HMC, I can really recommend this place:

B&B

It's a 'posh' B&B, so definitely up there with the good hotels, and the owners also have pre-school children so are really family friendly.

Have a good time at the rally, I wish I could get there!

I'd like for Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to cover the cost of all the extra policing and servicing after they proposed a rally without asking the people of Edinburgh first, instead of sticking Edinburgh's working poor council taxpayers (like me, for example) with the cost of it.

I think the Council should sue them in civil court for their irresponsibility. I also think local employers and business owners should club together and form a class action lawsuit against those two to recoup costs of damage to businesses and loss of wages resulting from their calling for a rally without consulting the people. If any injury or loss of life occurs as a result of their actions (since there are quite a few folk who see this as on opportunity for criminal gain rather than peace), I think those two should be held accountable under the law.

If Bob wants to make such a difference, why doesn't he donate his personal fortune to his cause before demanding taxpayers fulfill his demands? Why doesn't he organise marches where the REAL problem is - deeply rooted politcal corruption among African governments.

He's a bloody hypocrite whose going to cost us, the local council taxpayers, thousands.

Agree. Highly irresponsible statement for Bob Geldof to come out with.

Our town centre has only 3 major streets. The crowd at Hogmanay has to be limited to 300,000 to avoid trampling risks. The policing, security and services are carefully budgeted for this event and the Festival. There is only 1 A&E, on the outskirts of town, and transporting someone there from town centre could be a real, potentially fatal problem if and when it's clogged with people. Just the other day, fire trucks could not get through to a fire in a 4 story tenement building b/c the narrow street was clogged with cars parked on either side.

'Open your spare rooms, gardens and garages,' says Bob. Did he ever put down the razor blades, mirrors and straws? Cuz any person who's spent any amount of time here quickly realises that 60% of the population lives in a tenement flat. You won't find a lot of gardens and garages. And with rents and property values, I don't many folks who have spare rooms, either.

When was the last time he invited an ordinary, working British person into his bloody mansion?

The cheek of those two! I really, really hope they get sued to all h* for this. Maybe then they'll realise that spouting off at the gob has a cost, and sometimes, other people have to pay it.

The bloody conference is 100 miles away in Perthshire, anyhow.

Agree with expat...live v. near Edinburgh (used to live right in the city centre) - and whilst I applaud your convictions, I would REALLY, REALLY think twice about bringing your kids. Edinburgh is a small capital, if that makes sense. The roads are narrow in the old town, where most of the rally will be held I imagine, the hospital is a few miles away, and it has the usual problems of congestion.
Princes St (the main st) is horrendous with kids even on a normal Saturday - I can't imagine anything more terrifying than taking 2 very young children into the city on the 2nd.
Shame it's going to cost the taxpayers to much to police etc the event. If Jack McConnell had donated the same amount to debt relief it would have been a heck of a lot more constructive.

I agree too. There is some talk of counter groups protesting too, and possible violence, so really not ideal for toddlers IMO. I shudder to think what it's going to be like to be honest. The social services are worried about the posibility of large numbers of unaccompanied children coming too. I like Bob, but I think this was irresponsible and poorly thought-out.

We are going- I think the rally that bob geldof is calling for (on the 6th July) is irresponsible and I really do agree with some of the points made.

However the one on the 2cnd of July is meant to cause as little disruption to G8, to gather a group of people concerned about one issue (Poverty) to make known the amount of concern in the hope that the summit might just be influenced. I also believe that the organisers of MPH have been quite responsible on this one. It is indeed a very organised event from what we can gather.

It would be unfortunate to paint both the evnt on the 2nd and the one Bob geldof is calling for on the 6th with the same brush. I for one will not be going to protest (even if I am sympathetic) for a whole load of Globalisation issues- particularly as it is not clear that the event on the 6th will be peaceful (in fact in the past G8 meetings...protests have been violent).

I would be proud for my city to have such a large peaceful protest- esp a make poverty history one. I understand concerns about cost and inconvienience- but one day in history we can make a point about poverty- if this incurs us all some personal cost it is nothing compared to the 'cost' of being poor- where ever in the world we might live.

I admire you HMC for having the conviction to give the money anyway- if bump is too uncomfy we shall follow your example.

Hope I haven't offended- I don't wnat people to confuse 2 different events (unfortunately geldof is linked to both )

just to add...

the events in the meadow- are v family friendly. We however might give the march a miss as that will be a worry with a small ds!!

HMC- you can have local events. We had a whole week of protesting 12 hours a day here. Wearing big sashes (you can get these from MPH). ALL in the centre of town...handing out leaflets and selling the bracelets. You could try and find out who your local co-ordintaor is and see if anything is planned?

oh...and we are running a mph stall at our church fete. takng along the 'click' video on the laptop to show to people too!!

What I'm worried about is that, b/c Bob couldn't be bothered to approach the council first, that things could become chaotic and lead to people getting hurt or worse. That's why I find it irresponsible. Things like this have to be planned for in order to put facilities in place to be as safe and constructive as possible.

We want to be remembered for making poverty history, not another Hillsborough Stadium-like tragedy.

As much as we'd like things to be peaceful and pleasant, in any large impromptu crowd situation you're bound to get a few bad apples. That's why adequate planning is really, really important for peoples' safety and health.

Hogmanay, for example, has to have limited attendance b/c the city just isn't designed to cope with a crowd over 250,000. Nor are the services.

I do quite a bit of volunteer work, and raising awareness is always good. Compromising health and safety needless is not.

totally agreed expat! Having looked on the Guardian website...what worries me is that the make poverty history rally will be over shadowed by this other one the geldof is calling for! Hopefully the council (who are meeting with Ure and GGeldof) will pull a bit of rank and maybe even limit the protest he is calling for (NOT MAKE POVERTY HISTORY ONE) to areas outside of the city (IE divert it).

To be honest the live 8 clash with MPH edinbrugh and then this just make me really cross- it's all becoming about Geldof rather than about the issues that matter!

I do hope that the first week in july does not just become another tragedy- as u described.

I do however want to be clear to folks reading this thread that the Make Poverty History Rally on the 2nd- is a peaceful and pre-organised event with all ages in mind. (see www.makepovertyhistory.co.uk) As always there may be trouble causers....but you can only plan so much for that.

I really do hope that those mnetters who live in Edinbrugh and around don't get too much hassle that week and maybe even enjoy the festival in the meadow on the 2cnd.

Thanks for explaining that leahbump- I couldn't quite work out why the two dates were being talked about. I hope the meadows doesn't (don't??) get too crowded, though, There's a busy road through the middle, and no fencing. When it's reasonably empty it's easy enough to chase errant toddlers and rugby tackle them to the ground, but when it's crowded you'd have to keep your eyes peeled

Interesting thread. We're hoping to go to the MPH one and were just talking today about whether or not to take ds (aged 2)... Can't decide.

2 July is designed for families (Richard Curtis must be a very cross man at the moment!). See \link{http://www.makepovertyhistory.org\here} for more info. FWIW we are taking both our boys (4.5 and 2.5).

Or even this !!