The Death of London

[Calcutta]

58 minutes ago, TheCountOfNowhere said:

https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/640071/MAPPED-Could-YOUR-town-be-flooded-Swathes-of-UK-to-be-SUBMERGED-by-rising-sea-levels

No more sinister Peterborough. Time to get the old coal fire burning. 

[Barnsey]

Can't find the link but also recently read a Bloomberg article reporting passenger traffic through the city tube stations (Bank etc) down most since 2008. I think there's every prospect of a repeat 90's crash with Brexit contingency plans kicking in next March for many companies. 

Edited November 27, 2017 by Barnsey

[oracle]

2 hours ago, winkie said:

Very true.....train networks know how to kill their customers.....when it costs twice as much to travel on a train, the getting to the station, the parking, the inconvenience, the connections the other side.....why use it?????

Sure they don't want passengers even on the trains with plenty of empty seats......they should talk to and learn lessons from the low cost airlines who now fly with few empty seats.

that's what they have been doing!..and it doesn't work on the railways.

most train operating companies run the same model as airlines for advance tickets,but the crux of the matter is most rail passengers don't book their tickets 3 months in advance for the best fares....at most it will be 1-2 weeks advance notice.

90%+of non-commuting rail journeys are short notice/spur of the moment plans,where as  90%+ of non commuting air travel (ie your package holiday for most), is an event that will be done once or twice a year..planned 3-4 months away.

[longgone]

slightly off topic but i have booked 2 nights in a central london travelodge christmas week for less than £30 a night . my calculations say that is 900pcm on average surely that is better value than renting considering it is W1 no council tax no bills no making your own bed and cleaning is included.  could be a new Airbnb.

anyone know of someone living longterm in hotels ?

 

[winkie]

1 hour ago, oracle said:

that's what they have been doing!..and it doesn't work on the railways.

most train operating companies run the same model as airlines for advance tickets,but the crux of the matter is most rail passengers don't book their tickets 3 months in advance for the best fares....at most it will be 1-2 weeks advance notice.

90%+of non-commuting rail journeys are short notice/spur of the moment plans,where as  90%+ of non commuting air travel (ie your package holiday for most), is an event that will be done once or twice a year..planned 3-4 months away.

The train with plenty of spare seats will not cost £9.99 to travel on the day.....take it it may not have any spare seats and no standing room at end of destination......why not put on extra carriages and if platform too short disembark front set first move along and let the rear carriages off afterwards.....if they can't modernise train travel what hope is there for upgrading anything else.....trains from out of the ark, rattling with black soot pouring out from them not good for lungs.

[Barnsey]

10 minutes ago, longgone said:

anyone know of someone living longterm in hotels ?

[sPinwheel]

4 minutes ago, Barnsey said:

That's not a hotel. That's a Travel Tavern.

[winkie]

14 minutes ago, longgone said:

slightly off topic but i have booked 2 nights in a central london travelodge christmas week for less than £30 a night . my calculations say that is 900pcm on average surely that is better value than renting considering it is W1 no council tax no bills no making your own bed and cleaning is included.  could be a new Airbnb.

anyone know of someone living longterm in hotels ?

 

It could be done but not the intrests of land and property owners to lower rents long-term.....will only devalue all around them, can't have that can we........£30 a night is better than £0 a night, you like it might use it again, told all of us about it, we might use it.......got a deal like that Travelodge in Madrid what with the cheap return flights about the same price a great way to visit a great place for little.

[longgone]

44 minutes ago, winkie said:

It could be done but not the intrests of land and property owners to lower rents long-term.....will only devalue all around them, can't have that can we........£30 a night is better than £0 a night, you like it might use it again, told all of us about it, we might use it.......got a deal like that Travelodge in Madrid what with the cheap return flights about the same price a great way to visit a great place for little.

why pay £1500 a month rent when you can book £5 flights with Ryan air and travel lodges for the same a new city every day .

lets hope the plebs don`t work it out 

 

[winkie]

Prehaps the trick is to provide for the tourist with the spending money....they spend more a day in the economy than a commuter or resident who may only purchase a coffee and a sandwich.

[Peter Hun]

7 hours ago, iamnumerate said:

Wow, surprising considering how crowded Victoria is.

Falling from 210% of capacity to 205%. London is Dying, my ****.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/revealed-eight-in-10-busiest-train-routes-are-london-commuter-lines-a3597541.html

8 hours ago, fru-gal said:

I think a mixture of Brexit, technology, high prices and social decline will be the death knell of London. 

Brexit is going to damage the regions more than London (this comes from a friend whose working on Brexit for one of the big consultancies).

My opinion is that economic decline results in the further concentration of wealth. London and the Bankers will probably do well out of Brexit, that would be the plan of the Tories, in any case.

 

 

 

[UnconventionalWisdom]

This weekend I will attend a leaving do for a mate of mine who is a GP. He's lived in London for a few years and has given up as it's too expensive and there's no long-term prospects. He tried renting a flat on his own for a year but was skint because of the large rent. Shared for a few years but has made him depressed. It's an insane situation when people needed by society are shunted. I also knew a surgeon who had to live in a HMO. If things continue as they are we'll have problems employing teachers, doctors or police in the capital. 

[Castlevania]

4 hours ago, longgone said:

anyone know of someone living longterm in hotels ?

 

My mate lived in a hostel (the backpacker type) for two years. He moved in with me after the toll of constant boozing started to impact materially on his work (he worked for an investment bank).

This was at the start of this decade, but cost him £450 a month (bills included) to live in Bayswater, which is pretty central. He just had to share a room with 11 other people.

[dances with sheeple]

5 hours ago, longgone said:

slightly off topic but i have booked 2 nights in a central london travelodge christmas week for less than £30 a night . my calculations say that is 900pcm on average surely that is better value than renting considering it is W1 no council tax no bills no making your own bed and cleaning is included.  could be a new Airbnb.

anyone know of someone living longterm in hotels ?

 

Really cheap, but quiet time for them and booked well in advance, or is there another trick to getting the cheapest rooms?  I have had good deals at Waterloo Rd and Kings Cross Rd  in the last couple of years, but not that cheap, maybe 47 quid a night or something. A quick search just now for London looks like they are trying for more Premier Inn prices if you just book on the day?

[dances with sheeple]

37 minutes ago, Castlevania said:

My mate lived in a hostel (the backpacker type) for two years. He moved in with me after the toll of constant boozing started to impact materially on his work (he worked for an investment bank).

This was at the start of this decade, but cost him £450 a month (bills included) to live in Bayswater, which is pretty central. He just had to share a room with 11 other people.

I remember meeting people in Earls Court backpackers "hotels" in the mid 90`s who were working full time and living in rooms where there were 8-10 other people sleeping (and partying) seemed absolutely mental to me at the time, the stress must have been terrible, not sure house prices or rents were the main cause back then though?

[Castlevania]

5 minutes ago, dances with sheeple said:

I remember meeting people in Earls Court backpackers "hotels" in the mid 90`s who were working full time and living in rooms where there were 8-10 other people sleeping (and partying) seemed absolutely mental to me at the time, the stress must have been terrible, not sure house prices or rents were the main cause back then though?

Depends if you're the type that needs personal space or not I guess. I'm imagining it was cheaper than living in a flat share? It's not a bad way of meeting people if you're new to a city. I don't think I could do it, mind you. 

[dances with sheeple]

4 minutes ago, Castlevania said:

Depends if you're the type that needs personal space or not I guess. I'm imagining it was cheaper than living in a flat share? It's not a bad way of meeting people if you're new to a city. I don't think I could do it, mind you. 

The main people you were meeting back then were Aussie piss-heads, but probably cheaper than a flat share as you say.

[longgone]

15 minutes ago, dances with sheeple said:

Really cheap, but quiet time for them and booked well in advance, or is there another trick to getting the cheapest rooms?  I have had good deals at Waterloo Rd and Kings Cross Rd  in the last couple of years, but not that cheap, maybe 47 quid a night or something. A quick search just now for London looks like they are trying for more Premier Inn prices if you just book on the day?

there was a 30% off code on top of the deal they already had plus cashback from quidco worked out as £ 27.40 a night. it would cost me more in a cab to go home. may as well stay up there for the weekend.  that is the basic room no breakfast or anything not that i need it. 

[dances with sheeple]

17 minutes ago, longgone said:

there was a 30% off code on top of the deal they already had plus cashback from quidco worked out as £ 27.40 a night. it would cost me more in a cab to go home. may as well stay up there for the weekend.  that is the basic room no breakfast or anything not that i need it. 

The bar is 24 hour, I usually need a breakfast after that, usually another drink.......

[longgone]

3 minutes ago, dances with sheeple said:

The bar is 24 hour, I usually need a breakfast after that, usually another drink.......

ahh well mcdonalds is 24hr now  the breakfast baps are about the only thing i can stomach from there. 

[ExiledMatty]

 I live in hotels but not in the UK.  Amazing how affordable life can be without all those bills. Means I can spend more time pursuing hobbies and having fun.

[reddog]

I find the train info quite interesting, I remember how road traffic fell off a cliff in 2008 (and it was very pleasant!)

 

Could be a good leading indicator, is it accurately tracked anywhere? (Playing devils advocate, we could just be finding isolated bits of bad news on the railways and posting them here, would be good to have a consistent source)

[Peter Hun]

Absolutely no indication of any reduction in numbers, anecdotally. The Platforms have been extended at Waterloo to take more passenger and new - longer -trains (40% more capacity) are coming  in gradually. But from Clapham Junction to Waterloo is still a sardine-can experience - if you can board a train.

[iamnumerate]

8 hours ago, Peter Hun said:

Falling from 210% of capacity to 205%. London is Dying, my ****.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/revealed-eight-in-10-busiest-train-routes-are-london-commuter-lines-a3597541.html

Brexit is going to damage the regions more than London (this comes from a friend whose working on Brexit for one of the big consultancies).

My opinion is that economic decline results in the further concentration of wealth. London and the Bankers will probably do well out of Brexit, that would be the plan of the Tories, in any case.

 

 

 

Thanks for that, although I don't think the Tories have any plan evil or otherwise.

[TheCountOfNowhere]

6 minutes ago, iamnumerate said:

Thanks for that, although I don't think the Tories have any plan evil or otherwise.

https://www.ft.com/content/9e637940-c95a-11e7-ab18-7a9fb7d6163e

 

Davis promises City of London special post-Brexit travel regime

Sure it might not be an evil plan, but it's a plan...and it's evil.