Newsletter from Parry People Movers Ltd January 2014 (PPML) and Pre-Metro Operations (PMOL)
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n e w s Issue No. 67 An Occasional Newsletter from Parry People Movers Ltd January 2014 (PPML) and Pre-Metro Operations (PMOL) [email protected] PHILIPPINES VILLAGE CELEBRATES ‘MIRACLE’ All credit is due to a young American STORM aid worker, Elsa Thomasma, who had become convinced of the concept of SHELTER building a storm shelter on high columns so that water-driven debris On November 8th could pass below the living 2013 Typhoon accommodation. With amazing Haiyan made persuasion and foresight, Elsa raised landfall across the $40,000 in order to build the central areas of the Cangumbang Village storm shelter, Philippines which was completed in early 2013, 6 archipelago striking Ocean surge coupled with typhoon winds destroyed everything months before the storm. the east coast with except for the storm shelter wind speeds On Nov 8th, when news reached exceeding 200 mph. The typhoon caused system, that is now being used in three Cangumbang that outlying islands had a powerful ocean surge which swept flood prone areas of Africa. been experiencing wind of extraordinary away hundreds of thousands of flimsily ferocity and sea levels had begun rising, constructed dwellings and shops, and In November, viewers of ITV main the well-drilled community ran for the also more solidly built schools evening news saw terrible scenes of High and Dry style structure in order to constructed on the flat land just above destruction from the Philippines around take shelter from the storm. As was sea level. The death toll is currently the city of Tacloban where there had intended, the inundation carrying estimated at over 6,000 with unrecorded been a complete lack of preparedness for floating debris passed beneath the numbers of serious injuries probably in the storm. Families were torn apart by Refuge. Though on the roof, sheets, excess of 100,000. The devastation was the death and injuries to bread winners though properly nailed down, were in many ways similar to that inflicted on and carers. On November 19th, an ITV blown away but the essential frame and Northern Sumatra (Aceh) and a large journalist Angus Walker reported on a block walls stood up to the wind and area of coastal territory in five South and rare cause for celebration, a Parry everyone inside came out unscathed. South East Asian countries by the 2004 innovation had been put to the test and Tsunami and during the flooding of proved its worth. 300 villagers of Gaza Province of Mozambique 2 years Cangumbang, 11 miles South of the earlier, Parry Associates had announced City, were discovered tidying up the the possibility of altering the way that local roads and residential plots having buildings might be constructed and their come through the Typhoon without a proposal was taken up by the Wesleyan single injury or fatality. Methodist Church in Mozambique and a series of ’High School’ classrooms http://www.itv.com/news/2013-11-19/ philippines-village-celebrates-miracle- American volunteer, Elsa Thomasma, who on stilts were built, the first ‘Storm- showed that actions speak louder Shelters’. These created the basis for storm-shelter/ the Parry ‘High and Dry’ building GRANT TRANSFERRED TO PPM ENABLING WORK TO RESUME ON THE CLASS 139/2 RAILCAR PROJECT Also in this Issue... The Directors of Parry People Movers Ltd were delighted to learn on the last day of December 2013 that the company had been able to meet the requirements of the Astonishing Boom in Regional Rail earlier conditional offer letter and the Technology Strategy Board’s grant offer to the Commuting, P4 company and other participants is now unconditional. The intention of this project is Don Valley Project Taking Shape, P5 to complete a test bed railcar work on which had already begun by JPM Parry & Associates Ltd prior to that company being put into receivership in July 2013. Business Model for Cradley Heath Site, P6 Malaysian Interest Renewed, P5 The R&D project is seen as vital to the future of PPM as it makes it possible to offer Five Men in a Boat Reduce to Two, P7 the larger 100+ passenger railcar which will open many doors to the market. Parry People Movers Ltd, Overend Road, Cradley Heath, West Midlands, B64 7DD, UK. 1 n e w s Tel: +44 (0)1384 569553 Fax: +44 (0)1384 637753 Email: [email protected] SHORT TERMISTS VERSUS LONG TERMISTS The battle lines are drawn. the village of Cangumbang in the act. There are parallels with a Philippines saved hundreds of people shipwreck when a vessel crossing the from death or injury. And now it high seas sinks, causing loss of life looks like many more ‘High and and property (see page 7). When Dry’ shelters of this kind will be such an event happens, the feeding built. Success at last! frenzy of professionals offering to save the day or produce a good What would a Short Term Thinker’s outcome is quite an experience. opinion be about this story and other Liquidation appears to be a process parallel activities in the ‘Parry’ which seems to be inimical to the record. Consider the 20 year long term interests of a company development of the cost saving which, in the short term, is in dire In 2004 the East Asian Tsunami people mover railcars and the current straits. Because current practice devastated a whole region but in that new form of ultra-lightweight seems to require that short term gains seismic-activity-prone part of the concrete – discovered in 2009 but have to be made by as quick as planet where cyclones and typhoons only becoming ready for the market possible disposal of readily available also occur quite frequently the aid 5 years later?‘Not for us!’ (they assets, including cash and IP, future agencies barely noticed the quiet might say). ‘We want a return on recovery and hence the satisfaction achievement two years earlier of the our money this year – not several of creditors, is jeopardised. This Mozambique ‘High Schools’, (large years down the road!’ obsession with acquiring instant cash classrooms elevated on stilts) giving is as short-sighted as holders of communities in Gaza Province Clearly innovation plays a vital part investment capital that avoid R & D somewhere to take refuge whenever in the generation of wealth and every like the plague but instead go in the Limpopo river bursts its banks. element of modern life; food, search of 'cash cows' that can deliver clothing, shelter, transport, medicine immediate rewards. There needs to Parry Associates (as was) put its has taken the form that it is in today be a reversal of this attitude. If resources into devising affordable as a result of countless thousands of someone took the time to search out ‘High and Dry’ (two or more storey innovations and discoveries. But the among the ‘business failures’ construction) for poorer regulation and policing of business examples of where the proprietors communities, but the take up by the demands that everything shall be were far sighted and long term in aid agencies of the innovative measured, and counted on a one year their planning, but brought to their technology, up until 2013 that is, has basis and the inventions and knees by short term cash grabbers it been barely a trickle. The disaster- discoveries that come to maturity in could turn out to be more like a response part of the aid industry with 5, 10 or 20 years, instead of being crime wave rather than responsible its plane loads of tents, blankets and expected to have become handling of assets. bottled water is focussed on the progressively more valuable, are drama of pulling disaster victims out ‘depreciated’ made to be worth less Sensible nations have found ways of of the rubble, erecting ‘cities’ of by the hidebound accountancy protecting and nurturing innovation tents, then moving on Short term conventions. It was the same but we, the British, continue a action—problem sorted? No! Part of miscalculation of value that brought process of self destruction while the millions of pounds made the forces of destruction down on short termist professionals in charge available by public goodwill should one of Britain’s more innovative of the process behave as predators. go into helping vulnerable small companies, (Parry Associates). This foolishness has to stop. communities build in such a way as In an unguarded moment, the to be more resilient. The assumption Official Receivers’ man in the is that the Western public like a good Midlands described JPA as ‘a good disaster, so averting disaster does not little company’ whose only fault was If having looked at the contents of pull in cheques. And the cheques are to have been ‘too innovative’. Short this newsletter, you feel minded to what matters, to the relief agencies. termists sell all the corn and don’t join me in the fight back against the keep seed to plant next years crop. short termists, please send me an A Prime Time TV News story email or a note on paper. John Parry broadcast on November 19th 2013 When a company is wound up the MBE. described how an Aid volunteer’s lawyers arrive to join the bankers and initiative building a storm shelter in accountants, to get in on Comment by John Parry 2 n e w s THREE-ASPECT DISASTER-RESISTANT BUILDING SYSTEM PROPOSED AS LEAD PROJECT FOR THE NEW IT INNOVATIONS COMPANY Potential backers of Intermediate reducing the weight of a reinforced Evaporation Reduction to Conserve Technology Innovation (ITI), a new concrete frame building to less than half Scarce Fresh Water company formed to take forward R&D conventional practice, it is possible to work temporarily stalled, have been also greatly increase resilience to Especially in hot dry climates, a reservoir asked to decide which of the many earthquakes.