CMOT TMPV wrote in message et...
Once upon a time -- around about 10/23/03 20:29 --
possibly wrote:
On Thu, 23 Oct 2003 15:35:39 -0700, umpston wrote:
you can go round most historic buildings for only a few quid
True, but I personally hate all those things, I'd rather take pride in
something unique this country has produced then go on a tour of a stone
building.
Britain's most visible icons 'round the world are Her Majesty and Concorde.
Although Concorde was an Anglo-French invention ask anyone (except the
French of course) what they think of when you show them a picture of
Concorde and Britain is the answer.
Concorde is something to be extraordinarily proud of. If I were English, I'd
be proud of her. As it is, I think Concorde is one of the greatest
non-medical scientific achievements of modern mankind along with the Space
Shuttle and a few other things.
Does anyone understand how many people have tried and failed at this. Some
of the greatest scientific minds in the world have failed at making a viable
aircraft (Tupolev's disasterous TU-144, Boeing, and others). It's not easy
to do. It's amazing.
Concorde is without doubt amongst the defining images of mid-20th
century Britain, in the same way as Queen Victoria and the Forth
Bridge, for example, epitomise the 19th century. We now need some
things to re-define us for the 21st - not to reject the past, rather
to build on it and change for the better. A supersonic Concorde
replacement that was both environmentally more friendly, and carried
enough passengers to make it economically worthwhile, might be
something to hope for one day!
Thank you for your tribute. British pride in Concorde is still
immense as this thread and all the recent coverage demonstrates. As
you say, the achievement itself is a thing of great wonder. But its
day is done. We should celebrate our successes, and preserve the
relics - but not try to cling on to the past. If BA can no longer
make money from them (and I doubt Richard Branson could either, he
just likes to take every opportunity to bash BA) they are surely right
to let their Concordes go out in a blaze of glory, as they will today,
rather than let them gradually dwindle away as all the old fleets of
lesser vehicles do.