The Next Big Thing

Today I went to take a look at the progress with the refurbishment of The Hippodrome in Bo’ness. It dawned on me as I left there that it hadn’t actually become the La Fabrique at all. That place was along the road where the Lidl store is now or thereabouts. Anyway, I’ve been doing a lot of looking at buildings and places that should be retained rather than demolished. Must be an age thing.

The Hippodrome has got a lottery grant via Scottish Screen and that would suggest that the vast collection of archive material might get a big screen airing. That would be better than just being a place to screen the same old circuit contenders time and again. It was pretty busy over there, lots of older citizens of the town going back to see what’s up with where they probably spent some of their formative years.

The opening is scheduled to take place in 2009 so the format of the programming should be starting to take shape. This A listed building doesn’t look like it’ll play host to live music though. I think that early intentions in that direction are unlikely to happen but you never know. It certainly seems like it would be a good place for acoustic/singer-songwriter type acts.

On the road out to Bo’ness, there were council workers picking up litter. They don’t seem to be evident here in Grangemooth though. I’m thinking about noising up the authorities a bit over the coming months because this place is a dump and getting worse by the second.

Of course BP selling out to Ineos has put the cat amongst the proverbial flying rats. And with the strike there pending next week, conspiracy theorists are packing tales of opportunism to 86 areas that they don’t want no more. Shutting down the plant is one thing but what about firing it up again? Might not have to bother about the litter problem.

Ruptured pipes, air in the bloody things, a downright inability to have any real scoob as to what could happen in the aftermath. That’s what’s shakin’ just a short distance from the bunker. The main bugbear of the dispute is that the employees are being asked to contribute to their own pensions. Boo and indeed hoo. As somebody who has just been rogered in terms of my own facility should I stumble on to retirement age, I don’t have much sympathy. On the other hand, they’re prepared to make a stand when so many just roll over. Meanwhile there’s a fuel shortage pending and people are making like they’re at the bread counter on Chrishmaz Eve. Don't you love the de-evolution of (in)human nature.

I’m half hoping it all escalates – just to see what the outcome is. Devilment an' that...