Tuesday, January 13, 2009

QUEENS PIER, RAMSEY- WHY SAVE NOW? - MY WORLD


Queens Pier Ramsey - To save or not to save?


I was going to The Grand Island Hotel and it's close next month but today we had breaking news. No seriously this is like a big deal here. So I give you Ramsey Queens Pier. Last time I posted the pier it was certain to be demolished. Read the history then I'll tell you what going on now on this quirky island. Funny business to me!



Today has been declared make or break for the pier. There will be a vote my the Tynwald, the Manx government on saving or not saving. This means provide a £5million restoration plan. Now I have to say I don't understand this, and judging by the comments I've seen on the I.O.M. News website neither do other people. I was one of those that wanted this saving, I have posted and said that before. So when we had money on the island we not do anything to save the it and now when we have an economic downturn, recession and no surplus cash has £5million been quoted as an amount that could be approved. None of this sounds right to me. 


Two things. The blog will continue. It will still be a while before we can move, along while. Next. Find me on Facebook and join me and Ramsey Daily Photo which now has it's own group. Come and say hello to the world on there. I'll be looking for you.


For more my entries click MY WORLD and thank the skywatch gang once again for another inspired idea.

58 comments:

Anonymous said...

It stinks. Sorry nice image, but timings is wrong on the vote.

Mojo said...

Seems like I've seen another post about this pier before -- might have been here actually.

I think the history of an area is its only real legacy and the monuments to that history should be preserved. Several years ago the Cape Hatteras lighthouse was in danger of falling into the Atlantic Ocean and the people of North Carolina were faced with a similar vote. Would it have been cheaper to simply build a new light and let the sea claim the old one? Perhaps. But the Hatteras light is practically iconic in this state -- its image is on license plates, and even driver's licenses. It is more than a simple aid to navigation (though it is still a working lighthouse), it is our history.

And so the decision was made to save it by moving it inland and resettling it on firmer ground. I don't remember the details of the entire process, but I remember they brought in a movable platform used to transport Saturn V rockets at Cape Canaveral to do the actual moving.

I suspect that the cost of the Hatteras project -- even adjusted for inflation -- probably dwarfed a price tag of 5M pounds (I couldn't tell you the exact figure from memory), but it also happened at a time when the economy was reasonably strong. Had we been in the middle of today's recession it might not have been quite so readily approved.

My question, I suppose, is why the rush to judgment? Why make this day in this time the "drop dead date" for a decision? As you say, the pier has been wanting repairs for some time now -- why the sudden rush to decide its fate? Is someone looking at the land with an eye toward developing it for some other use?

I don't live there, so I don't get a vote but if I did I would vote for any reasonable plan to keep this piece of history intact.

SandyCarlson said...

That bridge story is interesting. Sure does take a lovely photo, Babooshka. It is a gorgeous bit of history, and I hope it survives the economy.

God bless, Facebook Friend.

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Babooshka: Let's hope that the peir is saved.

Susie of Arabia said...

You always provide such great information with your wonderful photos! I hope the pier can be saved - it should be a historical landmark.

Anonymous said...

Nice image. Everyone's facebooking it seems.

Anonymous said...

I am not sure about this. You might be right.

imac said...

Hope they vote to save this old pier, there's not many of them left nowadays.
Great post yet again my friend.

Reader Wil said...

Such a pity that it is not possible to restore the pier, for lack of money.

antigoni said...

I think you must give your battle for saving the pier. They can find the money if they want.

Knoxville Girl said...

maybe it takes a while to churn through the morass of buracracy.
nice angle on the photo, though.

Anonymous said...

You have over 400 followers...and if everyone commented on the same post.. Blogger would explode..LOL. Facebook..I have never been there, I figured it wasn't for a middle aged marm..but I will take a look..

Anonymous said...

Too late to save. Already crumbling. See you on Facebook, no blog of my own.

George said...

A nice picture of the pier. I have trouble understanding politicians over here, so I guess it's a relief that we're not alone in having politicians with curious timing.

Larry D said...

Nice photo, hope it is saved.

Guy D said...

That is a beautiful pier, it needs to be saved. Thanks for sharing this story with us.

Cheers!
Regina In Pictures</a

Carver said...

I remember your posts about the pier before. It is very interesting and beautiful to me. I agree that the timing on the vote seems weird.

A Scattering said...

Your posts are always sooo informative, you do great work. The pier is a bit of a catch 22, isn't it?!

Janie said...

What great info on the history of the bridge. It makes the photograph meaningful as well as a great shot.

Anonymous said...

I'm not on facebook but I will join to join the group. Save the Pier, I say.

Keith said...

There's no logic in politics it seems. Love the color of the sky in this photo.

Anonymous said...

I hope the pier is saved, even if your local politics (like all of ours) make little sense.

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

WOW! What a beautiful Pier!

Oh dear.

Indrani said...

If I were to vote, it would definitely for saving.

Kate said...

It appears that most of your visitors want the pier to be saved. Political decision are not always very astute, and this one re. the pier seems to follow that pattern.

Ken Mac said...

seems like the whole world we love is being down at time doesn't it?

alicesg said...

It looked so beautiful to be demolished.

Sandra said...

Great picture and very interesting post, at least it was like that at the beginning - I'm sorry to hear that there is a kind of an uncertain situation for this, I'll be free to say, monument. Well, I wish you all the best...

Olivier said...

il faut sauver son passé, après on le regrette.

Swarna said...

You are right - it does sound lame, downright fishy. Sincere wishes to let heritage have its rightful place!

Anonymous said...

I'd knock it down but I don't live there.

Anonymous said...

It looks like a beautiful pier with a beautiful history. It's a tough time for sure. I hope everything works out well for you and your island.

Gordon said...

Probably a wrong time to vote; I hope the pier survives.

Arija said...

Most countries are shelling out sheckles in an economic downturn for capital works, mainlt=y to keep the population in work and not making trouble on the streets or being paid the dole.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful photo of the pier. I suspect the pier will be left in the too hard basket until there is no option and will have to be demolished. Seems that is a common tactic used by politicians to deal with these issues.

Anonymous said...

Brilliant image. Most of the UK burn down. Insurance fiddle, yes.

Pat said...

I say, "Save the pier." Did you send them this photo? It would convince them to do so.

magiceye said...

it is more like a heritage structure and needs to be preserved!

Gattina said...

I love piers ! yours seems very long and there is no big building on. The first pier I saw in my life was in Brighton it's beautiful !

Gattina said...

PS. For my Critters post it was my cat Arthur too of course, he is a very good for posing !

Mo said...

We just went through a similiar circumstance with our (historical) fishing pier, here where I live, too. Unfortunately, *we* decided that ours wasn't worth saving (a big old *rant* I'll save for somewhere else), so they tore it down, and built a brand-new, "better" (city run, this time, of course!) one down the beach....

Ah, such is progress.

I hope your story has a better ending.

Anonymous said...

Babooshka yet again a brilliant capture of the great Queens Pier Ramsey. Since I've lived on the island the debate has raged and in that time the cost of restoring / demolishing has risen ten fold. I was one of the people chosen at random to give my say which was to restore. This is the islands history which we should preserve for our children and grandchildren. Yes we are in the doldrums at present but if I recall the money has been put aside for this years ago and the government here does tend to have a surplice of cash at times. maybe not as much at present but there is some there. get the work started so people can see we are proud of our islands heritage and maybe it will give the economy here on the island a boos and bring much needed into Ramsey.

Mamapippa ... said...

I can only say that it's a beautiful photo ...
Have a nice week !

koivis said...

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Lilli & Nevada said...

What a beautiful photo of this bridge. It is sad how the economy is right now.

Ken said...

I am all for saving old structures. Over here they tend to demolish them. Shame isn't it.
Thanks for your kind comments on my blog especially coming from someone that captures such wonderful images. It made my day. I'm not on Facebook yet but will sign up soon.

Bettey said...

Beautiful image and history. I am glad to hear you are not leaving any time soon!

Raquel Sabino Pereira said...

A pier is a thing that OBVIOUSLY must be always saved and preserved!!!!!

Great post!!!

Miranda McAfee said...

This looks like it goes on forever. I love the angle of the shot.

Thanks for visiting mjustm.blogspot.com. Your comments were so kind. I appreciate the words of encouragement.

Joy said...

Great image - love the angle and the colour. Would make a terrific postcard.

Thanks for visiting Norwich Daily Photo and leaving your comments.


joy
A Pinay In England
Your Love Coach
I, Woman

Ikle.Kaiy said...

that is very very sililar to a photo i took of the pier... cooool:D

Shannon said...

Hopefully it can be saved amidst the faltering economy. Looks like a place to clear your head. I am looking you up on Facebook right now..

Anonymous said...

It's sad to see such landmarks disappear. I hope it can be saved.
Hugs and blessings,

angela said...

It's a pier it should be saved...but who know's what's going on with politics..

??? said...

I read about that pier on another blog and I thought is worth saving, but the timing is definitely wrong.
The photo is great, it looks like it's going on for miles

Anonymous said...

679 WOW!! That's a long pier. THanks for sharing. Great photo

shaker said...

Great shot, good luck !

Anonymous said...

Worth saving I say.

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