Letters / Mareel – one year on
£12 million and rising, huge injections of cash and financial help other venues can only dream about, and a loss of more than £160,000 (Mareel in a tight spot despite success; SN, 04/10/13).
A minority of people in Shetland, including myself, tried to point out the economic farce that was it’s business plan, the flawed management, and endured the endless “I want”, “Just what we need in Lerwick”, “Stop moaning”, “It’s busy so what do the nay sayers say now” comments that followed.
We hoped in vain that either it could be stopped, re-planned or at least never be repeated as a complete waste of Shetland’s money.
If the only thing to be learned from grandiose schemes such as this is for more folk to stop being selfish, forget the “I want”, and sit back and question these pie-in the-sky projects. Shetland would have more than £40 million quid to spend preventing needless cutbacks.
And how can it be busy and not make money? Well the business plan forecast a fraction of the number of cinema goers who actually came through the doors but it matters not if you are full eight days a week, when for example Rush is screened in Aberdeen Cineworld at£9.30, and in Mareel at £6.50.
Would it be as busy if the prices were hiked 50 per cent? Possibly, but the cafe would need to be busy seven days a week, the recording studios booked solid and management would need to get a grip on overheads and stop bullshitting the people of Shetland with arrogant “we are going to change the drinking culture of the Islands” nonsense.
What do they think family, friends, the NHS, AA and hundreds of other workers have tried to do to break Shetland’s love affair with booze for decades?
I am not against Mareel per se and never have been. I am against projects that have no hope of ever breaking even being sold to us when all they are little empires.
It is time for these islands to start punching above their weight and thinking small.
Do you think those of us who question these matters do it for fun, or simply to moan?
I am up to my ears campaigning for more important issues, I work full time, I have voluntary duties too but the time to stay silent is long gone. You shut your door to what’s going on and retire into your own little world, me I’m keeping mine open.
It would be good if it could break even, but I can’t see it without new management, radical cost-cutting, realistic pricing or a miracle. That miracle must not include any more public money.
Silence is not golden; it’s dangerous. It allows those in power to misuse it so I reserve some of the blame for the silent majority who criticise those who bother to stand up and speak/complain/protest. Sitting on the fence with nae view? Hope it’s uncomfortable.
My next Mareel visit is to see Big Country but especially The Revellers. By all means support Mareel but not the way it came about or the way it’s run.
And maybe, just maybe, the nonsense will stop. And public toilets, bus stations and schools will not.
Yours faithfully
Douglas Young
Sumburgh
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