The ugly and virtually derelict state of much of Britain

[Borg Refinery]

This is actually an interesting thread despite all the 100% wasted bickering (why do people need to bicker about whether bloody google maps is up to date or not for flying frigate sake... mercy).

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/gallery/2019/jul/17/the-city-has-changed-beyond-all-recognition-derelict-london-in-pictures

This is a rather interesting photo list. I think a lot of Britain has uninhabited unused buildings; and plentu of space, IIRC less than 10% of our actual land has been built on, of course we need sufficient greenbelt land and shouldn't build on that or AONB's etc, but there is a lot more that could be done; but improving what we've already got should definitely be paramount. From memory there are at least 100,000 abandoned, unused houses in England alone..?

[Baron von Lotsov]

What my research shows now is that those places still in business are charging the earth for a fake version of what they crushed. OK so they still pick some names from the past, and you do get to see those people who were once leading in innovation, but you are meeting them as geriatrics and paying 50 quid plus for a ticket. One venue local to us has one of these blasts from the past in a cathedral. The trouble is people are paying mega cash and can't even get a view of the stage, hence they pay to watch it on a screen. Down in Bournemouth it is no better. They have a huge exhibition type centre and it was 75 quid a ticket to see someone who started his career doing underground raves in the M25 area and probably had their mugshots in the police stations, until Radio One gave them a job. It's almost a joke, but I see it as 1984. The Party decide what you are entertained by and you will pay dearly for it and it will be crap.



I've gotta say it is the selfish attitude of people who say, oh don't like the look of that, without thinking someone else may do. Every one gets to dictate what people not like them should not be allowed to enjoy. Like on roulette where the ultimate winner will always be the house (bank), the ultimate winner here is The Party. They want to shut it all down.

[Baron von Lotsov]

Which ones were they?

[papasmurf]

Yes but the majority of clubs were not too loud.

All the venues I have ever been in were far too loud.

[Baron von Lotsov]

The decibel limits are for the protection of the workers in the venues. Going deaf is not funny.

Yes but the majority of clubs were not too loud. There was a kind of trend at one point where there was "death metal" and then there were these crazy goth groups as well which could not sing. They were just kids who substituted lack of talent for more noise. The decibel limit was far lower than any noise that would cause deafness, and besides deafness is usually sustained loud noise, typically caused by factories. Now people wear ear muffs and understand it better we can deal with it.



However the bitches locally caused the council to set a noise limit in a venue where traffic noise would have been louder. Oh and the "people who have to work in those places" argument is crap too. No one is forcing you to do such a job. Those who work behind the bars are those who would otherwise pay money to go to such events. It was considered a perk of the job. So you see we have millions of bullshtters who imagine what it is like because they never ever stepped foot in them and got lied to by a hostile press. Indeed the press were the first to denounce the music that would go on to become world famous. Everyone is at it now, but this country. Go to say Argentina and they host the ones who were the innovators. I've seen concerts with 100 000+ crowds abroad. That's how good it was. Look at the big names form this country and they tour the world, right over in the Far East as well, but tend to miss out London. One guy I knew established a band and it has now sold over one million records, and most sales came from Japan!

[papasmurf]

Anyhow I'm not blaming you. I'm blaming people who never went to those places but thought they knew better than those who enjoyed them, that they were bad for them. The noise levels were rarely a problem until people wanted them shut for other reasons. Maybe some stupid ass had read the Sun and believed the story about the thousands of ecstasy wrappers and thought there would have been thousands of Leah Betts cases the following morning.

The decibel limits are for the protection of the workers in the venues. Going deaf is not funny.

[Baron von Lotsov]

It's not noise though but the cost of land in London.



The thing is that you work hard to earn loads of money so you can enjoy yourself, but the idiots forgot and got greedy and sold all those places to turn them into flats so the whole area becomes less desirable and less valuable. Noise was just an excuse to line developer's pockets. I was never too keen on Motorhead so I stayed out of venues like that. There were some bands a bit like what you describe in Manchester at the time, but you get to choose in a free society. We do not live in a  free society any more because of the sheer selfishness of people. You didn't have to go there, but you chose to, hence you decided on balance the good weighed more than the bad.



Anyhow I'm not blaming you. I'm blaming people who never went to those places but thought they knew better than those who enjoyed them, that they were bad for them. The noise levels were rarely a problem until people wanted them shut for other reasons. Maybe some stupid ass had read the Sun and believed the story about the thousands of ecstasy wrappers and thought there would have been thousands of Leah Betts cases the following morning.



As it is, all around the world is a multi-billion dollar business in the music that was invented in London. The only cities in the world which do not play host to it is also London + other British cities. Foreigners think our society has gone around the bend, but they also highly respect those who made it happen in the days it was happening. London was a fun city once. You remember that song "The revolution will not be televised". This is our country now, hammer and sickle all the way, yet it is never acknowledged.

[papasmurf]

It's one on the Tory watch and you never guess what. Tories say in their manifesto they wish to preserve culture and mentioned music venues in particular. I don't think there are many left to preserve. London was world famous for its clubs.

Frankly far to many venues are arrogant. They insist on having noise levels that are banned in the workplace, (and they are a workplace for the staff.)

 At one venue I went to a lot of people laughed when I walked up to the bar wearing aircraft carrier flight deck earmuffs, (I was also wearing earplugs.)

They stopped laughing when the band started playing. (I had heard then practising earlier that day.)

Far too many bands think Motorhead are too quiet.

The following year when I arrived the owner of the venue accused me of being the reason he had be forced to fit sound limiters to the venue.

I told him in no uncertain terms he was nothing to do with me, (which was true,) but he needed to reflect when he hosts a motorcycle rally he has not idea what people's jobs are.

[Baron von Lotsov]

This is London, and a famous nightclub called Happy Jacks.



Famous for some of the performances that now can see audiences from all around the world, but the place where it started has been closed down. This a  very typical scene in London and I quote the full pissed-offness here, because the bastards who do this deserve it!

London Bridge under-the-arches club Crucifix Lane have announced they're shutting down permanently after Easter, having been 'consigned to the history bins at the hands of London's super rich.'



Unveiling details of this Easter weekend's final parties  (Cartuli's Day on Thursday April 2 and Solo Danza on Saturday), the club said their closure is 'yet another sad and shameful example of the little people getting pushed aside at the expense of London's rich culture'.



"Crucifix Lane is the next London nightclub to fall foul of rich redevelopers and callous gentrification,' they continued in an angry press release.



"Just around the corner from Cable (a club that suffered the same fate not so long ago) and in the same set of railway arches, Network Rail are coming in to batten down the hatches and take control of the space to make way for London Bridge Station expansion."



Originally known as Happy Jacks, the classically rough and ready two room arches club played host to Andrew Weatherall's acclaimed Sabresonic parties in 1993 and hosted scores more underground events in the ensuing years including Whirl-y-gig.



Crucifix Lane General Manager Alex Brooks (who took over running the venue in 2011) was stoical.



"All good things come to an end," he said.



"It's time for us to leave the area as the new wave of residential and businesses arrives. The venue was here long before either of those, when London Bridge was a desolate industrial only area.



Until recently we've been able to co-exist, though with the major works above us on the railway, we're the next arches needed back."



Club publicist Chris Halliday less so.



"I worked at Cable Nightclub before it closed under similar circumstances and worked closely with the team at Crucifix Lane so this is really upsetting to see," said Chris.



"The forced club closures in London Bridge have been particularly brutal and it's a huge shame for the area," he added.

http://skrufff.com/2015/04/london-loses-yet-another-underground-club-to-property-developers/">http://skrufff.com/2015/04/london-loses ... evelopers/">http://skrufff.com/2015/04/london-loses-yet-another-underground-club-to-property-developers/



It's one on the Tory watch and you never guess what. Tories say in their manifesto they wish to preserve culture and mentioned music venues in particular. I don't think there are many left to preserve. London was world famous for its clubs.

[Baron von Lotsov]

Try going to Redruth, Camborne, Penzance, Hayle and Helston.

Right, I see what you mean. I had a quick look at Redruth and there is a shoe shop which has a sign above it where one of the letters has fallen off, but the proprietor does not seem to have noticed. There appears to be a lot of flaking paint on the buildings. The funeral directors seems to be doing brisk business though.

[papasmurf]

I had a look at Fowey last night.

Try going to Redruth, Camborne, Penzance, Hayle and Helston.

[Baron von Lotsov]

Churchill where I live there is no influence at all by Labour. The rapid decline has been on the Tory watch.

There are signs in the last few weeks of the decline increasing.

I had a look at Fowey last night. The last time I was there was back in the 70s, and it looks identical. I don't think there is a single new building, road or anything there that was not the same before. I only saw one shop up for rent, and it still has its bakery, the same pubs and so on.



Fowey does look nice though, because the buildings are older they have a bit more character. They probably manage to stay in business over there because it has a harbour and hence passing trade via sailors. I'll give them the thumbs up for their not forgetting to use the paint brush once in a while. I could not see any flaking paint or graffiti anywhere. You could be worse off if you lived in somewhere like Ashton-under-Lyne.

[Churchill]

You are wrong but what else is new

[papasmurf]

Doomed we are all Doomed I tell ye Doomed  ::

I suspect we are doomed.

[Churchill]

Doomed we are all Doomed I tell ye Doomed  ::