Edinburgh Hogmanay Cancelled

[Silver-Fox]

There was a Michelle Mason in a motorhome on the BBC News at 6 being interviewed about events being cancelled.

I saw that, she said they had been planing it for months
Also said they didn’t know what to do.

Go for a walk and find a pub

 

[Joethejoiner]

It really grinds my gears when these headlines are made out to be an armageddon scenario. We're just across the Firth from Edinburgh and the weather is mildly breezy but due to the headlines the site has had enough cancellations to make the night's events a non starter. They dropped off a lovely gift bag of goodies and couldn't apologise enough but it's such a shame that click bait has squashed details

Baffled by the click bait references?

 

[dunnah01]

Baffled by the click bait references?

'Edinburgh Hogmanay cancelled' click to see why - oh it isn't but you've given me 1p by clicking on the headline

 

[Joethejoiner]

'Edinburgh Hogmanay cancelled' click to see why - oh it isn't but you've given me 1p by clicking on the headline

Well it is , mostly , cancelled ?

 

[dunnah01]

Well it is , mostly , cancelled ?

But there's no need to cancel given the weather around here. Just headlines spooking people for no reason

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[Joethejoiner]

But there's no need to cancel given the weather around here. Just headlines spooking people for no reason

Possibly right it shouldn't have been cancelled but it has been
Heehaw to do with headlines

 

[stewartwebr]

It really grinds my gears when these headlines are made out to be an armageddon scenario. We're just across the Firth from Edinburgh and the weather is mildly breezy but due to the headlines the site has had enough cancellations to make the night's events a non starter. They dropped off a lovely gift bag of goodies and couldn't apologise enough but it's such a shame that click bait has squashed details

No idea what “grinds your gears” refers too, the Hogmanay Celebration along with the entertainment and fireworks were cancelled on Princes Street, plain and simple. I was involved in the Celebration Emergency Response Team back in 2006 to 2010 and the biggest risk of mass casualty events is due to falling masonry from the structurally compromised sand stone. In normal day life the risk and probability is low, start adding 60,000 densely populated people in high winds and the risk and potential is just far too great to allow it to proceed.

 

[monzer]

Tricky one for the organisers. I was out delivering food earlier and most of the time you would hardly know there was a storm. Back in the van at Musselburgh now and the van is getting blown about more than it ever has done down here, but that is the coast so pretty exposed.

 

[dunnah01]

No idea what “grinds your gears” refers too, the Hogmanay Celebration along with the entertainment and fireworks were cancelled on Princes Street, plain and simple. I was involved in the Celebration Emergency Response Team back in 2006 to 2010 and the biggest risk of mass casualty events is due to falling masonry from the structurally compromised sand stone. In normal day life the risk and probability is low, start adding 60,000 densely populated people in high winds and the risk and potential is just far too great to allow it to proceed.

The weather has been very calm all night so why the panic. Just scaremongering in the media.

 

[dunnah01]

No idea what “grinds your gears” refers too, the Hogmanay Celebration along with the entertainment and fireworks were cancelled on Princes Street, plain and simple. I was involved in the Celebration Emergency Response Team back in 2006 to 2010 and the biggest risk of mass casualty events is due to falling masonry from the structurally compromised sand stone. In normal day life the risk and probability is low, start adding 60,000 densely populated people in high winds and the risk and potential is just far too great to allow it to proceed.

The weather has been very calm all night so why the panic. Just scaremongering in the media.

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[fishplug]

Maybe they'll congregate at the Tron like the old days.

Only time I've ever been was just that.

We were the first standing on the steps at the Tron and I wasn't sure that I hadn't been taken there as a practical joke and then a few more people turned up, then a few more and before you knew it the party was in full swing and even the police were taking part more than they were 'keeping the peace'.

There was no need to keep any peace - just a load of people having a good time. One of my best NY to date.

 

[stewartwebr]

The weather has been very calm all night so why the panic. Just scaremongering in the media.

The media would have had nothing to do with the decision to cancel. The event organisers along with the Gold Command committee make the decision.

 

[poppycamper]

The weather has been very calm all night so why the panic. Just scaremongering in the media.

Think the main issue was the weather was too bad in the run up when they needed to make all the preperations for the big event!

 

[carolyn]

It’s very easy to say with the benefit of hindsight that they didn’t need to cancel it. I’m sure the decision wasn’t taken lightly.

 

[Mikey RV]

And if it had gone ahead and something bad happened, the same peaple who complain about it being cancelled would be saying it should have been cancelled.

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[Gellyneck]

The weather has been very calm all night so why the panic. Just scaremongering in the media.

Whilst the weather may have been calm during the timing of the cancelled event what was the weather like in the lead up to the cancellation? Did it permit proper installation of crowd control / safety features, etc?

And remember it's only a forecast just like Michael Fish's back in 87, albeit it was taken out of context!

2008 mid 30's cases of falling masonry in Edinburgh main streets rising to not far short of 200 ten years later (2018). A total of nigh on 1,000 over the period.

It's estimated that, at least, in one third of the cases, if they had struck a pedestrian, would have caused critical injury or fatality.

Having been at previous instances in rooftop venues I certainly wouldn't have been attending last night given they were, reasonably, calm nights but it was still blowing a hooley up there!

It’s very easy to say with the benefit of hindsight that they didn’t need to cancel it. I’m sure the decision wasn’t taken lightly.

Wouldn't the world be a boring place if we all had 20/20 hindsight?

 

[monzer]

The weather has been very calm all night so why the panic. Just scaremongering in the media.

It wasn't exactly calm. It maybe didn't necessitate the cancellation but it certainly was stormy.

Not sure why you keep mentioning media. The decision would have been made with info from the met office not Facebook or the Daily Record.

 

[Janine]

Our local turning on of the Christmas Lights was cancelled at the beginning of December due to an incoming storm.

As it was, the weather wasn't too bad here but most of the traders would have been under flimsy gazebos which, if causing injury, their Public Liability Insurance would have wriggled out of.

 

[Pausim]

They can’t win. If the Met Office or Event Organisers ignored the weather signals they would be taken apart by the media for not telling us. They are forced to act on the cautious side. As it happens the weather events were not as severe as projected so media now have something else to moan about.

If I was making these decisions I would be cautious. I would rather have disappointed people whinging than end up in an Inquiry or Coroners Court getting a public flogging. The Spanish Authorities got it wrong, people died and heads will roll.

 

[Otter Spotter]

We went out with Sister and BIL last night to local pub in town for Hogmanay and they closed the bar at 10.30pm We were amazed that Dalbeattie was like a ghost town and no fireworks at all, I thought Hogmanay was a big thing in Scotland

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[Joethejoiner]

Hogmanay is a big thing but

We went out with Sister and BIL last night to local pub in town for Hogmanay and they closed the bar at 10.30pm We were amazed that Dalbeattie was like a ghost town and no fireworks at all, I thought Hogmanay was a big thing in Scotland

Traditional hogmanay is all about people going to each others houses , first footing.
Pubs always closed early on hogmanay and didn't open New Year's Day.
The Edinburgh Hogmanay, successful as it is , has nothing to do with traditional Scottish celebrations

 

[Joethejoiner]

Only time I've ever been was just that.

We were the first standing on the steps at the Tron and I wasn't sure that I hadn't been taken there as a practical joke and then a few more people turned up, then a few more and before you knew it the party was in full swing and even the police were taking part more than they were 'keeping the peace'.

There was no need to keep any peace - just a load of people having a good time. One of my best NY to date.

Wonder what year that was ?
Unfortunately quite a few idiots caused problems at the Tron . Lobbing bottles into the crowd etc

 

[Gellyneck]

Pubs always closed early on hogmanay and didn't open New Year's Day.

Only after the normal opening hours were extended past 21:00!

Heaven forbid if Hogmanay fell on a Sunday back then!

 

[fishplug]

Wonder what year that was ?
Unfortunately quite a few idiots caused problems at the Tron . Lobbing bottles into the crowd etc

That's going back quite a while now. Probably early to mid 90s at a guess.

I guess it's become a victim of its own success though and it doesn't appeal to me anymore. I'm glad I got a chance to do it when I did.

 

[monzer]

Just been to use the services at the truck stop and as usual for New Year there were a lot of vans there. Still feel for them as a lot would have traveled a hefty distance with Edinburgh NYE being the main event. Not even weather for a NY's walk today it's damn miserable.

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[Joethejoiner]

That's going back quite a while now. Probably early to mid 90s at a guess.

I guess it's become a victim of its own success though and it doesn't appeal to me anymore. I'm glad I got a chance to do it when I did.

Probably early 90s ? Street party started 1993 .
Glad it was a good one when you were there.
I ran the Tron Tavern at that time

 

[Joethejoiner]

Only after the normal opening hours were extended past 21:00!

Heaven forbid if Hogmanay fell on a Sunday back then!

Didn't know that . Early 70s in Glasgow, pubs I knew closed about 7 (I think) . None open New Year's Day.
Best parties were NYD

 

[big bertha]

Only time I've ever been was just that.

We were the first standing on the steps at the Tron and I wasn't sure that I hadn't been taken there as a practical joke and then a few more people turned up, then a few more and before you knew it the party was in full swing and even the police were taking part more than they were 'keeping the peace'.

There was no need to keep any peace - just a load of people having a good time. One of my best NY to date.

Maybe before your time I went in the late 60s early 70s

 

[Gellyneck]

Maybe before your time I went in the late 60s early 70s

Obviously, in your Silver Cross pram!

 

[Stoosal]

No idea what “grinds your gears” refers too, the Hogmanay Celebration along with the entertainment and fireworks were cancelled on Princes Street, plain and simple. I was involved in the Celebration Emergency Response Team back in 2006 to 2010 and the biggest risk of mass casualty events is due to falling masonry from the structurally compromised sand stone. In normal day life the risk and probability is low, start adding 60,000 densely populated people in high winds and the risk and potential is just far too great to allow it to proceed.

I’m intrigued as to why, if falling masonry was/is recognised as such a risk all those years ago, as to why action hasn’t been taken to ensure the risk hasn’t been reduced by actually identifying the buildings affected and remedial action being required to be carried out. High winds can take place most of the winter period so on a busy December shopping day the risk must necessitate closures as well?

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