A Necessary Extravagance

This topic has 21 replies, 13 voices, and was last updated 5 May 2018 at 21:44 by V8Eng.

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3 May 2018 at 19:12 #352710
Samsaranda
Participant
@samsaranda
Just seen on the news that the Kew Gardens Greenhouse has been refurbished at a cost of £41,000,000 surely we have higher priorities for our hard earned taxes. Here in East Sussex our roads are disintegrating at an alarming rate, there are better transport infrastructures in third world countries. Our hospitals are clogged with patients who are fit for discharge into the community but need a degree of social care for which our system can’t fund, result a stagnating health system unable to function effectively. These and other circumstances need funds, how can we justify refurbishing a Victorian greenhouse ahead of other pressing social issues. This post is not meant to be political it is questioning the sanity of our spending plans.

Dave W
Advert

3 May 2018 at 19:12 #35179
Samsaranda
Participant
@samsaranda
3 May 2018 at 19:18 #352711
JasonB
Moderator
@jasonb
Don't think your taxes paid for all of it

"In 2011 the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) awarded Kew a development fund of £890,000 towards the Temperate House restoration project, followed by a further £14.7m for the restoration of the historic Temperate House in March 2013. On top of this, Defra (the Government department that provides approximately half of Kew’s funding) has contributed £10.4m and Kew has raised an additional £7.7m for the project from private donors. The £41m restoration project will be completed in May 2018.."

Edited By JasonB on 03/05/2018 19:21:27
3 May 2018 at 19:28 #352713
Samsaranda
Participant
@samsaranda
Apologies for any misrepresentation but still some of my hard earned taxes being committed to the project, still question the sanity of the way funding is determined.

Dave W
3 May 2018 at 19:58 #352718
Brian H
Participant
@brianh50089
We've just given China £ 47,000,000 which is an even bigger waste.

Brian
3 May 2018 at 20:04 #352721
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
Hmmm. knowing plenty about what goes on at Kew, it's probably saved the UK many more millions and the world billions by its work supporting agricultural, plant disease and medical research…

Neil

It seems I'm undervaluing Kew:

http://www.kew.org/about-our-organisation/press-media/press-releases/kew%E2%80%99s-value-and-impact-revealed

2014/15 activities valued at £182m, just 90p cost per taxpayer
3 May 2018 at 20:05 #352722
nigel jones 5
Participant
@nigeljones5
And I quote " £254 million to India for 2019, their latest rocket cost £250 million"…that would pay for a few patched up roads!
3 May 2018 at 21:28 #352740
Mark Rand
Participant
@markrand96270
Bah! Humbug!

It is the weather, or are people suffering from holier-than-thou/miserable old sod syndrome over the last week or so?

I buy an occasional lottery ticket and pay the Revenuers their tithe. If Kew gets a cut of it, I'm happy for them.
4 May 2018 at 09:59 #352779
Gordon W
Participant
@gordonw
£41M ? Won't buy a half decent football player.
4 May 2018 at 12:42 #352801
Hopper
Participant
@hopper
Meanwhile, UK consumers spent 1.1 BILLION pounds last year on … toilet paper.
4 May 2018 at 14:21 #352812
Samsaranda
Participant
@samsaranda
Hopper that could be considered a “Necessary Extravagance” Dave W
4 May 2018 at 15:03 #352814
Baz
Participant
@baz89810
Rather than complain on here which is a Model Engineering forum, I suggest you would all be better complaining to your elected representatives in government.
4 May 2018 at 19:50 #352843
Samsaranda
Participant
@samsaranda
This topic was raised under the banner of The Tea Room so that it left all the other topics open for proper engineering banter, I was under the impression that some of the subscribers just enjoyed social topics as well as pure engineering.

Dave W
4 May 2018 at 19:51 #352845
Samsaranda
Participant
@samsaranda
This topic was raised under the banner of The Tea Room so that it left all the other topics open for proper engineering banter, I was under the impression that some of the subscribers just enjoyed social topics as well as pure engineering.

Dave W
4 May 2018 at 19:53 #352846
Samsaranda
Participant
@samsaranda
Apologies double post.

Dave W
4 May 2018 at 20:14 #352850
Phil Stevenson
Participant
@philstevenson54758
Posted by Samsaranda on 04/05/2018 19:51:57:

I was under the impression that some of the subscribers just enjoyed social topics as well as pure engineering.

Dave W

You're right, we do.
4 May 2018 at 20:46 #352853
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
On the 'other' forum I frequent, which is equally dedicated to its subject there is still a 'lounge' topic, and a current popular thread is just a succession of bad puns…
4 May 2018 at 21:06 #352854
Frances IoM
Participant
@francesiom58905
whereas here a popular thread is just B.A. rather than bad.
4 May 2018 at 22:22 #352863
Mark Rand
Participant
@markrand96270
Groan.

That needs a thread all of its own…

Edited By Mark Rand on 04/05/2018 22:23:42
4 May 2018 at 22:42 #352867
Bazyle
Participant
@bazyle
Stuff model engineering I'm taking up dressmaking – at £100,000 a shot beats bashing steel for brass.

(in the news: royal wedding dress to cost more than a new Myford.)
5 May 2018 at 21:28 #352942
nigel jones 5
Participant
@nigeljones5
Posted by Bazyle on 04/05/2018 22:42:55:

Stuff model engineering I'm taking up dressmaking – at £100,000 a shot beats bashing steel for brass.

(in the news: royal wedding dress to cost more than a new Myford.)

and it will still be on display somewhere long after the Myford has been melted down….probably
5 May 2018 at 21:44 #352945
V8Eng
Participant
@v8eng
Well at least the Myford might get recycled and carry on being useful in some way.

Edited By V8Eng on 05/05/2018 21:45:17
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