Their expertise will be vital for the new HS2 (High Speed train) from London to somewhere called Birmingham which was announced with great pride by 'Dave' earlier this week. However, I do feel that given your average government minister's inability to know which end of a spade is required to dig a hole they would profit from the expertise of these chaps who seem to know exactly how government projects work, er, or fail to work, perhaps! As The Daily Mail reports it:
A persistent group of thieves went to extreme lengths to get their hands on extra cash - after digging a 100ft tunnel under a building to reach a cash machine.
The labour-intensive robbery saw the gang spend six months digging a passageway under a Blockbuster Video in Fallowfield, Manchester to get up underneath the cash machine.
Actually, they began their tunnel four years ago but it was discovered by some cable repairers and so the project was delayed - how often do we hear that from government ministers? But, showing admirable perseverence, they came back to it later and kept on digging for six months. Their profit for this work intensive exercise was - £6,000! Assuming there were only four of them that works out about £62 a week! Duh! They would have earned four times that stacking shelves in Tesco's.
As of this moment I remain strictly neutral on this HS2 project. All I know for certain is that you will not get me on it for gold sovereigns. Hurtling along at 225 mph! on rails maintained by whatever semi-governmental organisation it is that gets sued so regularly following the many crashes that occur, and driven by some dozey train-driver with a hang-over from the previous night's union meeting, is not my idea of a fun away-day. And anyway, who the hell wants to go to Birmingham?
I don't know much about the project, but it's almost always safe to assume that projects pursued for La Gloire are bollocks. Spending the same money on debottlenecking the roads and existing railways would almost certainly be better value. Leaving the money to fructify in the pockets of the population might be better yet.
Posted by: dearieme | Saturday, 14 January 2012 at 17:00
Yes, DM, I'm all in favour of a bit of 'fructifying'. Mind you, the money never seems to stay in my pocket long enough. That's why I have handed the whole thing over to the 'Memsahib' and she just gives me pocket money.
Posted by: David Duff | Saturday, 14 January 2012 at 17:15
225 mph is a little too close to take-off speed for me.
Posted by: A K Haart | Saturday, 14 January 2012 at 17:26
It's a little to close to death in 0.000001 seconds for me! I would spend the entire journey wondering if some 16-year old mouth-breather was even then about drop a lump of concrete off a bridge - ya know, just for larf, like!
Posted by: David Duff | Saturday, 14 January 2012 at 17:44
If you really want to get to Birmingham 30 minutes sooner, just catch an earlier train.
There, 32 billion extra debt saved for generations to come.
Now can I be a government adviser and have a knighthood ?
Posted by: Stadtler | Saturday, 14 January 2012 at 19:42
Arise, Sir Stadtler!
Posted by: David Duff | Saturday, 14 January 2012 at 21:58
Birmingham is a "richly diverse and vibrant community" so maybe all them ethnic minority people hopping off ferries and airplanes dahn sarf to visit relatives/move into their spare bedrooms oop norf will appreciate a high speed posh version of a cattle truck.
MPs nipping up to patronise their Northern constituents should make good use of it...on our cash, of course.
It'll be a nice little social experiment for these two groups to be packed in together like sardines, dontchathink.
Posted by: Tattyfalarr | Sunday, 15 January 2012 at 01:47
No chance, 'Tatty', MPs always travel First Class - on our cash, of course. (Now where have I heard that before?)
Posted by: David Duff | Sunday, 15 January 2012 at 12:45