I have laundry in the machine and every room in the house is bright with winter sunlight.
I'm a long way from the place and time when no project could be left unfinished, every item in the house polished and sparkling. Shortbread was baked , black bun in the cake tin and wine made from Sheildhall Co-op products was bottled and ready to be served in tiny glasses to whoever came and many did.
It's another lifetime. Another cast of characters. .
I went to see Aladdin yesterday. Enjoyed it tremendously I will tell about it another time.
I was looking forward to seeing the Burlington Arts Centre.I will tell all I observed about that another time.
At the moment, I have something particularly extraordinary to tell.
The theatre is beautiful. The asile to the first half of the orchestra seats are on risers, the width of a single row.
The lower half are not.
The floor is highly polished terrazzo. Lights shine down at the side of each aisle seat.
The floor is shining. Terrazzo is polished.
There is no demarcation to show where risers start and end.
I was in an aisle seat on the second from last riser.
In the interval, many of the audience left their seats.
I had to watch the movement of feet to determine where risers stopped and slope began. .
I was not surprised when a man almost tripped and fell on the
riser.
When a woman tripped and fell full length it was anticipated.
The floor was hard.
I said, "You're not the first."
"Really" she said.
When the show was over, and the entire audience was leaving, an
elderly woman ahead came to grief on the second from last riser.
She was short. As round as she was tall. She sprawled at an angle, her shoulder hitting the seat and maybe her head also.
Everyone around her felt the shock.
It was one show. The high shine of polished terrazzo,separation between risers and slope and lack of demarcation to mark the separation caused two people to come down hard and sprawl full length on and one almost had the same experience.
The last, I am sure will be hurting from a bruised shoulder today, and maybe a substantial bump on the cranium.
Diamond and Schmit are the architects.
Diamond was a frequent speaker or panel guest at Municipal Conferences forty years ago.
His status has grown. No doubt his fees are commensurate.
The theatre is beautiful. The entertainment exceptional. Tickets are reasonable. The community is well served.
But three people,at one show, on one side of the theatre came to harm ,while making their way from seats to lobby because of a flaw in floor design. A simple thing like ensuring the edge of a riser is marked clear and unmistakable was overlooked.
Sunday, 30 December 2012
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3 comments:
Actually we've got another day to go, hopefully as nice as this one.
You could do the city a big favor and send them this post , It will most likely save them from the bottom dwelling leaches that will be trying like hell to find out who those poor theater goers are so they can get a fat settlement for themselves and a few bucks for the victims,
You know how they work Ev!!!
They might get ushers who volunteer in order to watch the performances?
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