Comments on: Edinburgh fails to excite; construction rains on Burns’ parade http://www.toledofreepress.com/2009/04/03/edinburgh-fails-to-excite-construction-rains-on-burns%e2%80%99-parade/ Toledo's Largest Sunday Newspaper Sat, 20 Mar 2010 12:49:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 Toledo Newspaperhttp://www.toledofreepress.com/wp-content/themes/tfp/images/tfp_logo_small.gifhttp://www.toledofreepress.com15746The Toledo Free Press is a weekly newspaper in Toledo, Ohio. It was founded in 2005 by Thomas Pounds. By: James Drummond http://www.toledofreepress.com/2009/04/03/edinburgh-fails-to-excite-construction-rains-on-burns%e2%80%99-parade/comment-page-1/#comment-27883 James Drummond Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:23:04 +0000 http://www.toledofreepress.com/?p=14188#comment-27883 Fantastic article! I have watched my shop devalue by 36% and suffered the pangs and woes of a truly non-Zurich type project. As a tax payer I have a few questions... - UNESCO STATUS... will it be lost? - RUBBISH STRIKE... streets are full if it? Edin now stinks... It's truly auld reekie! - WHY FOCUS ON EDWARDIAN/GEORGIAN/VICTORIAN EDINBURGH? Have you seen Missoni's New Hotel... St James Centre? Grass Mkt Govt blds? etc? Edinburgh is not Prague, not Krakow, Not Granada! They are worthy of UNESCO status. Edin is not. If you wish to see a beautiful city visit Dubrovnik, Prague, Have you seen the tram design? OH MY GAWD! Learn from Zurich... Install old-fashioned trams at half the cost! With festival about to hit, the City is a disgrace and has lost it's charm. Is it montone, monochrome, mono-cultured? Look at parliament bldgs. Budgeted at 40 Mill, it cost 400 Mill +!!! Trams cost??? I wish I was a Council Planner or a politician whom could plead to keep the City's charm! The last thing I wish for this grey construction site is to see a post neo-decadent tram waving its way through a post neo decadent pseudo Victorian City. learn from Zurich or Dubrovnik...PLEASE!!! Fantastic article!

I have watched my shop devalue by 36% and suffered the pangs and woes of a truly non-Zurich
type project. As a tax payer I have a few questions…

- UNESCO STATUS… will it be lost?
- RUBBISH STRIKE… streets are full if it? Edin now stinks… It’s truly auld reekie!
- WHY FOCUS ON EDWARDIAN/GEORGIAN/VICTORIAN EDINBURGH? Have you seen Missoni’s New Hotel… St James Centre? Grass Mkt Govt blds? etc?

Edinburgh is not Prague, not Krakow, Not Granada!
They are worthy of UNESCO status. Edin is not.

If you wish to see a beautiful city visit Dubrovnik, Prague,

Have you seen the tram design? OH MY GAWD!
Learn from Zurich…

Install old-fashioned trams at half the cost!

With festival about to hit, the City is a disgrace and has lost it’s charm.

Is it montone, monochrome, mono-cultured?
Look at parliament bldgs. Budgeted at 40 Mill, it cost 400 Mill +!!! Trams cost???

I wish I was a Council Planner or a politician whom could plead to keep the City’s charm! The last thing I wish for this grey construction site is to see a post neo-decadent tram waving its way through a post neo decadent pseudo Victorian City.

learn from Zurich or Dubrovnik…PLEASE!!!

]]> By: Keith Fletcher http://www.toledofreepress.com/2009/04/03/edinburgh-fails-to-excite-construction-rains-on-burns%e2%80%99-parade/comment-page-1/#comment-10932 Keith Fletcher Mon, 04 May 2009 13:05:37 +0000 http://www.toledofreepress.com/?p=14188#comment-10932 I visit Edinburgh regularly once a year to exhibit at the Antiquarian Book Fair. I too found the place a chaotic mess this year and question the wisdom of opting for a tram system when the development of highly efficient battery-powered buses is imminent. I too find the architecture gloomy - "buildings on steroids" (I wish I'd coined that phrase!) The reason I return so eagerly year after year is the PEOPLE - they are just delightful; so hospitable, friendly and genuine. (and the crack in the Oxford Bar is endlessly entertaining). But there is traditionally an exception needed to prove a rule and Gaby Milione seems 'exceptionally' well suited to the role. Were I to make an unforgivable assumption I would have said that her name indicated a rather weak claim to being Scottish. I'll not pursue that but rather point out her unforgivable, indeed outrageous, assumption that Roger Holliday is "...an uncultured American who wouldn't know history if it was to come up and bite them on the behind". For the record Roger Holliday is English, with family connections to European society; educated at one of the better-known English public schools; fluent in French and German through working several years in Germany and Belgium; and one of a small group among my friends whom I consider genuinely well-read. I suggest that an apology is in order (though perhaps unlikely!) I visit Edinburgh regularly once a year to exhibit at the Antiquarian Book Fair.
I too found the place a chaotic mess this year and question the wisdom of opting for a tram system when the development of highly efficient battery-powered buses is imminent.
I too find the architecture gloomy – “buildings on steroids” (I wish I’d coined that phrase!)
The reason I return so eagerly year after year is the PEOPLE – they are just delightful; so hospitable, friendly and genuine. (and the crack in the Oxford Bar is endlessly entertaining).
But there is traditionally an exception needed to prove a rule and Gaby Milione seems ‘exceptionally’ well suited to the role. Were I to make an unforgivable assumption I would have said that her name indicated a rather weak claim to being Scottish. I’ll not pursue that but rather point out her unforgivable, indeed outrageous, assumption that Roger Holliday is “…an uncultured American who wouldn’t know history if it was to come up and bite them on the behind”. For the record Roger Holliday is English, with family connections to European society; educated at one of the better-known English public schools; fluent in French and German through working several years in Germany and Belgium; and one of a small group among my friends whom I consider genuinely well-read. I suggest that an apology is in order (though perhaps unlikely!)

]]> By: Familyman http://www.toledofreepress.com/2009/04/03/edinburgh-fails-to-excite-construction-rains-on-burns%e2%80%99-parade/comment-page-1/#comment-5978 Familyman Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:51:17 +0000 http://www.toledofreepress.com/?p=14188#comment-5978 Edinburgh has no granite worth mentioning in its built environment. If the writer finds the city difficult to photograph, he may want to consider taking lessons from those who have done so successfully, starting with Hill and Adamson. "Homecoming" is a controversial concept here and certainly no reason for holding up a major infrastructure project like the trams. Edinburgh has no granite worth mentioning in its built environment. If the writer finds the city difficult to photograph, he may want to consider taking lessons from those who have done so successfully, starting with Hill and Adamson. “Homecoming” is a controversial concept here and certainly no reason for holding up a major infrastructure project like the trams.

]]> By: Eric http://www.toledofreepress.com/2009/04/03/edinburgh-fails-to-excite-construction-rains-on-burns%e2%80%99-parade/comment-page-1/#comment-5835 Eric Sun, 05 Apr 2009 18:45:29 +0000 http://www.toledofreepress.com/?p=14188#comment-5835 It is rare indeed for a travel writer to speak the truth. The Scots often use the word 'dreich' (meaning dull or dreary) when referring to that city. The remark about the kitsch '3 - d loch Ness' junk sellers has often been commented on by locals as well as tourists, and is indeed a blight on that city. The decision to start the tram project was against majority public opinion, and even the National Government, the majority of Scots were against the whole project. Despite the delusions of granduer ,the city has always been seen by many Scots as Anglicized ,peel behind the facade and you see very little of Scotland. For instance unlike the rest of Scotland ,it never came under Gaeldom meaning the Gaelic language and culture( ie Scots) never took hold there and historically it never figured in the great events that shaped the country - eg the Wars of independence. All in all,it it was a refreshingly fair,accurate and balanced article. Eric , Renfrewhire, Scotland (Alba). It is rare indeed for a travel writer to speak the truth. The Scots often use the word ‘dreich’ (meaning dull or dreary) when referring to that city.

The remark about the kitsch ‘3 – d loch Ness’ junk sellers has often been commented on by locals as well as tourists, and is indeed a blight on that city. The decision to start the tram project was against majority public opinion, and even the National Government, the majority of Scots were against the whole project.

Despite the delusions of granduer ,the city has always been seen by many Scots as Anglicized ,peel behind the facade and you see very little of Scotland. For instance unlike the rest of Scotland ,it never came under Gaeldom meaning the Gaelic language and culture( ie Scots) never took hold there and historically it
never figured in the great events that shaped the country – eg the Wars of independence.

All in all,it it was a refreshingly fair,accurate and balanced article.

Eric , Renfrewhire, Scotland (Alba).

]]> By: Gaby Milione http://www.toledofreepress.com/2009/04/03/edinburgh-fails-to-excite-construction-rains-on-burns%e2%80%99-parade/comment-page-1/#comment-5653 Gaby Milione Fri, 03 Apr 2009 08:50:11 +0000 http://www.toledofreepress.com/?p=14188#comment-5653 We are grateful that you won't be returning to Edinburgh, please stay away from our beautiful city rich in culture with some fantastic architecture!! By the way what is the history of Toledo.....? I believe we cannot expect more from uncultured Americans who wouldn't know history if it was to come up and bite them on the behind....!! We are grateful that you won’t be returning to Edinburgh, please stay away from our beautiful city rich in culture with some fantastic architecture!!
By the way what is the history of Toledo…..? I believe we cannot expect more from uncultured Americans who wouldn’t know history if it was to come up and bite them on the behind….!!

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