What is the best “temporary” thing in the UK?
Posted by mr_bearcules@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 207 comments
[removed]
Posted by mr_bearcules@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 207 comments
[removed]
RecentTwo544@reddit
The Millennium Dome is technically a temporary structure. The roof material has a finite lifespan and will need replacing. Will cost at least £30m to replace and was only designed to last 30 years.
Going to be a headache for the O2 as while AEG Live run the arena and some of the other bits inside, the Dome itself is (weirdly) owned by a government body called "Homes England" who are in charge of funding affordable housing. Expect a massive argument over who's going to pay for it.
fairysdad@reddit
I believe the London Eye was similar, but that was only for 25 years. It was, however, granted its leave of stay so will remain!
chris552393@reddit
Not sure if that's a typo but it only had planning permission for 5 years. Not 25.
AmarilloMike@reddit
Half the roof got ripped off in a storm last year didn't it? Maybe it was a longer ago than last year. Still, some of that roof may have reset its expiry clock so to speak.
RecentTwo544@reddit
It was only a panel or two but yeah, discussion on replacing the whole roof slightly ahead of time and it being a handy excuse to do so did crop up. Cue major arguments and just repairing it quickly.
It was installed originally in 1999 so that 30 year mark isn't far off.
kunstlich@reddit
Covid would have been a good opportunity, but it's a double problem of massive capex spending when you've got no revenue.
I await the ten years of scaffolding.
BigBlueMountainStar@reddit
Maybe the scaffolding itself will become a new temporary roof structure?
glglglglgl@reddit
Turn the O2 into a temporary outdoor arena inside the dome
Serious_Badger_4145@reddit
I tried looking this up because it's just really weird and i wanted to know more lol
And while it used to be the responsibility of English partnerships it looks like now it's been transferred "we are able to confirm the whole Greenwich Peninsula Site and all documents relating to it transferred to the Greater London Authority (GLA) back in 2012."
rice_fish_and_eggs@reddit
The dart charge. Nearly 30 years and still going strong.
KristinaMoment@reddit
They were meant to remove it like a decade ago too 😭
Makes me wonder if the LTC will be tolled
TheMSensation@reddit
2 decades ago, the construction cost was paid off around 2002.
Peddyjet@reddit
silvertown tunnel*
ThatFilthyMonkey@reddit
Terrapin classrooms. After they tore down my school and put a new one up, they still kept and moved the terrapin classrooms.
Any-Ad-5373@reddit
Is that outside the Cuckmere inn near Seaford? I drove down there in early 2023 and thought that having temporary traffic for nearly 2 years is crazy long. Guess not as 3 years later they’re still there by the looks of it.
LargePlums@reddit
Far from the ‘best’ thing, but income tax was brought in as a temporary tax to fund the napoleonic wars.
Don’t hold your breath that they get rid of it any time soon.
Dave-the-Flamingo@reddit
Stamp duty is an even older temporary tax. It was first introduced in England on June 28, 1694, as a temporary four-year measure to raise funds for the war against France
nordstr@reddit
How much taxation does dealing with the French require?!
audigex@reddit
Is France still there? Then it requires more taxation.
We will not be satisfied until it's possible to sail in a straight line from Eastbourne to Switzerland
esn111@reddit
Yes
Stormgeddon@reddit
The last I checked, we still haven’t fully defeated the French. Money well spent until that noble goal is achieved.
WoodSteelStone@reddit
You at like this book:
1000 Years of Annoying the French by Stephen Clarke.
But not this one:
Seven Hundred Years of French Victories Over England (Quand le lys terrassait la rose: Sept cents ans de victoires françaises sur l'Angleterre) by Daniel de Montplaisir.
audigex@reddit
Number of times France has captured London: 0 unless you try to claim the Normans as French, which is a stretch at the time. Either way it's either 0 or a very generous 1.
Number of times the UK has captured Paris: 3 by my count (1420, 1814, 1944)
audigex@reddit
I'm still paying Income Tax and we haven't sunk a French fleet since 1940, what are the government playing at?
"Oh but were allies" - we were allies in 1940 too, it didn't stop us then and it shouldn't stop us now
stoufferthecat@reddit
noble *gaul
talligan@reddit
Gather the yeomen lads, it's time for Agincourt 2.0
Firthy2002@reddit
People act surprised if I ever bring it up.
AlcoholicSocks@reddit
So our income tax basically won Sweden Eurovision?
Prestigious_Risk7610@reddit
There is nothing as permanent in politics as a "temporary measure"
awkwardwankmaster@reddit
So you're saying that France is the reason for most of the tax in this country. Feels like we should use this to fund a war against France
BigBlueMountainStar@reddit
Need introduce a new “oxygen” tax to bolster those funds though.
DrBob2016@reddit
You know it's said things go full circle? well, stand by for Window Tax.
kunstlich@reddit
There's quite a lot of UK taxes that are because of wars with the French.
Income tax, Stamp Duty, Inheritance tax, the formation of the Bank of England, the bizarre wealth taxes in Hearth, Wigs, Wallpaper and Window Taxes (granted some of these weren't directly because of the anglo-french wars but usually tangentially related to the King at the time needing to raise a load of funds, often because of wars with France.)
Bigbigcheese@reddit
Income tax, it's a temporary measure just until we defeat the damn French!
ThatThingInTheCorner@reddit
The temporary closure of Botley Road in Oxford, which reaches its 3rd anniversary this month.
TonyC1212@reddit
Dartford crossing toll charge, which was to be cancelled when the cost of building the bridge was recouped.
That happened many years ago, but the charge remains.
Council tax, I believe was brought in to find ww2, but again, remained.
Northwindlowlander@reddit
The temporary scaffolding on the Egyptian Halls in Glasgow, erected in 2009. Right outside the busiest station in the country.
Made double weird when the building over the road burned down earlier this year and everyone went mental about how it had to be restored and how important the architecture is. My brothers in buckfast the category A listed building over the road has been basically falling down for 3 entire decades.
glglglglgl@reddit
That was just under a month ago, but to be fair it's been a long month
Pircster38@reddit
Prefabs in East London, built during the war and were meant to be temporary. They still existed into the 1960s.
Kittpie@reddit
The temp classroom huts built at school in my teenage years. 30 years later they have reskinned them.
Silent_Position281@reddit
The Duke of Wellington in Glasgow.
smoulderstoat@reddit
When I started at secondary school we had a temporary gym that had been built in 1936. It was also there several years after I left.
JakeRiddoch@reddit
The "temporary" portacabins used for extra classrooms. That's a classic one.
Wobblycogs@reddit
The secondary school I went to in the early nineties had temporary classrooms that were old when I was studying in them. I visited my old school a couple of years ago and they were still there.
RustyGingersnap@reddit
Yep - this is rife in schools.
I work in a school where we have had some temporary portacabins for over 10 years. We were promised a new school. It’s never materialised. Some local residents have tried to take legal action against the temporary portacabins. They now have some kind of council planning permission.
schoolme_straying@reddit
LOL commenter left that school in 1939
nemmalur@reddit
My primary/middle school had “temporary” buildings from the 1940s. By the 1980s they were used as storage (starting in the 1970s, judging by that one desk with “Uriah Heep” scrawled on it). Finally demolished in 2015.
smoulderstoat@reddit
That's probably HORSA. We had a couple that were used as a canteen.
nemmalur@reddit
Oh, definitely. Everyone called them Horsa huts and it wasn’t until years later that I learned how old they really or what Horsa was.
Serious_Badger_4145@reddit
My primary school classrooms in the early 00s were in temporary buildings from ww2 lol
EmperorsChamberMaid_@reddit
This could be fairly mild if it turns out you're around 81 years old
Mission-Sound9493@reddit
Every portacabin used as a classroom.
UnableSite6745@reddit
Them stickers on the doors and windows of pubs. “Premier League 2010/11 shown here”
I’ve seen some that are 15 years old
Firthy2002@reddit
Still a few places near me advertising they show BT Sports' EPL coverage.
mosleyowl@reddit
When my brother started secondary school in 1999, our school had dozens of portacabin classrooms (‘T’ block, for temporary)
When I started in 2003, plans were afoot to get rid of them and replace with a new block.
My son starts his GCSE’s in September and he will be studying in those same temporary classrooms…
Firthy2002@reddit
My school had some of those. They'd already been there for quite a while when I started in 1995, were still there when my brother left in 2003, and were only demolished when they replaced the entire school a decade later.
I_C_Seashells@reddit
The message on all companies telephone messages since Covid.. "we're currently experiencing high call volumes so the wait time to get through to customer services will be a little longer than usual"
Firthy2002@reddit
My dentist still tell you to mask up for appointments in the reminder emails as of last November.
darybrain@reddit
My local small independent pharmacy still has this.
crucible@reddit
The train we built as a “stopgap” while we tried to develop a high-speed tilting train.
The InterCity 125. When Scotrail withdraw theirs they’ll have passed 50 years in service.
Mccobsta@reddit
Better than the other stop gap from that time
huangcjz@reddit
What was that?
Mccobsta@reddit
The pacer
It wasn't ment to last nearly 40 years
Gutternips@reddit
Was that the one that was a single decker bus body placed on a rail chassis?
Dorgilo@reddit
Not just a rail chassis; a freight rail chassis, without bogies. Hence the awful screeching when navigating tight curves.
Swarley3@reddit
That’s the one. They were the most uncomfortable thing to ride in
Racing_Fox@reddit
The stopgap that’s better than its replacement
I don’t think I’ll travel by train again given the god awful seats in the new 800s
Edan1990@reddit
It’s like they contracted the makers of Stonehenge to design the seats.
dong_destroyer69420@reddit
Queensland Rail's New Generation Rollingstock (NGR) would like to have a word. When I was in Brisbane recently not only is there zero legroom if you're a tall bloke they have zero padding.
OldRancidOrange@reddit
As advertised by the creepy Jimmy Saville, “this is the age of the train”
nemmalur@reddit
Had no idea they were a stopgap. They seemed like the future! There were adverts for them on TV! It was always a bit of an event when you heard one go by.
CaptMelonfish@reddit
Those were a stopgap?! Damn.
bazzanoid@reddit
Don't forget a few are still used as freight headers, and Network Rail have a couple for engineering trains too
Any-Statistician3896@reddit
A tea bag
Ill-Cauliflower-25@reddit
Temporary school buildings
Jadakross@reddit
A cabbage
Ok_Goal6591@reddit
My bank in credit
gunnerpad@reddit
Probably less well known, but JET ( the Joint European Torus). One of the most successful nuclear fusion experiments ever. Officially opened in 1984 as a a 5 year project. It was so successful that it kept getting extended and ran its last pulse before beginning decommissioning in 2024. 35 years longer than planned. The device was expected to be completely decommissioned between 1995-2000(ish) and hasn't even really started (in earnest) yet.
ProfessionalTea14@reddit
Tyneham Village, Lulworth ranges, Dorset.
The entire village was evacuated “temporarily” in 1941 for the army to use it to train for D-day, long story short it is still army training grounds today.
The village is open to the public on certain days, and the old church/schoolhouse is still standing as it was in 1941, it’s beautifully haunting to visit.
I_hate_cross_country@reddit
Wedgwood station near Stafford has had a "temporary" rail replacement bus service for over 20 years now
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedgwood_railway_station?wprov=sfla1
darybrain@reddit
What replaces this when the bus breaks down? Smaller vehicles like taxi minivans? Horse and cart for that extra speed?
BigBlueMountainStar@reddit
Train
geozza@reddit
There was a bus replacement rail service as covered by Tom Scott
darybrain@reddit
Rail replacement bus replacement train service
You can't get more casual UK than that. True shed genius thinking
Future_Duck1290@reddit
Still there, are they…?
MrTig@reddit
Perhaps https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq6y41ll148o which is the longest running temporary traffic lights?
parklife980@reddit
Up til a few years ago, there were temporary traffic lights on the A82 at Loch Lomond for over 30 years
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/motoring/new-9million-viaduct-a82-pulpit-5700410
MrTig@reddit
I think I recall this while driving with the hubby that there was some joy about it being free to drive now
bazzanoid@reddit
Auto Shenanigans even got them a birthday cake for 10 years of service
Blu_Stacked@reddit
There is a stretch of northbound A1(M) hard shoulder with roadworks for 5 years at least and no sign of getting finished. Just checked past dates in Google maps, there is a gap between 2019 and 2021 where it 1st shows up. It is between Welwyn Garden City and Stevenage.
SavlonWorshipper@reddit
When I walked Hadrian's Wall in 2023 there was a part of the path that had been closed since around 2011ish. I don't know if it has been fixed yet.
deadlygaming11@reddit
Probably Nightingale hospital in Exeter. It wasnt meant to exist, but it was erected during covid as a temporary overflow, and now it is still there for basic testing things.
darkdetective@reddit
Weirdly went there last month for a scan! Really modern facilities and staff were brilliant. In the old homebase!
BamberGasgroin@reddit
The weather.
Grebzanezer@reddit
The East Bergholt bell cage in Suffolk. The donor ordered the bells for the church, but ran into some rather complicated legal trouble before the church tower could be completed, so purely temporarily the bells were housed in a ground-floor wooden structure.
...and that was in 1531. The bells are still there.
wakehurst2@reddit
East Sussex Highways, a pathetic shitstorm of crappiness. The management, not the stressed, fraught staff trying their best. A great example of the pathetic shitstorm of management that exists…
Mattfletcher909@reddit
We’ve got a temporary car park near my town centre (March, Cambs) and I’m pretty sure it’s been there since at least 2010, in fact, I don’t remember it ever not being there an only found out it was temporary when I saw a sign calling it that
RustyGingersnap@reddit
I work in a school where we have had some temporary portacabins for over 10 years. We were promised a new school. It’s never materialised. Some local residents have tried to take legal action against the temporary portacabins. They now have some kind of council planning permission.
Nickibee@reddit
This thread is fantastic, so many awesome answers and I’m learning loads. Every day is a school day.
AnonymousGimp@reddit
Anything railway temporary, Many things last 40+ years
Bifanarama@reddit
Not so much temporary, but I have an occasional table. Does that count?
ant682@reddit
Iirc there's a set of temporary traffic lights that lasted over 10 years near one of the A12 slip roads - don't know if it's still there though
OMGItsCheezWTF@reddit
It's listed as a historic monument on Google Maps now.
bazzanoid@reddit
Yep, still there
Shastars@reddit
Where? Which slip?
bazzanoid@reddit
B1389 Hatfield Road, at the bottom of Witham, the slip onto the southbound A12. It's only got lights because it's technically a two-way road, and they have to maintain access to the properties off that small stretch
bazzanoid@reddit
It's also got its own maps listing as a historical landmark
milkypete82@reddit
I believe they're going to start work on it this year though!
RecordingFamous4947@reddit
I wish Scotland would, it’s all the SNP ever do!
littlegreycells_11@reddit
The Tamar bridge/ferry charge 🙄
Woke_winston@reddit
Prime Ministers
Stormgeddon@reddit
Don’t forget this sign’s brother, “new road layout ahead”. I expect a few around me will survive until the heat death of the universe.
missuseme@reddit
In a similar theme I once saw a sign that said "Very wet paint" and wondered how often they were going to come back and change the first word as the paint became less wet
DTH2001@reddit
There was a new road layout near me which predated me, and was still signed as such long after I learnt to drive
RhubarbSalty3588@reddit
The DFS sale…….
Positive-Sound-4972@reddit
Ir doesn't say what century, so council being proactive for 2121
reece0n@reddit
I suppose, in a way, all traffic lights are temporary
Fearless-1265@reddit
Those "temporary" classrooms that seem to be in every single school and have been there for at least 30 years at this point.
ExceedinglyGaySnowy@reddit
being part of the EU
Level-Courage6773@reddit
I have clear memories of regularly walking past a house on my way to and from my GCSE exams that was being done up and extended. There was scaffolding and the cement mixer was turning, and although some of the rooms were still being lived in during the work, much of the house was a shell. The GCSE memory means this was definitely in 2003.
Whoosh - it is now 2026. I know from a friend I have since made that the owner of that house ran out of money and couldn't finish the project. It it STILL a building site, scaffolding and all. He and his wife still live in thise habitable rooms.
The delicious irony? That man was an architect! (I say was, because I can't imagine an extant architect running out of money for the next 23 years. He may well have left the business.)
Euphoric-Piglet-8140@reddit
Coned off lanes on motorways.
Traditional_Cress987@reddit
Gallows Corner Flyover in Romford. It was designed to be a temporary structure for a max of 15 years in the 70s.
Havering Council started dismantling it to replace with a permanent structure in 2025 🤣
bazzanoid@reddit
That was meant to be completed in two months from August last year. Allegedly it will be ready to open sometime this month...
Shastars@reddit
Did they find a water main or something under the new footings? That's the rumour I heard on why it's late
bazzanoid@reddit
Essex Water were always going to do some mains work, but it looks like it was in the wrong place compared to where they were expecting. However, there was precisely zero reason why they couldn't crack on with footers and structure building elsewhere while the water folks sorted their lives out
LeoxStryker@reddit
The April Fools shitpost about plans to build a second flyover across the Romford Ringroad was glorious.
Traditional_Cress987@reddit
Not holding my breath on that one…
highrouleur@reddit
Ah don't worry as soon as this finished they're doing Lodge Avenue in Barking so the other main route from the east into London is gonna be fucked for god knows how long
StephenHunterUK@reddit
And it's caused traffic havoc for months.
The roundabout is not somewhere you want to go on a driving test either.
LittleBigBaws@reddit
I raise you the Hogarth Flyover which has been "temporary" since 1971.
Adrian_Shoey@reddit
The first time I ever went over that I was on my motorbike. I thought I'd accidentally entered a pedestrian bridge!
hampshirebrony@reddit
Also Hogarth flyover in the West.
KingDaveRa@reddit
There's a temporary bridge in Aylesbury, built by British Rail in the early 90s because one of the railway bridges in town was in need of repair. It's still there.
It's basically a bridge over the existing bridge, the old road surface is still there underneath it. The council are now responsible for it, and actually mentioned maintenance on the 'temporary' structure.
Justyouraveragebloke@reddit
70mph motorway speed limit
BamberGasgroin@reddit
Keeps everyone on their toes when doing the standard 80+ though.
nderflow@reddit
Income tax. Introduced by Pitt in 1799 as a temporary measure to finance the war against Napoleon.
Red_Laughing_Man@reddit
Income tax was originally a temporary measure to raise more revenue to fight what would be the Napoleonic Wars.
JAL140@reddit
“Temporary” motorway speed limit drop due to roadworks as it’s becoming a “smart motorway” and other stupid upgrades, feel like it’s been going on my entire life.
Cafuzzler@reddit
Income tax. We started it in 1799 to raise funds to fight Nepoleon. I guess we still need a fund to fight the French.
ScottOld@reddit
Most buildings with prefabs... temporarily there.. for decades
Greatgrowler@reddit
There are some aluminium bungalows in Chelmsford built at the end of WWii with an expected lifespan of 10 years, still going strong.
Bluerose1000@reddit
Especially schools.
Stuck_Duck16@reddit
The "temporary" classrooms at school
whatmichaelsays@reddit
Those temporary portakabin classrooms that you were taught in ay school, that your kids are now being taught in.
AirconGuyUK@reddit
Ours were placed in a part of the field that flooded. They were surrounded by water for a few months of the year 😂
ChappersP@reddit
The Mersey tunnel fee.
Intended to be removed after it paid for itself (approx early 1970’s). Still going strong now with the fee rising almost yearly.
Greatgrowler@reddit
https://www.braintreeandwithamtimes.co.uk/news/25005096.temporary-traffic-lights-witham-celebrate-10th-anniversary/ Temporary traffic lights after a bridge strike eleven years ago. May need a pop-up blocker for the link.
Signal-Ad2674@reddit
The Mersey Tunnel opened 91 years ago. The fee to travel through was temporary, supposedly being removed after 2 years once the tunnelling costs were accounted for.
Still charging. Bastards
Prometheus_Thorne@reddit
I wouldn't say best, but every single person who has had a UK schooling knows exactly how temporary these "temporary" buildings were
IronMarrow@reddit
i think the london eye was meant to be temporary when the first set it up
Some_Artichoke_8148@reddit
Wasnt the millennium dome supposed to be temporary? thats why its made of canvas? or am I making that up
HeverAfter@reddit
Horsa Huts installed in my school circa 1944. Were still there when I left in 2000.
CrazyPlatypusLady@reddit
Chelmsford Army&Navy Flyover
1978-2020.
TCristatus@reddit
They painted a bus lane on the main road into Cheater about 5 years ago and then realised it completely destroyed the traffic flow in the whole city, so it has been temporarily closed ever since
Jezbod@reddit
A temp flat roof was put on a house in Hull, shortly after bomb damage in World War 2...it's still there.
N.B. Hull was the most damaged city from bombing in the UK, with 95% of houses receiving some damage.
It was reported as "an East coast town".
marco7532@reddit
This sign is from the Exceat bridge crossing in Seaford, East Sussex. They are going to build a new bridge, but because the “temporary lights” work well enough… it’s not a priority!
kryptopeg@reddit
In a power station on the south coast there is a breakwater tank, providing cooling water for a critical motor. The float broke off about fifteen years ago and the tank wouldn't stop filling, spilling onto electrical equipment below. The parts to fix it weren't immediately available, and it looked like there was going to be significant downtime if it went up the chain to lead ops who need things to be done properly.
Attached to that float arm is an empty Evian bottle with cable ties, which got it back operating before anyone really noticed. I visited last month, and it's still in there.
dazrog@reddit
Shoreham?
worldofecho_@reddit
Are you referring to the traffic lights at Cuckmere haven?
Jimmy90081@reddit
The Clapham Junction rail crash in 1988 was caused by faulty signal wiring and led to a major collision that exposed serious safety failures, deaths, injuries,and in the aftermath parts of the infrastructure around Clapham Junction including bridge structures were repaired quickly, using what were described as temporary measures, with industry references suggesting these were to last only around 10 to 15 years before full replacement, however that replacement never happened. Mostly due to the complexity and cost of rebuilding in one of the busiest rail bottlenecks in Europe, and instead the structures have been repeatedly strengthened and maintained over time, meaning the original temporary works are still effectively in use today. Concerning given just how much they are used. But yes, ‘temporary’.
BigBlueMountainStar@reddit
This happens a lot everywhere, a temporary solution turns out to be quite good so it stays around, a good temporary solution takes away a lot of motivation to sort the initial issue out properly.
smoulderstoat@reddit
There was a rail disaster at Lewisham in 1957 that brought down a bridge over the line. A temporary replacement was built a month later, and it's still there.
darybrain@reddit
The speed restrictions across large swathes of the rail network after that crash were also meant to be temporary.
FlorianTheLynx@reddit
I’m sure I read about many concrete tenement blocks being built in East London in the fifties and sixties with a design life of 20 years, which are still there and causing real problems.
premium_transmission@reddit
This sign was captured by Google Streetview in 2023. The sign is still there.
BigBlueMountainStar@reddit
You fucker, I just spend 30 seconds clicking on the x on your screenshot trying to close the photo.
_ian_mcc_@reddit
What about the Covid distancing signs, stickers and footprints. Still plenty of them around.
Shitsinhandandclaps@reddit
In Bournemouth we had two landslides on our incredibly well funded and expensive seafront. This was YEARS ago. We still have “temporary” diversions around the landslides. One literally goes onto the beach.
Brainchild110@reddit
The 70mph speed limit.
Look it up.
askepticalbureaucrat@reddit
Seen in Cornwall
Glittering_Pop7807@reddit
Poor man is still struggling to put up his umbrella
Sparkski@reddit
are these the temporary lights for the bridge down Cuckmere?
TumblyBump@reddit
House builder near me had the temporary development signs on the lampposts. Think something like “Meadow View” with the house logo. Well Meadow View was all built by 2009, but the signs stayed up going paler in the sunlight and dusty from the road. Roll forward to 2025 and they come back to build phase two development. Hung over but not quite covering the old signs are some shinier new “Meadow View” signs. Phase three will probably come back in 2043 and it will be interesting to see if they put another sign up.
MicksMovieReviews@reddit
I'll go with the best temporary thing being the government.
mr_mlk@reddit
In 2002 I got my first developer role. Two companies were being merged, with the product lines standardized. However one client refused the "new, better" product, but the company was sure in a month they'd be convinced. In a couple of days I whipped together a temporary hack to generate the old product using new product as the input. It was a temporary hack. It was broken in many, many ways. But a month and it'll be gone.
I caught up with some co-workers in 2024. It was still going.
darybrain@reddit
I've had similar with a US takeover of multiple UK firms with the promise of a super mega software product that covered all the main systems of all the companies they owned worldwide. I left that company in 2001 while the old product was still being used by most clients and the new product was only being used by one client sort of.
The old product is still being used by many clients. I got about 15 years of consultant work with many clients before they finally moved over to competitors. I used to regularly catch up with old coworkers and the new product was still pants.
Limp-Archer-7872@reddit
That's a lovely clump of borage.
fnaaaaar@reddit
The Millennium Wheel
Sudden_Breakfast_677@reddit
Prime ministers. During the COVID period
harryalover1234@reddit
Happiness
bigbubbaroberts@reddit
When Wolves first got promoted to the Premier League in 2003, they added a temporary stand of around 900 uncovered seats in the corner of one of the existing stands at Molineux.
They took it down a few years later after being relegated but then put it back up when they were promoted again in 2009, where I believe it has remained as it is ever since, still without a roof and still as a temporary structure despite Wolves having redeveloped a whole stand on the opposite side of the ground since then.
the_gwyd@reddit
A rail bridge near Lewisham station (carrying the line from Nunhead over the lines to Orpington) was destroyed by a crash in December 1957. A temporary bridge was built to replace it in January 1958. That's 68 years for anyone counting
2B_limitless@reddit
Well you say it's temporary to get it in place then you make It permanent. ABIT like VAT I think or was it income tax?
richard0cs@reddit
I am not sure where it was now or if it's still there but about 15 years ago I was on an A road in Scotland (East-West, possibly Highlands) that seemed all modern and well maintained, suddenly got to some traffic lights in the middle of nowhere. When they went green we went around the corner it went to single track and there was a WW2 Bailey Bridge across a small stream.
TheInitialGod@reddit
Wasn't the 100ml liquid limit on carry on luggage at airports temporary?
esn111@reddit
For me personally, my two front teeth.
I bashed them out going down the rapids at Centre Parcs when I was 12. This precipitated a trip to the emergency dentist. He then was able to put some "temporary enamel" in so that I could eat and more importantly not have exposed nerves and what not.
When we went to our regular dentist to take a look they said the emergency dentist had done such a good job that he'd leave it in.
I'm 39 now and touch wood they're still going strong.
FunPanda711@reddit
The DFS sale
farcetasticunclepig@reddit
There's a Bailey Brodge across the River Eden near Langwathby in Cumbria. It's been there since flooding took away the older bridge decades ago.
calschmidt@reddit
Langwathby temporary bridge, 1958 - present
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-43527352
Travelling_Griffin@reddit
Every temporary demountable classroom at every school.
kipribley28@reddit
Prime Ministers
LampeterRanger@reddit
The 'temporary' class rooms at my old secondary school. They were put up the term before my mum started in 1973, were still there for my time, and, having recieved a lick of paint, were still there the other day when I took my niece to check out 6th form. That's 3 generations of the family!
Also Brooklands museum's wellington hangar was a temporary structure built in 1936 til its refurb (read replacement) in 2016. Thats one way to get round planning regs!
Almost_human-ish@reddit
Intel's x86 processor range (8086, 286, 386 ,486 etc and then on into the Pentium era).
It was originally a stopgap solution to maintain a market presence against upcoming competitor's chips while Intel worked on a more advanced 32bit architecture known as iAPX 432.
The iAPX 432 project was beset by problems and delays, and then IBM adopted the 8088 (a low cost variant of the 8086) processor as their standard for their range of desktop PC's and due to their then fairly dominant position in the market x86 became the defacto standard PC architecture for decades.
Ned-Nedley@reddit
The government, good job we can get rid of them if we need to. Shame the alternatives aren't great either.
Jeffuk88@reddit
Income tax
justcbf@reddit
Hogarth roundabout flyover was installed in the early 70s designed to last a few years before they installed a permanent structure. It connects two of the main arterial roads into London and is still there, admittedly after numerous improvements.
anarchtea@reddit
Much closer in time to OP's temporary lights than income tax or old school buildings -- the Woodside Viaduct section of the M8 have been "temporarily" propped up for the last five years because they might have fallen down. They'll still be there for a few years while everyone figures out what to do next.
FlorianTheLynx@reddit
When the Tamar Road bridge was opened in 1962, locals were told that the toll charge was temporary. Guess what…
mellonians@reddit
Just checked the satellite view of my primary school. The temporary classrooms added in 1989 are still there!
roddz@reddit
Income tax... was meant to pay for a war against France and never went away
tothecatmobile@reddit
Well the French are still around, unfortunately.
thegrotster@reddit
Income tax?
I'll get my coat.
FlyingPie123@reddit
Taxes on the individual (as opposed to the household) was introduced as a temporary measure... in 1991
LillyAtts@reddit
The London Eye was meant to be temporary, wasn't it?
WrongExplanation1065@reddit
Yeah like the Eiffel tower
witdim@reddit
We have a "Temporary Road Surface" sign on our road. It's been there for 3+ years. Besides, all road surfaces are temporary so the sign is pointless.
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