To heck with the sport...

[Sidewinder]

If that did not portray us as a nation of ENGINEERS THEN NOTHING WILL.

 

[NozSpark]

I have got to say that I am quite impressed with the opening ceremony up to now

 

[steptoe]

But WTF happened?

We used to be he workshop of the world,

We can never that back again.

 

[M107]

Same here Noz, thought it was going to be a big let down but am impressed.

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Ska & Bowie what more do you want

 

[M107]

Even better the PISTOLS

 

[steptoe]

Exactly canoe, its gone, and the government are too broke to invest on it ever again.

All the other upwardly mobile countries have it now!

 

[M107]

Lets face it everything went belly up in the 70's/80's when government wanted us to be a nation of home owners & a service provider nation, not a product producing nation.

 

[Sidewinder]

We are there again though with the same people, mind to heck with that.

I have to say the music has been awesome, and so far IMHO it has done us as a country proud.

 

[steptoe]

Im really pleasantly surprised by it all.

 

[NozSpark]

Im really pleasantly surprised by it all.

Thought you were watching IRT?

 

[M107]

At least it wasnt just a couple of hours of fireworks.............. as you say Sidey done us proud I think.

Ok whos going to light the flame thingy?

Wills & Harry.........................Or Bean

 

[steptoe]

Thought you were watching IRT?

Its over, plus the wife came back :|

 

[Smilers]

I hate this over the top waste of money!!

I might just go to sleep until its over. All this pontification just puts me in the mood for moaning and picking it all apart a load a old carp, i would rather slide cocktail sticks under my fingernails than listen to anymore

 

[Evans Electric]

Lets face it everything went belly up in the 70's/80's when government wanted us to be a nation of home owners & a service provider nation, not a product producing nation.

I tend to think its to do with being un- competitive against cheaper labour costs and cheaper overheads such no H&S etc.

I say this because the whole of Europe , in fact the whole of the West is in the same boat , even the United States.

Plus of course the banking flup up .

Britain's wealth was built in the industrial revolution ,when we were the world's leading manufacturer's . The industrialists, Mill owners , coal mine owners etc. built a rich nation on the backs of a poorly paid workforce .

The country bankrupted itself by fighting World War 2 but recovered , finally with the Thatcher government paying back the US loan .

But then we were pricing ourselves out of the markets, far eastern goods were coming in cheaper. We couldn't control the unions within the car industry , and a Honda was a better product anyway . We ignored the threat to our Motor cycle industry , most of it based here in the Midlands , virtually wiped out overnight , BSA , Triumph (almost) Velocette et. al.

It then seemed that none of our goods could compete with imports which were often better quality anyway. The huge electronics firms , leaders in the field were blown away .

Many mistakes were made , when the Mini came out everyone wanted one , they caught the nation's interest and seemed to represent the Swinging Sixties. Trouble was they were carp . OK , inovative with the front wheel drive , affordable and held the road well.

Unfortunately they were also rust buckets ,spartan , noisy, carp gear change, cheaply finished, no where for a radio , leaky , as comfortable as driving a dumper truck , a length of wire as a door handle , crappy sliding windows and the distributor exposed to rain through the grille.

I can't go on .

 

[wozz]

I tend to think its to do with being un- competitive against cheaper labour costs and cheaper overheads such no H&S etc.I say this because the whole of Europe , in fact the whole of the West is in the same boat , even the United States.

Plus of course the banking flup up .

Britain's wealth was built in the industrial revolution ,when we were the world's leading manufacturer's . The industrialists, Mill owners , coal mine owners etc. built a rich nation on the backs of a poorly paid workforce .

The country bankrupted itself by fighting World War 2 but recovered , finally with the Thatcher government paying back the US loan .

But then we were pricing ourselves out of the markets, far eastern goods were coming in cheaper. We couldn't control the unions within the car industry , and a Honda was a better product anyway . We ignored the threat to our Motor cycle industry , most of it based here in the Midlands , virtually wiped out overnight , BSA , Triumph (almost) Velocette et. al.

It then seemed that none of our goods could compete with imports which were often better quality anyway. The huge electronics firms , leaders in the field were blown away .

Many mistakes were made , when the Mini came out everyone wanted one , they caught the nation's interest and seemed to represent the Swinging Sixties. Trouble was they were carp . OK , inovative with the front wheel drive , affordable and held the road well.

Unfortunately they were also rust buckets ,spartan , noisy, carp gear change, cheaply finished, no where for a radio , leaky , as comfortable as driving a dumper truck , a length of wire as a door handle , crappy sliding windows and the distributor exposed to rain through the grille.

I can't go on .

Couldn't agree more so much is made of how the government messed it all up with regards to manufacturing. How on earth can we compete? We did when we had work houses and next to no wages for the workers who would put up with that now? No one is the answer. Around here any job to do with manufacturing (labour intensive) or boring is done by immigrants english people don't do it as they would rather be on the sausage roll.

Also the way things are done have changed companies are better off getting machinery or software wherever they can to replace humans as its better for them.

We are consumers that's what this country does, you make money where you can, people hate banks and the financial sector but it brings in a lot of money.

If you want manufacturing that provides lots of jobs for people look at the far east where the pesant farmers are only too happy to work and afford food if you want something different that's what we have. It may not be perfect but I know where I would rather be.