Houses of Parliament sponsored by Murdoch or MacDo? Floor area is about 800,000 square feet. A new building of that type would cost at least £1000 per square foot plus fees, temporary relocation costs etc. Work it out. Divide by 75 million (estimated population in 2025). Maybe divide by less if Scots don't want to contribute. When the Government is likely to be wanting to reduce costs it seems like a rather daunting project. No company on earth would want to sponsor.
You did post before David but on another topic which was veering off-topic so I started another discussion with it's own subject matter.
Interesting stuff but can you hazard a guess as to why iron slabs were used as a roof covering ? Doesn't this seem a bit OTT ? What possessed them to choose iron ?
I think people will support retaining history and renovating the building up to the point where they have to pay for it. A public appeal might raise lots of money for the renovation, but in my opinion it will be a money pit beyond anyone's worst nightmares, and for the government to invest enough to preserve it for another hundred years would bankrupt several generations. However a foreigner with more money than sense and an eye for prestige and profit might justify the costs.
I thought I had posted here already but here goes! The HP were built after a very bloody competition which saw the height of the Victorian style wars. Barry won but when the job started he subcontracted alot of the work to the catholic convert Pugin. He loved his work so much (like many architects) that he spent far too much time on the drawings which became a labour of love and zeal. His increasing fervour resulted in mental instability and madness (and some very quirky detailing). You couldn't possibly conceive a more complicated building to build or maintain. However the Scots had a pretty good attempt and their architect ended up in trouble too. Most buildings do have a life and after that they are going to be very expensive to maintain (I know- I had masses of clients with old buildings). From an accountancy point of view you could not possible justify such a building, but if you let the cost engineers loose on a replacement building you would end up with a supermarket shed. Any new building would be much cheaper out of London. In the height of the Napoleonic wars there was a plan to move the King to Weedon in Northamptonshire, but that never happened. Instead he went alter to Brighton to build the beautifully understated Pavilion. The existing HP could be sold to the Chinese and converted into a shopping mall for them with six star hotel above, so it would not be a burden on the taxpayer. The labour for the work is unavailable in the UK so could be imported from Syria and the workers housed in barges on the Thames. The British parliament may become unnecessary anyway if there is an army coup following a Corbyn success in a General Election. It's all up for grabs, and we may rest assured that we will be entertained.
That's exactly how I feel Diana but do you think the majority of English feel he same way ? I originally felt their would be a swathe of support to retain history etc and spend billions on it but now I believe the majority will be pragmatic like us.
Ah ok, a bit like my late missus who would normally have received a pension at 60 but it was bumped up to 65 because she was born a few weeks later ! The same thing happened in France a few years back. I was due to take French retirement at 60 & 5 months but Sarkozy extended it by 17 months ! Rotten barsteward !
I always understood that the HP was more "bling" than structure, i.e. beautifully finished but not well built. It hasn't been as well looked after as it could have been, and is no longer fit for purpose. I watched office blocks being built in Croydon while I was at school there, and now I'm watching them being demolished or converted to flats because they not suitable for modern business, for heaven's sake, so the HP can't be very useful.
Leicester would be an ideal central point for a new HP, including flats for MPs so they don't need second homes. The good old HP will be bought up by some oligarch and converted into a luxury prestige hotel at his expense, and probably be maintained far better in the future.
@Peter Bird
If she had been born on or before the 5th April 1953 (she was born on 15th April 1953) she would have her UK pension rights by now but has to wait until she is 63 instead of 60 to get it.
I don't think there is a cheap solution Graham so maybe flogging it off to Donald Trump or whoever and building a posh new pad befitting it's rôle somewhere in the sticks is for the best all round ? Whatever happens the Tories won't change their policy on the WFP as IDS logic seems to rule the roost !
Just as a matter of interest, does anybody know the official Labour Party line on Winter Fuel Payment ?
How did your missus lose her pension rights ?
p'raps if they bin it, they will let us vulnerable ex-pat pensioners have our Winter Fuel Payment back (with interest) and my darling wife (who was born 10 days too late) in 1953, her pension rights back...
One can always dream... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-p6OH7FoWoQ
I am one up and all four MILs have been barking... truly!
Didn't Pugin spend much of that period in Bedlam and Barry worked under his directions he being not in the best of health for much of his adult life and all that. David Rosemont all yours as an Archie Text!
I'm no expert but apparently the fact that the roof covering consists of iron slabs doesn't help ! The weight and stress on the walls must be mind-boggling ! Why would any architect come up with such a crazy plan ?
Architects please put me right. I'm sure there is a perfectly logical explanation..
Re Sepp - Spliced three times it says ! That's three mother in laws..
Well, what do you expect, I believe his present amour is married to an estate agent. He otherwise has a track record like mine of the times spliced (too often perhaps). No, that is not the bent I mean, more like fingers in the till type. Which Farage does have to his credit if I think about his European Parliament lack of audits, etc.
As for HP, it will collapse around their ears before anybody ever decides that. As I remember when the stuff about the renovations came up, on R4 a civil engineer was saying that too many repairs to old buildings do them no good, so sooner or later the place will fall apart and in the meantime become a never ending task well over that budget that will always be taking more out of the national budget. When challenged about political bias, he said he was a paid up Tory who believe in preserving the best the UK had to offer, but that pile was not included.
I have to say, looking at photos of Sepp's girlfriend I wouldn't have thought he was a 'shirtlifter'....but I suppose 'variety is the spice of life' !
http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/focus/article1562830.ece
The British Balloon And Airship Club could use both, Graham's suggested hot air and Farage producing wind to fly them in. You are not suggesting he is nine bob notish enough to lead FIFA are you Peter?
I bet Nigel Farage would survive !
Maybe he could become the next President of FIFA ?
:-)
Or as an annexe to the Channel Tunnel - about halfway across would do. The infrastructure is already in place all we need to do is crack producing energy from all the hot air that will be generated in the place. It is possible that the French would join with us in a large sub-sea project whereby, when we get totally fed up with them, we could just pull the plug out and drown the lot - then start again!!!!
Where do you believe a future English Assembly should be located ? I would have thought the logical place would be in the centre of the country.. Just imagine the jobs it would bring to the area. The exisiting HP would be transformed into something in the leisure industry so more jobs there. It's a win win situation.
Please don't think of spoiling Ashby de la Zouch! On the other hand the delightful former mining town of Coalville is not far away.