THE DOWNFALL OF THE DOME
We all have our views on the ill-fated Millenium Dome - now
into it's last few weeks - but when I recently read one newspaper use the
phrase 'nefarious' (as in wicked and sinful) in describing the cost, I
truly felt that enough was enough.
I have now been to the Dome twice. While the first visit
wasn't too bad and I spent quite a few hours there, the second - which I
did with the trade's recent joint charity project - was rather dull.
With a project of that size, you should be able to make several visits and
wander around in awe of what you are seeing. You could certainly wander,
but there was no wonderment.
But nefarious? Common sense and the experience of previous governments
should tell us that had they not gone ahead with the Dome project,
the money wouldn't have gone elsewhere; ie build a new hospital.
I believe that the concept itself was great. It seems
unlikely that many of us will be around to celebrate the year 3000 and any
anniversary that comes but once in 1000 years must be worth celebrating in
an exceptional way.
In September 1998 - just three months before it opened - Call
Sign published an article on what we could expect to see for our twenty
quid admission price. One of the zones was to be called 'Serious Play' and
we were told the following:
LONDON TAXI BOARD
I'm not sure how much support the anti LTB
petition has now, but my belief is that many drivers have signed it at the
railway stations where they didn't have to do anything other than
sign a paper pushed in front of them, but not so many when they had to go
to Midland Road to sign. But true or not, there is no doubt that the anti
LTB brigade have done their work well. Those who take an interest in trade
politics, as against those who will sign anything for a bit of piece, are
against the LTB because they have constantly read in The Badge and TAXI
that this organisation are either unelected, have meetings in secret or
are on the 'wrong side of the street' ie manufacturers - some are even all
three!
I'm not here to defend the LTB, but just to give my view. I admit to
being slightly surprised at the
LTB backlash, even though I
know that the two trade papers
mentioned above have orchestrated it well.
The Badge says when asking drivers to sign the petition that
"...as owner drivers, you should have the choice to be represented by
a body of full-time working cab drivers comprising of elected
representatives, from all the major trade organisations, with a wealth of
many years of experience in our trade."
I have no problem with the sentiment. But having been a member
during my 30 years in the trade of the LTDA, T&G and SPLT and having
always been a member of at least one organisation, I wonder where the
unity will come from. In those same thirty years, I have never heard of
two opposing organisations really getting on. How many joint
missions have they all had either before or after the Marriott photo-shoot
opportunity? Not many! Yet they put that up as trade unity.
I'm sorry, but I feel much more comfortable knowing that the
LTB - with its manufacturers, its secrecy and its 'unelected
representatives - are representing my interests.
I've been around too long to expect miracles but at least I know I won't get any backbiting in the LTB. I wish I could say the same for the LCDC and LTDA. The day they announce that their beliefs are so close that the LCDC are withdrawing and joining the LTDA, then my views will alter dramatically. Until then, I feel safer having one organisation containing several different groups that get on, representing my interests.
Last Word
If this issue is slightly late, please forgive me.
A very close relative of my wife and I passed away very suddenly in
mid-October. Wherever you are now, Uncle Les, Shalom...
Serious Play: See how leisure can reactivate
your life. You will ride a huge moving
walkway towards the top of the
Dome (Parallax Ride) passing
multi-media images that are altered by you as you approach.
On the other side, you can get down by either abseiling, sliding or by
wearing a Spiderman suit and walking down the side of the building using
'stickers' - or you can use the lift! This then takes you to a myriad of
leisure activities.
I don't remember anyone either abseiling or walking around
looking like Spiderman! Whilst only a small point, therein I believe is one
of the answers to the
Dome's downfall. It just wasn't exciting enough, it wasn't different enough
and the biggest mistake of all was to make it a no parking area. That was
absolute madness! They have so much space there that it was almost obscene
to ban parking. Imagine Disney opening a 'World' and then telling you
to use the subway! I don't think so...!
It really wasn't good enough and because of that, the money was
wasted. It represents failure but not wickedness. Much of what you could see
at the Dome was as dull as ditchwater and presented as little better than a
rather dull museum. For £20, we should have been astounded and
I'm sorry to say that we weren't. I personally had no interest in sitting in
a mauve coloured room looking at four walls and listening to a single-noted
sound that is supposed to play for 1000 years - at least not for twenty
quid!
I also believe that their PR company displayed a lack of judgement in their
dealings with the press. Forget the cock-up at Stratford station when
hard-nosed members of the press were left waiting for hours for their
tickets. Had the end product been good enough, the Dome would have survived
that mini catastrophe.
Before the Dome's grand opening, Call Sign asked for tickets to
give to our drivers explaining to the PR company that we could spread the
word to our passengers if we enjoyed it. They by insinuating that
their product didn't need publicising by taxi drivers and that the Dome
would be a monumental hit.
Last month they offered all cab drivers the chance to get free
tickets, but of course it was ten months too late and few wanted to take up
the offer. I take no satisfaction in that and just mourn for what might have
been...
