177 replies to this topic

[Nanazola]

Done!

[Sylvester]

Wish I could have attended but we had to go to Bristol on Saturday. Well done all those who attended and asked some highly relevant questions. It sounds as if this event was a sham and despite all efforts it seems we're no closer to knowing the answers - indeed it seems to have thrown up yet more questions!

[nikdevlin]

We wandered in too, and were basically followed by a KICC guy who noticed the leaflet I'd been given earlier outside Blackbird in my hand. I was unimpressed with what they'd done in the cinema, the fact that they've pulled all the cinema seats from the downstairs bit made it look awful, and reinforced the fact that it's going to be used predominantly for non-cinema related activities, as did the tiny screen, and a sound system that would impress the guys who put up Stonehenge. I was initially stopped by our shadow from taking pictures when we went up to the upper balcony, but when I pointed out that that wasn't very 'open', he relented, and walked off to a safe distance, making very sure he wasn't in shot. When we started loudly talking about the uses of the building, explaining to each other the differences between D1 and D2 for his benefit, he disappeared, and when we came back downstairs, he was with another guy who he pointed us out to. They watched us very closely as we left. There was a conversation going outside between, I think, some locals who weren't enamoured of the whole church thing, and a young KICC couple (black woman, white man) who, as far as we could tell, had no idea of how much local feeling there was about the building. But just as I was about to introduce myself and see what I could glean, our shadow came out with his colleague, and asked the young couple to come inside.

All pretty depressing really. We passed on the juice and biscuits, especially as the guy behind the counter had on blue gloves, which reminded me of the creepy Hands of Blue Alliance guys in Firefly...

Edited by nikdevlin, 13 August 2012 - 12:35 PM.

[Ziwa]

www.picture-palace.org/survey

Done!! I had to wait until today, as I knew I'd get carried away and need to write a few things (and had a work deadline yesterday). A heads up that of course your results get swallowed up as soon as you push 'submit'. I saved my answers in a Word doc, but it might be handy to have an option (in the future) that it will send you your replies if you click a selection button.

Edited by Ziwa, 13 August 2012 - 12:59 PM.

[andreas]

I am genuinely shocked by what I am hearing from charlie this evening, from various accounts of people who have got in touch via the Picture Palace Campaign mailbox about their experiences at the Open Day:

http://www.campaign....ure-palace.org/

Please continue to provide feedback and also do please complete the survey if you attended www.picture-palace.org/survey

[Posie]

Did the survey earlier, and after reading everyones posts here it would seem I am not the only one to get the impression that anyone challenging the kicc and the campaign leaders of the ppc were not welcome on the day, It seems to me that they were happy to leave their flock to it for the most part, that speaks volumes to me how about others?

[Ziwa]

Really good overviews posted here by all kinds of folks, many of whom I met at the 'open house'.

I too found it initially unwelcoming. However, I went in in the afternoon, and I think many of the KICC staff (who seem to al be volunteers except for Mr Oteng) had had a bit of a battering in discussions with our keen residents.

I also spoke at length with the same person CitM and others spoke with. To his credit:
1) he was very easy to talk to, had a nice open way about him, was willing to engage (despite being exhausted by that point in the day - he said he had spoken with 200 people).
2) presented an optimistic perspective on KICC and what it wanted to do here in CP and with the building. If I were a naive listener, without knowing the details of the situation for our building on Church Rd, I'd think his sales pitch sounded pretty good.
3) started with his first sentence saying 'we would never do anything illegal, we would never do anything not permitted by the law', and repeated that regularly throughout our long chat. (Lady MacBeth, anyone? Methinks s/he doth protest too much)

To his discredit:
1) he made numerous errors in his description of what could and couldn't be done within legal bounds of the zoning rules, therefore undercutting any of his earnestness about staying within the law
2) made some statements about the charitable work done by KICC in Africa that I have subsequently been unable to verify in any way. They were big statements. E.g. He said KICC drilled 200 boreholes for freshwater provision in Burundi. Well, I happen to work in freshwater issues in Africa, Burundi was my original patch, and I have not been able to turn up any indication that this is true. I can only conclude it was a useful fabrication.
3) floundered on a number of the harder questions put to him by our viewing companion, who was well versed in the issues

To perhaps his own dismay:
1) he was very clear that the KICC is in this for the long haul, and that their main aim is to convert the CP community to allowing them to use the building as a church. He essentially said that the multiuse process is to gain acceptance, then they will work to change the zoning to D1 and use it as a church. I credit him that this is forthright and certainly looks true from what the works are that have been done. Its all mega sound systems, movable chairs so that people can be packed in. Television set up so it can be broadcast live. So, the multiuse thing is a Trojan horse, he said it about as clearly as it could be said.
2) it turns out he's not a representative of KICC, only a volunteer. So he can't be held responsible, but it means we were left with a real answer to our questions.

He invited us for refreshments afterwards. Lovely chap, just too bad he's working so hard to take something away from our community.

Edited by Ziwa, 13 August 2012 - 07:58 PM.

[andreas]

Good post Ziwa, yes I too think the volunteers must have found it a trying and tiring day.

Results of the PPC survey still coming in - a good number of responses. All much appreciated and they include many thoughtful and perceptive contributions. It will make for an interesting report.

[jamesl]

Thanks to all for making the effort to asking some penetrating questions and posting such detailed reports. Sounds a pretty dispiriting experience and just another example of the lip service being paid to the idea of 'not fighting the community it (KICC) seeks to serve' . Didn't sound very "open" - what kind of an open day is it where there is no literature available setting out their plans and no attendance by any of the trustees ?

[Sidney Ruff-Diamond]

Possibly the eatery with the KICC leaflets in their window?

Does anyone know which establishment this is?

[RetiredMember2]

Does anyone know which establishment this is?

The one with the KICC flyer in window!

I was told that the catering was being provided by the Brasilian restaurant but the representative did not give it's name or location.

[Sidney Ruff-Diamond]

Hmmm... talk about short term profit and cutting your own throat.

[RetiredMember1]

Just catching up on this thread after a week in the sticks. Huge thanks to all campaigners who attended on our behalf and provided such full feedback.

[St. Lukes Railings]

Yeah. Well done all. Nice to see Ziwa who reminded the spoons of the inaugural gathering outside three (3) years ago. They seem a shady bunch to say the least. They need reminding it doesn't work the same way here as it does in Africa. I think they have really shot themselves in the foot this time.

[Maz]

It's a brave man that would take on Citizen M, for sure. That's something to admire about them, I guess.

Thanks for the reports, chaps.