Empire of Rust

Watch this Programme it's great
I know I go onto about him but the latest Jonathan Meades is top ep.2 about the Isle of Rust is brilliant. Bonkersly verbose as usual but excellent any fan of rusting sheds and abandoned rotting lorries should not miss the last 15-20 minutes I actually laughed out aloud (yeah I know I'm not normal but then again I never wanted to be that much) Anyway in a land were 3rd division ball room dancing and over wrought generic pop music hold sway on our screen do youself a favour and get Meaded

Oh and did Nigel Slater really make bubble without cabbage last night? He's got one of the those weird larders like Nigella has that has a camera man hiding behind the pickle and spice jars too must be tiresome in morning.

Just get up and do it!
I've got a new phone and it's got an excellent camera on it so I made a film.
It's my view of some pavillions in Bedford square, I've released me inner Jonathan Meades.

Gin and Orange Juice

What to watch tonight.
I’m off to a gig but if you’re in there is 2-3 hours of programmes about Post card records and Edwynn Collins/Orange Juice which should be good. It’s on BBC4 so you can avoid Jonathon Ross talking about sex toys on BBC 1.

What we learnt from last nights tv.
I was right about the other Jonathon (Meades) his programme North about Northern Europe was really good. It surprisingly good on food, in the space of 3 minutes he said more about Belgium Beer than I’ve heard in years. To celebrate his championing of the herring and fermented grain spirit (gin) I had a little soused roll mop with some of last year’s sloe gin (over ice) which was delish. Just as stimulating was learning more about one of my favourite artist Roger Van Weyden, as well as “stepped gables” and of course the Hanseatic league.

As I did “social” history at school, the foundation of TUC, the flying shuttle, Joseph Arkwright etc my knowledge of the corn laws, the French revolution and Hanseatic Empire is patchy and so a whole world opened up for me along with some excellent long words, big ideas and the occasional outrageously contentious broad statements. He goes further north next week catch it on BBC4 or Iplay.

As usual I would encourage anyone who’s near the Prado, to of course see the Goyas and Mr V but head downstairs to see the Van Weyden “descent of Christ from the cross”; even for non believers it’s a very moving and intense picture, also the times I’ve been you generally have it yourself unlike the Bosches or el grecos...

Hit the North

Watch this tonight?

Jonathon Meades has got a new programme about the " Northern European" sensibilty on at 9pm BBC4 tonight. (you can watch Ashes to Ashes later or tape it never watch it and then buy the DVD).

I only say this because his programme are great, yes he uses big words but he knows what he's on about and always throws light on his subjects. It's good to have programme for adults who can and do read.

Also the Guardian today calls him "smug" this probably because he does use big words and doesn't only talk about celebrities or shopping. I have suspicion it was this person....

I wonder if he'll cover Northern Soul or why a hint of Swedish melancholia makes ABBA so great?

Not so big and clever.

More proof of it's mission towards middlebrow dumbing down, from the guardian. Its sad when a broadsheet journalist is afraid of the odd long word and can't follow an idea longer than a couple of minutes, good choice of biscuit though.

from "Watch this by Sarah Dempster Wednesday May 23, 2007
The Guardian
Jonathan Meades: Abroad Again
7pm, BBC2
Ostensibly a treatise on the career of 19th-century architect Cuthbert Brodrick (he built Leeds town hall before going a bit French and crap), this documentary harbours another, sinister, purpose. To wit: it is the final brick in Meades' Wall of Posh. While his previous discourses have offered some accessibility, this is just impenetrable. Big and clever? Yes. Capable of providing enjoyment when accompanied by a Tunnock's Caramel Wafer? If only."

Big and clever

Jonathan Meades new programme was on tonight it was excellent as usual. It was about regeneration and was the best and most entertaining thing I've seen about this subject. He coined a good phrase to describe buildings like the guggenheim in bilbao as a "sightbite" a visual snapshot that encapulates a whole city, a visual sound bite. I mean what sort of art hangs in the guggenheim most people don't know ( i don't) but i know about Bilboa thanks to the guggenheim's shape. This stream of babble captures the regeneration worlds' nonsense in a nutshell, remember it the next time the olympics is mentioned.
I also like the way he's not afraid of being clever and expects us to understand.It's not elitist quite the reverse expecting everyone to be thick is high handed and patronising. If occasionally you don't understand a bit, well it's not the end of the world, it's taken me 20 years to understand what a dialectic is. I still remember his telling phrase where he blames a lot of victorian gothic as a side effect of "tertiary sypillis"!