Paphos People

I was talking to my landlords son about Paphos being the City of Culture, he said we will not and do not benefit from any of it, anyway most of the antiquities were moved to Nicosia years ago, then they closed the old museum, along with other attractions they have been closed for a long time. The only real benefit is the restaurant's, cafes and hotels the wealth generated will not filter down to us. That is a born and bred Cypriots response to Paphos being the city of culture, not everyone is enthusiastic.

The whole thing is an exercise in promoting the European Union by the European Union itself.There may be some localised benefits, but I suspect keeping a few European bureaucrats in a job is the primary objective of it all.

Athens was the first European City of Culture in 1985 ( it might even have helped it with it's Olympic bid that helped bankrupt the country) It hasn't done it a whole of of good recently has it and I suspect culture is the pretty low on ordinary Athenians' priority list these days

The regeneration of Paphos Old Town is to be welcomed of course , although I believe the two things are coincidental rather than connected ?

Didn't Hull get it because one of the semi literate councillors thought it meant 'City Of Clutter'?

Amazing Bassman, you constantly whinge and moan about things people say to and about you, yet you feel it's acceptable to post offensive garbage like this apropos of absolutely nothing.

Hull is my home town but I'd feel equally offended over this level of rubbish were it anywhere else in the UK.

Admin???

[quote="Bassman63"]Didn't Hull get it because one of the semi literate councillors thought it meant 'City Of Clutter'? [/quote

]have you been to Hull lately? I suspect not..well I have and it is a vibrant city that has embraced the title of "Cultural City" of the UK, unlike Paphos, which is still a building site. Bass man...fubar off...you odious little man. Yes George...I come from the East Riding.

Like the 'modernisation' of Tala Square, I think the restaurant owners have benefitted fom the makeover far more than their patrons!
This is Cyprus, the corruption game continues unabated, especially in the villages.

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I'll be back!

Bassman63 Bit out of order, I would never insult another persons City, Town or village also you have gone off script we are talking about Paphos.
To set the record straight regarding Hull, I worked in Hull for two years and they were some of the most friendly people I have met, they truly are genuine people.
I can only say I felt as a Mancunian they accepted me with open arms.
Thank you to the people of Hull.

Maybe we missed the ....



in Bassman's post?

Sense of humour failure folks?

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J B

Can't speak for anyone else JB, but No I didn't.
Depends how you read it I guess, but I see this as an extension of Bassman's warped sense of 'humour' - "funny" when he's taking the mick out of someone/somewhere else, but bullying when anyone does the same to him. Not a level playing field. If he can't stand the heat then he should stay out of the kitchen, rather than whingeing and moaning about it when others retaliate to his waspish comments. Funny they are not.

Nope, didn't miss that either.....a nasty little comment.

Back to the subject of this thread ( with no complaint inferred )
We spent twice as long getting to the harbour, yesterday morning, from the inland Polis road.
So many detours down back-streets, due to the road-works near the police station.
We tried to avoid that route on our return journey .... but ended up going down many streets in Moutallos we have never been along before. Finally, we gave up and found our way out to the coast road !
Not a good impression for tourists trying to visit a City of Culture. After all, even Christopher Wren would not have closed off the centre of London when he built St. Paul's Cathedral.
What were the architects and builders thinking of when they arranged to cause such chaos ?
Haven't they any idea how to work in sequenced stages ?
Moan over .... Phew !!!

What a rubbish post Bassman63. You clearly do not know Hull or its Councillors.
I know Hull very well, my wife comes from there and my late Uncle was Highways Engineer there
throughout WWII. Thanks to him most roads were kept open during the bombing, and after the war it was his plans for wider roads etc, in anticipation of a boom in motor car ownership, that resulted in Hull's layout being the envy of many other UK cities today.
Geoff.

A family of regular tourists recently told me that although the new works are clean and modern the character of the old town has been lost. They particularly missed the old town walking tours which finished a few weeks back.

I don't feel particularly cultured by the never ending roar works that are now extending into gasoline alley. I have been waiting to have a look at the finished article, unfortunately I probably won't live that long.

The Old Town is not just a tourist area it is the functioning heart of Paphos. All the little businesses, artisans, shop keepers, tradesmen and professionals are a source of Mediterranean lifestyle we all enjoy and it is to be cherished for that

For years it has been neglected and the new Mall has sucked much of the the life out of it.

How it evolves in the future remains to be seen- we might find more cafes replacing the cobblers and we might see some of the old shop premises be converted into flats and apartments, but none of that can happen if it has run down utilities and facilities and becomes an area no one wants to move into or trade from.

So whether it is as aesthetically pleasing as some might like is somewhat irrelevant- if things get too run down they get demolished and developers stick up more malls and more eyesores, so here's hoping this kick start works. The old Mall of Cyprus and the big leisure centre by the big roundabout have become useless white elephants- here's hoping the Old Town does not go the same way

Why, I wonder, are members of this and indeed probably any other forum so often so negative and condescending in their attitude towards the country they have chosen to live in and the people they have chosen to live with?

I truly believe that the Capital of Culture thing for Paphos is a tremendous achievement and that man many professionals and volunteers are successfully putting in a lot of effort to make a rich cultural programme happen with a budget that must be a fraction only of what other cities will have spent. I congratulate them all.

I also congratulate the City of Paphos for all the renovation work they have done in Ktima and before that in Kato. When I arrived here 10 or 12 years ago, the whole place looked like all those impoverished and run down British coastal resorts. Now the town is about to have a contemporary face and it will look clean and tidy.

Admittedly, communications in respect of Paphos 17 could have been better in the early stages and certainly in their ambition to make huge efforts in construction they have probably bitten a bit more than they can chew. Consequently, we pensioners will lose a bit of time on our urgent and time critical errands to supermarkets and bars. But we came to join into a more relaxed Mediterranean feeling, did we not?

Personally I am very happy and satisfied with everything going on.

Have you spoken to any Cypriots about the old town? In fact the attitude you consider "condescending" is often 10 fold amongst the GC community. Their views on these matters are usually totally ignored by central government. EG the Polemi main street pavements, almost to a man the villagers and businesses were opposed, yet it went through anyway. "Ti tha kano" they will say.

You can call it condescending, I will call it reality.

I have long suspected (and Phedonas Phedonos has recently confirmed) that over a 20 year period pretty much everything that took place in Paphos regarding development and infrastructure was designed to line the pockets of developers who bribed the relevant officials into letting them do what they wanted

I believe two recent mayors have been banged up for their crimes although I suspect the developers have a bit more protection (money) to keep them out of trouble.

So don't ever think what is going on has been done for the good of Cyprus- that assumption is as far removed from the reality as you could ever imagine and is why the country and it's banks are in the mess they are in .

Paphos City of Culture might be under a bit better scrutiny now, but when it was awarded it would have been seen by the usual suspects as a cash cow to be milked at everyone else's expense - I'll guarantee that

tsadapeter, looking at your post count of 19 you are obviously new here fair enough, we all stared as newbies at some time.
I raised this post to highlight what normal working farmers and those good people (Cypriots not aliens like us) really think of the City of Culture status.
Go to the initial thread and read what I have said, it is not Brits sounding off it is the Cypriots themselves, go and talk to those who live in the villages.
Brits look at Cyprus with rose tinted glasses, to move over here you must be able to support yourself, many Cypriots are in the soup kitchens and are very poor.
Read the opening thread.

It was genuinely meant tongue in cheek, but some love me for it so they can snipe.

Absolutely no way Bassman, tongue in cheek this was not. It was you posting your usual snide comments, then when others react against it, pleading sniping by others. Take responsibility for your own posts, this was a nasty post against Hull, nothing tongue in cheek about it, just nasty. Stop hiding behind your usual cloak of others "sniping". This post was your responsibility, not anyone who responded, disagreed, reacted...... just yours. You made the offensive post, deliberately, face up to the consequences instead of blaming everyone else under the sun except yourself, as usual. Maybe even apologise, that would be a first.

Jacs
Take a chill pill and read these
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/arts ... 0104119584
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/arts ... 3112181350

then maybe give them some stick about being so rude about Hull!

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J B

@ lowvoltage

I fully agree that many if not most people and business people in PFO will not benefit noticeably immediately - certainly not as far away as sea caves...

However, when you listen to Greeks and Cypriots about "government" of whatever sort, don´t forget their cultural heritage. In this tradition "governments" are only there to steal from their people anyway. And this is deeply rooted in them having belonged to the ottoman and orthodox world. They simply do not have western traditions and this in not a western country or society. Neither did they have a feudal system nor incorporated and to some degree self-governed towns and cities nor a separation of church and state (I know, the British don´t have either, but...). And that continued under British administration and rule at least until after WWII when this island ("the inconsequential acquisition" as one PM said) became strategically important for the Empire and it began to put some money back: Defeating Malaria, building roads and water supply to the villages. But that were 20 years only and no Cypriots at all were educated in the art of governing and/or democracy. At best the remains of the ottoman millet system. In that respect the British had left them as political infants. And after in dependence they of course resorted to their culture and tradition and considered the state in all its forms a "cash and carry" for them: now they were the rulers!

And yes, I agree, corruption and nepotism are rife. But let us not think for a moment our home respective home countries are very different - just a lot more sophisticated. And maybe worse. Here it is loads of officials pocketing brown envelopes and supporting their buddies. In our countries corporations have taken over and even script the laws that govern us: to their benefit and under a thin veil of legality in robbery.... Happy to provide some sources and quotes...

At local level we could all join the political game and stand for elections and thus introduce aome other culture ... but do we? I really only know of one.

You are one of the nastiest pieces of work on these forums. always jumping at any opportunity to have a go at me, fortunately some members have seen through you.

Many thanks "J B"

Went three times to deliver our products, it was shut.

JB hope you have read some of the replies, every part of the UK is proud of its origins and culture, for example WALES where men are men and sheep are terrified, hurts doesn't it.

JB was pointing out I was just humorous, not meant not be offensive although the usual wichfinder inquisitionists enjoyed indulging in their Hobby.

I have this "deja view" feeling.

Lighten up folks, it was a joke and I for one thought it funny. Compared to some of the comments re Nicola Sturgeon which are very invictive.

Bassman you're never funny, just snidy and aggravating, just as you intend, I've always suspected.
Then when anyone responds like for like we get the usual whines, "they're getting at me, they're sniping, or - please sir they're bullying me again"

From a 74 year old???

Get a life and accept that not everyone's going to agree with you. It doesn't mean they're sniping, or getting at you or FCOL bullying you, they just disagree with you. It's called life. Get on with it. Accept responsibility for what YOU post, instead of constantly castigating the responses which you perpetually instigate.

And maybe try giving it a rest sometimes instead of the Hallelujah chorus every time the odd person actually agrees with you.

PD I'm with you, sadly.

Don't really understand your comment but assume (ass-u-me) that as my picture contains the welsh flag, you think I'm Welsh and are thus trying to 'joke' about that???

I'm not Welsh!

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J B

You would.

Thank you, it really was a light hearted post but sadly some members never miss an opportunity to stir it, George in particular. I mentioned recently how much we enjoyed The Olive Tre in Polemi and that it would be nice to meet up there with any members who were interested, Polemi Dave jumped straight in stirring it which was totally uncalled for.

I have a great life actually with my lovely family including 5 grandchildren, plus still out playing my bass several times most weeks, what do you do besides sniping at me?

Not on this forum, or in the way you portray, you have been asked by the moderators not to bring this or any other forum disputes onto PP.