George Orwell statue

[teamsaint]

Yes, I know that - but the essential point about consumer goods is that they are mass produced - usually in the far East by workers on low pay working long hours, which is why they can be so cheap. That's one of the reasons why craftspeople & artists in the UK find it so difficult to make a living - the cost of what we make has to be substantially higher (higher overheads - rent, fuel prices, etc & the need to make something like a living wage) than the cheap imported stuff in IKEA. Comparing mass-produced goods with one-off buildings, though, is nonsense.






But quality does cost.



Is it? I don't know - I haven't seen it. Next time I'm in London I'll go & have a look.




I think I realised that, too. When I look at an article that's been posted, I usually browse through the comments - very amusing, some of them, & I've devised a little game I play with them. I won't bore you with it, though.

quality does cost...but it can cost more , or less. it can be value for money, or not.



I have worked in industries with lots of British design input and manufacture....in fact that is the stuff, in a number of industries , that I have sold for 25 years. It IS possible to have good British design and manufacture at sensible prices..I see it all the time, and quality design is NOT always down to exploitive practices elsewhere in the world.

As for comparison about a big building project..I thought that the Wembley example worked ok !!

people spending public money should be expected to deliver quality projects at low prices....it happens elsewhere, it needs happen in our public services...and no doubt sometimes does.

[Flosshilde]

that I have sold for 25 years. It IS possible to have good British design and manufacture at sensible prices..I see it all the time, and quality design is NOT always down to exploitive practices elsewhere in the world.

Yes, it is, but different people have different perceptions of what a 'sensible price' is. They see what IKEA sells, & think that that's a sensible price. When Habitat tried to sell furniture designed by British (& other) designers & well made it went bust, because people perceived the price as being 'too high' & they could get cheaper furniture in IKEA.

As for comparison about a big building project..I thought that the Wembley example worked ok !!

But is it reasonable to compare a provincial stadium, for a provincial team, with the national (English) stadium? Different functions.

people spending public money should be expected to deliver quality projects at low prices

No, people spending public money should be expected to deliver quality projects at a reasonable price, taking into consideration the nature of the project.

[teamsaint]

Yes, it is, but different people have different perceptions of what a 'sensible price' is. They see what IKEA sells, & think that that's a sensible price. When Habitat tried to sell furniture designed by British (& other) designers & well made it went bust, because people perceived the price as being 'too high' & they could get cheaper furniture in IKEA.



But is it reasonable to compare a provincial stadium, for a provincial team, with the national (English) stadium? Different functions.




No, people spending public money should be expected to deliver quality projects at a reasonable price, taking into consideration the nature of the project.

low/reasonable....much the same thing.

In my footy stadium thing I did allow a factor (double) for the additional facilities of an international stadium. But Southampton is a UEFA 4star international stadium, so it is actually up to the job , and has hosted a full England competitive match. Even allow another doubling of cost, it STILL makes Wembley 2.5 times as expensive...and I think I am being very generous.

Habitat...shall we discuss that another day ?!

[Flosshilde]

low/reasonable....much the same thing.

Not at all. I think that £50 for a bowl I've made is reasonable; others might think it's too high, & others have told me it's too low. You could undoubtedly buy a similar sized bowl in IKEA fo less, but it wouldn't be made by hand, it wouldn't be totally individual, you wouldn't be supporting indigenous talent, & you wouldn't have the opportunity of buying direct from, & talking to, the maker.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

a view in the graun

yes to a statue, no to AUNT i feel .... there several individuals like Orwell, some still living, that we might publicly mark but in no way through any measure of Establishment sponsorship or approval ...... we need a people's corner somewhere ...any nominations?

[Northender]

I'm currently listening to an interesting discussion on Orwell on 'Today' on Radio 4.
teamsaint: Back in the mid-1960s, a friend of mine procured two tickets for an Under-23 international between England and Yugoslavia at The Dell. I was absolutely horrified to discover that I owed him 7/6d (37.5 p) for my ticket!