Jack Straw's Falmer Watch No 61 (5/3/10).

[The Large One]

I just wanted to add that my missus took me to The Juggs in Kingston for lunch today (don't bother - very mediocre).

Anyhoo, a couple of the locals spotted my Albion hat, and started muttering (out of my earshot but within the missus') that 'Falmer is ruined with that stadium work, and that that village won't be the same again - they've spoilt everything, and all those bloody yobs are throwing their rubbish into the pond - so that's destroyed and all...' etc.

Bless.

 

[1066 seagull]

Sen...bloody...sational.

Great things happen to those who wait. Obviously all this is well overdue but it's all within spitting distance now...

 

[Gordon the Gopher]

I went up there earlier for a gander, and took my binoculars rather than a camera.

One, you can see all the yellow-coated ants scurrying about much closer up, and they nearly look like people.

Two, binoculars reducing the field of depth, so the car park at Ditchling Beacon looks like it's only, well, just over THERE.

Three, a group of schoolkids dressed as yellow-coated ants were getting a tour, along with Gus, Tommy Elphick and Elliott Bennett.

Oh, and four - as building sites go, it's GORGEOUS.

I was actually leading that tour and had the pleasure of sitting in with one of the educational talks they give to the kids. A few little facts they mentioned were.....

They call the colour of the roof Brighton Blue
There will be 2000 trees planted around the site
If a train crashed into the part that holds the arch at full pelt, the train would come off a lot worse
The same steel was used at the Emirates
Most of the concrete comes from Belfast
270 people are employed on the site at its busiest time
The pitch angle has been set up to ensure the sun doesn't shine directly into a goalie's vision
40% of employees are from Brighton
The chalk taken away from the site would fill 93 million footballs
Buckingham are buiilding the Handball arena for the Olympics
The standard of flood lighting is enough to support Champion league games

Stood right under the web cam but the casmera does not do the building justice.

 

[Djmiles]

I love Fridays! Bloody awesome pictures, especially loving the 1st one!

 

[wigman]

I was actually leading that tour and had the pleasure of sitting in with one of the educational talks they give to the kids. A few little facts they mentioned were.....

They call the colour of the roof Brighton Blue
There will be 2000 trees planted around the site
If a train crashed into the part that holds the arch at full pelt, the train would come off a lot worse
The same steel was used at the Emirates
Most of the concrete comes from Belfast
270 people are employed on the site at its busiest time
The pitch angle has been set up to ensure the sun doesn't shine directly into a goalie's vision
40% of employees are from Brighton
The chalk taken away from the site would fill 93 million footballs
Buckingham are buiilding the Handball arena for the Olympics
The standard of flood lighting is enough to support Champion league games

Stood right under the web cam but the casmera does not do the building justice.

and our friends from SE25 have the cheek to call it an identikit stadium

 

[The Large One]

and our friends from SE25 have the cheek to call it an identikit stadium

I just got back from the SE25 suburban environs this morning.

What a toilet.

 

[wigman]

I just got back from the SE25 suburban environs this morning.

What a toilet.

Have they stiil not started the regeneration work on the area yet?

 

[The Large One]

Have they stiil not started the regeneration work on the area yet?

Hard to tell.

 

[Everest]

The same steel was used at the Emirates

I wonder if anyone at Arsenal have noticed we've nicked their steel?

 

[Martinf]

Jack. I don't know whether you've been asked this before. But what are you going to do with your Friday's once the stadium has been completed?

These are fantastic.

 

[Twinkle Toes]

So how do greenhouses work then?

I do hope so. Maybe the club are intending to grow some seasonal fruit & veg for Hospitality perposes? I might put a box of compost under my seat & grow some radishes. Every little helps innit.

Stunning Pics again Mr Straw. It's really all starting to properly happen up there now ain't it? Scenes.

 

[Storer68]

A lot of modern stadia have translucent roofs - it allows sunlight through and hence faciliates better growth in the grass. I can't see what photo you mean, but we probably would end up with a glass-effect roof, so you may well be correct.

Actuall;y it doesn't. because the plastic used in glass effect rooves cuts out a lot of the blue spectrum of natural light, grass finds it very difficult to root and grow in many new stadiums. And tall stands that cast large shadows don't help. Wembley has, I think, three seperate pitches being grown at any one time, One in the stadium (obviously) and two "spare ones in Linco;lnshire that they can use to replace turf when required

Arsenal for example have to use lights to encourage decent grass growth in the Emirates

 

[Storer68]

I have been up quite a few times and had a look through those silly little holes in the fencing.
Is there anywhere else you can go to get a better look.

Ditchling Beacon

 

[Martinf]

I just wanted to add that my missus took me to The Juggs in Kingston for lunch today (don't bother - very mediocre).

Anyhoo, a couple of the locals spotted my Albion hat, and started muttering (out of my earshot but within the missus') that 'Falmer is ruined with that stadium work, and that that village won't be the same again - they've spoilt everything, and all those bloody yobs are throwing their rubbish into the pond - so that's destroyed and all...' etc.

Bless.

"a couple of the locals spotted my Albion hat, and started muttering (out of my earshot but within the missus') that 'Falmer is ruined with that stadium work, and that that village won't be the same again - they've spoilt everything, and all those bloody yobs are throwing their rubbish into the pond - so that's destroyed and all...' etc.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you'll find that those people are f***ing twats.

 

[fire&skill]

Mods - is there enough money in the NSC coffers to get Jack up in a plane and take some from the air? - one of those 'trial lessons' at Shoreham would take him over it and they'd look LUVVVVVERLY!

 

[BRIGHT ON Q]

The last picture is bloody awesome!.

 

[Nobby's Betamax Video]

Actuall;y it doesn't. because the plastic used in glass effect rooves cuts out a lot of the blue spectrum of natural light, grass finds it very difficult to root and grow in many new stadiums. And tall stands that cast large shadows don't help. Wembley has, I think, three seperate pitches being grown at any one time, One in the stadium (obviously) and two "spare ones in Linco;lnshire that they can use to replace turf when required

Arsenal for example have to use lights to encourage decent grass growth in the Emirates

I went on an Emirates Stadium tour last season with my kids' football team. The guide showing us round said that the 2 key stakeholders for the Stadium design were Wenger & the Chief Groundsman.

The only reason why the stadium undulates around the top of the stands is to promote maximum grass growth (as in the picture). They also selected reflective roof materials so that any sunlight that "caught" in the stadium that didn't directly "hit" the grass would be "bounced around" until it did hit the grass (however that works?).

The pitch there (apparently) has won numerous awards over the last few seasons (didn't Real Madrid want to snaffle Arsenals' groundsman?) and the technical area is artificial grass.

.......yet they still need those lights on wheels contraptions!!!

 

[Fef]

Stonking ! Just love the panels on outside!

 

[dougdeep]

I thought this weeks pics might be a bit of an anti-climax. Boy was I wrong?

 

[warsaw]

That's a big gap between the south and east stands. The space could be used for ......... how about extra seats! Should be able to get 2500 in each corner at that rate