Palace Pier - O/T - Argus Article

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

An elitist DFL snob writes on Facebook...

I’m writing in response to the criticism directed at me following the pieces in the Argus yesterday.

Firstly, I deeply regret the offence caused. It would never and has never been the intention to cause offence. Brighton and Hove is a city that I love and have been brought up around. My grandfather went to school here, as indeed did I for a time and I have given five years of my life to building up Brighton Fringe to being the festival that it is today.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing though. As is rereading emails before sending them at 11:30 on a Friday night, mistaking at the time just *which* Adrian you are sending it to who had asked for some comments on improving the pier, getting carried away but not checking properly or thinking it through, and then realising it was in fact to an Argus journalist and finding out early on Tuesday morning that not only has this gone into the Argus as an actual ‘piece’, it has gone on the front page and a double page spread with opinion pieces attached.

I can’t actually even blame the Argus. I walked right into it and they, as journalists saw a story and ran with it. I wish I had had the chance to see it before it went out or even have prior warning of the prominence, but I guess that is their prerogative. The aftermath has been perhaps the worst 24 hours of my life and, on reading the pieces and opinion, it’s easy to see why. “What was I thinking?” Well I wish I knew.

Also for the record as I wrote to Nijel Twirley in a post to this group earlier, the reference to Primark, Sports Direct and coaches was entirely directed at the thousands of teenage foreign students that pass my window between their visit to the Pavilion.

Those shops, on their way to the pier and back to their coaches, not as some snobbish reference, more to direct attention to the day-tripper market being dominant, rather than somewhere that more local residents might wish to go to on a regular basis.

I also wish I hadn't said the M word for a restaurant- just somewhere nice to eat on the pier would be amazing. I’ve never even ever been to a Michelin star restaurant. Basically more diverse attractions to get even more people than currently go.

I really, truly, don't hate the pier - it is an iconic, vital part of what makes Brighton what it is and I have worked my arse off for the past five years here. I'm completely invested in this place and care passionately about its past, present and future.

Yes, I happen to live in London, but that should not exclude me from having a view. I have been dealing with the inevitable feedback, some threatening actual physical violence, all day and night yesterday, some with the frankly disturbing “f*** off back to London”.

I've learned my lesson for sure and apologise profoundly for the offence caused. What is more, running a festival like Brighton Fringe, the very last thing that I would ever wish to do is create divisions and that is exactly what has happened, and how.

Brighton Fringe as it’s open-access is, literally, all about inclusiveness and being as welcoming as possible and to go against that is absolutely unthinkable. I’ve been working at in fringe festivals for over 20 years now and believe me, it’s anything but Michelin star restaurants and poshness, so to come across like that (“a typical view from an elitist London a-hole” and similar) is dreadful.

I don’t know what more I can do than say this - and to get it out to as many people as possible. Not everyone will want to hear it, and that is fine. What was written in the paper was appalling and I’d probably have the same view if I’d read them myself. This year we are launching the Fringe with fireworks and I seem to have started an uncontrollable fire before it has even begun and for that, I am deeply sorry.

Altogether now...

'Sacked in the morning,
You're getting sacked in the morning'

 

[StonehamPark]

An elitist DFL snob writes on Facebook...

I’m writing in response to the criticism directed at me following the pieces in the Argus yesterday.

Firstly, I deeply regret the offence caused. It would never and has never been the intention to cause offence. Brighton and Hove is a city that I love and have been brought up around. My grandfather went to school here, as indeed did I for a time and I have given five years of my life to building up Brighton Fringe to being the festival that it is today.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing though. As is rereading emails before sending them at 11:30 on a Friday night, mistaking at the time just *which* Adrian you are sending it to who had asked for some comments on improving the pier, getting carried away but not checking properly or thinking it through, and then realising it was in fact to an Argus journalist and finding out early on Tuesday morning that not only has this gone into the Argus as an actual ‘piece’, it has gone on the front page and a double page spread with opinion pieces attached.

I can’t actually even blame the Argus. I walked right into it and they, as journalists saw a story and ran with it. I wish I had had the chance to see it before it went out or even have prior warning of the prominence, but I guess that is their prerogative. The aftermath has been perhaps the worst 24 hours of my life and, on reading the pieces and opinion, it’s easy to see why. “What was I thinking?” Well I wish I knew.

Also for the record as I wrote to Nijel Twirley in a post to this group earlier, the reference to Primark, Sports Direct and coaches was entirely directed at the thousands of teenage foreign students that pass my window between their visit to the Pavilion.

Those shops, on their way to the pier and back to their coaches, not as some snobbish reference, more to direct attention to the day-tripper market being dominant, rather than somewhere that more local residents might wish to go to on a regular basis.

I also wish I hadn't said the M word for a restaurant- just somewhere nice to eat on the pier would be amazing. I’ve never even ever been to a Michelin star restaurant. Basically more diverse attractions to get even more people than currently go.

I really, truly, don't hate the pier - it is an iconic, vital part of what makes Brighton what it is and I have worked my arse off for the past five years here. I'm completely invested in this place and care passionately about its past, present and future.

Yes, I happen to live in London, but that should not exclude me from having a view. I have been dealing with the inevitable feedback, some threatening actual physical violence, all day and night yesterday, some with the frankly disturbing “f*** off back to London”.

I've learned my lesson for sure and apologise profoundly for the offence caused. What is more, running a festival like Brighton Fringe, the very last thing that I would ever wish to do is create divisions and that is exactly what has happened, and how.

Brighton Fringe as it’s open-access is, literally, all about inclusiveness and being as welcoming as possible and to go against that is absolutely unthinkable. I’ve been working at in fringe festivals for over 20 years now and believe me, it’s anything but Michelin star restaurants and poshness, so to come across like that (“a typical view from an elitist London a-hole” and similar) is dreadful.

I don’t know what more I can do than say this - and to get it out to as many people as possible. Not everyone will want to hear it, and that is fine. What was written in the paper was appalling and I’d probably have the same view if I’d read them myself. This year we are launching the Fringe with fireworks and I seem to have started an uncontrollable fire before it has even begun and for that, I am deeply sorry.

Two things.

1: Fair apology, seemed to genuinely mean it and is obviously distraught at the reaction and outrage he has caused.

2: He's 'only sorry because he got caught'.
I believe he meant every word he said in his original piece.
Unfortunately (for him), it was published on the front page for the masses to read. I don't think it was his intention to be a headline story, and didn't anticipate the flack he'd get for it.
So I do accept his apology, but don't pretend that the comments 'came across' as pompous, snobbish, demeaning and condescending accidentally, because that was exactly your intention when writing the original piece.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Two things.

1: Fair apology, seemed to genuinely mean it and is obviously distraught at the reaction and outrage he has caused.

2: He's 'only sorry because he got caught'.
I believe he meant every word he said in his original piece.
Unfortunately (for him), it was published on the front page for the masses to read. I don't think it was his intention to be a headline story, and didn't anticipate the flack he'd get for it.
So I do accept his apology, but don't pretend that the comments 'came across' as pompous, snobbish, demeaning and condescending accidentally, because that was exactly your intention when writing the original piece.

Your two things make no sense. Got to be one or the other shirley? (for info, thing 2 is the correct thing)

 

[LlcoolJ]

"It was a private conversation / I was joking"

"I was misquoted"

"I actually really like *insert offended party here*"

"I'm being threatened"

"I'm SORRY!!"

"Some of my best friends are black/shop at Primark"

Fill in your backtrack bingo cards ladies and gents!

 

[StonehamPark]

Your two things make no sense. Got to be one or the other shirley? (for info, thing 2 is the correct answer)

Well I'm saying that his apology appears genuine. He's clearly distressed/upset at the negative reaction he's caused.

But, if his article was much lower key and didn't garner as much attention/flak, I don't believe that he would have apologized.
I believe he meant every word he said in the original article.

 

[LlcoolJ]

Well I'm saying that his apology appears genuine. He's clearly distressed/upset at the negative reaction he's caused.

But, if his article was much lower key and didn't garner as much attention/flak, I don't believe that he would have apologized.
I believe he meant every word he said in the original article.

In which case he's still a grade A tool. Perhaps more so as he's not willing to stand up for what he actually thinks.

 

[StonehamPark]

In which case he's still a grade A tool. Perhaps more so as he's not willing to stand up for what he actually thinks.

Yeah I still stand by my original posts, I think he's a total pompous and ignorant tw@ - a typical DFL who's typed up a pure rant attacking the pier and it's users, including absolute snobbery and condescending by mocking the tourists and day-trippers who choose to shop in Primark and Sports Direct.
Absolute snob.

 

[Carrot Cruncher]

If the worst he's had to deal with is "F*** off back to London" then I would say he's had a right touch.

Also, he now appears to be having a pop at foreign students, who bring in a eff load of money into the local economy.

The bloke's a grade A slice and is only sorry he got found out.

 

[Easy 10]

His TRUE thoughts about Brighton are set out in the original email which he thought was private - well and truly caught BANG to rights. No amount of apologising, backtracking, excuses and toadying can alter the fact that the silent withering contempt with which he holds the Pier and the people who go on it is now out there, for all to see, forever.

Hows your luck.

 

[mona]

I think he is a man who probably should be punched on a regular basis.

He'd probably pay you to do it.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Just a shame that self-serving sow taking a currently-reported £41,396 salary out of the West Pier 'Trust' hasn't shot herself in the foot so spectacularly and been forced off the gravy train. But then it's in her interests to keep a low profile. Nice to see the UK libel laws swerved by the Argus to give a rarely publicised glimpse into the whisperings about that 'Trust' that have been going around town for YONKS

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/14290784.Modern_West_Pier_could_be_built_by_2026/

Last time I saw her on the telly, she was flogging off some of the West Pier's Victorian wrought ironwork on rubbish low budget Dave show Salvage Hunters.

 

[Pevenseagull]

I'm trying to imagine what the wanker's voice sounds like.

I bet he sounds like an utter wanker.