yes when will it open..our no-go kart track.....

Gambrinus · Post by **Gambrinus** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 9:16 am

It is amazing though, with all the intelligent people who realize what is going on, there is no way to mobilize the population to do anything about it.

99% seem content with "let somebody else take care of it". If you aproach somebody with help or support you will often get a pride reaction"I don't need your help, I am perfectly capable of doing this myself!" (needless to say nothing is done and nothing changes)

Like Spain, Portugal will have to come to a grinding halt, and when everybody is knee deep in sh*t they will realize they have been doing something wrong and make the changes.

Looking at the rest of europe, I come to the conclusion that most people will take the comfortable route all the way untill it becomes uncomfortable. In Germany people are out on the streets and people are demonstarting against reforms - against change - when change is the only thing that can pull this country out of recession. Go figure!
Enough people are saying that they would like the wall back, that it was all so much better - I can agree, yes it was better, but times changed and people were just too comfortable to change with them.

The Portuguese are comfortably going with the flow of the river, they simply havent seen the waterfall yet.

digger · Post by **digger** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 9:54 am

The Portuguese people suffered generations of political [and religious] oppression, making them afraid to speak out: best don’t get involved.
Whilst the civil servants fail to realise who they are working for, who pays their wages!

Gambrinus · Post by **Gambrinus** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 10:50 am

Surely the younger generations have grasped the concept of democracy?!

I find the concept of civil servant obsolete and a terrible drain on funds. Considering they are the ones "managing" the needs of the population, they should be treated more like managers:

1. A performance based salary.
2. A bonus system for successful projects.
3. Non-performace? Pink slip.

I do not see why I should pay taxes so they can wipe their arses with golden toilet paper and get nearly twice as much holiday time for doing only a tenth of the work I do.

If any company were run like some countries in western europe, they would be bankrupt, the leaders would be in jail and a hostile takeover would be just round the corner.

petermeachem · Post by **petermeachem** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 5:05 pm

A track will bring in a lot of money and jobs.
I live near Goodwood. It's been a car track for around 50 years but hasn't been used a great deal since the 60's. In the last few years it has been done up and now has one of the largest historic race meetings anywhere plus another huge car event at the nearby house. People fly in from all over the world for these meetings. We also have the Rolls Royce factory. It's due to Goodwood that the RR factory is here.
A track will attract high-tech business, a golf course attracts people in funny trousers.

iane · Post by **iane** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 5:16 pm

Interesting points about Goodwood - but how much of the "pull" of Goodwood is the name and its "legend" - I don't know of a lot of hi tech development around Cadwell Park or even Mallory Park and any circuit in the Algarve would have a lot to do to establish a "name".

petermeachem · Post by **petermeachem** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 7:47 pm

I think the legend is a bit invented. Just need good marketing.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 8:50 pm

i am afraid you dont need a vast race track to attract business..thats the idea at our loule stadium and that was the reasoning at seville expo..a big infastructure investment will pull in the punters after the event...might be simpler if the camaras just got rid of all the "jobsworths" and petty paperwork and then they find people would want to open something here instead of being stopped...you dont need to destroy the earth precious resources to get people working..

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 9:12 pm

Goodwood is an old airfield, still used by light aircraft and an air ambulance firm and for flight training. The track is the old perimeter road done up a tad. Nothing vast or expensive at all. http://www.goodwood.co.uk/revival/
On the interactive map, the Lavant Straight piccy is good. I seriously thought about joining the police because they drove Lotus Cortinas. Fortunately they changed to something that didn't fall apart quite so regularly.
In fact none of the uk tracks are in the slightest posh, you might be thinking of places like Singapore which is.

petermeachem · Post by **petermeachem** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 9:13 pm

that was me

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 10:28 pm

Singapore has a track...where ???......I used to race on the Upper Thompson road in the 60's and even Karts in the 70's.....but a track ??????

petermeachem · Post by **petermeachem** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 10:40 pm

I was thinking of Sepang. Poor grip on geography me.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 10:50 pm

Ahh..not quite the same...thing...but it's really not 'Posh'...I did a few laps there last year with the Crown prince. (Of one of the States...can't say which one.....in his Land Rover...he was having a problem keeping it straight....had a few too many you see.....but then only us on the track....not a real problem...his subjects would almost hang...Islamic you see.......enough controversy......It's a true story ,having spent years out that way ...I know many of these guys and Its makes me so mad ...the way life really is.....

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 11:15 pm

Goodwood.....AAhh...what a wonderful memory of freshly cut grass...Classic Cars and Spitfires.........Sorry Algarve is as you say Golf and Funny trousers..it can never compete with our heritage...neither can any other country in the world..we are unique when it comes to the 'Classics'.....

petermeachem · Post by **petermeachem** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 11:50 pm

Not so sure, the revival is pretty well home grown but the festival is speed stuff is nearly all flown in. Get the people and Honda will bring the bikes over.