Just back from a week in Florence... an enchanting city that we keep going back to, time and time again.
The view from the Piazzale Michaelangelo over the whole city with the Ponte Vecchio crossing the River Arno is just mesmerising.
One new fly in the ointment is a huge modern carbuncle office complex that they are building to the west of the city that sticks out like a sore thumb on the skyline between the tower of the Palazzo dei Signori and the huge dome of the stunning Duomo.
Usual story of "progress"... you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone. No doubt the city fathers thought that this monstrosity - miles away from the city centre - could do little harm. But in a city where much of the economy is based on tourism they should be more careful.
A lesson there for Liverpool - if we are capable of learning it - and as the huge, ugly black monoliths take shape at Mann Island, I fear we have learned nothing from out own mistakes, let alone those of others.
I learned on my return that Merseytravel have again dusted-off the dubious tram scheme. They have already wasted more than £50m on the feasibility study and now, presumably they are squandering even more ratepayers and toll-payers cash on flogging a dead horse. Will they never learn?
Liverpool does not need a tram. We have the most extensive local transport rail network in Britain, outside London, in the shape of Merseyrail underground.
Merseyrail is crying-out for more investment and upgrading. Many of the stations remain dilapidated and unacceptable.
Look at Hamilton Square. We now have to buy our tickets from the snack shop... you can imagine the delays that entails. The lifts have been refurbished, but at the platform level it is like a journey back in time, to the 70s and by that I mean the 1870s!
It's sad that the station is left like this while money is wasted on white elephant schemes that are fuelled by the desire for self-aggrandisement on the part of those in power.
There is a lesson to be learned on the tram from Florence too. They are just installing one there to run 12 miles from a large suburban town to the central station of Santa Maria Novella.
For a good chunk of its route the tram runs along what was formerly the main dual carriageway carrying traffic out of the city to the west. Now they have annexed half of the dual carriageway for the twin tram track... causin ghuge traffic chaos in the process.
Will this encourage (force!) drivers to abandon their cars and jump on the tram?
Some will, but my bet is that the majority will not and therefore with the increased congestion caused by the tram is likely to have a negative overall impact on the environment.
To me this demonstrates the essential problem of resurrecting trams. Unless you have a complete and efficient network like Amsterdam, trams are of little use.
On Merseyside we should have our own, independent public inquiry on the concept of Merseytram to decide the issue once and for all.
My view is should be ditched. Instead of spending £500million or more on the tram, that investment would be much better spent on creating a Merseyrail spur to Speke and John Lennon Airport. I could be quite easily achieve, with little disruption and would deliver real benefits to the who of the Liverpool city region in a single and relatively small scheme.
I say: Forget Merseytram and invest in Merseyrail.
Through the eyes of strangers
(Wed 11/08)
John Lennon... the balloon could go up!
(Tue 06/07)
Liverpool - a tale of two cities?
(Wed 02/06)
Maybe the croquet lawn swung it!
(Wed 12/05)
Political horse-trading.... not a pretty sight
(Sun 09/05)
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