View across the Outer Harbour of Stornoway

Monday 26 July 2010

Monday 26 July

After a very wet start, the sun is beginning to come out. I've just been going through the blogs on my Google Reader for the first time in what looks like a month. I'm not promising, but will make an effort to check round a bit more frequently than that.

This weekend, 19 people were crushed to death in the German city of Duisburg. They were headed for a music festival which had attracted a million people. Crowd management had failed, meaning that too many people were trying to push through an entrance tunnel. I remember vividly the 50th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 2002. A crowd of 1 or 2 million had gathered outside Buckingham Palace to hear a concert by various pop bands and singers. I moved to the front of the throng, but the atmosphere there was aggressive, with people insisting on moving to the very front, being excessively nationalistic - and this poor old couple being led away by police. I don't like big crowds.

3 comments:

  1. I would agree with you on that one Guido, I really feel fearful when large crowds gather around. It is so easy to get out of control and you just need one person to fall and not be able to get up and next thing you know there is a disaster. I always think of the Hillsburgh (Football) disaster dreadful stay well away is what I say...We have just had a wee shower thought it might be the start of actual rain but it seems to have gone again !!
    Love sybil

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  2. I don't like crowds either but a million, that's a whole city... scary....

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  3. i hate mass gatherings--i remember the Ibrox disaster as well as Hillsbourgh. In august 1994 late hubby and I went to see Pink Floyd in montpellier---it was a very hot thundery night,I was terrified,80,000 people and our son was somewhere amongst them. I decided no more mega concerts for me(well saw th stones the year after but I was seated in the tribunes and a few years ago saw them in Nice then again with all the other o.a.p's)but to have to stand in a thong nope,I'm just too scared

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