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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » The Boris Bridge to Ireland plan – the ultimate vanity project

SystemSystem Posts: 12,170
edited February 2020 in General

imagepoliticalbetting.com » Blog Archive » The Boris Bridge to Ireland plan – the ultimate vanity project?

Reminder what engineers think of building a 22 mile bridge through a deep and stormy munitions dump pic.twitter.com/odNFyZD87E

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Comments

  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    edited February 2020
    Meant to unite ther union, in fact just highlights the geographical absurdity of it, and is probably a gift to a united, and EU member, Ireland. Let's take all the money we give the EU and spend it on a bridge as a present to the EU.
  • StockyStocky Posts: 10,222
    To Pulpstar - FPT:

    Thanks for this - I`m often scratching my head over this subject. If what you say is correct, how come when I "cash out" my BF cash balance goes up and the increase can be used to bet on other things (or, presumably, withdraw)?

    This happened yesterday - when i placed £20 on RLB my BF cash balance went up not down. (I have lots of conflicting bets on this market.)
  • eekeek Posts: 28,405
    Is this Boris's plan to keep the UK united? Creating a project which will bankrupt either or both Northern Ireland and Scotland if they dare to leave the Union
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,205
    Stocky said:

    To Pulpstar - FPT:

    Thanks for this - I`m often scratching my head over this subject. If what you say is correct, how come when I "cash out" my BF cash balance goes up and the increase can be used to bet on other things (or, presumably, withdraw)?

    This happened yesterday - when i placed £20 on RLB my BF cash balance went up not down. (I have lots of conflicting bets on this market.)

    If you have any liabilities in a market and they are "greened" then you get the liability back to zero part 'back' but not the profit.
  • Has this idea been mooted in the past, or is it strictly a Dom/Boris thing out of the blue?
  • Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 13,677
    Can some slide rule and comb over type opine on how long this stupid fucking bridge would take to build even if it were possible which is probably isnt?
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,609
    Dura_Ace said:

    Can some slide rule and comb over type opine on how long this stupid fucking bridge would take to build even if it were possible which is probably isnt?

    The one between Sweden and Denmark took 5 years.
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 22,037
    A road bridge is a bloody stupid idea.

    A rail bridge on the other hand...

    You could run through services from Dublin to Brussels. A proper EU gravy train.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,695

    Has this idea been mooted in the past, or is it strictly a Dom/Boris thing out of the blue?

    There is history...

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proposed_British_Isles_fixed_sea_link_connections

    but there's hardly a crackpot idea that hasn't been floated before.
  • philiphphiliph Posts: 4,704
    Dura_Ace said:

    Can some slide rule and comb over type opine on how long this stupid fucking bridge would take to build even if it were possible which is probably isnt?

    3.1415 times the allocated time. This may be divided by 1, 2, 3 or 0.5 for all budget purposes to provide the best return for contractors. The allocated time is subject to change without warning at the discretion of the the Minister, or any other suitably unqualified person.
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 22,037

    Dura_Ace said:

    Can some slide rule and comb over type opine on how long this stupid fucking bridge would take to build even if it were possible which is probably isnt?

    The one between Sweden and Denmark took 5 years.
    You do realise that you've just self-identified as a "slide rule and comb over type"?!?
  • Dura_Ace said:

    Can some slide rule and comb over type opine on how long this stupid fucking bridge would take to build even if it were possible which is probably isnt?

    10-15 years probably, but it could easily be longer.
  • StockyStocky Posts: 10,222
    Pulpstar said:

    Stocky said:

    To Pulpstar - FPT:

    Thanks for this - I`m often scratching my head over this subject. If what you say is correct, how come when I "cash out" my BF cash balance goes up and the increase can be used to bet on other things (or, presumably, withdraw)?

    This happened yesterday - when i placed £20 on RLB my BF cash balance went up not down. (I have lots of conflicting bets on this market.)

    If you have any liabilities in a market and they are "greened" then you get the liability back to zero part 'back' but not the profit.
    So would the profit be zero -d if the market is voided? And no need to refund the stake because it`s already been refunded?

    Am I getting there? I find this really confusing.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,609
    edited February 2020

    Dura_Ace said:

    Can some slide rule and comb over type opine on how long this stupid fucking bridge would take to build even if it were possible which is probably isnt?

    The one between Sweden and Denmark took 5 years.
    You do realise that you've just self-identified as a "slide rule and comb over type"?!?
    Shit happens.....

    But Forest beat Leeds at the weekend, so who cares?
  • philiphphiliph Posts: 4,704

    Has this idea been mooted in the past, or is it strictly a Dom/Boris thing out of the blue?

    There is history...

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proposed_British_Isles_fixed_sea_link_connections

    but there's hardly a crackpot idea that hasn't been floated before.
    Not sure you should use the word 'floated' when talking about Boris and Bridge.
  • TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 42,992

    Dura_Ace said:

    Can some slide rule and comb over type opine on how long this stupid fucking bridge would take to build even if it were possible which is probably isnt?

    The one between Sweden and Denmark took 5 years.
    It is possible that this proposed one will have no fewer bodies found in the middle of it.
  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830

    Has this idea been mooted in the past, or is it strictly a Dom/Boris thing out of the blue?

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proposed_British_Isles_fixed_sea_link_connections

    Bear in mind the MOD only came clean in 2005 odd on the amount of ordnance (inc nuclear) in Beauforts Dyke so most studies are unaware of the problem.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,609
    edited February 2020
    Stocky said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Stocky said:

    To Pulpstar - FPT:

    Thanks for this - I`m often scratching my head over this subject. If what you say is correct, how come when I "cash out" my BF cash balance goes up and the increase can be used to bet on other things (or, presumably, withdraw)?

    This happened yesterday - when i placed £20 on RLB my BF cash balance went up not down. (I have lots of conflicting bets on this market.)

    If you have any liabilities in a market and they are "greened" then you get the liability back to zero part 'back' but not the profit.
    So would the profit be zero -d if the market is voided? And no need to refund the stake because it`s already been refunded?

    Am I getting there? I find this really confusing.
    If you cashed out for a profit and the market is subsequently voided, you’ll lose the profit.
    Good news if you cashed out for a loss though, as you’ll lose the loss too!

    Basically all bets are unwound, so the money you staked on that market will appear back in your account as available - as if that market never existed.
  • Stocky said:

    To Pulpstar - FPT:

    Thanks for this - I`m often scratching my head over this subject. If what you say is correct, how come when I "cash out" my BF cash balance goes up and the increase can be used to bet on other things (or, presumably, withdraw)?

    This happened yesterday - when i placed £20 on RLB my BF cash balance went up not down. (I have lots of conflicting bets on this market.)

    If you bet on your biggest "loser" your maximum loss ('exposure') goes down, not up, which means BF returns cash to your account.

  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 22,037
    TOPPING said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    Can some slide rule and comb over type opine on how long this stupid fucking bridge would take to build even if it were possible which is probably isnt?

    The one between Sweden and Denmark took 5 years.
    It is possible that this proposed one will have no fewer bodies found in the middle of it.
    I can see it now - a remake of Taggart featuring a blond PSNI detective with OCD.
  • isamisam Posts: 41,118
    edited February 2020
    Watching Portillo’s Railway Journeys in Vietnam, I was struck that Corbyn’s real inspiration might be Ho Chi Minh. Is that plausible?
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,226
    Sinn Fein can be laid at 15 for Most Seats.

    Is that not a gift?

    IIUC they do not have enough candidates for that.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,695
    philiph said:

    Has this idea been mooted in the past, or is it strictly a Dom/Boris thing out of the blue?

    There is history...

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proposed_British_Isles_fixed_sea_link_connections

    but there's hardly a crackpot idea that hasn't been floated before.
    Not sure you should use the word 'floated' when talking about Boris and Bridge.
    :wink:
  • Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,821
    edited February 2020
    kinabalu said:

    Sinn Fein can be laid at 15 for Most Seats.

    Is that not a gift?

    IIUC they do not have enough candidates for that.

    Sinn Féin can't now get any more seats (they won the last one where they still had a candidate, in Clare), so they are definitely on 37. However, it's not yet clear how many FF and FG will end up with, and it's possible they both might miss beating the 37.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,225

    Dura_Ace said:

    Can some slide rule and comb over type opine on how long this stupid fucking bridge would take to build even if it were possible which is probably isnt?

    The one between Sweden and Denmark took 5 years.
    Hardly an exact comparison, as the maximum depth there is 40m...

  • Has this idea been mooted in the past, or is it strictly a Dom/Boris thing out of the blue?

    Yes, it’s been mooted. I did a fag packet on it a few years ago.

    It would cost tens of billions to build, be subject to all sorts of delays, could take more than one or two decades to build and would regularly be unusable due to high winds.

    It would also have a business case that would make almost any other infrastructure project in the UK look stellar by comparison.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,218
    Being super cynical here, is there really any plan to build this bridge?

    The Denmark-Sweden bridge connected two major metropolises (Malmo and Copenhagen), and linked Sweden, Norway and Finland to the Continental railways systems. It also linked Malmo to a major international airport. There was clear demand for the link, and the distance was not too great.

    Now, Scotland-Northern Ireland... I would guess, and I could be wrong here, that the number of Glasgow to Dublin flights isn't that great. So, you'd mostly be displacing ferry activity for HGVs in different routes.

    And this bridge would be an order of magnitude more expensive.

    It's hard to see the economic rationale.

    Now, Mr Cummings is no idiot. Is there really a plan to build this bridge? Or is it a kite floating exercise to demonstrate a commitment to the Northern Irish and Scottish economies, where actual cancellation is left to some other government in the future?
  • rcs1000 said:

    Being super cynical here, is there really any plan to build this bridge?

    The Denmark-Sweden bridge connected two major metropolises (Malmo and Copenhagen), and linked Sweden, Norway and Finland to the Continental railways systems. It also linked Malmo to a major international airport. There was clear demand for the link, and the distance was not too great.

    Now, Scotland-Northern Ireland... I would guess, and I could be wrong here, that the number of Glasgow to Dublin flights isn't that great. So, you'd mostly be displacing ferry activity for HGVs in different routes.

    And this bridge would be an order of magnitude more expensive.

    It's hard to see the economic rationale.

    Now, Mr Cummings is no idiot. Is there really a plan to build this bridge? Or is it a kite floating exercise to demonstrate a commitment to the Northern Irish and Scottish economies, where actual cancellation is left to some other government in the future?

    Sounds to me more like a Boris wheeze than a Cummings one.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,695

    Dura_Ace said:

    Can some slide rule and comb over type opine on how long this stupid fucking bridge would take to build even if it were possible which is probably isnt?

    The one between Sweden and Denmark took 5 years.

    That's 7.5miles long over a 30m deep strait.

    This Boris bridge would be 30 miles over a 300m deep strait. So maybe a factor of 40 times harder?

    Still we have a great track record of delivering these big infrastructure projects quickly and cheaply in Britain, so I am sure it will all be fine. :wink:

  • alteregoalterego Posts: 1,100

    rcs1000 said:

    Being super cynical here, is there really any plan to build this bridge?

    The Denmark-Sweden bridge connected two major metropolises (Malmo and Copenhagen), and linked Sweden, Norway and Finland to the Continental railways systems. It also linked Malmo to a major international airport. There was clear demand for the link, and the distance was not too great.

    Now, Scotland-Northern Ireland... I would guess, and I could be wrong here, that the number of Glasgow to Dublin flights isn't that great. So, you'd mostly be displacing ferry activity for HGVs in different routes.

    And this bridge would be an order of magnitude more expensive.

    It's hard to see the economic rationale.

    Now, Mr Cummings is no idiot. Is there really a plan to build this bridge? Or is it a kite floating exercise to demonstrate a commitment to the Northern Irish and Scottish economies, where actual cancellation is left to some other government in the future?

    Sounds to me more like a Boris wheeze than a Cummings one.
    Talking about it ain't doing it. It'll never fly 😇
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,225

    rcs1000 said:

    Being super cynical here, is there really any plan to build this bridge?

    The Denmark-Sweden bridge connected two major metropolises (Malmo and Copenhagen), and linked Sweden, Norway and Finland to the Continental railways systems. It also linked Malmo to a major international airport. There was clear demand for the link, and the distance was not too great.

    Now, Scotland-Northern Ireland... I would guess, and I could be wrong here, that the number of Glasgow to Dublin flights isn't that great. So, you'd mostly be displacing ferry activity for HGVs in different routes.

    And this bridge would be an order of magnitude more expensive.

    It's hard to see the economic rationale.

    Now, Mr Cummings is no idiot. Is there really a plan to build this bridge? Or is it a kite floating exercise to demonstrate a commitment to the Northern Irish and Scottish economies, where actual cancellation is left to some other government in the future?

    Sounds to me more like a Boris wheeze than a Cummings one.
    Or a Cummings wheeze designed to appear to Boris' vanity...

    The only problem with that being that he might get attached to the idea of actually green-lighting it.
  • alterego said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Being super cynical here, is there really any plan to build this bridge?

    The Denmark-Sweden bridge connected two major metropolises (Malmo and Copenhagen), and linked Sweden, Norway and Finland to the Continental railways systems. It also linked Malmo to a major international airport. There was clear demand for the link, and the distance was not too great.

    Now, Scotland-Northern Ireland... I would guess, and I could be wrong here, that the number of Glasgow to Dublin flights isn't that great. So, you'd mostly be displacing ferry activity for HGVs in different routes.

    And this bridge would be an order of magnitude more expensive.

    It's hard to see the economic rationale.

    Now, Mr Cummings is no idiot. Is there really a plan to build this bridge? Or is it a kite floating exercise to demonstrate a commitment to the Northern Irish and Scottish economies, where actual cancellation is left to some other government in the future?

    Sounds to me more like a Boris wheeze than a Cummings one.
    Talking about it ain't doing it. It'll never fly 😇
    Exactly. A Boris wheeze.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,225

    Has this idea been mooted in the past, or is it strictly a Dom/Boris thing out of the blue?

    Yes, it’s been mooted. I did a fag packet on it a few years ago.

    It would cost tens of billions to build, be subject to all sorts of delays, could take more than one or two decades to build and would regularly be unusable due to high winds.

    It would also have a business case that would make almost any other infrastructure project in the UK look stellar by comparison.
    I suspect you could spend several tens of millions on a detailed study, and be presented with an equally precise forecast....
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,218
    Sandpit said:

    Stocky said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Stocky said:

    To Pulpstar - FPT:

    Thanks for this - I`m often scratching my head over this subject. If what you say is correct, how come when I "cash out" my BF cash balance goes up and the increase can be used to bet on other things (or, presumably, withdraw)?

    This happened yesterday - when i placed £20 on RLB my BF cash balance went up not down. (I have lots of conflicting bets on this market.)

    If you have any liabilities in a market and they are "greened" then you get the liability back to zero part 'back' but not the profit.
    So would the profit be zero -d if the market is voided? And no need to refund the stake because it`s already been refunded?

    Am I getting there? I find this really confusing.
    If you cashed out for a profit and the market is subsequently voided, you’ll lose the profit.
    Good news if you cashed out for a loss though, as you’ll lose the loss too!

    Basically all bets are unwound, so the money you staked on that market will appear back in your account as available - as if that market never existed.
    So, if you're worried, then cash out, withdraw all your money from BF, and close your BF account.
  • alteregoalterego Posts: 1,100
    Nigelb said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Being super cynical here, is there really any plan to build this bridge?

    The Denmark-Sweden bridge connected two major metropolises (Malmo and Copenhagen), and linked Sweden, Norway and Finland to the Continental railways systems. It also linked Malmo to a major international airport. There was clear demand for the link, and the distance was not too great.

    Now, Scotland-Northern Ireland... I would guess, and I could be wrong here, that the number of Glasgow to Dublin flights isn't that great. So, you'd mostly be displacing ferry activity for HGVs in different routes.

    And this bridge would be an order of magnitude more expensive.

    It's hard to see the economic rationale.

    Now, Mr Cummings is no idiot. Is there really a plan to build this bridge? Or is it a kite floating exercise to demonstrate a commitment to the Northern Irish and Scottish economies, where actual cancellation is left to some other government in the future?

    Sounds to me more like a Boris wheeze than a Cummings one.
    Or a Cummings wheeze designed to appear to Boris' vanity...

    The only problem with that being that he might get attached to the idea of actually green-lighting it.
    Boris may be vain but I don't think he's stupid.
  • Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,821
    edited February 2020
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,226
    Isn't the Boris Bridge all about "unleashing the potential of this great nation of ours" - in this case the Scotland and Northern Ireland bits - now that the aforesaid "Boris" has Got Brexit Done?
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 119,678
    edited February 2020
    My word, this has to be the stupidest idea since someone thought pineapple would make a good topping on pizza Steve Hilton proposed spending billions on cloud/weather technology to ensure the UK has sunny weather all year around.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,720
    If the incubation period can be longer than 3 weeks then we may well see more of this.
  • EndillionEndillion Posts: 4,976

    rcs1000 said:

    Being super cynical here, is there really any plan to build this bridge?

    The Denmark-Sweden bridge connected two major metropolises (Malmo and Copenhagen), and linked Sweden, Norway and Finland to the Continental railways systems. It also linked Malmo to a major international airport. There was clear demand for the link, and the distance was not too great.

    Now, Scotland-Northern Ireland... I would guess, and I could be wrong here, that the number of Glasgow to Dublin flights isn't that great. So, you'd mostly be displacing ferry activity for HGVs in different routes.

    And this bridge would be an order of magnitude more expensive.

    It's hard to see the economic rationale.

    Now, Mr Cummings is no idiot. Is there really a plan to build this bridge? Or is it a kite floating exercise to demonstrate a commitment to the Northern Irish and Scottish economies, where actual cancellation is left to some other government in the future?

    Sounds to me more like a Boris wheeze than a Cummings one.
    If it's the latter, then it needs to be referred to as a Cummings Plan.
  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 12,557
    edited February 2020

    rcs1000 said:

    Being super cynical here, is there really any plan to build this bridge?

    The Denmark-Sweden bridge connected two major metropolises (Malmo and Copenhagen), and linked Sweden, Norway and Finland to the Continental railways systems. It also linked Malmo to a major international airport. There was clear demand for the link, and the distance was not too great.

    Now, Scotland-Northern Ireland... I would guess, and I could be wrong here, that the number of Glasgow to Dublin flights isn't that great. So, you'd mostly be displacing ferry activity for HGVs in different routes.

    And this bridge would be an order of magnitude more expensive.

    It's hard to see the economic rationale.

    Now, Mr Cummings is no idiot. Is there really a plan to build this bridge? Or is it a kite floating exercise to demonstrate a commitment to the Northern Irish and Scottish economies, where actual cancellation is left to some other government in the future?

    Sounds to me more like a Boris wheeze than a Cummings one.
    Of course there is no plan to build this bridge. But Boris needs to get more sensitive to the fact that Irish union now looks like a real possibility, and that, unlike with the bridge, geography is on its side.

    Furthermore if it were built (per impossibile) the EU would find it a handy piece of infrastructure joining EU United Ireland and EU independent Scotland.

  • philiphphiliph Posts: 4,704

    Dura_Ace said:

    Can some slide rule and comb over type opine on how long this stupid fucking bridge would take to build even if it were possible which is probably isnt?

    The one between Sweden and Denmark took 5 years.

    That's 7.5miles long over a 30m deep strait.

    This Boris bridge would be 30 miles over a 300m deep strait. So maybe a factor of 40 times harder?

    Still we have a great track record of delivering these big infrastructure projects quickly and cheaply in Britain, so I am sure it will all be fine. :wink:

    I'm not certain that I want to drive for 30 miles in a straight line at circa 50 mph with very little of scenic interest.

    Dull and sleep inducing!
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,226

    My word, this has to be the stupidest idea since someone thought pineapple would make a good topping on pizza Steve Hilton thought about spending billions on cloud/weather technology to ensure the UK has sunny weather all year around.

    That's the man who used to walk around Downing St in his bare feet, thinking blue sky thoughts and telling everybody about them.
  • philiph said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    Can some slide rule and comb over type opine on how long this stupid fucking bridge would take to build even if it were possible which is probably isnt?

    The one between Sweden and Denmark took 5 years.

    That's 7.5miles long over a 30m deep strait.

    This Boris bridge would be 30 miles over a 300m deep strait. So maybe a factor of 40 times harder?

    Still we have a great track record of delivering these big infrastructure projects quickly and cheaply in Britain, so I am sure it will all be fine. :wink:

    I'm not certain that I want to drive for 30 miles in a straight line at circa 50 mph with very little of scenic interest.

    Dull and sleep inducing!
    The high winds would maintain the interest, dodging lorries slewing across the carriageway etc.
  • philiphphiliph Posts: 4,704

    Oh come on Mike. You missed a golden opportunity to use “trouble over bridged waters” as a thread title.

    He used the abridged version instead.
  • philiphphiliph Posts: 4,704

    philiph said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    Can some slide rule and comb over type opine on how long this stupid fucking bridge would take to build even if it were possible which is probably isnt?

    The one between Sweden and Denmark took 5 years.

    That's 7.5miles long over a 30m deep strait.

    This Boris bridge would be 30 miles over a 300m deep strait. So maybe a factor of 40 times harder?

    Still we have a great track record of delivering these big infrastructure projects quickly and cheaply in Britain, so I am sure it will all be fine. :wink:

    I'm not certain that I want to drive for 30 miles in a straight line at circa 50 mph with very little of scenic interest.

    Dull and sleep inducing!
    The high winds would maintain the interest, dodging lorries slewing across the carriageway etc.
    I can do that on the M1 (and many others) for my cheap thrills.
  • The Staines mob seem to be having second thoughts over Boris...

    We will, Guido fears, find out in the end that the trouble with zero interest rate “One Nation Toryism” is that eventually you run out of other people’s money…

    https://order-order.com/2020/02/10/voted-socialism-lite/
  • Foxy said:

    If the incubation period can be longer than 3 weeks then we may well see more of this.
    I'm getting really worried now.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,119
    edited February 2020

    Foxy said:

    If the incubation period can be longer than 3 weeks then we may well see more of this.
    I'm getting really worried now.
    Nearly 100 people died from coronavirus yesterday on the deadliest day of the outbreak so far.

    The death toll in mainland China rose by 97, taking the number of global fatalities to 910.

    Another 3,062 cases were reported in China yesterday - an increase of 15 per cent compared to Saturday which put an end to a series of daily declines.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7986067/Japan-says-60-virus-cases-cruise-ship.html
  • A road bridge is a bloody stupid idea.

    A rail bridge on the other hand...

    You could run through services from Dublin to Brussels. A proper EU gravy train.

    Rail TUNNEL, surely! A northerly counterpart to the Channel Tunnel.
  • I’m working on the assumption that everyone is going to get Coronavirus at some point. I just hope I get it mild.
  • A road bridge is a bloody stupid idea.

    A rail bridge on the other hand...

    You could run through services from Dublin to Brussels. A proper EU gravy train.

    Rail TUNNEL, surely! A northerly counterpart to the Channel Tunnel.
    The Oresund link has both.
  • rcs1000 said:

    Being super cynical here, is there really any plan to build this bridge?

    The Denmark-Sweden bridge connected two major metropolises (Malmo and Copenhagen), and linked Sweden, Norway and Finland to the Continental railways systems. It also linked Malmo to a major international airport. There was clear demand for the link, and the distance was not too great.

    Now, Scotland-Northern Ireland... I would guess, and I could be wrong here, that the number of Glasgow to Dublin flights isn't that great. So, you'd mostly be displacing ferry activity for HGVs in different routes.

    And this bridge would be an order of magnitude more expensive.

    It's hard to see the economic rationale.

    Now, Mr Cummings is no idiot. Is there really a plan to build this bridge? Or is it a kite floating exercise to demonstrate a commitment to the Northern Irish and Scottish economies, where actual cancellation is left to some other government in the future?

    This government should be planning to be in office for the next decade. They may not be but that should be the plan. Cancellation by a future government shouldn't really be an option.

    More likely it will be one of those commitments to look into it but then never get anything formal so nothing needs to be formally cancelled. Eg Dubya, Obama and Trump have all announced plans for manned missions to Mars. Maybe Clinton and before too I don't know. Those plans never get formally cancelled and then years later their successor announces it too. Repeat ad nauseum.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,358

    Dura_Ace said:

    Can some slide rule and comb over type opine on how long this stupid fucking bridge would take to build even if it were possible which is probably isnt?

    The one between Sweden and Denmark took 5 years.
    So for UK about 20 years
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,609
    isam said:

    Watching Portillo’s Railway Journeys in Vietnam, I was struck that Corbyn’s real inspiration might be Ho Chi Minh. Is that plausible?

    Ho Chi Minh was a pastry chef (who perhaps trained under Escoffier).

    Corbyn merely makes jam.
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,482
    The quoted Tweeter is wrong about at least one thing - because the bridge is over the sea, numerous expenses relating to properties, villages, areas of outstanding beauty etc. that have been part of HS2 won't happen here.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,695
    malcolmg said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    Can some slide rule and comb over type opine on how long this stupid fucking bridge would take to build even if it were possible which is probably isnt?

    The one between Sweden and Denmark took 5 years.
    So for UK about 20 years
    Multiply by 40 to cover the fact that the North Channel is 4 times as wide and 10 times as deep as the Øresund.

    800 years sounds about right tbf.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,358
    rcs1000 said:

    Being super cynical here, is there really any plan to build this bridge?

    The Denmark-Sweden bridge connected two major metropolises (Malmo and Copenhagen), and linked Sweden, Norway and Finland to the Continental railways systems. It also linked Malmo to a major international airport. There was clear demand for the link, and the distance was not too great.

    Now, Scotland-Northern Ireland... I would guess, and I could be wrong here, that the number of Glasgow to Dublin flights isn't that great. So, you'd mostly be displacing ferry activity for HGVs in different routes.

    And this bridge would be an order of magnitude more expensive.

    It's hard to see the economic rationale.

    Now, Mr Cummings is no idiot. Is there really a plan to build this bridge? Or is it a kite floating exercise to demonstrate a commitment to the Northern Irish and Scottish economies, where actual cancellation is left to some other government in the future?

    It is pure propaganda and no-one in Scotland is fooled.
  • A road bridge is a bloody stupid idea.

    A rail bridge on the other hand...

    You could run through services from Dublin to Brussels. A proper EU gravy train.

    Rail TUNNEL, surely! A northerly counterpart to the Channel Tunnel.
    You might want to study the seabed in that area. It is anything but flat...
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,482

    philiph said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    Can some slide rule and comb over type opine on how long this stupid fucking bridge would take to build even if it were possible which is probably isnt?

    The one between Sweden and Denmark took 5 years.

    That's 7.5miles long over a 30m deep strait.

    This Boris bridge would be 30 miles over a 300m deep strait. So maybe a factor of 40 times harder?

    Still we have a great track record of delivering these big infrastructure projects quickly and cheaply in Britain, so I am sure it will all be fine. :wink:

    I'm not certain that I want to drive for 30 miles in a straight line at circa 50 mph with very little of scenic interest.

    Dull and sleep inducing!
    The high winds would maintain the interest, dodging lorries slewing across the carriageway etc.
    One thing I will say in favour of the new Forth Road Bridge, the wind deflector things on the side work a treat. It feels less windy on the bridge than it does on the road preceding it.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,205
    Going through all the remaining constituencies I make the likely final tallies as follows :

    41 FF, 37 SF, 36 FG
  • kinabalu said:

    Isn't the Boris Bridge all about "unleashing the potential of this great nation of ours" - in this case the Scotland and Northern Ireland bits - now that the aforesaid "Boris" has Got Brexit Done?

    Except, of course, Brexit has only just started. But you knew that .... ;)
  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    The "did Magna Carta die in vain" dimmocracee fan leavers really need to demonstrate their commitment to direct democracy in principle by finding something new to referend about. Can I commend to them a campaign for BRIDGEREF 2021?
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,609
    Pulpstar said:

    Going through all the remaining constituencies I make the likely final tallies as follows :

    41 FF, 37 SF, 36 FG

    How the hell does Ireland end up with a government from that result?
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,482
    edited February 2020
    malcolmg said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Being super cynical here, is there really any plan to build this bridge?

    The Denmark-Sweden bridge connected two major metropolises (Malmo and Copenhagen), and linked Sweden, Norway and Finland to the Continental railways systems. It also linked Malmo to a major international airport. There was clear demand for the link, and the distance was not too great.

    Now, Scotland-Northern Ireland... I would guess, and I could be wrong here, that the number of Glasgow to Dublin flights isn't that great. So, you'd mostly be displacing ferry activity for HGVs in different routes.

    And this bridge would be an order of magnitude more expensive.

    It's hard to see the economic rationale.

    Now, Mr Cummings is no idiot. Is there really a plan to build this bridge? Or is it a kite floating exercise to demonstrate a commitment to the Northern Irish and Scottish economies, where actual cancellation is left to some other government in the future?

    It is pure propaganda and no-one in Scotland is fooled.
    Well I am in Scotland and I love the idea of hopping in my car and visiting Belfast. I think (and isn't the idea still just being explored?) people will give it a fair hearing.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,720
    philiph said:

    Oh come on Mike. You missed a golden opportunity to use “trouble over bridged waters” as a thread title.

    He used the abridged version instead.
    I cantilever another pun into this thread...
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,205
    Sandpit said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Going through all the remaining constituencies I make the likely final tallies as follows :

    41 FF, 37 SF, 36 FG

    How the hell does Ireland end up with a government from that result?
    Well I might be wrong,

    Caven Monaghan
    2 FF. Definitely 1
    Cork North Central
    1 FG, 1 Other
    Donegal
    1 FF, 1 FG, 1 Other
    Dublin bay North
    1 FF, 2 other
    Dublin Fingal
    1 FG, 1 Other
    Dublin SW
    1 FG, 1 FF, 2 Other
    Dublin NW
    1 Other (PBP), outside chance it is 1 FF instead
    4638 FG votes to distribute; PBP 436 votes ahead of FF
    Galway West
    1 FG, 1 other
    Kerry
    1 FF, 1 FG, 1 Other
    Kildare South
    1 FF, 1 FG
    Laios Offaly
    1 FF, 1 FG, 1 Other
    Longford Westmeath
    1 FG, 2 FF
    Louth
    1 FG, 1 FF, 1 Other (FF could miss out)
    Sleigo
    2 FF, 1 FG, (Possibly 1 FF, 1 Other, 1 FG)
    Wicklow
    2 FG, 1 FF, 1 Green

    is the working. Others can check if you like
  • A road bridge is a bloody stupid idea.

    A rail bridge on the other hand...

    You could run through services from Dublin to Brussels. A proper EU gravy train.

    Rail TUNNEL, surely! A northerly counterpart to the Channel Tunnel.
    You might want to study the seabed in that area. It is anything but flat...
    You wouldn't run it that way.

    Despite it being a lot further, it would make more sense - and may even be cheaper - if you're going to do a GB-Ireland physical link at all, to run it from Anglesea to Dublin and then upgrade the north Welsh routes. A Scotland-NI link is no use to the vast majority of people on either side of the Irish Sea.

    But really, there's little justification spending that amount of money on a link to an island where so few people live, where most of them are in a foreign country (unless that foreign country, which were the prime beneficiary were to stump up most of the cash), and when there's plenty of intra-GB infrastructure that it could be spent on.
  • brokenwheelbrokenwheel Posts: 3,352

    Foxy said:

    If the incubation period can be longer than 3 weeks then we may well see more of this.
    I'm getting really worried now.
    I'm sanguine, it's one way to solve the housing shortage.
  • philiphphiliph Posts: 4,704
    Foxy said:

    philiph said:

    Oh come on Mike. You missed a golden opportunity to use “trouble over bridged waters” as a thread title.

    He used the abridged version instead.
    I cantilever another pun into this thread...
    The suspension is killing me
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,720
    edited February 2020

    Foxy said:

    If the incubation period can be longer than 3 weeks then we may well see more of this.
    I'm getting really worried now.
    Nearly 100 people died from coronavirus yesterday on the deadliest day of the outbreak so far.

    The death toll in mainland China rose by 97, taking the number of global fatalities to 910.

    Another 3,062 cases were reported in China yesterday - an increase of 15 per cent compared to Saturday which put an end to a series of daily declines.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7986067/Japan-says-60-virus-cases-cruise-ship.html
    The way cases are being reported has changed, now only symptomatic ones are counted, so be careful projecting on the figures.


    https://twitter.com/lwcalex/status/1226840055869632512?s=19
  • Next week: Britain's airship industry to be revived in Sunderland.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,609
    edited February 2020

    philiph said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    Can some slide rule and comb over type opine on how long this stupid fucking bridge would take to build even if it were possible which is probably isnt?

    The one between Sweden and Denmark took 5 years.

    That's 7.5miles long over a 30m deep strait.

    This Boris bridge would be 30 miles over a 300m deep strait. So maybe a factor of 40 times harder?

    Still we have a great track record of delivering these big infrastructure projects quickly and cheaply in Britain, so I am sure it will all be fine. :wink:

    I'm not certain that I want to drive for 30 miles in a straight line at circa 50 mph with very little of scenic interest.

    Dull and sleep inducing!
    The high winds would maintain the interest, dodging lorries slewing across the carriageway etc.
    One thing I will say in favour of the new Forth Road Bridge, the wind deflector things on the side work a treat. It feels less windy on the bridge than it does on the road preceding it.
    The design of the roadway is similar to that of the second Severn bridge, and that’s only been closed for wind a handful of times in 25 years. The new bridge should be a lot more reliably open in bad weather, even for lorries.
  • Beibheirli_CBeibheirli_C Posts: 8,163
    edited February 2020

    The quoted Tweeter is wrong about at least one thing - because the bridge is over the sea, numerous expenses relating to properties, villages, areas of outstanding beauty etc. that have been part of HS2 won't happen here.

    Buying off Tory voters in the leafy counties of Brexitshire would be a bargain compared to sinking pillars to an average depth of 150 metres in a seaway with immensely strong tides and frequent Force 7 wind whipping the sea up.

    If the phrase "Wind over tide" means nothing to you, maybe you had better go and look it up because it happens twice a day out there.

    BTW - do not forget to add another 50 to 100 metres of height to allow shipping UNDER the bridge.
  • Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 13,677

    Next week: Britain's airship industry to be revived in Sunderland.

    Redcar and Macclesfield are both vying to be the site of the new government funded galoshes factory.
  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830

    The quoted Tweeter is wrong about at least one thing - because the bridge is over the sea, numerous expenses relating to properties, villages, areas of outstanding beauty etc. that have been part of HS2 won't happen here.

    Buying off Tory voters in the leafy counties of Brexitshire would be a bargain compared to sinking pillars to an average depth of 150 metres in a seaway with immensely strong tides and frequent Force 7 wind whipping the sea up.

    If the phrase "Wind over tide" means nothing to you, maybe you had better go and look it up because it happens twice a day out there.

    BTW - do not forget to add another 50 to 100 metres of height to allow shipping UNDER the bridge.
    Frequent force 7? Those are the lulls.
  • philiphphiliph Posts: 4,704

    Foxy said:

    If the incubation period can be longer than 3 weeks then we may well see more of this.
    I'm getting really worried now.
    I'm sanguine, it's one way to solve the housing shortage.
    As population rises the imminence of a pandemic that wipes out a notable percentage of the population increases.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,218
    On the topic of the US, Buttigieg is down in most of the recent New Hampshire polls. (Although the one that has him doing worst - the University of Massachusetts - has fieldwork that entirely predates the latest debate, so it's unclear how much weight we should give it.)

    I don't think Klobuchar has any realistic chance of overhauling Sanders in NH. Simply, he's going to get something in the 26-32% range, while Klobuchar is still polling only the low-teens.

    She does, however, have a shot (a small one) of getting second. The moderate lane of the Democratic Primaries remains extremely crowded, and she has more appeal to the left of the Party than Biden, Buttigieg or Bloomberg. No doubt some Warren voters could go for her too.

    I suspect her surge is too late, and that she'll end up in the mid-teens, alongside Warren. Buttigieg will end up on 17-23%. And Biden will end up fifth, although I no longer think he'll end up in single digits.

    The problem is that this is unlikely to get the Klobuchar momentum truly moving. She really needs a second.

    Next to Nevada. There hasn't been much polling there. And organisation matters. I think this is Warren's state.

    From there, who knows? Having four or five credible players contesting Super Tuesday is incredibly uncommon. It makes getting 50+1% of delegates really tough. And it also means lots of moderate votes end up going to waste thanks to the the 15% bar at the precinct level.
  • IshmaelZ said:

    The quoted Tweeter is wrong about at least one thing - because the bridge is over the sea, numerous expenses relating to properties, villages, areas of outstanding beauty etc. that have been part of HS2 won't happen here.

    Buying off Tory voters in the leafy counties of Brexitshire would be a bargain compared to sinking pillars to an average depth of 150 metres in a seaway with immensely strong tides and frequent Force 7 wind whipping the sea up.

    If the phrase "Wind over tide" means nothing to you, maybe you had better go and look it up because it happens twice a day out there.

    BTW - do not forget to add another 50 to 100 metres of height to allow shipping UNDER the bridge.
    Frequent force 7? Those are the lulls.
    Especially this week ...
  • philiphphiliph Posts: 4,704

    Next week: Britain's airship industry to be revived in Sunderland.

    It has been based in Cardington, Bedfordshire for a long lime.
  • I’m working on the assumption that everyone is going to get Coronavirus at some point. I just hope I get it mild.

    I don’t see what else you can do given how contagious it is.

    Nevertheless, randomness will ensure a certain % of humans will have natural immunity (or as good as).
  • Foxy said:

    If the incubation period can be longer than 3 weeks then we may well see more of this.
    I'm getting really worried now.
    I'm sanguine, it's one way to solve the housing shortage.
    You are Terry Christian and I claim my £5....
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,482

    The quoted Tweeter is wrong about at least one thing - because the bridge is over the sea, numerous expenses relating to properties, villages, areas of outstanding beauty etc. that have been part of HS2 won't happen here.

    Buying off Tory voters in the leafy counties of Brexitshire would be a bargain compared to sinking pillars to an average depth of 150 metres in a seaway with immensely strong tides and frequent Force 7 wind whipping the sea up.

    If the phrase "Wind over tide" means nothing to you, maybe you had better go and look it up because it happens twice a day out there.

    BTW - do not forget to add another 50 to 100 metres of height to allow shipping UNDER the bridge.
    Unless the feasibility study is being carried out by Arlene Foster, all this will be taken into account.

    I admire Boris pushing through initial skepticism, even if sometimes it fails. You have to do that with any new idea. There's nothing as certain in life as some smart Alec trampling on a new idea with their size 9s, but they're not the ones who actually achieve things.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,119
    edited February 2020
    I am surprised some celeb at the Oscars didn't use their award speech to claim we wouldn't have this virus problem if the world just went vegan and we didn't fly so often.
  • A road bridge is a bloody stupid idea.

    A rail bridge on the other hand...

    You could run through services from Dublin to Brussels. A proper EU gravy train.

    Rail TUNNEL, surely! A northerly counterpart to the Channel Tunnel.
    You might want to study the seabed in that area. It is anything but flat...
    You wouldn't run it that way.

    Despite it being a lot further, it would make more sense - and may even be cheaper - if you're going to do a GB-Ireland physical link at all, to run it from Anglesea to Dublin and then upgrade the north Welsh routes. A Scotland-NI link is no use to the vast majority of people on either side of the Irish Sea.

    But really, there's little justification spending that amount of money on a link to an island where so few people live, where most of them are in a foreign country (unless that foreign country, which were the prime beneficiary were to stump up most of the cash), and when there's plenty of intra-GB infrastructure that it could be spent on.
    If we were in Europe, it might be a possibility, but we have thrown that away. The Irish have been putting extra capacity into Rosslare so they can go direct to Europe and bypass that troublesome island to their east.
  • malcolmg said:

    malcolmg said:

    WE are not in any of those and what you are talking about are states , not countries. Totally different situation.
    PS: Who do you think should decide if Scotland wants to be an independent country , people of Scotland or England. Why does England want to deny Scotland its democratic rights under International Law.

    Sorry I hit reply early so you only got half of my response.

    England doesn't want to deny Scotland its democratic rights under International Law. Firstly England isn't making a decision here, England has no voice. Secondly Scotland rightly or wrongly has no democratic rights under International Law which is why Catalans can't appeal to the Hague etc to assert their rights under International Law.
    That is just bollox
    The right of a people to self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international law (commonly regarded as a jus cogens rule), binding, as such, on the United Nations as authoritative interpretation of the Charter's norms. It states that people, based on respect for the principle of equal rights and fair equality of opportunity, have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no interference.

    The concept was first expressed in the 1860s, and spread rapidly thereafter. During and after World War I, the principle was encouraged by both Vladimir Lenin and United States President Woodrow Wilson. Having announced his Fourteen Points on 8 January 1918, on 11 February 1918 Wilson stated: "National aspirations must be respected; people may now be dominated and governed only by their own consent. 'Self determination' is not a mere phrase; it is an imperative principle of action."

    During World War II, the principle was included in the Atlantic Charter, signed on 14 August 1941, by Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States, and Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, who pledged The Eight Principal points of the Charter. It was recognized as an international legal right after it was explicitly listed as a right in the UN Charter.
    I'm on your side. I want you to determine this and I want you to go independent. I'm of the view its the best outcome for Scotland as it will make Scottish MSPs responsible for Scottish decisions without the excuse of blaming England. Identical logic to Brexit.

    However international law doesn't dictate this. As far as I'm aware (IANAL) this right applies to colonised peoples and not constituent parts of a country. So if Falklands or Gibraltar wanted independence they could get it, but not Scotland or Catalonia.

    Otherwise the Catalans could take their case to the Hague and demand their rights.
  • The quoted Tweeter is wrong about at least one thing - because the bridge is over the sea, numerous expenses relating to properties, villages, areas of outstanding beauty etc. that have been part of HS2 won't happen here.

    Buying off Tory voters in the leafy counties of Brexitshire would be a bargain compared to sinking pillars to an average depth of 150 metres in a seaway with immensely strong tides and frequent Force 7 wind whipping the sea up.

    If the phrase "Wind over tide" means nothing to you, maybe you had better go and look it up because it happens twice a day out there.

    BTW - do not forget to add another 50 to 100 metres of height to allow shipping UNDER the bridge.
    Unless the feasibility study is being carried out by Arlene Foster, all this will be taken into account.

    I admire Boris pushing through initial skepticism, even if sometimes it fails. You have to do that with any new idea. There's nothing as certain in life as some smart Alec trampling on a new idea with their size 9s, but they're not the ones who actually achieve things.
    Fair enough. I will not be holding my breath waiting for Boris to deliver...
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,218
    Sandpit said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Going through all the remaining constituencies I make the likely final tallies as follows :

    41 FF, 37 SF, 36 FG

    How the hell does Ireland end up with a government from that result?
    Lucky bastards.
  • Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 13,677
    Sandpit said:

    philiph said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    Can some slide rule and comb over type opine on how long this stupid fucking bridge would take to build even if it were possible which is probably isnt?

    The one between Sweden and Denmark took 5 years.

    That's 7.5miles long over a 30m deep strait.

    This Boris bridge would be 30 miles over a 300m deep strait. So maybe a factor of 40 times harder?

    Still we have a great track record of delivering these big infrastructure projects quickly and cheaply in Britain, so I am sure it will all be fine. :wink:

    I'm not certain that I want to drive for 30 miles in a straight line at circa 50 mph with very little of scenic interest.

    Dull and sleep inducing!
    The high winds would maintain the interest, dodging lorries slewing across the carriageway etc.
    One thing I will say in favour of the new Forth Road Bridge, the wind deflector things on the side work a treat. It feels less windy on the bridge than it does on the road preceding it.
    The design of the roadway is similar to that of the second Severn bridge, and that’s only been closed for wind a handful of times in 25 years. The new bridge should be a lot more reliably open in bad weather, even for lorries.
    It's gusting 40+ knots out there right now. I've been through the North Channel in winter and a thought that definitely did not occur to me was, "This would be a great fucking place for a bridge."
  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830

    I am surprised some celeb at the Oscars didn't use their award speech to claim we wouldn't have this virus problem if the world just went vegan and we didn't fly so often.

    Well, he'd be wrong about the flying. But only about the flying.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,205

    I’m working on the assumption that everyone is going to get Coronavirus at some point. I just hope I get it mild.

    Mucking out the horses will be "fun" if it's universal.
  • ClippPClippP Posts: 1,905
    Sandpit said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Going through all the remaining constituencies I make the likely final tallies as follows :

    41 FF, 37 SF, 36 FG

    How the hell does Ireland end up with a government from that result?
    It clearly reflects the views of the population- which would seem to be a bit confused at present. So that seems to be a reasonable result.

    It probably suggests that there is a need for the political parties in Ireland to redefine themselves. And that could well be true of other countries too.

    Meanwhile, if SF can work in government with extreme protestants in Northern Ireland, there is no inherent reason why they should not be able to work with more closely-aligned parties in the Republic.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,119
    edited February 2020
    Is it just me or are the number of reported cases in the US incredibly low for a country that has a very high population (including a very large Chinese community, who I am sure many visited the homeland for new year) and many international hub airports?
  • Dura_Ace said:

    Sandpit said:

    philiph said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    Can some slide rule and comb over type opine on how long this stupid fucking bridge would take to build even if it were possible which is probably isnt?

    The one between Sweden and Denmark took 5 years.

    That's 7.5miles long over a 30m deep strait.

    This Boris bridge would be 30 miles over a 300m deep strait. So maybe a factor of 40 times harder?

    Still we have a great track record of delivering these big infrastructure projects quickly and cheaply in Britain, so I am sure it will all be fine. :wink:

    I'm not certain that I want to drive for 30 miles in a straight line at circa 50 mph with very little of scenic interest.

    Dull and sleep inducing!
    The high winds would maintain the interest, dodging lorries slewing across the carriageway etc.
    One thing I will say in favour of the new Forth Road Bridge, the wind deflector things on the side work a treat. It feels less windy on the bridge than it does on the road preceding it.
    The design of the roadway is similar to that of the second Severn bridge, and that’s only been closed for wind a handful of times in 25 years. The new bridge should be a lot more reliably open in bad weather, even for lorries.
    It's gusting 40+ knots out there right now. I've been through the North Channel in winter and a thought that definitely did not occur to me was, "This would be a great fucking place for a bridge."
    I can see it out of my window and the thought that occurs to me is that it would be a great place to bury loads of money and a political reputation.
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,482
    IshmaelZ said:

    I am surprised some celeb at the Oscars didn't use their award speech to claim we wouldn't have this virus problem if the world just went vegan and we didn't fly so often.

    Well, he'd be wrong about the flying. But only about the flying.
    If we were all vegan, a deadly virus to make us emaciated, fragile and close to shuffling off this mortal coil would be superfluous to requirements.
  • Mr. Borough, there's work being done on a modern type of airship (borrows from hovercraft type tech as well, I think). Can land on water, could be great for disaster rescue and relief.
  • Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    If the incubation period can be longer than 3 weeks then we may well see more of this.
    I'm getting really worried now.
    Nearly 100 people died from coronavirus yesterday on the deadliest day of the outbreak so far.

    The death toll in mainland China rose by 97, taking the number of global fatalities to 910.

    Another 3,062 cases were reported in China yesterday - an increase of 15 per cent compared to Saturday which put an end to a series of daily declines.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7986067/Japan-says-60-virus-cases-cruise-ship.html
    The way cases are being reported has changed, now only symptomatic ones are counted, so be careful projecting on the figures.


    https://twitter.com/lwcalex/status/1226840055869632512?s=19
    That will increase the reported mortality rate without increasing any deaths.
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,482

    Mr. Borough, there's work being done on a modern type of airship (borrows from hovercraft type tech as well, I think). Can land on water, could be great for disaster rescue and relief.

    We recently invented the flying bum didn't we? I think airships are great.
This discussion has been closed.