liverpoolken wrote:...in the meantime folk are more than welcome to come and visit the beautiful and unspoilt greek island of schinoussa where we have had our very own leonard bench since the summer of 2015....ta ken
Seems the better way, to have a bench on every island in a few years!
Idd, thanks for all the effort in the Hydra bench. Some day, it will be there!
2008: Athens
2009: Madrid
2010: Gent, Lille
2012: Gent, Berlin, Madrid
2013: Antwerp, Brussels, Pula, Amsterdam
Demetris has got some more info from Lakis in telephone.
According to Athens, it has to be a smaller and simpler bench, like the other benches on the island. however, they did not say that it has to be wooden (almost all benches I remember are made of wood but there are some stone benches as well).
Anyway, I have sent email to both the Mayor and Mr. Panagiotis Rappas (organizer of the 2015 tribute concert on behalf of the Municipality). I asked what they are going to do after this unfortunate decision, pointing out that we really need to have the bench ready in June. Also, the bench will now be dedicated to the memory of Leonard instead commemorating his 80th birthday). I told them again that it will be an important attraction for the island, and it would be a pity if we had to move the bench to another city.
Let's see what happens next.
1988, 1993: Helsinki||2008: Manchester|Oslo|London O2|Berlin|Helsinki|London RAH|| 2009: New York Beacon|Berlin|Venice|Barcelona|Las Vegas|San José||2010: Salzburg|Helsinki|Gent|Bratislava|Las Vegas|| 2012: Gent|Helsinki|Verona|| 2013: New York|Pula|Oslo|||
jarkko wrote:I told them again that it will be an important attraction for the island, and it would be a pity if we had to move the bench to another city.
That's a nice point. Thank you, Jarkko! Fingers crossed.
jarkko wrote:I told them again that it will be an important attraction for the island, and it would be a pity if we had to move the bench to another city.
That's a nice point. Thank you, Jarkko! Fingers crossed.
Thanks to all who are involved to our bench project! Much appreciated!
I think nobody can understand why this little bench causes so much trouble. Anyway, fingers crossed that the problem can be solved until June!
If not we'll go to to the island of Schinoussa!
Berlin 90ies /2008: Amsterdam/Berlin/Hamburg/ London RAH /2009: Berlin/Barcelona 2010: Odense/Berlin/Ghent(3x)/Wiesbaden/Strasbourg/Marseilles/Hannover/Las Vegas(2x),2012: Ghent(5x)/Amsterdam(2x)/Berlin/London/Verona/Toulon/Paris(2x)/Barcelona 2013: Paris-Antwerp-Mannheim-Brussels-Rome-Lucca-Berlin-Lodz-Prague-Vienna-Pula-Odense-Zurich-Manchester-Leeds-London-Rotterdam
I'm glad that you are staying on top of this, Jarkko and Dem. It feels more important than ever that it be positively resolved. Thank you both for every effort. I only wish that had happened while Leonard was still alive. That sentence feels so odd.
"Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken." ~ Oscar Wilde
As much as I like the Hydra bench idea, I really think the various Greek governments are simply not capable of running anything, even overseeing a park bench. It's very sad to see a civilisation in such decline, especially the cradle of our democracy, but I think it would be easier to just walk away from installing a bench in Hydra, as we say in Australia, "They couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery." Conversely organise something at the tavern? Otherwise, why don't we approach the relevant authorities in Montreal re something similar? Or, an even wilder option - build a bench in Auckland New Zealand, where he gave his last concert.
This isn't really a "bench update" but in this tribute video from Hydra, the bench is mentioned, and also mentioned is that the street in front of Leonard's house will take the name of "Leonard Cohen."
Residents of Hydra remember Leonard Cohen
Among the legions of fans mourning the death of Leonard Cohen are the residents of Hydra, the small Greek island which held a special place in the heart of the iconic musician and poet.
This cannot be happening....
Two years of negotiations to build a bench ? I agree: the project should be taken somewhere else, where local authorities will appreciate the idea.
/Warsaw March 22 1985 / Halifax May 16 /Charlottetown May 18 / Dublin June 15 / Vienna Sept 24 2008/ Oakland April 13, 14, 15, San Jose Nov 13 2009/ Las Vegas Dec 11 2010/ Oakland March 2 2013/
The Mayor of Hydra met the Canadian Ambassador and agreed to commemorate Leonard next summer on Hydra
Mr Rappas, who is responsible for cultural events on Hydra, was present at the meeting
Let's hope this time it's for real....
/Warsaw March 22 1985 / Halifax May 16 /Charlottetown May 18 / Dublin June 15 / Vienna Sept 24 2008/ Oakland April 13, 14, 15, San Jose Nov 13 2009/ Las Vegas Dec 11 2010/ Oakland March 2 2013/
"Commemorate".....with our bench??? Or how?? Not really clear for me....
2009 Budapest
2010 Zagreb, Gothenburg, Florence, St. Margarethen, Bratislava, Las Vegas x2 2011, 2015 Ύδρα 2012 Ghent x5, Helsinki, Dublin x2, Verona 2013 Roma, Lucca, Vienna, London 2015 Viladrau
I didn't follow the "bench" thread for quite a while.
I am really shocked that the project hasn't moved any further.
No, it has moved bachwards again. It's a shame that the administration in Athens spends its precious time on thinking how a bench should be instead of trying to support the suffering population of Greece.
In my opinion we shouldn't waste any more time and money on this project. We should realize it elsewhere .In Montreal?
For me it is a shame that it has taken 3 years. Leonard will never see his bench. ulla
A delegation from the Municipality of Hydra is going to visit the Historical Office in Athens in the next few days, to give more information about the bench and the project. The Municipality has also plans of its own (they are going to name a street etc.) so there is still something happening. However, if they are not able to build the bench this year, we will cancel the project and find something else (and elsewhere) instead.
1988, 1993: Helsinki||2008: Manchester|Oslo|London O2|Berlin|Helsinki|London RAH|| 2009: New York Beacon|Berlin|Venice|Barcelona|Las Vegas|San José||2010: Salzburg|Helsinki|Gent|Bratislava|Las Vegas|| 2012: Gent|Helsinki|Verona|| 2013: New York|Pula|Oslo|||
Let me cast an early vote if that should happen: for Los Angeles, where Leonard Cohen spent most of his later life and where he could see the sun rise and set from his room (I cannot locate the exact quote).