wonderful" that the UK is being celebrated through its countryside as it is "one of the most precious and valuable assets we have as a country".
"Lots of visitors come here to see it. For people who live in cities in Britain, it might be a bit of a dream or ideal, but people love getting out to the countryside, which is why we have national parks and a wonderful network of walkways and bridle paths.
"It is great that Danny Boyle is using it as a totem because everyone is aware of it," he says.
For Uloth, using the British countryside as a national emblem is "clever" because it is so unique.
"Because of its hedges, green grass, dairy cows and native trees, it couldn't be any other country in the world. And although cricket is played in other places, the context of a village green is very English," he says.
Uloth agrees projects such as HS2 and Heathrow's potential third runway are topical issues, but he says the fact they are so controversial only accentuates how special the countryside is, and "how worried people are about losing it".
Ellis Cashmore, professor of culture, media and sport at Staffordshire University, thinks Boyle is "a bit of a romantic" and takes an aspirational stance.
"I suppose we have to understand that this is not meant to be a graphic representation, but a satisfying vision of a perfect Britain - the place we'd all like to inhabit, not the actual place where we live out our daily lives," he says.
But he also makes the point that a more urban, or troubled, theme, might not be very picturesque.
"In fairness to Boyle, he wouldn't be expected to design a landscape where there are feral youths rioting in inner cities, or football fans spitting out racist abuse.
"His concession to youth is the moshpits. Are these still current? I thought they were very nineties," he says.
But what of Blake's "dark Satanic mills"?
"Well, it isn't quite William Blake, but it embodies many of the Chariots of Fire ideals," says Cashmore.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Tesco Bank signs up charity donations on ATMs at Tesco stores - easier.com
Tesco Bank announces from Thursday 14 June that Tesco customers can donate to any of its chosen charities at ATMs located at more than 2,200 stores throughout the UK.
This is being done as part of an ATM partnership with LINK to support the Government's ‘Giving' initiative to encourage new and innovative ways to raise funds for charity.
The scheme offers a new way to donate, allowing Tesco customers to give up to £300 in one ATM transaction from their own bank account to one of seven charities, all of whom are partnering Tesco Bank in this initiative.
Tesco Bank's existing community programme focuses on the development of children and young people and for that reason it has chosen five national and international charities that share these aims - Action for Children, Barnardo's, Teenage Cancer Trust, Together for Short Lives and Save the Children. Tesco's Charity of the Year, Cancer Research UK is also included, as well as the Disasters Emergency Committee which all LINK partners have agreed to offer as a donation option on their ATMs.
Claire Rowney, Head of Corporate Partnerships at Cancer Research UK said: "We're always keen to find new ways to make it quicker and simpler for our supporters to donate so we're delighted to be included in Tesco Bank's new initiative. The donations made will mean our scientists can focus on more research to find out how we can get cancer diagnosed earlier and help more people to survive cancer in the future."
Andrew Harris, Director of Fundraising at Action for Children said: "Action for Children are absolutely thrilled to be one of Tesco Bank's chosen charities. The funds raised through this initiative will enable us to reach some of the most vulnerable and neglected children and young people across the UK."
Tesco Bank Chief Executive, Benny Higgins added: "Tesco has a proud record of fundraising for worthy causes and for supporting the communities in which we operate, so I am delighted that ATMs at Tesco stores are taking part in this fantastic initiative. With over 2,200 of our stores with ATMs, this gives Tesco customers a convenient and safe way to donate to charity."
Tesco Bank, along with RBS and NatWest, are the first UK banks to offer charitable giving via LINK ATM machines to any customers as long as their card issuer has implemented charity giving on their issuing systems.
This initiative will raise money for charity in addition to Tesco Bank's existing ATM donation scheme. Tesco Bank already donates money to the Tesco Charity of the Year, Cancer Research UK, each time a customer uses an ATM at Tesco stores. Since June 2008, through this initiative Tesco Bank has donated over £250,000 for Marie Curie Cancer Care, Muscular Dystrophy, CLIC Sargent and the Alzheimer's Society.
For more information on Tesco Bank's community programme and its products and services, visit tescobank.com.
Source: www.easier.com
Occupy London - my protest - Daily Mail
By Anna Maxted
|
Occupy London are determined to protest against the City of London Corporation, so today they set up camp on that ugly symbol of elitism and privilege, Hampstead Heath.
Sadly, in another victory for the overarching forces of international capitalism, the park's police escorted them off the premises just after teatime.
I've lived near the Heath all my life and it's one of the most serene and beautiful areas of the capital; one of the few that you don't need money to enjoy. When Karl Marx lived in London, he loved to visit with his family. Kenwood House - part of the estate bestowed to the nation by that privileged toff Lord Iveagh in 1927 - may look tatty on the outside, but if you nip inside (donations are voluntary) you can show your five-year old a Gainsborough.
A privilege to be there: When you're on Hampstead Heath, your status, your bank balance ceases to matter
I was there this morning, beaming at the exquisite views of the City, breathing in the delicious air, marvelling at the gorgeous profusion of green, along with various other capitalist pigs (an old lady on a Zimmer frame, an artist, a young photographer, an elderly man walking his dog, a young couple with a newborn...).
Eventually I spotted the Occupy London set, trudging along the sun-dappled paths, squinting at their maps - though they were hardly obvious: none of the people wandering around the Heath this morning were head-to-toe in Dior.
They set up camp in the Vale of Health (convenient for Hampstead High Street; Starbucks, Tesco Metro and The Gap). One doesn't have to eschew all trappings of commercialism to make a huffy point against capitalism - I don't expect them to scrape for nuts and berries and live on rainwater - but this exercise was little more than a hypocritical student jolly.
Trespassers in tents: Will we soon see scenes like this, outside St Paul's last year, on the Heath?
I feel aggrieved at the wretched difference between wealthy and poor - but I feel as aggrieved that these protestors were so witless as to think that they were doing the less privileged a favour by camping out - with their litter, and worse, judging from the mess they made of St Paul's - in the one place that is an oasis of peace, and serenity - and free to those who have everything and nothing alike.
When you're on Hampstead Heath, your status, your bank balance ceases to matter. You feel privileged to be there. You feel rich. Until you chance upon a massive bunch of trespassers in tents, and then the Heath loses its magic, and your carefree ramble becomes yet another irritating, slightly depressing exercise in trying to enjoy London despite it being stuffed full of sociopaths and egotists.
Truly, harassing a bunch of dog walkers is not a valid form of protest against bankers. It was facetious, brattish; bullying. If they wish to get their point across in a democratic manner, they have civilised options - from blogging to, hm, politics - but they made the laziest, most slovenly choice: to make a nuisance of themselves and inconvenience, oh, just everyone. A minority, imposing their selfish will on the majority, is nothing less than tyranny.
Exquisite views of the City: Misty view over London from Hampstead Heath
They claimed that they wanted to 'reach out to the community about shared concerns'... I can tell you what the community's main concern was today - that a bunch of pseudo-crusties had illegally pitched their luxury tents in a public beauty spot. (Hampstead Heath's by-laws forbid 'the training of whippets,' 'the beating of carpets,' and 'Persons in an Offensive, Filthy Condition.' And no camping, either.)
One of OL's excuses was that fans of the Heath ponds were 'up in arms' about the recent outrageous decision by the City of London to charge a couple of quid for a swim. My husband has swum there for years, occasionally with our 10-year old son, and says that most who use the pond have no objection - if they want a lifeguard, and basic maintenance, they see it makes sense to contribute a little.
As far as I can tell, this protest was a feeble excuse for a spot of glamping. If they are genuinely serious about protesting against capitalism, I suggest they occupy Legoland: nearly 200 on the gate, for a family of five. However, if they prefer to occupy a green space owned by the City of London, why not try West Ham Park? It has all the traditional trappings of privilege (children's playground and so on.) Or are the views not spectacular enough?
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
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