"Bung a bob for Big Ben's bongs" [split topic] [merged]

[Buelligan]

I suddenly imagined those Express commenters just howling and hooting wordlessly to ring in Brexit if there were no church bells ringing near them. Or perhaps even if there were. Perhaps they would have done that anyway. Seems quite likely.

Anyway, I don't live in London, or near any church bells, and so I find myself annoyed that this symbolic gesture of...something or other...is getting all this attention when there are a thousand other things our stupid idiot government and media could be concentrating on, and some of them might even have the slightest bit of relevance to me.

But they're not going to do anything about anything like that.  This is in lieu.  This gives the proles that winning feeling without doing shit all or spending any money on them.  That's how these cunts operate.

[Better Midlands]

That's because I badly photoshopped his head to make it bigger and more red

I noticed a trend on YouTube of making big head thumbnails recently like this

[Jerzy Bondov]

Not so clever to make a thumbnail that actively drives people away.

[Fambo Number Mive]

Dozens of crowdfunding pages set up to pay for Big Ben to bong on Brexit Day have so far raised almost no money.

The campaigns were launched after Boris Johnson suggested that members of the public could meet the £500,000 cost of the famous bell ringing at 11pm on 31 January, when the UK leaves the EU.

Almost 30 pages on the GoFundMe crowdfunding website are trying to raise the money, but the vast majority have not received a single donation.


The few that have received support have so far raised £551 - a tiny fraction of the amount needed.

Despite the muted response, Tory MP Mark Francois, who has led the campaign for Big Ben to ring on 31 January, predicted that the fundraising target would be met within two days...

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/big-ben-brexit-bong-crowdfund-donate-boris-johnson-eu-a9284536.html

They'll find the way of getting the other £499, 449 out of the public somehow, I expect.

[Cuellar]

tug tax

bash bishop for big bong brexit ben bung bob

[Norton Canes]

10% non-voluntary Big Ben bong bonus on prices at Wetherspoons

[Quote]

Is making those bells bong not the responsibility of Boris and co anyway? You're the fucking government ffs.

Get Bong Done.

[Replies From View]

Here's Mark having a quick break from working hard on getting a bell to go off

Crowdfund the stomach-pumping needed to get the bell out of him.

[Replies From View]

A third reader said: "Ring out My old friend....LOUDLY AND PROUDLY."

Thanks third reader but I'm not convinced this is the time for your brilliant fart jokes.

[Replies From View]

yeah and the bell is the part standing in for the whole, like the crown.

St Stephens tower is more often the name given to the ventilation spire in the centre, because thats basically over where St Stephens chapel was (ok just to the east of it)

Surely the staircase inside has its own name at least?!

[Buelligan]

Here's Mark having a quick break from working hard on getting a bell to go off

Have to say I love that Jerzy, really superb.  It's all the little details that make it truly great.  Thank you.

[Ambient Sheep]

According to THE INTERNET they rang Big Ben on New Year's Eve using an electric motor. Can't they just do that again?

Apologies for not having bothered doing any proper research and just expecting someone here to know the answer.

From https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/51107756:

Why would it cost so much?

The House of Commons Commission, which is responsible for maintenance in Parliament, estimates the cost of sounding Big Ben on Brexit day is between £320,000 and £500,000.

Its estimate is made up of two separate costs:

Bringing back the bonging mechanism and installing a temporary floor - £120,000

The cost of delaying the conservation work - up to £400,000 (based on an estimate of £100,000 a week)

The commission says the floor in the belfry has been removed and there would be a significant cost to put in and then remove a temporary floor.

As well as the floor, the £120,000 figure also includes the cost of installing and dismantling the temporary mechanism (an electric bell hammer) to sound the bell.

Delaying the restoration work already taking place to enable the bongs would also add £100,000 a week to the bill.

As such, the commission concludes that the cost is not justified - although it says it will respond to any decision MPs make.

What about New Year's Eve?

Despite the repair works, Big Ben does still occasionally chime - as recently as New Year's Eve.

When the restoration work started in 2017, it was agreed that Big Ben should sound for Remembrance Sunday, Armistice Day and New Year's Eve.

According to the House of Commons, this arrangement allowed the project team to plan its works around the dates well in advance.

That means that any ringing beyond these dates will require further funds to be spent.

According to the Commons, it was decided that the belfry floor work would begin on 2 January in order not to interfere with New Year's Eve.

The reconstruction work on the floor is likely to be significant, involving resurfacing and waterproofing.

The Commons has ruled out getting this done by 31 January, which is why a temporary floor would need to be installed and then removed.

[JesusAndYourBush]

£500,000?!?!?!  Load of shite.  Just play a recording.  Anyone with a half-decent sound system would do it for 50 quid.

[bgmnts]

The public want 500 grand of public money wasted. Deal with it.

[Fambo Number Mive]

A Cabinet Minister blames a "Remainer plot" for the cost of ringing Big Ben when we leave the EU, according to the Express: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EOWzhhWWoAEAswW.jpg:large

Sheer propaganda. Perhaps they'll get the money by fining people for supporting the campaign to stay in the EU.

[colacentral]

How much would it cost to give this a midnight bong instead?

[Huxleys Babkins]

A Cabinet Minister blames a "Remainer plot" for the cost of ringing Big Ben when we leave the EU, according to the Express: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EOWzhhWWoAEAswW.jpg:large

Sheer propaganda. Perhaps they'll get the money by fining people for supporting the campaign to stay in the EU.

Quelle sur-fucking-prise.

[jobotic]

A Cabinet Minister blames a "Remainer plot" for the cost of ringing Big Ben when we leave the EU, according to the Express: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EOWzhhWWoAEAswW.jpg:large

Sheer propaganda. Perhaps they'll get the money by fining people for supporting the campaign to stay in the EU.

Why not just seize our assets when we are arrested?

[king_tubby]

Bung a bob for Big Ben's bongs, oh valley of plenty.

[Cuellar]

"Cabinet Minister blames 'Remainer Plot' for his £200k expenses claim for a new dog"

[Icehaven]

Why don't they just get everyone who thinks this is remotely important to stand up at midnight on the 31st and shout "DUR DUR DUR DUR, DUR DUR DUR DUR, DUR DUR DUR DUR, DUR DUR DUR DUR." Shouldn't be too difficult for them.

[idunnosomename]

Fbpe people are stupid but they're not vindictive enough to spoil brexiteers little celebrations. One might say they had good intentions but went about it rather poorly

[Barry Admin]

The actual alliterative phrase did my head in when I saw Johnson being interviewed. Just the way he talks like a Sun headline made me want to spew. It also worries me that people are so quickly taken in by his superficial charm and prat-based wankery.

[dissolute ocelot]

If you were really bothered about chimes you could just switch BBC Radio 4 on and open a window.

[Buelligan]

The actual alliterative phrase did my head in when I saw Johnson being interviewed. Just the way he talks like a Sun headline made me want to spew. It also worries me that people are so quickly taken in by his superficial charm and prat-based wankery.

I agree.  Fair play, Britain's turned a blind eye to some horrific shit in the past but this lauding and lapping up of despicable middling Johnson has amazed me.  It's almost painful, it is painful, to see people, probably reasonable humane people, drawn in to giving the nod to Patel, Rees Mogg, all of these awful, awful, beasts, on the strength of half-believing Boris is one of the lads, harmless. 

In that respect, and I'm guessing in his ability to consign the lower orders to any sort of doom for his own ends, Johnson does resemble Churchill.  Something he's been at pains to do I understand.  God help us all.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/not-his-finest-hour-the-dark-side-of-winston-churchill-2118317.html
https://www.history.com/news/winston-churchills-world-war-disaster

[Dex Sawash]

Bung a bob for Big Ben's bongs, oh valley of plenty.

laughed

[Konki]

What I don't understand is why the just don't get brexit bong?

[Fambo Number Mive]

So far the StandUp4Brexit campaign has raised over £100,000.

More than £90,000 had been raised by Thursday lunchtime, with one of the largest single contributions coming from Conservative MP Mark Francois, who donated £1,000.

Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom has said she donated £10.

[H-O-W-L]

Why not donate five hundred grand for a big public omelette? Just a big eggy mass.

[idunnosomename]

I hope they ring it and the tower falls over and lands on the Churchill statue