Monday Moan 31

Time to move on?

Most people who went to the Games or saw them on television will have spotted the Games Makers at the sites – the ones with the foam hands pointing the way, the ones on the chairs telling people to smile, the ones checking your tickets and stewarding at the stadia.  They won’t have seen the majority of Games Makers who worked behind the scenes driving athletes and officials, looking after the athletes and the press, taking charge of overseas and UK politicians, working as interpreters, etc.

 

That army of volunteers in their distinctive purple and poppy red uniforms at the Olympic events, did a great job.  They were rightly praised for what they did. Just about every politician of any note, and many of no note whatsoever, heaped plaudits onto them and tried to cash in on their reflected glory. As well as being lauded by everyone from the Prime Minister down, by the Queen in her Christmas message, by Olympic officials, etc, they were given various awards, such as from the Institute of Internal Communication, the British Volunteer Awards, and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Awards for 2012 for Volunteering; they were featured on a stamp issued by the Royal Mail – and so it goes on.

 

But isn’t it time to move on?  I was worried when I started to hear Ministers talking about building on the legacy of the Games Makers by raising an army of volunteers to do good works in society more generally.  Was this really what the Games Makers were about?  Were they volunteering for the good of the nation or were they volunteering because they wanted to be part of the Olympic  Games?  I know a few who were Games Makers and they are all lovely people, but I don’t know what appetite they have for continuing to give their time for no reward to other activities on some kind of ongoing basis.

 

I was also concerned when I heard some Games Makers being interviewed on the radio around Christmas time and one of them said how important it was to her to have been part of this and how she enjoyed the continuing recognition she got when she wore her uniform to go shopping.

Sounds to me like there’s a life that needs a new purpose.

 

And then last week in a letter to the London Evening Standard, someone wrote:-

“During the Olympics  … how great it was to have central London full of volunteers giving directions and information. I’m sure lots of them would love to continue with this work if a permanent scheme was introduced  - I would gladly if I were not working full time.”

 

So, there you have it – a suggestion that there must be lots of Games Makers whose lives are now so empty that they would leap at the opportunity to, once again, volunteer to do good things for no reward other than the warm feeling induced by their generosity.  Unfortunately it does have to be them and not those who, like the letter-writer, would love to do it if only they weren’t in full time, paid employment.  How they would much prefer to be able to give their time for nothing, making the kind of public service sacrifice only available to the Games Makers and their ilk.

I re-publish the letter as a kindly warning to all Games Makers – people are out to take advantage of you.  Don’t let it happen!

 

Fun in the snow – part 1

I ventured into London last Friday after the morning’s snow had stopped.  The journey in was fine but the return was disrupted a little by the effects of the snow – such as it was.

Having commuted into London for most of my working life this was no surprise, but what struck me was how little communication there was to keep the travelling public (customers) abreast of what was happening.  The train indicator board was a waste of time.  Trains appeared to be on time until the moment they just disappeared off the board.  I was waiting at Highbury and Islington station, which is underground and three stops down the line from the starting station.  For around 40 minutes there was no word from the controllers at that starting station to say when trains were leaving.  Then they announced that the next train would be arriving in about 15 minutes.  Surprise, surprise then when a train appeared within 5 minutes – going to a different destination from the one announced.  Had that train sneaked onto the line without the controller’s knowledge perhaps? 

 

Anyway, the train emerged from the tunnel and went to Finsbury Park – where it sat for a further 25 minutes without a word of explanation from anybody.

Whatever happened to customer service and keeping people up to date with developments?  Even if there were no developments, then a simple “sorry for the continuing delay – we don’t know what the problem is but are trying to find out” would have helped.

To cap it all, the passenger opposite was one of those you hope won’t sit near you.  This unvoiced prayer can be triggered for any number of reasons, of course, but on this occasion it was because he was making all sorts of loud and very strange noises – a kind of snoring whilst fully awake, muttering (swearing) in a very loud stage whisper all the time.

One of the great joys of retirement is that I no longer have to commute!

 

 

There is a place and a time– and it’s not here or now

My wife and I decided to have a quiet meal out in London recently and chose a likely-looking venue based on how it looked and the menu on offer.

The food was fabulous. The waiting staff were helpful and attentive. The venue itself was warm and cosy.

There were five or six other couples in the restaurant apparently doing the same as us.  Unfortunately, there was also a group of five people who seemed to be under the impression that it was a crowded wine bar and either the rest of us wanted to hear everything they were saying or they thought it so noisy they needed to speak very loudly in order to be heard by the rest of their own party.  They ruined the atmosphere for everyone else. Whilst I commend the manager of the restaurant for eventually having a word with them to the effect that they need to be quieter or they would have to leave, the fact is that this group had been consuming bottles of wine for some hours and ought to have been moved on earlier.

If you want to drink for hours and not have a meal then go to a wine bar, or a pub.  And wherever you are, please don’t feel you have to make sure everyone can hear what you have to say. We are perfectly happy conversing with our own friends.

 

Fun in the snow – part 2

If you thought the performances of some of the trains companies or of Heathrow airport were laughable, then I offer you this little gem as well – with thanks to one of my Facebook friends for the link J