DemolitionNews joined the throng for a truly memorable event at Red Road.
Rab the ice cream man will have been delighted that he chose to drive his ice cream van up to Rosemount yesterday as hundreds of men, women and children gathered to watch the Red Road implosion (and, apparently, to eat ice cream).
It is difficult to describe the anticipation, excitement and awe that the public experiences at times such as this. For them, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience; the moment that the vista from their houses changed forever. But the impact as the towers fell was tangible. Children that had been playing on a patch of waste ground suddenly stopped; families that had been busily gossiping fell silent and turned to face the blast. And, as the dust subsided, there were few dissenting voices that viewed this as anything other than a truly memorable event.
Of course, the media has been quick to describe it as a botched blast. But, unfortunately, this merely demonstrates the fact that the mass media’s biggest failing – aside from its cynicism, pessimism and intrusive nature – is that it knows a little about a lot.
So, in the aftermath of the blast, they were ready to point at the two towers left partially standing, completely overlooking the fact that this had been predicted. They chose to ignore the fact that heavy equipment would have been called in after the blast, regardless of the outcome. And they chose to overlook the fact that no-one was injured; the fact that this was the biggest blast of its kind in Europe EVER; the fact that the blast was the culmination of years of preparatory works and planning; the fact that this was a complex, challenging and delicate blast.
But take it from me. I was there. It was an amazing and memorable spectacle. And neither me, Rab nor his hundreds of ice cream-wielding customers saw this as anything but a triumph.
