Bray sea front railings

vince

Are they restoring the railings. I thought they are using a lot of scaffolding. Thought they could save money by using less and moving it along as they progress.

murpho999

They are sandblasting and repainting the railings.

Why are you worried about scaffolding, its only scaffolding and not that expensive.

These jobs are normally tendered out so the price is set no matter what why they do the scaffolding.

Zebbedee

I would absolutely love to see the railings repainted in the old sky blue colour.
I've always hated the dark blue.
Does anybody know which colour it'll be repainted?

They're going that dark blue colour

I also can't understand why they didn't do 30 metres at a time, with the scaff. Makes the place look dreadful coming into summer.

B0jangles

I have to say I vastly prefer the new dark blue/dark orange colour scheme, always thought the old sky blue/light orange was a bit tacky looking. BTW there's an nice face-sized hole in the tarpaulin covering the section they are currently working on, and I've yet to see anyone resist the urge to peer in for a look on thier way past -it's like a magnet:)

zoobizoo

I'm sure the engineers know what they are doing and doing it in the most cost effective way.

Maybe if they kept having to move scaffolding they'd have had to employ scaffolders for many more days.

As for the colours, the sky blue and yellow were only used from the fifties or sixties. The dark colours are most similar to original

vince

murpho999 wrote: »

They are sandblasting and repainting the railings.

Why are you worried about scaffolding, its only scaffolding and not that expensive.

These jobs are normally tendered out so the price is set no matter what why they do the scaffolding.

I'm worried about the scaffolding because of over spend on projects byou councils which is my tax money. Also it's an eyesore and I hope it's gone by the airshow.

Alun

vince wrote: »

I'm worried about the scaffolding because of over spend on projects byou councils which is my tax money. Also it's an eyesore and I hope it's gone by the airshow.

They are actually shot blasting the railings taking them back to bare metal and re-priming and painting them, something that should have been done in the past instead of wasting money on a simple cosmetic repainting job which will need redoing in a couple of years time, and ultimately possibly end up costing more. Looks to me like they're actually doing something right for a change.

Zebbedee

zoobizoo wrote: »

As for the colours, the sky blue and yellow were only used from the fifties or sixties. The dark colours are most similar to original

Who decides which colour to paint them? A small handful of Wicklow County Council officials?

Perhaps the people of Bray should decide by some sort of simple vote.

zoobizoo

Zebbedee wrote: »

Who decides which colour to paint them? A small handful of Wicklow County Council officials?

Perhaps the people of Bray should decide by some sort of simple vote.

How would that work? Who would manage it? Who'd pay for it? Could we pick any colours we like?

Zebbedee

zoobizoo wrote: »

How would that work? Who would manage it? Who'd pay for it? Could we pick any colours we like?

I'm not sure how it would work exactly but here are a couple of simple examples.

The local radio station could run a text poll like the ones Joe Duffy runs.
Vote 1 for old colour scheme or vote 2 for the present colour scheme.
Only those people who are interested would bother voting.

Or set up a boards.ie or FB poll.

These polls would cost next to nothing and would promote local involvement.
Surely better than a tiny selection of council officials deciding the colour scheme of our seafront railings?

murpho999

vince wrote: »

I'm worried about the scaffolding because of over spend on projects byou councils which is my tax money. Also it's an eyesore and I hope it's gone by the airshow.

Ok, I didn't realise you were paying for the painting. Thanks for that.

I still don't see scaffolding as a major cost.

I heard it's a 4 week project.

foxy06

Zebbedee wrote:

The local radio station could run a text poll like the ones Joe Duffy runs. Vote 1 for old colour scheme or vote 2 for the present colour scheme. Only those people who are interested would bother voting.

It could end up like the voted name of boaty mcboatface!! Which was hilarious but imagine we ended up luminous green railings... I must admit I prefer the lighter blue but I also preferred the old Christmas coloured lights in the main street and the similar coloured lights, festoon I think they are called, hanging along the prom. I'm fairly sure I'm in the minority there! I think I'm just nostalgic though.

zoobizoo

Zebbedee wrote: »

I'm not sure how it would work exactly but here are a couple of simple examples.

The local radio station could run a text poll like the ones Joe Duffy runs.
Vote 1 for old colour scheme or vote 2 for the present colour scheme.
Only those people who are interested would bother voting.

Or set up a boards.ie or FB poll.

These polls would cost next to nothing and would promote local involvement.
Surely better than a tiny selection of council officials deciding the colour scheme of our seafront railings?

Well, they chose the colour scheme that is there and I'm happy with it.

The light blue and yellow are a throwback to a tacky Kiss-Me-Quick era and the town has moved on from that.

Online or radio polls are skewed because the happy majority don't tend to participate.

Zebbedee

zoobizoo wrote: »

Well, they chose the colour scheme that is there and I'm happy with it.

The light blue and yellow are a throwback to a tacky Kiss-Me-Quick era and the town has moved on from that.

Online or radio polls are skewed because the happy majority don't tend to participate.

That is your opinion which you are absolutely entitled to and one which I respect.

However, I have an entirely different opinion.
I found the old colour scheme bright and cheerful.
I find the present colour scheme dark and broody.

Perhaps the forum moderators could set up some sort of forum poll.
I don't know the protocol for this or even if Wicklow County Council would pay it any attention.
If it transpires that the majority of people prefer the present scheme of dark blue and dark orange over the last scheme of bright blue and bright orange then I'd respect that too.

Annasopra

Zebbedee wrote: »

That is your opinion which you are absolutely entitled to and one which I respect.

However, I have an entirely different opinion.
I found the old colour scheme bright and cheerful.
I find the present colour scheme dark and broody.

Perhaps the forum moderators could set up some sort of forum poll.
I don't know the protocol for this or even if Wicklow County Council would pay it any attention.
If it transpires that the majority of people prefer the present scheme of dark blue and dark orange over the last scheme of bright blue and bright orange then I'd respect that too.

I doubt Wicklow County Council would pay it any attention.

Zebbedee

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

I doubt Wicklow County Council would pay it any attention.

I'd be very surprised if they did.

Annasopra

Zebbedee wrote: »

I'd be very surprised if they did.

Agreed. So I don't see the point of a poll here at all.

B0jangles

The new replacement seat backs which are almost all in place along the promenade are already painted the new darker blue to match the railings; if the railings were to be repainted in pale blue surely they'd need to be repainted to match? Otherwise the prom would just be a mishmash of different colours.

L1011

Zebbedee wrote: »

The local radio station could run a text poll like the ones Joe Duffy runs.

East Coast has some of the lowest audience reach of a local station in the entire country and its even lower in areas with the full range of Dublin stations available (e.g. Bray). So that won't work.

Del.Monte

B0jangles wrote: »

The new replacement seat backs which are almost all in place along the promenade are already painted the new darker blue to match the railings; if the railings were to be repainted in pale blue surely they'd need to be repainted to match? Otherwise the prom would just be a mishmash of different colours.

Are they putting back the timber seating too?

And this was the only colour - cheerful not sombre.

B0jangles

Del.Monte wrote: »

Are they putting back the timber seating too?

No sign of any work suggesting the return of the wooden seating, but the concrete surface of the existing seats has been repaired for the full length of the prom now. It'd be lovely if they could replace the old lamp stands that are still on a couple of of the steps up to the prom - I think at least one of them is in good enough nick to have a mould taken from it.

edit: the ones you can see in this photo:

http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000325078

(If you haven't already seen them, its well worth having a look at the nli.ie website for old photos of Bray - they've really interesting and beautiful )

zoobizoo

Del.Monte wrote: »

And this was the only colour - cheerful not sombre.

Cheerful but cheap and tacky looking IMO.

Can't see them ever going back to that colour scheme.

In relation to the lamps, I think there was talk of it recently.

Del.Monte

When they finish the railings they could continue to improve the prom by removing the ghastly lighting and the gun emplacements - will never happen though.



And then they could reinstate the Chairlift and implement a proper plan for the preservation of Bray Head.........

zoobizoo

I'd happily see those shelters gone. Not sure what's stopping them.

A business person looked into the chairlift but insurance was prohibitive.

Ideally, visionaries would have been voted onto the council rather than people with no idea about architecture and heritage.

Still can't understand how they allowed that Smyths building to be erected...

murpho999

I actually like the lighting, looks nice. Not everything has to be Victorian looking.

Shelters should go to, look bad and people just drink in them and other anti social behaviour stuff.

BraveDonut

I looked through the coverings on the scaffolding on the north end of the prom yesterday and it certainly looks like they are going with the sky blue colour.
(Assuming that this was not primer/undercoat that I was looking at)

Del.Monte

murpho999 wrote: »

I actually like the lighting, looks nice. Not everything has to be Victorian looking.

Shelters should go to, look bad and people just drink in them and other anti social behaviour stuff.

I disagree, why not do the thing properly instead of a hodgepodge of styles with some of the worst examples of modern design possible.

B0jangles

I'm not a fan of the lights either, while I don't believe everything has to be 100% victorian-looking, there should be some kind of coherent overall aesthetic. Giving people a subliminal reminder to the last time they were at the dentists is just mean...

fortwilliam

Whatever about the thoughts on the style of the lights, I find it infuriating that whoever is in charge of maintenance decided that the best way of identifying each light is to nail a big "Woodies" €1 number plaque at eye height onto each of them.

What an idiotic and thoughtless thing to do, complete lack of pride in the amenity.

B0jangles

First completed section is revealed!

Del.Monte

The beach is so different to when I lived in Bray that it's quite mind blowing! Where those weeds are growing would have been a 20ft drop into the sea back then.

murpho999

I think the railing colours look very good.

Annasopra

murpho999 wrote: »

I think the railing colours look very good.

Looks great. I think that colour looks smart and much better than the old light blue.

WeleaseWoderick

Think the new railing colour looks great and look forward to the whole thing being finished.

Would be great too if they put the metal seatbacks on the wall down that end of the beach too. The ones on the south end look the business and the far end looks very bare with just the plain cement finish.

Alun

Isn't this the same colour as they've been painted all along in recent times? The old pale blue colour disappeared a few years ago IIRC.

WeleaseWoderick

Alun wrote: »

Isn't this the same colour as they've been painted all along in recent times? The old pale blue colour disappeared a few years ago IIRC.

When you see it in person, it's somewhere in between the recent dark colour and the older bright blue. A pretty good compromise!

Alun

WeleaseWoderick wrote: »

When you see it in person, it's somewhere in between the recent dark colour and the older bright blue. A pretty good compromise!

Ah, OK, it looked the same to me on the photo. I just hope they've done a really thorough job with the shotblasting and preparation work (anti-rust treatment, primer etc.) before putting on the final coat, and that it lasts a good few years.

murpho999

Alun wrote: »

Isn't this the same colour as they've been painted all along in recent times? The old pale blue colour disappeared a few years ago IIRC.

Looks lighter than the dark navy colour that was there before but darker than the older colour.

A good compromise.

Creamy Goodness

yup looks ever so slightly lighter, yet to see in person but looks great!

Annasopra

Alun wrote: »

Isn't this the same colour as they've been painted all along in recent times? The old pale blue colour disappeared a few years ago IIRC.

No. It's a bit lighter than the dark blue from before.

Zebbedee

Zebbedee wrote: »

Surely better than a tiny selection of council officials deciding the colour scheme of our seafront railings?

Looks like I'll have to eat my own words.
I quite like the new colour.
Not as much as I liked the sky blue but it's a step in the right direction.
Well done Wicklow County Council.

B0jangles

I was just down there again and I found a flake of the dark blue paint so I went and brought it down to the newly painted section to compare the two:



There's even a peep of the light blue in there as well

fortwilliam

This was taken circa 1980/81;

Zebbedee

fortwilliam wrote: »

This was taken circa 1980/81;

I do vaguely remember the paint fading all right.
I'm not sure if it faded to such a light shade of blue though, could be the pigments fading in the photograph ink perhaps.
Thanks for posting nonetheless.
It shows the importance of regular maintenance.

Zebbedee

The work seems to have halted.

fortwilliam

I had a look at the completed work towards the harbour side.
I hate to be negative, but the work is frankly..dreadful.
There are missed spots, solidified drips hanging on the underside (from using too much paint)
The line between the railing and the "ball" on top is smudged and crossed over.
The new paint is already peeling due to the surface not being primed correctly.
Drips on the ground.

I can only hope the work has halted while they replace the contractor.

Thargor

I was thinking that aswell, complete amateur hour, some really dodgy concrete pouring down there aswell, those built in seats and some blank grey walls that look totally out of place.

CeilingFly

Zebbedee wrote: »

The work seems to have halted.

Holidays - most construction / trades workers take two weeks holiday between late July & late August. This year many sites started their holidays just before the Bank holiday weekend and return on Monday / Tuesday next.

murpho999

CeilingFly wrote: »

Holidays - most construction / trades workers take two weeks holiday between late July & late August. This year many sites started their holidays just before the Bank holiday weekend and return on Monday / Tuesday next.

I think the work is stopped longer than that.

Zebbedee

It seems to have taken an incredibly long time to do a small section of the railings. I didn't see them working on it but it must have been a small number of crew. At that rate of progression it'll be 2019 before its finished!