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Carla Buzasi

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Sunday Roundup

Posted: 14/08/11 01:00

When Arianna and I first started talking about launching HuffPostUK, in my infinite wisdom, I promised there was absolutely no point launching before September and "there'd be nothing to write about" during the summer.

Shall we just say, I was wrong and move on?

A feeling now exists that in years to come our children, our grandchildren even, will be studying these months in history lessons. Hackgate, for can it ever be known as anything else; Oslo; and now this week's riots. Six weeks of news that have pushed MPs, the police, not to mention journalists, to their limits, and left us all wondering just where it all came from.

There is little I can say about the riots that has not already been extensively written and blogged about. (Read some of the best, here). The analysis, the handwringing, the pontificating speeches in Parliament, will go on for months. And, in the meantime, what about those still cleaning up their shops, hanging on the phones trying to track down the insurance money to restock? Further than this are all the millions of small businesses indirectly affected. A week in the middle of August, with more than one balmy summer evening - normally London would be awash with after-work social drinkers, couples making their way out for a bite to eat. Bars and restaurants, even hotels in the capital, suffered this week as everyone rushed home as soon as possible - even on Friday evening, when chatter had died to a minimum, the end-of-the-week swell was severely diminished.

Cast your mind back a few months, with the UK on a post-Royal-wedding high. We happily patted ourselves on the back: no one knows how to put on a party quite like the British, we smugly told each other, while newspapers calculated just what the 'Kate effect' would have on the tourism industry. I think it's now safe to say that's been negated entirely by events since.

The positivity, however, that the massive clean-up effort has brought must last longer. Forget the multi-million-pound tourism campaign hastily stopped in its tracks this week. When it's finally turned on again (being a digital campaign, the head of marketing at Visit Britain says it can be switched back on with no cost implications) they should replace the stars of the campaign, Judi Dench and Jamie Oliver, with footage of the army of clean-up volunteers instead or Tarik Jahan, the proud father of murdered Birmingham 21-year-old Haroon.

So, now let's look forward, dig past the front pages and hope for some good news to report on before the summer is out. The finance pages are unlikely to deliver those. If all else fails, maybe it's time everyone started following the cricket.

 

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Nightangle
NPA - no party affiliation
14:24 on 14/08/2011
My team of statisticians and actuaries were supposed to be at Lloyds - for now, the conference was pushed back until there are some semblances of calm and peace even though, the violence is nowhere where the conference site.

Then, I was supposed to go on vacation to see friends and colleagues. London is a great place and I fell in love with Soho. 'can't wait. See you guys very soon, Murdoch and hackings notwithstanding.
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DaveJohnWard
09:52 on 14/08/2011
I just love the way that the UK Huff Post has become so relevant so quickly. I'd dipped into the US one a few times but much of what is on there is either very US centric (unsurprisingly) or just a rehash of stories I was already familiar with anyway. Within a few short weeks the UK version has become my first port of call each morning for commentary on what is happening, what is going to happen and most importantly the myriad of ways that a single event can be reported (even within a thread).
In this time of polarised pontificating which we get from 'mainstream' media, having a portal for genuine opinion (whether you agree with it or not) has to be a leap forward.
Welcome to the UK, and I hope the stay will be a long one.
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15:15 on 15/08/2011
Would you like some links to "decent" news sources?
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Sorab Shroff
09:47 on 14/08/2011
What a great round up, Carla! With Hackgate and the riots it does feel like dramatic times!
05:50 on 14/08/2011
Do tell. Have the royals hit the streets to get their good subjects to stop looting and burning? Or are they still off on the world tour wearing beautiful clothes? Canada or Australia may be safer.
11:13 on 14/08/2011
Good point. I had not noticed but you're right. Maybe lying low as they might provoke derision.