How times have changed

[zaranvalesasterix]

I have just seen a postcard of Bolton Castle and remembered visiting it in 1985. It was fairly derelict and totally deserted, we parked the car on the track outside and wondered around for an hour, having now looked at the website it looks like they have furniture in there and hold weddings and other functions.

I remember the days that we used to park the car on the grass verge and wander around Stonehenge, the last time I went there we had to park in the car park, go through an underpass and look over the fence (although that was in 1995 and I dont think they charged which I expect they do now)

In the 70's we used to take the dog for a walk in Bedgebury Pinetum in Kent, park in the car park and wander down to the lake, our labrador treated it as one of his private swimming pools. For a while they had a wooden box that you could put a donation in but it didn't last long, it was broken into too often. Now they charge £8 to park the car which you have to pay by card and enter your registration number so that the barrier will let you out. Then you pay to hire a bike or Go Ape or something or other, or wander along the tarmac paths, following the signposts.

Its nice that places are preserved for future generations, but sad that we have lost something to do that.

[sidthelamp]

Americanisation of every thing commercial, justified as you point out for future generations, Bolton castle has already stood the test of time , given it was damaged during the civil war its in very good condition as castles go,

stone henge now that has really stood the test of time without any help from car parking fees, of course the people who belive it has some symbolic religious meaning cant just wander up and pray as they wish, presumably one of the capping stones may fall off and send them to there god a wee bit earlier than expected, or there gonna take home one of the upright stones, to be a little closer to there god, or could it be there over protecting a bunch of stones so you pay for the privilege to look from afar and park your chariot in a nice gravelled court yard at great expense , all monies raised go to the very chosen few who are allowed to dig, touch and charge others for there own privileges , next thing you know they will be digging a by pass under ground to circumnavigate the stones all together, they couldn't possibly do that could they !

[MPS16]

Americanisation of every thing commercial, justified as you point out for future generations,......

Have a guess where these entrance fees apply.

I Protest.

Entry Charges

There is a charge to enter the ....... during the above opening times, unless you are attending a ...... This charge contributes towards the upkeep of the ...... and its activities.

• Adults £10.50
• Concessions £ 9.50
• Pre-booked groups (Adults and Concessions) £ 9.00
• Children (under 18) £ 7.00
• Children with valid Voucher free

[ZonkersCollection]

"Americanisation of every thing commercial,..."

BULL

Most of your castles & historic sites have gone bankrupt and been donated to The National Trust by former owners.
Don't point yer finger.
How would you have prevented it?
How would you adminster the sites?
How would you keep sites open to the public, and also safe?
Or would you even bother?

[sidthelamp]

"Americanisation of every thing commercial,..."

BULL

Most of your castles & historic sites have gone bankrupt and been donated to The National Trust by former owners.
Don't point yer finger.
How would you have prevented it?
How would you adminster the sites?
How would you keep sites open to the public, and also safe?
Or would you even bother?

its not bull nearly every country in the world has followed the the american commercialisation of private and public assets.

how would of i prevented it, thats very easy to answer , the next generation simply could not afford to keep the houses in private ownership because they were taxed out of existence inheritance tax ,

how would i administer the sites ? private estates if they wish to allow and charge that is there prerogative, that is different to being forced in to showing, because of tax reasons ect,

what are deemed to be publicly owned , thats ambiguous , what may have been privately owned may have been just taken over by the state because the owner could not be found, they make laws in this country to basically steal what was always privately owned, a bit like what your BMP are doing in your country, land grabbing private assets under draconian laws, most public footpaths in the uk were rights of easement , granted to only certain people to move from a to b ie to move from there dwelling to a place of work, these rights were taken over by making laws that would allow councils to take over and make public, wether you agree with this or not , it was a take over .

How would you keep sites open to the public, and also safe?


that is the point is it not, there only public if you pay , if you cant pay you cant go there, that is a very interesting analogy of public is it not,

as i already hinted at most of these sites depending on type have been around for thousands of years eg we dont hear about injuries and accidents at stonehenge very often, indeed a classic case of using health and safety legislation to stop people doing what they have done for thousands of years, " we cant allow you to touch the stones because your finger acid will destroy them" hmm but people have been touching them for thousands of years, camping next to them, lighting fires next to them, having s.. behind them, you get my point ! they dont suffer any damage there big rocks big enough to look after themselves,

of course we must mention the people who are allowed to mess about with the stones academics yes they can get permission to dig them up erect them dig all round them survey them take samples, write books about them sell them back to us, its a very interesting concept of banning people one the one hand to allow another group of people to profit from your exclusion and taxes .did you know that archaeology by its very nature destroys what it is trying to record, 99% of what is dug is taken out of context becomes the preserve of another institution, and a lot is reburied were no one can see it unless you pay for a academic publication witch your unlikely to find out about, then it may be redug again by the chosen few at a later time for there exclusive purposes, you also ultimately pay them to self indulge in there profession. and how do i know all this because i used to take these people to unrecorded sites, then i discovered the politics involved and witnessed not only the destruction but the contempt these people showed for others involved.

[tonyreddevil]

Trams done away with.
Then trains and buses.
Then trams make a remarkable comeback.

[suesjools]

Trams done away with.
Then trains and buses.
Then trams make a remarkable comeback.

It's the old pendulum effect, first it swings one way, then the other.

Personally I wish we had trams or subways around here like in the UK and NYC, I hate driving in traffic and gas is too pricey, plus car maintenance costs, ugh; I'd just as soon forego the car if there was an alternative.

Best wishes for many sales to all,

[tonyreddevil]

It's the old pendulum effect, first it swings one way, then the other.

Personally I wish we had trams or subways around here like in the UK and NYC, I hate driving in traffic and gas is too pricey, plus car maintenance costs, ugh; I'd just as soon forego the car if there was an alternative.

Best wishes for many sales to all,

Its the gas in the USA is much cheaper than the petrol in the UK.

[tonyreddevil]

years ago smog but none of that now.

[MPS16]

Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear: o clouds unfold!
Bring me my chariots of fire!

I will not cease from mental fight;
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England’s green and pleasant land.

Not a lot of this spirit left.