Bournemouth's giant screen set to show opera not football (From Bournemouth Echo)
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Bournemouth's giant screen set to show opera not football
9:30am Wednesday 16th June 2010 in
COUNCIL bosses decided that you can watch live opera on giant screens in Bournemouth town centre – but not Friday’s England versus Algeria world cup football match.
They decided rowdy football crowds could be the wrong image for the town and have opted instead for a 7pm broadcast of Carmen from Valencia.
The screens in the lower gardens will also show Wimbledon coverage for the second year in a row but some businessmen are concerned Bournemouth is missing out.
Angus Reid, from Boscombe Traders’ Association, said: “People are concerned we are supporting premium events and not what the people want – which is football.
“I think we have missed out. I think a lot of the traders would have liked to have seen it. If Trafalgar Square can do it, we could look at how they do it.”
However council leader Stephen MacLoughlin said he had been in Brighton during the England versus USA game and complained about the amount of lads getting ‘beered up’.
He said: “My God what a place! To have that in the central gardens would just not be Bournemouth. It’s not what we want to achieve for the town centre and it would deter far more people than would welcome it.”
Town centre manager Roger Parker said: “The reputation of the town is such that we must be selective about what we expose the gardens and beach to, and my view is that football is not one of them.”
He also said a lot of town centre venues were relying on the World Cup for trade and the screen could take that business away.
Mr Parker said of Friday’s opera broadcast: “We are bringing a bit of different culture into the lower garden area. People flock to Valencia to see Carmen. This is something new and exciting.”
The screen debate came during June’s meeting of the Bournemouth chamber of trade on Monday.
Mark Smith, Bournemouth’s director of tourism, had earlier said: “The Opera is a perfect alternative providing a real cultural experience and it’s absolutely free.”
Comments(22)
Nickolai
says...
10:43am Wed 16 Jun 10
caracus
says...
10:50am Wed 16 Jun 10
No it would appear MacLoughlin, Beesley and co prefer to portray a sleazy conflict of interest style image of the town.
I wonder if they will be screening Debbie does Dallas and Glengarry Glen Ross?
ballstoit
says...
10:53am Wed 16 Jun 10
Brownmouth is already known the south over as a place of rowdy beered up lads and dodgy nightclubs.
What image is there to spoil?
jeebuscripes
says...
12:02pm Wed 16 Jun 10
At least at the moment the drunken madness in Bournemouth is kept to certain areas. I can understand the council not wanting to put the public through a volatile, macho, drink-fuelled, Police resource hungry debacle.
Even if Bournemouth's image is already spoiled, showing the football in the gardens would be pure madness.
RottenTomato
says...
12:12pm Wed 16 Jun 10
...God forbid they give people what they actually want. Showing the football would be great - it doesn't have to become a 'beered up' event if it's policed properly.
Morgan Leadbitter
says...
12:16pm Wed 16 Jun 10
Besides which, we will still be able to look at overpaid, over acting pre-maddonas poncing around stage pretending to be hurt.
jeebuscripes
says...
12:37pm Wed 16 Jun 10
RottenTomato wrote:'If it's policed properly'....
I'm surprised Stephen MacLoughlin hasn't demanded they show XXX rated films 24/7...
...God forbid they give people what they actually want. Showing the football would be great - it doesn't have to become a 'beered up' event if it's policed properly.
Who will pay for that?
RottenTomato
says...
12:40pm Wed 16 Jun 10
jeebuscripes wrote:You.
RottenTomato wrote:'If it's policed properly'....
I'm surprised Stephen MacLoughlin hasn't demanded they show XXX rated films 24/7...
...God forbid they give people what they actually want. Showing the football would be great - it doesn't have to become a 'beered up' event if it's policed properly.
Who will pay for that?
Cough up.
BmthNewshound
says...
12:42pm Wed 16 Jun 10
FOSF
says...
12:49pm Wed 16 Jun 10
jeebuscripes
says...
1:24pm Wed 16 Jun 10
RottenTomato wrote:I've already coughed up through my council tax. I'd rather see the money spent elsewhere.
jeebuscripes wrote:You.
RottenTomato wrote:'If it's policed properly'....
I'm surprised Stephen MacLoughlin hasn't demanded they show XXX rated films 24/7...
...God forbid they give people what they actually want. Showing the football would be great - it doesn't have to become a 'beered up' event if it's policed properly.
Who will pay for that?
Cough up.
chris100
says...
4:08pm Wed 16 Jun 10
westbourneman
says...
4:26pm Wed 16 Jun 10
Ask your ex lady friend ?
jen.e.p
says...
5:06pm Wed 16 Jun 10
................I guess he's never been to Bournemouth at the weekend then!!!!!!!
s-pb2
says...
5:13pm Wed 16 Jun 10
I would have thought for the police it would be easier to deal with a large group of fans in one place rather than groups scattered across town.
caracus
says...
5:31pm Wed 16 Jun 10
KLH
says...
6:26pm Wed 16 Jun 10
Anyway the screen will just be something to throw bottles and cans at when the match goes pear-shaped, so maybe another reason not to show it..... repair bills!!
chris100
says...
10:28pm Wed 16 Jun 10
McVICAR
says...
10:46pm Wed 16 Jun 10
You should have thought of that before you blanketed the town with pubs and clubs and allowed the drunks and thugs to take over the town in the evenings and early morning.
The world cup should be supported by as many as posible, who are you to impose your will on the rest of us, you jumped up jobsworth
Ziggy starburst
says...
10:57pm Wed 16 Jun 10
Highlander74
says...
8:17am Thu 17 Jun 10
I bet Stephen was really upset as he was not allowed to screen more adult material
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Syd Poumen says...
10:29am Wed 16 Jun 10
Council Leader Stephen MacLoughlin said: ''My God what a place! To have that in the central gardens would just not be Bournemouth.''
What would MacLoughlin have proposed in loo, a giant p.orn show... or is the place for that behind closed doors at the Town Hall?!