End of the pier show

Here's the last few Brighton pics I took on the pier. It was lovely day made better because they were playing Telstar on the PA as we walked around.

the scariest ride in the uk ?Bling!


Never by art on holiday

Boutros Boutros U Thant this one

Which ones your favourite Head of UN?

Take my poll top left

New Moon!

How the UN can improve Christmas TV

It was only this morning that I realised the full joy of the new head of UN’s name.
Ban-Ki Moon.
He doesn’t sound like a hard line enforcer does he? (I think Ban-Ki might sound more serious with hard K not the soft which makes him sound like a lap dog as in “come here, my little Bank- Ki who’s clever boy then”)

Although his name does suggest that my yearly Christmas watching of Eastenders could be improved. If there’s a plot line next Christmas where the head of the UN turns up to visit Nana Moon’s grave and then on hearing of her mistreatment Ban-ki has it out with his distant cousin Alfie in the Queen Vic, I’ll be watching. They will then have the traditional grim shouty Xmas dinner in the saloon bar, followed by some more shouting outside in the square. Old Bank-Ki can then bring in the blue helmets to pull apart two cat fighting b-listers and his last line should be “and I thought Darfur was grim” cue drum roll.

The Public Image

Things you learn on your way to work pt 64:

That Stoke Newington “is a good place to move to in you late 40’s” this from some callow youth behind me on the bus. Somebody needs to tell the painfully hip kid at the next stop he was all “new Rave” drama hair, bead drain pipes white slip-ons, plus he was wearing a Public Image Limited (PIL) T-shirt! I know people have been wearing rock t-shirts for a few years now, just for their look. But do you think he’s ever heard PIL record, he’s certainly never danced at the “Death disco”, it probably doesn’t matter. It just makes me smile.
The tight Joy Division vest tops with the slashed back I saw the other day are my fave. They have a savvy and sexy mainstream cool which Joy Division (or their fans) never had; if Ian and the boys had had that sort of open southern European sexiness in 1979 Joy Division wouldn’t have formed in the first place.

Also I've noticed the dates on casual wear are getting more up to date. In the 80's it was "Airclub 1947" or "Edwards gym '56" on sweat shirts , bomber jackets or similar. A few years ago Gap went for 1969 as the signifier of some golden age. Recently the 1970's and of course 80's can be seen. I think like most nostalgia there is 20-30 year window from the present, when the world was better, safer, more stylish which we refer to. In 3-5 years time we see "hot club 91" ravey things I'm sure.

The sunny weather this morning must have brought more slogan t-shirts into view as Ms Woo is talking about here as well.

lastminute.com crass advert update

Recently I got a crass and offensive email from lastminute.com (making light of the flooding and the bad weather) I wrote and complained and have had no reply. I sent it to ASA, and today I got a letter saying they are passing it onto the Independent Advertising Standards Authority Council. I will keep you informed of any further developments.

Hand held in Black & white

Mention of Super 8 films in my post below reminds me of one fo my favourite shops in London; The widescreen Centre. It's one of those shops you only get in the Smoke, in that it's incredibly specialist. See also the flute and recorder shops just round the corner from it, between Baker st and Marlebone High st (Dorset st, I think?)

The Widescreen Centre sells all things optical that aren't video or 35 mm cameras so, telescopes, 3d cameras and super 8 film stuff. It's a joy! Most of the grainy B&W film you see as reconstructions in tv documentaries (why is that the convention?) are still shot on super 8, mostly bought from this shop.

Hurrah for niche specialist shops!

I want to be like Chris Kelly

Startling Phrase of the Morning

from Bronwyn Cosgrave’s G2 piece on Grace Kelly fashion icon status.
“Her decadent “ Turban period ” ”,

Why can’t everyone have one of those it sounds fun. Apparently it’s very handy as it allows you to sleep with younger men without worrying about your hair, hurrah! Also it is a good excuse to mention that the Royal family of Monaco are called "Grimaldi".

Rising 30

Smiths knoll automatic

Poetry of lists pt 35
The beauty of the shipping forecast has been much discussed elsewhere, in fact in terms of the poetry of lists it’s probably the grandmother of them all. The accidental collision of the names of islands, rivers and light ships etc mixed with wind speeds and directions is fascinating. In that it’s generated by scientist and satellites it’s a modernists dream a self generating poem, endlessly new each day but strangely timeless. Over at “well I never” there’s a nice take on it.

Forth, Tyne, dogger….

The sharp eared will have noticed we have lost finistere and replaced it with Fitzroy. This was to avoid confusion with the Portuguese sea area of the same name I believe (why couldn’t they change their name?). I don’t mind Fitzroy but maybe in future the Poet Laureate should be consulted on the name change we don’t want anything jarring.

Also you can listen to it online but the purist in me would argue its best late at night once “sailing by” has faded. The contrast between your warm sheets and some trawler man as wash with cold water in gale is really telling, however soothing the words.

Lastly I should get round to putting my super 8 on video so my film of London place names mentioned in shipping forecast can see the light once more.

Tiny Beigel

This one is small but that one is far away...


Tiny food isn’t new, tiny burgers and fish and chips were the fashion at media parties for a while back and have filtered down to us lowly types in other industrys. I give you as an example the much afflicted bagel. The once proud chewy, flavoursome and filling roll has been debased first by places like Bagelmania (with their dry, fluffy textured bland rings) and now by M&S or whoever with these tiny ones.
Notice they still have a hole in them, which is really pointless in something so small. The fanciful side of me wonders if the smoke salmon is really a smoked anchovy it’s such a small bit and did the cheese come from a tiny cow (stop now you are getting twee). If you spotted any tiny food send it along.

Good News, Good Boozer, Good Shoes Good God Names"

Very VERY Good News:
During a brief browse I found this glorious piece of news, Edwyn Collins has a new album “Home Again” out on 17th Sept Hurrah! He seems to be getting much better and is even comtemplating playing live double hurrah!




Nominative determinism pt12 ( this is true honest)

A friend met a catholic priest who is apparently called Ivor Parish, no word of lie.




Museum of street semiotics: pensile object annexe pt 57.

Someone's new "kicks" just hanging around just off Oxford ST









The best Pub Garden in London?

To the Dolphin in Sydenham on Sunday for a Hog Roast .
The food was excellent (good meat and excellent salads with Eton Mess for afters) and the beer (Pride) was also good. The place is kid friendly and if all gastro pubs were likes this they wouldn’t be getting a bad name.

The Dolphin’s main attraction is the best designed, most striking beer garden in London (possible the UK!).

It’s in a “modern tudor” style and once they get some parasols it will be perfect. A really nice mix of modern industrial and formal knot garden that uses the setting well and doesn’t try to hide the local factory setting. A great change from some manky white plastic chairs next to the beer cellar aircon fans, you get in most places.
Ps. Did you go to school that had a pud named after it like David “man of people” Cameron?

More Brightons pics

Brighton rocks!

Hopefully this won't be disrespectful considering my last post but here's my homage to Bernd & Hilla Becher. We went to Brighton yesterday and the place is full of plastic giant ice cream cones!

This montage was inspired partly by the 99 below ( and partly by my love of giant plastic food related advertising!). Looks like a fairly normal 99, cone, flake, ice cream. Yes, but notice the curved mounds of ice crean not your usual sharp ridges. The reason for this (sorry I got this second hand, thanks R) is that it comes frozen as whole, not out of machine but all in one from the fridge. It was delish but my heart is saddened that Britain's seaside tea stall staff are so de-skilled that they can't make a "fresh" 99.

Monday 23rd Update:
R (Britain's 8 th Best Mini Golfer) has just pointed out that the "real" 99 I'm holding looks less real than the giant plastic ones. I can assure you it was tasty in that mr softie way and even the cone was crisp!

Sad news

Sad news: Bernd Becher chronicler with his wife Hilla of all the unloved chimneys, cooling towers, coal silos has passed away. Apologises to Bernd and Hilla for the crappy blog reproduction of their subtle and beautiful pictures.

One thing not in the obits and probably not intended in their work was that there was humour to it all. Page after page of blank industrial buildings had a joy and beauty about them, the collecting of them also had a certain kind of playful cussedness about it. You can see some of their work in the Tate and in also Our S's front hallway!

What not Seabrooks?

Further proof that Sea Gulls will eat anything here's one shop lifting some doritos.

Better late than never!

To the Albert Hall, with Monsieur Le Beard (Britain’s leading Science Writer) to attend Prom 6.
I held off writing a review till now as I worried that my musical criticism drifts to “splendiferous cathedrals of sound” end of the spectrum. It was a concert of ancient music based around the work of Lewisham’s finest Thomas Tallis and his contemporary Alessandro Striggio. The Guardian had hailed it as the Choral event of decade, blimey! I do like choral music (I think that if you don’t you are probably not human that means you the annoying necking teenagers in the next row).

The pieces where performed by the Tallis scholars who as well as singing had pleasingly a couple of celeb look a likes in their ranks an excellent Eamon Holmes Tenor and Ian Beale on organ! The main focus of the concert was a modern premier of lost 60 part work by strig. Lost for 500 years this piece was excellent, I particularly like the sections that were unaccompanied. This style of singing is greatly involving, the close harmonies causing resonances and beautiful cadences, made more startling when a lone voice rises out of the sonic mass™ and cuts clear through. The cajones of above tenor when he started a section on his own, to open your mouth and sing to the Albert Hall is very impressive. The piece was placed along side Spem in Alium (which always sounds like a Lancashire village to me) which was its usual delight.

Top marks to the supporting players His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts (tip of the top name) as well, the school boy in me has to applaud the huge 12 foot trombone and huge over sized bass lute. This was a late night prom (have an espresso before you go) which is great idea (it had the feel of an event at Edinburgh festival; you know that felling of “look at us with our late night decadent entertainment on this lovely summer evening vibe”). It’s on “listen again” for the next week have listen and see what you think.

Lastly I was reminded of Alan Bennett’s diary description of seeing “musicians on the tram home , looking slightly dishevelled” when I saw one of the choir on the tube reading a vocal theory book his Beatle boots badly cracked maybe a bit more of my £12.50 ticket price should go to the choir.

Ps. The plague for Tomas Tallis is 2 doors down for the one for aero designer Barnes Wallis not bad for the much maligned New Cross AY?.


Thomas Tallis died peacefully in his house in Greenwich in November 1585, and was buried in the chancel of the parish of St Alfege's Church. A couplet from his epitaph reads:

As he did live, so also did he die, In mild and quiet Sort (O! happy Man).

Striggio
Motet 'Ecce beatam lucem' (8 mins)
Lassus
Motet and Magnificat 'Aurora lucis rutilat' (11 mins)
Tallis
Spem in alium (9 mins)
Striggio
Mass 'Ecco si beato giorno' in 40 and 60 parts (first performance in modern times) (28 mins) *
Gary Cooper Organ (continuo)Timothy Roberts Harpsichord (continuo)BBC SingersTallis ScholarsHis Majestys Sagbutts and CornettsContinuo GroupPeter Phillips conductorDavitt Moroney conductor

Vinyl Jackpot

Cover Stars:
Inspired by Lpcover.com I scanned in some of my choicest 7 inch sleeves.
This quality trawl was "rescued" from a jumble sale in a churchyard in Venice. Record buying in euros is great as you've no idea how much you've spent! I would love to say the tunes held here in are spectacular but there's a reason Italian pop hasn't conquered the globe!








Come in the waters lovely!

Why did the asymmetric monotard not take off?

And you thought Jamie and his magic torch was trippy.

moving swiftly on..

.

Vinyl addiction

I love old vinyl but not as much as these guys this is truly what the net was made, for sharing the wonders that is sleeve art. Do your self a favour and set aside some time to browse this is truly great site. Thanks for the folk at Landcroft House for the tip off go there for great recipes and Music. enjoy.

Second helpings of Gordon no thanks!

Tasteless TV:
I’ve written a lot about TV cookery programmes because I like them. The one strangely I haven’t mentioned is the F word. The main reason is I’ve never really taken to it. I’ll explain.

My main problem is I don’t think Gordon Ramsay likes food or at least doesn’t show it in the same way that Rick stein, or Delia or Nigella do. It all seems to be part of his Alpha male act. You never really see him enthuse about dishes. If he praises something it’s not because it’s tasty it’s because it’s the best pie or whatever. It just one more drip in his lifelong pissing competition
I also find his bully boy stuff tiresome, all that naming animals you’re going to slaughter after your cooking rivals, I mean how childish is that?
I also find the cookery sketches annoying being just a chain of barked ingredients. Gordon watch Gary Rhodes to see how it’s done.
The whole mock restaurant thing is a bit stale and I’m not entirely sure the best place on TV for Janet Street Porter is in front of the camera (I know it’s a cookery programme but does she have to be so hammy).
Also I see Giles Coren has swapped being Ramsay’s bitch for being Bird’s Eye’s.
So, on the whole I don’t watch the F word. I like kitchen Nightmares but imagine it will fade like all those high concept shows do.

Which brings me to the whole scandal over him not catching a fish? Is anyone really surprised, cooking is based on artifice, restaurant cooking especiallyso . TV cookery shows are completely artificial, the 2 fat ladies didn’t know each other from Adam before joining up, and I don’t think the hairy bikers did either. The same producer that makes F word made the Naked Chef a programme that was completely made up. My favourite episode was when Jamie did a christening lunch for a friend. It was laughable, the best bit was when he got a lift down the Thames to pick up his suit from the cleaners, the ending of them all eating desert in an ice storm pretending it was June was hilarious.

So Gordon not catching a fish is not so terrible, this whole TV lying business would be easier to take if the chief accusers weren’t the print media that well known hot bed of honesty and veracity.

I spy sad web geek?

Early morning Oxford st I-spy

How many can you spot?

Junior Jarvis. 20 points
Haven’t spotted him recently but he was there again today, a perfect recreation of Sheffield’s favourite son. Including thick framed glasses, charity shop shirt and shoulder length lank hair. He sometimes uses a microscooter, scooting along in the way only a self obsessed web designer can.

The Choddy removal machine 5 points


The first bewildered tourist couple of the day.10 points
Pulling cases on wheels the size of skips they look anxiously back and forth up oxford st and then set off in the wrong direction.

Preening, over dressed Bond st woman. 5 points.
Can’t walk anywhere without lots of hair swinging and high heeled stomping and is excessively well dressed for 8.45 am. Usually accompanied by.

Tight suited big tie posh bloke.2 points


With slick hair and shiny shoes, he’ll force his way to end of carriage for one stop and then stride off up the escalator as if not doing much at an auction house all day is the world’s most important job. .

Person running for a bus like it was the last chopper out of Saigon 5 points.
Relax there will 15 along in minute.

The free paper dispenser 1point
Getting ready for a day of covering the streets with newsprint.

The women staring with deep existential angst out of the window of MacDonald’s 15 points.

Tall podgy bloke walking quickly (he’s always that bit too late) making snooty mental notes of his fellow man. 25 points!



Ps google image search English women/ woman you get a strange mixture

salt and battery

Scraps:
A jolly article in the paper about scraps, which like bread rolls (sorry teacakes, breadcakes, baps, batch cobs, stotty, oven bottom cakes, scufflers, Kaisers) and chewing gum (sorry choddy, chuddy, chungy ) excite much argument about their name particular in us Northern types. For those benighted amongst you scraps are crispy drips of fried batter, which for free and gratis you get tossed on your fish supper in any good northern chippy. Like most things they called different things depending where you are from, Scraps in South and West Yorkshire, "bits" elsewhere and the redundant "batter bits" in Derby. Of course they are a bit fatty but delish. Word went round about the mythical chippy where late one night they gave a friend some scraps and there were bits of fish in them! Although I think this is urban legend like pubs with lock ins and Kit Kats that are solid chocolate.

On the subject of chippies can I mention “new road fish cakes”, these were a rare treat in some places miscalled Scallops (more of which later). New road fishcakes named after the st where the chippy was, are a thing of rare beauty not your sorry bright orange bread crumb Ross freezer special or even your fancy Dan Rick stein restaurant variety but a complete fish sandwich.
In the middle was a thick slap of fish sandwiched between to large half inch thick (baking potato) sized slaps of tatty. This sandwich was then dipped in batter and fried. The end result was fantastic the fish was juicy and steamed and the spud layer cooked with a crispy batter. Now of course not something for every meal, we had them once a week after cubs! I won’t show my age by saying how much chip fish cake and chips and scraps were wen I woz a lad.

Oh and scallops: famously on a tour of Yorkshire Tony Blair went into a chippy and pretended to buy some chips. Mandelson was with him and was looking down the price list and saw "scallops" for 50p and made some joke about “how well, Tony was doing if scallops where 50p in Dewsbury when they £3.50 a piece at the Ivy.” Of course the scallops on sale weren’t shellfish but escallops of potatoes, basically thick slices of tatty fried in batter; a spud fritter.
The round people you see in northern towns may just because you can get chips, curry sauce with a scallop with scraps on the top and tea cake to make butty with…..

Ps: they have scraps in India but call them Jelebi and have them for their afters!

Hell 4 Lethva!

Straight outta JD sport

My Adidas RUN DMC 1982 Def Jam
In celebration of my new “kicks” this week I’ve brought you a slab of old skool from RUN DMC. I know, I know but they didn’t write a track called “My Reebok”. I’m afraid I never moved on from this sort of hip hop, it still sounds great. The more recent stuff like Kanye West etc leaves me a bit cold. Run and the Boyz however kick harder than a mule!



As I said, I got some new trainers this week, without being too much of a bloke they are the same as the last pair I had (This is all a bit Gilbert and George is it) and they are also the same as the one before that! They are Reebok classics (in black). I like them for various reasons chief among them is they are simple and not flashy, don’t have complicated soles but aren’t painfully “old skool” either. The fetish of the trainer is a sad recent phenomenon, the same magazines and TV shows that coo over some tiresome “B-boys” 60 pairs of box fresh Nike, would no doubt sneer at a homely thimble collection. The difference between the 2 groups obsessions is minimal particularly as some trainer collectors (they probably call themselves “Sole Bruvas”) never wear their prizes.

Sadly the V&A and the BBC condones this addiction!. Whilst I’m in Grumpy old man mode googling “pump collection” gets you to lots of lovely steam engines hurrah!
I’ve always steered away from being a la mode, in fact I was only very briefly fashionable in this respect when the Face’s “must haves of June ‘97” was the same pair of New Balance I’d bought, I even got them from their proscribed shop in Neal st the shame. I think on the whole you should always base decisions in life in this and most other areas on the maxim “what would Westwood do?” and do the opposite!

The other pleasing thing about Reebok Classics is that they are in the top 3 favourite trainers of criminals. Along with Nike, Reeboks are the Trainer that Scene of Crime Officers have to print after burglaries the most. I don’t think sadly they have any advantages for “breaking and entering” other than being well made with good grip. One thing the survey didn’t look at was, were these shoes the most stolen trainers as well, I think they probably are.

and Hola to you tube!

I was just finishing the last post when I saw a comment from Té la mà Maria - Reus which is always nice. I followed the link to his site and was immediately drawn to a piece on Ike and Tina turner. Now one year of Spanish doesn't make me good enough to get all of it but the video of Proud Mary is excellent. It starts off slow and then goes mad in the middle. It's really well shot and the backing singers have the sort bootylisciousness Beyonce can only dream about. Tina always amongst the great soul shouters even dances well! I am still unsure whether Ike's crimes are full exspunged by his undoubted musical tallent.

Failed to leave Bismark!

Lock up your Pig's heads it's Gotti!

Can I add another member to the growing list of Eggert Magnusson (the new owner of West Ham)look a likes, earlier I pointed out he is never seen with yellow bastard from the sin city comics or Gilbert the alien and now it seems with the late Count Gottfried von Bismark . The Count officially the worst host ever (2 deaths at 2 different parties and you think your bad when you run out of ice) died recently , a friend sent me the Telegraph obit. Which tells a good tale and shows it is possible to have too much of good thing. I like the 'graphs style, having spent several 100's of words detailing Gottfried's 43 years of gay excess they end with the customary "he never married". Slight aside Conrad Black amongst his other worries might soon be outed as a number of times in the last few days he's been described as "flamboyant publisher"!
Back to telegraph obit page I have to admit it's way better than the Guardian's. I'm all for pioneering social reformers but the people in telegraph's deaths column have way more fantastic lives, they play piano in concentration camps, ram japanese supply vessels with subs. The always seem better written and a bit more joyful.

Chinless wonders!

I know it's a plug for the film but it is the Simpsons and you can make your own character ! Hurrah!
visit the site to make you own!

Moaning Farmer shock!

Regular as clockwork: there are a number of media stories which you can set you watch by. The most regular is “Christmas has been banned by some local council” (this usually comes out on Nov 6th)
Another popular one is the lonely planet releases their newest UK edition slags of the chips in Bristol and the media are up in arms
And lastly a few days after Glasto Michael “I see no mud” Eavis pipes up about getting in more teenagers in to his festival Yawn.

Apparently booking online helps us oldies get in first what with out super fast internet that comes with are Stanier stairlifts. So he’s going to defeat us by using the phone for more bookings which of course I can’t use what with arthritic figures and poor eye sight.

I do think it’s tight that he slags off his loyal customers so regularly. Also I am sure all the store holders who pay for the festival would just love it if more 20 something turn up, as they are all spent up by Saturday night, so he’ll have to charge less for vending licences to offset the loss in revenue ooops!
Oh and is he prepared for the blank looks as Van Morrison shuffles on the Sunday afternoon in front of a load of old teenagers who don’t know him from Adam ?

I do think it’s touching for a man in 70’s to still think that a 19 year public school boy can bring as much creativity and entertainment to event as someone twice their age. All the interesting stages that produce the “Glastonbury magic” are run by older types, aging punks and travellers, veterans of the circus and cabaret circuit not the Shepton Mallet 6th form Ents committee. Lastly we already have Glastonbury for teenager it’s called the Reading Festival and it’s boring.
Ps Michael why don’t save your breath get on your tractor and put some more drainage on your site and show a bit of gratitude to the people who have supported you for over 20 years.

What no Bamboozle?

What you tube was invented for!!

Braying while Hull floods!

I normally keep my rants to my other blog this made me so mad I've double posted!
Bill Hicks was right " all advertising people should kill themselves" we all get spam my crap mobile company insists on sending me texts to download rubish like Mika videos but earlier today I got one of the most crass bits of spam ever.
Those nice multi millionaires at last minute dot com and their braying gimps in marketing sent me this. The subject line was "severe weather warning" and the email attachment opens with a picture of someone sheltering from a storm on a sea front. The charming strap line "will the last person out of the country turn the lights out!" tee hee can you seem what they've done those little post modern scamps, BRITAIN HAS HAD THE WORST FLOODING IN YEARS 30,000 PEOPLE IN HULL HAVE HAD THEIR HOMES RUINED BUT THE 12 YEAR OLD GITS AT LASTMINUTE WANT US TO BLOW OUT CREDIT CARDS ON SOME CRAPPY CITY BREAKS IN SHANG HAI TO GET AWAY FROM IT ALL! there is no pit of hell low enough for these people ( I know I know,the real hell is saved for tyrants etc).You'd think low cost hoilday merchants the day after Live Earth would keep their heads down but no ! I'm going to email them to complain and also to advertsing standards council or similar

panel show carousel

I am worried that Channel 4 and BBC are just filming one comedy panel show and the 6 celebs who appear on it just take turns as host as the title revolves in the back ground, "would I lie to you "had Dara O'Briain and Jimmy Carr the hosts of "mock the week "and "8 out of 10 cats"on it. Also the post modern tedium of having Angus Deighton a liar and cheat (did anyone believe he didn't pay that prostitue he was seeing behind his partners back) as host of a show about telling lies is really draining.

Free at last

Update: I've added an Amnesty International widget to help publicise their Darfur Campaign I was inpressed on the effect everyday peoples campaign help support Alan Johnson and helped him get released! Maybe we all should do that bit more more often.

A Nice change.
The morning news for last few years has generally been downbeat (or outright bad) every morning my clock radio clicks on with the words “extremist factions”, “stabbing”, “flooding” and “8 wicket defeat” not far away. Most days rolling over seems the best option (I did try Wogan and music channels but they drove me up the wall) anyway this morning some good news Alan Johnson was released. I was very deeply moved, I think mainly by his obvious emotion and humble acceptance. Also of him telling of the thousands of people who have called for his release. It was good that for once there wasn’t a horrible ending. So for once for 10 minutes some positive news.

The sea side town the forgot to close down!

This sort of thing isn't new but this is an excellent blog of the roads less travelled.

Seven Ages of (c) rock the Beeb writes back

As well as whingeing about it here I also wrote to the BEEB about how rubbish the 7 Ages of Rock programme was. My only complaint about the reply is that this was the one programme a week I was meant to like. I am a big music fan (in every sense of the word!) with far too many Lps , singles,eps, cds, tapes ,flexidiscs, minidiscs, I subscribe to two monthly music mags, listen to music on the way to and from work and stand in fields of mud to trying to like the Klaxons. So the seven ages of rock should have been up my street don't you think? Ahh well at least I can console myself with talent shows, Fern Britton fawning over William and Harry and that godawful new Katherine tate knock off show on BBC3.
here's the Beebs reply, my original was a cut down version of my previous rant.
ps you will notice I praise as well as criticise (in my orginal letter I praised soul Britannia) I just want the BBC to get better.

Dear BLTP
Thank you for your e-mail regarding 'Seven Ages of Rock'.
While we try to provide a wide range of programmes across our radio and television output that will be of interest to every section of our audience, there will inevitably be times, hopefully rare, when what is on offer does not meet your own particular interests. Research shows us that in a typical week we do provide a substantial number of programmes which everyone can enjoy, but I am sorry that you have been disappointed with this particular programme.Please be assured that I have registered your comments on our Audience Log, which is used by producers and the makers of 'Seven Ages of Rock' in assessing feedback from viewers.In closing, may I thank you once again for taking the time to contact the BBC.Regards
John ClarkeBBC Information________________________________________Watch Saving Planet Earth from 24th JuneTogether we can help save the world's endangered wildlifeYou can donate to the new BBC Wildlife Fund at www.bbc.co.uk/savingplanetearth, or by calling 08705-100-700 Thank You

Those crazy 70's

Courtesy of Junk food philosophy the 6 million dollar man theme sung by Dusty Springfield !!!!

all the beautiful people!

Like most people on the internet I have received an invite to facebook. I'm sure it's fine as messaging service. Not sure about the whole list of what i like side of things. Also following my friends links I am startled by their glamorous friends. Everyone is blond, or has their pic taken at black tie dos or on a yacht or up a mountain. Where are all these glamorous people, with their exciting lives and complicated names when we go to the pub, why haven't I been introduced to them ( i already know most of the answers to this sadly.) Do people really have this many friends or it just posh people? the whole things smacks of Alumni magazines, where posh girls tell of the troubles of raising kids or sailing round the horn and generally brag about their perfect lives. And as for tracking down long lost friends well is that really a good idea it sounds like the plot for an afternoon play. I may change i think I'm not an early adopter but an early complainer.

A terrible mistake!

Seven Ages of crock.

Just watched the last edition of this poor series. Supposedly about indie music, it was just a rehash of the blur vs oasis battle which has been filmed at least two times before. Towards the end we get 20 minutes on the Libertines, a band with one song at best. This from programme that had no time for the Fall, New Order, Wedding Present, or even the mighty Cud. It hasn't mentioned Scotland Wales or Northern Ireland Orange Juice, the Manics or the Undertones clearly aren't worth talking about or the Bunny Men, the Las, the Associates, Human League, Aztec Camera, Simple Minds. No mention of Indie labels like Mute so no Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds or Depeche Mode. There was no mention that modern "indie Labels" aren't anything of the sort whatever Franz Ferdinand think mearly an exercise in re-branding for Sony et al. It's was a load of rubbish. I seriously doubt all their other series they have made lately as I thought they were well researched but looking at a subject I know something about I have my doubts. The annoying tie everything up in a bow endings where crass, a weird biblical view of history the roses begat oasis who begat blur who begat the libertines who begat the Arctic Monkeys. Putting aside all this the whole series has been a boys club so no talking to Chrisie Hynde, Blondie, Kate Bush or anyone latter bands. Really a terrible waste of time.

The could have saved us all a load of time and shown the Great rock and roll swindle instead

The Future is British!

10 reason why British sci-fi is the best.

1. H G Wells: Invented the whole thing.


2. No tights: The yanks rely far too much on troubled superheroes in funny suits. How many times can the X-men have failed relationships I mean get a grip.


3. Judge Dredd: 2000 AD has been stomping around the world of sc-fi for 30 years throwing away ideas with gay abandon. A couple of months worth of issues would keep star trek, going for 6 series.


4. The doomy bleakness of Blake Seven.


5. Dan Dare pilot of the Future, in a world of boiled cabbage, sweet rationing and outside toilets The Eagle burst forward into the world in brilliant technicolour.


6. Time travel: Even though a British scientist proved it didn't exist that hasn't stopped the production of time paradoxes etc a whole new form of story.


7. Reasons to miserable pt 12: Distopia, the idea that the future won't be rosy yep it came from a small damp island 21 miles from France. see Blade runner, Thunderbirds and most 1970's children tv.


8. No robot demons molesting under dressed school girls. yes that's you Japanese with ya queasy manga, yes we like Godzilla and all those robots but leave off the pervy stuff.


9. Quatermass the day of triffids, the day the earth burned , village of the damned, JD Ballard Arthur C clarke et al .


10. Oh and the new Dr WHO which is fantastic I really like the one with the statues that only move when you look at them.

Museum of street semiotics: getting the papers

Some pics from my constitutional to get the papers and visit the sea food van.

Plague of Taggers! The end wall of this house is perpetually tagged, I really feel for the owners. The wall is rendered so needs painting, so they paint it white which brightens a gloomy local corner. But the scum who tag everywhere have to dribble their visual urine on it like the graphically incontinent mice they are. Next time someone (from Kirsty Wark down) gushes about how wonderful Banksy is may be you could pass them a pot of matt white so they can paint over this crap one more time.



Where the wild flowers bloom.
On a much brighter note this patch of ground if left uncut by the council regularly blooms with 8-9 species of wild flowers including delicate trefoils full of bees. Nothing massively rare but much more pretty than any planted Lewisham in Bloom roundabout, no doubt the gang mowers will be around next week to cut them down.



La Lucha Continua! Presumably Unison aren't cutting the mustard in Deptford so we've brought in the old school parties let's hope the rest of them don't show up and it all kicks off again. JONS (Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional-Sindicalista), POUM (Partido Obrero de Unificacion Marxista), UGT (Union General de Trabajadores),

How does it feel?

Pretty good actually! Always wary of recommending pubs (I don't want everyone to go and ruin them) but we went to the Northumberland Arms on Goodge st last night. It's the perfect late night pub , as we walked in Blue Monday was playing, they had Pride and Deuchars IPA on the pumps and even the golf on ceefax! It opens that bit later 12 ish on a weekend. It a jewel of pub loads of wood, glass partitions etc. The staff are friendly, the noise and hubbub is appropriate for late on. It's nice in day too just don't go too often.

ps. why are people on pub review sites so miserable?