Tuesday, 26 October 2010
October: Art by criminals, free food and meeting Alan Sugar
Other than a rant about not getting a seat on a train, I haven’t written much lately. In the last couple of months my London lunchtimes have remained interesting but I haven’t felt inclined to write about them. I’ve enjoyed exploring the Southbank Centre, which is like a university campus as there are lots of people hanging out in open spaces, and lots of rooms that have random things in them.
The exhibition Art by Offenders was a memorable one – the artwork was interesting and so were the descriptions. One of the curators had written something along the lines of ‘we not only encourage art in prisons because of its rehabilitative effects but also because it is only in prisons, and in particular psychiatric prisons, that we will find the next Van Gough’. Interesting stuff indeed, and the sort of thing you probably only find in London.
Move away from the centre of London and you’ll see that the city is a series of small towns linked together by urban sprawl. Walking through the middle of Holborn is like walking through the High Street of such a small town. I’d gone there courtesy of a free Dominoes offer in the 20p Sun newspaper. Certainly not my usual reading material but I’m not fussy when it comes to a hot lunch for 20p.
Holborn was the nearest Dominoes from my office, about a 10-minute walk away. The promotion was on for a week – on the first day it was fairly quiet but on the second day the entrance resembled a kebab shop on a Friday night as office workers and labourers jostled for their free food. One scaffolder in front of me was chancing his luck by trying to get 2 Dominoes with one voucher; the harassed guy on the till was having none of it, so the scaffolder screwed up the rest of his newspaper and threw it over the counter.
There’s something about getting something cheaply that makes many people behave rudely. Poor prices equal poor behaviour. I’d seen it before by pensioners queuing up for £1 breakfasts and families shopping in Poundland. It’s not the same for everyone though, but for many there seems to be an unwritten rule that if something is cheap or free, then not only are you not grateful for it, you are also rude when you get it.
I have now been working in London for 3 months and up until today I have not even had the slightest glimpse of anyone famous. I was quite surprised as I had expected to have seen at least a few by now. Previously I have met Noel Gallagher (at a gig in London about 10 years ago) and seen Rory McGrath (twice in Cambridge a few years ago but I’m not a fan so I didn’t bother saying hello). Today that celebrity hat trick was finally completed as I met Alan Sugar, a.k.a. Lord Sugar of Clapham. I follow Lord Sugar on Twitter so knew of today’s book signing in Waterstone’s Piccadilly and had been looking forward to it for days.
It was raining so, along with a couple of workmates up for the adventure, I took the Tube from Covent Garden to Piccadilly Circus and walked up the road to Waterstone’s. After purchasing his autobiography I got what looked like quite a small queue for the book signing. I was then reliably informed by a guy who had ‘been there since 8 o clock this morning’ that I was nowhere near the end of the queue and pointed me to a long line of people who were confusingly in front of bus stop.
Standing in the rain I got assigned a ticket by a Waterstone’s employee – I turned up at ten to one and got number 168, the guy who had been there since 8am probably got about number 68 so I think I got the better deal there. 30 minutes later I was ushered inside and up the stairs to a cordoned off area near the crime section. Waiting for my book to be signed I took a photo of Lord Sugar but it came out blurred. I then realised that was because my hand was shaking. Waiting to meet someone famous is quite nervewracking.
Approaching the desk I thought about what I was going to say and wanted to tell him that I had been enjoying his tweets, particularly the ones about Wayne Rooney. When it was my turn he looked at me prompting me to tell him what to write. ‘Jeremy’ was my one word answer to this. ‘With a G or a J?’ the Baron asked. ‘J’ I answered. ‘How do you spell that?’ he asked again. ‘J-E-R-E-M-Y’ I answered. I’d done it – I had remembered how to spell my own name. That’s not as easy as it should be when you’re face to face with one of the most famous and respected people in Britain. He quickly shut the book, prompting me to move along so the next book could be signed. Whilst I was there, my workmate Jordan took a couple of photos – the best one is here.You can see my left ear and part of the side of the face in the photo, so I'm claiming that as a photo of me and Lord Sugar.
The whole thing was quite surreal really, like a dream it almost feels that it didn’t really happen. The signature in the front of my copy of his autobiography tells me that it did though. It was a surreal but highly enjoyable way to spend my lunchtime, and one that I’ll remember for a long time.
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
Standing room only: the 18:14 from Kings Cross to Kings Lynn
Get to the train at 18:10, 4 minutes before its departure, and for only the third time in 3 months I don’t get a seat. I’m immediately relegated to third class status, as like a tramp looking for food out of a bin, I scan the train for a seat.
For the next 45 minutes, as the train speeds through the Hertfordshire countryside from King’s Cross to Cambridge my backside will be parked on an uncomfortable luggage rack. Then when 90% of the passengers on this train get off, I’ll take my pick of the seats, like a tourist in front of an all-inclusive buffet.
Fortunately for me this is not a regular occurrence but the reality is that this fate is shared by millions of commuters every year across the country. With that in mind train companies should perhaps make their luggage racks more comfortable, however they will of course never do this, as doing so would be to admit that their trains are overcrowded.
Perhaps all commuters should carry their own portable seat as part of an emergency kit that would cover all elements of travelling on a train in Britain in the 21st Century. Also included would be alcohol gel, wet wipes and tissues (in case you have to go anywhere near one of the train’s toilets), an inflatable pillow (because even if you manage to get a seat they are often very uncomfortable) and earplugs (to block out the noise from neighbouring passengers headphones).
Britain’s trains should be a pleasure to travel on. However, for me and countless others they are often a pain in the arse.
For the next 45 minutes, as the train speeds through the Hertfordshire countryside from King’s Cross to Cambridge my backside will be parked on an uncomfortable luggage rack. Then when 90% of the passengers on this train get off, I’ll take my pick of the seats, like a tourist in front of an all-inclusive buffet.
Fortunately for me this is not a regular occurrence but the reality is that this fate is shared by millions of commuters every year across the country. With that in mind train companies should perhaps make their luggage racks more comfortable, however they will of course never do this, as doing so would be to admit that their trains are overcrowded.
Perhaps all commuters should carry their own portable seat as part of an emergency kit that would cover all elements of travelling on a train in Britain in the 21st Century. Also included would be alcohol gel, wet wipes and tissues (in case you have to go anywhere near one of the train’s toilets), an inflatable pillow (because even if you manage to get a seat they are often very uncomfortable) and earplugs (to block out the noise from neighbouring passengers headphones).
Britain’s trains should be a pleasure to travel on. However, for me and countless others they are often a pain in the arse.
Wednesday, 29 September 2010
6-20 September: The Centre of England
The travelling was starting to take its toll. I was constantly tired and had a sore throat that wouldn’t go away. Lack of sleep plus being close to other people’s germs every day (train and tube) isn’t the greatest recipe for good health. This made my decision to enjoy an hour of fresh air and light exercise every day all the more important. Lunch hours exploring the streets of London were the one thing that I did on a daily basis that was good for my health.
Like all animals humans are creatures of habit and I had got into the habit of going to the same places each lunchtime – usually Trafalgar Square or the South Bank. Eating your sandwiches and watching the world go by in Trafalgar Square is of course a great experience: Not only do you feel that you are in the centre of London (and therefore England), you get to do some quality people watching. The steps leading to the National Gallery may not have the same romance as the Spanish Steps in Rome but they are certainly not without their charms. For me, one of the most heart-warming sight to be had in London is a toddler chasing after a pigeon. The sheer joy they get from a bird that is hated by most adults is a great example of the innocence and beauty of childhood.
Trafalgar Square may be a great place to go for lunch but I was aware that I had been visiting it and my other regular lunchtime spots (South Bank, Covent Garden) all too often and it was time for a change. So the next available lunchtime I went somewhere different. Walking west along the Strand I went past Trafalgar Square and up Whitehall to Horse Guards. Normally I just pat the horses on the head when I walk past but this time I thought I’d wonder in and take a look at Horse Guards Parade, home of the famous changing of the guard.
In the archway between the street and the parade ground was a soldier in uniform standing with what appeared to be the sole reason of having is picture taken with tourists. For any man who is a trained killer this must be quite a strange experience. What’s more surprising in this finance-obsessed time is that there was no charge to have your picture taken with the soldier. Hundreds of tourists pose for photos every day and I’m sure they’d be more than happy to pay a few pounds for the privilege. If the silver spray-painted statue artists of Covent Garden do it then why shouldn’t the Household Cavalry?
After taking in Horse Guards Parade I took a side street back onto Whitehall. I looked to my left – the Foreign Office and then to my right – the Treasury Office, and wondered how many important decisions had been made in these buildings. The next thing I noticed was a fleet of brand-new 60-registration top of the range silver Land Rovers, about 20 of them, probably pool cars for the Treasury or Foreign Office. How do these vehicles, costing close to a hundred thousand pounds each, fit into the Conservative government’s promise to cut Whitehall waste?
Walking back along Whitehall I took in many of the national monuments – from the field marshals – Montgomery and Hague to the women’s memorial and the Cenotaph. There are probably hundreds in total, all in black and all memorials to the horrors that were suffered to keep Britain free. From Trafalgar Square to Whitehall, wherever you are in this part of the city you can’t help but feel that you are in the centre of London and therefore the centre of England. So it’s perhaps no surprise that many people who live and work in the capital think that London is England. Of course it’s not, it’s a very different and unique place – one that I have the pleasure of exploring every day.
Like all animals humans are creatures of habit and I had got into the habit of going to the same places each lunchtime – usually Trafalgar Square or the South Bank. Eating your sandwiches and watching the world go by in Trafalgar Square is of course a great experience: Not only do you feel that you are in the centre of London (and therefore England), you get to do some quality people watching. The steps leading to the National Gallery may not have the same romance as the Spanish Steps in Rome but they are certainly not without their charms. For me, one of the most heart-warming sight to be had in London is a toddler chasing after a pigeon. The sheer joy they get from a bird that is hated by most adults is a great example of the innocence and beauty of childhood.
Trafalgar Square may be a great place to go for lunch but I was aware that I had been visiting it and my other regular lunchtime spots (South Bank, Covent Garden) all too often and it was time for a change. So the next available lunchtime I went somewhere different. Walking west along the Strand I went past Trafalgar Square and up Whitehall to Horse Guards. Normally I just pat the horses on the head when I walk past but this time I thought I’d wonder in and take a look at Horse Guards Parade, home of the famous changing of the guard.
In the archway between the street and the parade ground was a soldier in uniform standing with what appeared to be the sole reason of having is picture taken with tourists. For any man who is a trained killer this must be quite a strange experience. What’s more surprising in this finance-obsessed time is that there was no charge to have your picture taken with the soldier. Hundreds of tourists pose for photos every day and I’m sure they’d be more than happy to pay a few pounds for the privilege. If the silver spray-painted statue artists of Covent Garden do it then why shouldn’t the Household Cavalry?
After taking in Horse Guards Parade I took a side street back onto Whitehall. I looked to my left – the Foreign Office and then to my right – the Treasury Office, and wondered how many important decisions had been made in these buildings. The next thing I noticed was a fleet of brand-new 60-registration top of the range silver Land Rovers, about 20 of them, probably pool cars for the Treasury or Foreign Office. How do these vehicles, costing close to a hundred thousand pounds each, fit into the Conservative government’s promise to cut Whitehall waste?
Walking back along Whitehall I took in many of the national monuments – from the field marshals – Montgomery and Hague to the women’s memorial and the Cenotaph. There are probably hundreds in total, all in black and all memorials to the horrors that were suffered to keep Britain free. From Trafalgar Square to Whitehall, wherever you are in this part of the city you can’t help but feel that you are in the centre of London and therefore the centre of England. So it’s perhaps no surprise that many people who live and work in the capital think that London is England. Of course it’s not, it’s a very different and unique place – one that I have the pleasure of exploring every day.
Friday, 3 September 2010
23 August – 3 September: Why is Chinese food cheap? How do Covent Garden street performers earn any money? And what do Canadians drink?
If, like me, you occasionally go to Victoria Embankment Gardens to eat your lunch then you’ll notice the dozens of workmen, strewn out on the grass, relaxing after a hard morning’s labour. Their labour is to refurbish one of the most famous hotels in the world – the Savoy. I had a quick wonder past this famous hotel to see what the workmen had been up to, but there’s not much to see from the outside at the moment. Apparently when it reopens in October there’ll be an Art Deco bar open to the public, so I’ll definitely have a look in there, though it will probably cost me about £10 for a drink.
Disappointed by the current state of the Savoy I decided it was time to see some major sights again. So one lunchtime, myself and my workmates walked through Covent Garden, on to Leicester Square, then past the Trocadero to Piccadilly Circus, through the streets of Soho and then back down through Chinatown. I hadn’t realised how close everything is in central London – the above sights and the ones previously mentioned in this blog are all within about 20 minutes walking distance of each other.
Of course it’s fine to go for a walk when the weather’s nice but on the day that I saw these sights it was unfortunately raining. Leicester Square may be the scene of many glamorous film premieres but on a wet Wednesday lunchtime it isn’t that stunning. Likewise with Soho – infamous as a setting for nighttime debauchery but during the day you’d hardly realise it. There’s a few signs for strip bars and sex shops but it appears positively tame compared to, say, the red light district of Amsterdam.
Chinatown is distinctive because of its smell – the aromatic smell of sweet and sour sauce flavoured with MSG. There’s a lot of all you can eat £3.99 lunchtime buffets in Chinatown; which while good value makes you wonder why Chinese food can be so cheap. Illegal labour and questionable food hygiene practices were the first answers that came to my slightly xenophobic mind. I’m sure it still tastes good though.
We went back to Covent Garden a few days later to spend lunchtime as a tourist. Covent Garden is famous for its street performers, and large crowds stand round watching drawn-out performances by budding entertainers. The large crowds are annoying if you’re in a hurry to get to the Tube station to catch the train home, so we thought we’d join them for a change. It didn’t last long as the performance we saw by an amateur magician was typically poor. Yet the crowds still took it all in – probably because it was their one day out in London and they wanted to take in as much as they could, good or bad.
One thing we did notice around Covent Garden was the large amount of pubs and bars that are within a short walk of the famous market square. These vary in quality from traditional pubs to soulless wine bars (All Bar One) to themed nationality bars (we noticed one Australian, one South African, one Irish and even one Canadian – which begged the question: what do Canadians drink?)
We didn’t know so the following lunchtime we went for the safe choice of the Irish bar – the Porterhouse. I like real ale and was impressed to find that this place had a beer menu about 10 pages long. I settled for an enjoyable pint of something refreshing and fruity (I forget the name, though it was English and began with a ‘w’) and flicked through the menu, thinking how I could happily spend the rest of the day there, trying to drink my way through the beer menu alphabet.
Which brings me back to a familiar theme – if you’ve got the money then you are spoilt for choice for places to go for a drink in central London. This blog could quite easily turn into a review of all the beers in the Porterhouse or all the pubs in central London; I’d have to start remembering the names of the beers I’ve drank though.
Disappointed by the current state of the Savoy I decided it was time to see some major sights again. So one lunchtime, myself and my workmates walked through Covent Garden, on to Leicester Square, then past the Trocadero to Piccadilly Circus, through the streets of Soho and then back down through Chinatown. I hadn’t realised how close everything is in central London – the above sights and the ones previously mentioned in this blog are all within about 20 minutes walking distance of each other.
Of course it’s fine to go for a walk when the weather’s nice but on the day that I saw these sights it was unfortunately raining. Leicester Square may be the scene of many glamorous film premieres but on a wet Wednesday lunchtime it isn’t that stunning. Likewise with Soho – infamous as a setting for nighttime debauchery but during the day you’d hardly realise it. There’s a few signs for strip bars and sex shops but it appears positively tame compared to, say, the red light district of Amsterdam.
Chinatown is distinctive because of its smell – the aromatic smell of sweet and sour sauce flavoured with MSG. There’s a lot of all you can eat £3.99 lunchtime buffets in Chinatown; which while good value makes you wonder why Chinese food can be so cheap. Illegal labour and questionable food hygiene practices were the first answers that came to my slightly xenophobic mind. I’m sure it still tastes good though.
We went back to Covent Garden a few days later to spend lunchtime as a tourist. Covent Garden is famous for its street performers, and large crowds stand round watching drawn-out performances by budding entertainers. The large crowds are annoying if you’re in a hurry to get to the Tube station to catch the train home, so we thought we’d join them for a change. It didn’t last long as the performance we saw by an amateur magician was typically poor. Yet the crowds still took it all in – probably because it was their one day out in London and they wanted to take in as much as they could, good or bad.
One thing we did notice around Covent Garden was the large amount of pubs and bars that are within a short walk of the famous market square. These vary in quality from traditional pubs to soulless wine bars (All Bar One) to themed nationality bars (we noticed one Australian, one South African, one Irish and even one Canadian – which begged the question: what do Canadians drink?)
We didn’t know so the following lunchtime we went for the safe choice of the Irish bar – the Porterhouse. I like real ale and was impressed to find that this place had a beer menu about 10 pages long. I settled for an enjoyable pint of something refreshing and fruity (I forget the name, though it was English and began with a ‘w’) and flicked through the menu, thinking how I could happily spend the rest of the day there, trying to drink my way through the beer menu alphabet.
Which brings me back to a familiar theme – if you’ve got the money then you are spoilt for choice for places to go for a drink in central London. This blog could quite easily turn into a review of all the beers in the Porterhouse or all the pubs in central London; I’d have to start remembering the names of the beers I’ve drank though.
Thursday, 2 September 2010
4 attempts to get my pre-paid train ticket from the station today:
1. booking reference not valid
I had been given the wrong one, so I eventually got the right one and went back but...
2. The ticket office was closed temporarily
So I went back a bit later and...
3. Was told that the ticket hadn't been paid for
So I made some calls confirming that it had been paid for and went back but...
4. A very unhelpful new ticket office person said that the reference didn't come up on his system
So I made some more calls and it turns out the original ticket office person managed to print it off after I left for the 3rd time. He locked the ticket in the safe and took the key with him.
Hopefully 5th time lucky tomorrow!
I had been given the wrong one, so I eventually got the right one and went back but...
2. The ticket office was closed temporarily
So I went back a bit later and...
3. Was told that the ticket hadn't been paid for
So I made some calls confirming that it had been paid for and went back but...
4. A very unhelpful new ticket office person said that the reference didn't come up on his system
So I made some more calls and it turns out the original ticket office person managed to print it off after I left for the 3rd time. He locked the ticket in the safe and took the key with him.
Hopefully 5th time lucky tomorrow!
Friday, 20 August 2010
16-20 August: From the outskirts of provincial city to the heart of a capital city
It’s strange how quickly people adapt to new situations. Despite my apprehension about working in London I had got used to it quickly and the first fortnight had flown by. I spent a few moments of Sunday evening wondering where I was going to explore the next day, until I realised that I would be back in my previous Peterborough office for a 3-day training course.
Back in London on Thursday I was determined to make up for my break away from the city, so when I was asked by workmates where to go for lunch I purposely led them on a whistle-stop tour of as many of London’s landmarks it was possible to see in an hour. Walking along Victoria Embankment past the London Eye and the old City Hall, we journeyed up to the Houses of Parliament and then turned right past the Cabinet War Rooms, the Cenotaph, Downing Street and Horseguards before negotiating the traffic to sit by one of the fountains in Trafalgar Square.
Spending your lunch in the heart of London, in one of the most famous landmarks in the world is an interesting experience. As I ate my lunch I watched the hundreds of tourists as they posed for photos, climbed on the lions and negotiated their way past what is left of the famous pigeons. Doing something everyday like eating your lunch in a location that's a once in a lifetime destination to many international tourists is slightly surreal.
The first time I was in Trafalgar Square would have been about 20 years ago when I enjoyed a fun day out in London with my mum and brother. There were a lot more pigeons then – mainly because bird food was sold to tourists and feeding them was a popular activity. Indeed, one of the highlights of any family’s day out in London was to take handfuls of birdseed and to get as many of the birds to perch on your arms as possible. They don’t sell birdseed in Trafalgar Square anymore as pigeons are now considered vermin rather than tourist attractions. I think I prefer how it used to be.
If the sight of flocks of pigeons used to tell you that you’re in Trafalgar Square, then the sight of joggers today tells you that you’re on the Embankment. I don’t understand why anyone would want to spend their lunchtime getting hot and sweaty in front of tourists by jogging along the riverside streets of London. But many people do it; hundreds pound the streets every day as they use their precious lunchtime to cram in 40 minutes or so of exercise. Embankment joggers come in all shapes and sizes and wear the same face of determination as they weave in and out of sightseers and other workers like myself who have chosen a more leisurely way to spend their lunch hour.
Friday’s lunch hour was as leisurely as you can get, with a beer and a burger in a nearby pub. It’s easy to see why there’s a drinking culture amongst many people who work in London. There’s a lot of temptation and of course you don’t have to worry about driving, so I sympathise with any alcoholics who work in an office in the centre of London. Thankfully I can enjoy my Friday lunchtime pint without feeling the need to spend every lunchtime drinking – after all, there’s a lot more of London for me to see yet.
Back in London on Thursday I was determined to make up for my break away from the city, so when I was asked by workmates where to go for lunch I purposely led them on a whistle-stop tour of as many of London’s landmarks it was possible to see in an hour. Walking along Victoria Embankment past the London Eye and the old City Hall, we journeyed up to the Houses of Parliament and then turned right past the Cabinet War Rooms, the Cenotaph, Downing Street and Horseguards before negotiating the traffic to sit by one of the fountains in Trafalgar Square.
Spending your lunch in the heart of London, in one of the most famous landmarks in the world is an interesting experience. As I ate my lunch I watched the hundreds of tourists as they posed for photos, climbed on the lions and negotiated their way past what is left of the famous pigeons. Doing something everyday like eating your lunch in a location that's a once in a lifetime destination to many international tourists is slightly surreal.
The first time I was in Trafalgar Square would have been about 20 years ago when I enjoyed a fun day out in London with my mum and brother. There were a lot more pigeons then – mainly because bird food was sold to tourists and feeding them was a popular activity. Indeed, one of the highlights of any family’s day out in London was to take handfuls of birdseed and to get as many of the birds to perch on your arms as possible. They don’t sell birdseed in Trafalgar Square anymore as pigeons are now considered vermin rather than tourist attractions. I think I prefer how it used to be.
If the sight of flocks of pigeons used to tell you that you’re in Trafalgar Square, then the sight of joggers today tells you that you’re on the Embankment. I don’t understand why anyone would want to spend their lunchtime getting hot and sweaty in front of tourists by jogging along the riverside streets of London. But many people do it; hundreds pound the streets every day as they use their precious lunchtime to cram in 40 minutes or so of exercise. Embankment joggers come in all shapes and sizes and wear the same face of determination as they weave in and out of sightseers and other workers like myself who have chosen a more leisurely way to spend their lunch hour.
Friday’s lunch hour was as leisurely as you can get, with a beer and a burger in a nearby pub. It’s easy to see why there’s a drinking culture amongst many people who work in London. There’s a lot of temptation and of course you don’t have to worry about driving, so I sympathise with any alcoholics who work in an office in the centre of London. Thankfully I can enjoy my Friday lunchtime pint without feeling the need to spend every lunchtime drinking – after all, there’s a lot more of London for me to see yet.
Monday, 16 August 2010
London Loves Lunchtimes: 2-13 August: From the Houses of Parliament to St P...
London Loves Lunchtimes: 2-13 August: From the Houses of Parliament to St P...: "A fortnight ago I found out that with immediate notice I was going to be working full-time in London. I was naturally both excited and nervo..."
Friday, 13 August 2010
2-13 August: From the Houses of Parliament to St Paul’s Cathedral
A fortnight ago I found out that with immediate notice I was going to be working full-time in London. I was naturally both excited and nervous about the move – excited by working in an international city and meeting new people, yet nervous about how I would get on in this new world and how I would manage spending 20 hours a week travelling to and from my Norfolk home.
To make the most of my time in London and to make sure that I got some sort of a break, I promised myself that I would take a full lunch hour every day where I would explore the many streets and sights of our capital city and maybe even bump into a few celebrities. I am fortunate that my new office is very central, just off The Strand and within walking distance of many of London’s major landmarks; so I’m spoilt for choice for places to go to at lunch. Which certainly makes a change from my previous location on an industrial estate on the edge of an unattractive regional city.
So far I’ve trekked south to the South Bank and the Millennium Wheel, west to Downing Street and the Houses of Parliament and east to St Paul’s Cathedral. Between that I’ve sat in the small parks of the Embankment, walked to the OXO Tower, and eaten sandwiches outside the church behind the back of the Savoy Hotel. These lunch hours have been spent in the company of workmates, who like me have found London an inspiring place to work. Admiring world-famous scenery as you eat your sandwiches really does make up for having to endure daily long commutes.
Anything is possible in London. Perhaps that’s why the English branch of the Church of Scientology is located in the City of London, a short walk from St Paul’s and a few steps away from a traditional Church of England church. I had to take a double take as I walked past this ‘church’ which looked more like an office, with its plasma TV screens in the windows displaying messages that attempted to encourage passers by with ‘free refreshments and free presentations’. The juxtaposition of this office-like building, a few steps away from the Church of England church almost didn’t seem out of place, this being London.
London’s not all great of course. It is obviously very dirty, overcrowded and expensive. Just steps away from multi-million pound office buildings are filthy underpasses that stink of urine and are homes to some of the city’s homeless. It is quite incredible that with all the money in the capital, nobody is prepared to pay to clean up the many parts of the city that clearly haven’t been touched for over 30 years.
I celebrated the end of my first fortnight working in London with a pub lunch with workmates. If you’ve got some money and have no ties, London is like a massive playground. There’s so much to do, so many places to go – for someone like me who’s used to provincial towns and small cities, it really all is quite amazing.
I’m determined to make the most of my time in the capital, so will continue touring the many free sights of London Monday to Thursday, before celebrating the end of the working week with a pub lunch on Fridays. I still haven’t seen anyone famous though – not yet anyway.
To make the most of my time in London and to make sure that I got some sort of a break, I promised myself that I would take a full lunch hour every day where I would explore the many streets and sights of our capital city and maybe even bump into a few celebrities. I am fortunate that my new office is very central, just off The Strand and within walking distance of many of London’s major landmarks; so I’m spoilt for choice for places to go to at lunch. Which certainly makes a change from my previous location on an industrial estate on the edge of an unattractive regional city.
So far I’ve trekked south to the South Bank and the Millennium Wheel, west to Downing Street and the Houses of Parliament and east to St Paul’s Cathedral. Between that I’ve sat in the small parks of the Embankment, walked to the OXO Tower, and eaten sandwiches outside the church behind the back of the Savoy Hotel. These lunch hours have been spent in the company of workmates, who like me have found London an inspiring place to work. Admiring world-famous scenery as you eat your sandwiches really does make up for having to endure daily long commutes.
Anything is possible in London. Perhaps that’s why the English branch of the Church of Scientology is located in the City of London, a short walk from St Paul’s and a few steps away from a traditional Church of England church. I had to take a double take as I walked past this ‘church’ which looked more like an office, with its plasma TV screens in the windows displaying messages that attempted to encourage passers by with ‘free refreshments and free presentations’. The juxtaposition of this office-like building, a few steps away from the Church of England church almost didn’t seem out of place, this being London.
London’s not all great of course. It is obviously very dirty, overcrowded and expensive. Just steps away from multi-million pound office buildings are filthy underpasses that stink of urine and are homes to some of the city’s homeless. It is quite incredible that with all the money in the capital, nobody is prepared to pay to clean up the many parts of the city that clearly haven’t been touched for over 30 years.
I celebrated the end of my first fortnight working in London with a pub lunch with workmates. If you’ve got some money and have no ties, London is like a massive playground. There’s so much to do, so many places to go – for someone like me who’s used to provincial towns and small cities, it really all is quite amazing.
I’m determined to make the most of my time in the capital, so will continue touring the many free sights of London Monday to Thursday, before celebrating the end of the working week with a pub lunch on Fridays. I still haven’t seen anyone famous though – not yet anyway.
Saturday, 8 May 2010
The State We're In
We are used to results in Britain. We are used to winners and losers - glorious victory or heroic defeat. That is why nobody, especially not the politicians themselves, is sure what to make of the results of the 2010 UK General Election. Six months ago the Conservatives were expected to walk the election and win a massive majority - all they had to do it seemed was to turn up and they'd win. Then Nick Clegg was being lauded as the new Churchill after a good performance in the first TV debate and some predicted that the Liberal Democrats might even win. Labour were expected to suffer a humiliating defeat and many high-profile MPs were expected to have a 'Portilio moment' and loose their seats."The people have spoken and we don't know what they've said"
- Ed Miliband
But none of the above predictions happened. Instead every party lost, yet they also won. The Conservatives lost because despite Lord Ashcroft's millions, despite backing from nearly all of the UK's media, despite Labour's 13 years in government, despite Gordon Brown's unpopularity, despite the expenses scandal and despite a supposed national apathy with politics they did not win the outright majority that they expected. Yet they won because they gained 97 new MPS and got more votes and seats than any other party. Labour lost because after 13 years in power they lost their majority in the House of Commons. Yet they won because they didn't do as badly as was predicted and the Conservatives did not do as well as was predicted. The Liberal Democrats lost because despite the 'Nick Clegg effect' they had 5 fewer seats than in 2005. Yet they won because more people voted Liberal Democrat than ever before and they are now in unique but agonising position where they hold the balance of power - do they accept David Cameron's deal or support a losing Government?
It is a tough choice because whatever the Liberal Democrats decide it will affect the whole country. If they back the Conservatives and the Tories pass through unpopular cuts to public services then they will bear the brunt of a large part of the public's anger. If they take Gordon Brown's carrot of electoral reform then they will be propping up a losing government and not delivering the change that they promised to the 6.8 million people who voted for them. Perhaps the best thing for them to do would be the most Liberal Democrat thing to do - sit on the fence and don't back either party. Because if the Conservatives form a minority government and start trying to pass unpopular cuts to public services then there will soon be another General Election and the outcome may be very different. Indeed, some have predicted that because of the cuts to public services that will be made, the party that forms a government may be out of power for a generation.
But whatever happens there is still hope for Britain. Turnout at the election was higher than expected, electoral reform is now a serious national issue and everyone seems to be interested in politics again, which can only be a good thing. For years apathy has ruled Britian, this is dangerous because it gives minority parties like the BNP the chance to influence people. Thankfully we are finally realising that politics is important and it is an issue for all of us. This is important because it is only when this happens that ordinary people can start having an influence in politics again and make the politicians do what they're paid to do - work for us.
Tuesday, 6 April 2010
Brown vs Cameron (vs Clegg) Round One
“The purpose of politics is to give people tools to make the most of their lives.”And so it begins. Today Gordon Brown confirmed the worst-kept secret in British politics by announcing that the next General Election will take place on Thursday May 6 2010. All political parties will now spend the next 4 weeks trying to convince us that they will be the ones who will give us the tools to help us to make the most of our lives.
- Bill Clinton
For the first time in a generation the Conservatives are favourites and they certainly have the financial backing - notably the millions from tax-exile Lord Ashcroft, enabling them to spend millions on advertising. They also have the backing of The Sun, the best selling newspaper in Britain, who infamously 'won it' for the Tories with their anti-Labour headlines and stories in 1992.
But it's not just the traditional mediums of billboards, leaflets and tabloid newspapers that will influence the result of the General Election. For the first time the online world is set to play a big role as voters discuss the pros and cons of all parties across the social media of Twitter and Facebook. And in the 21st Century it's not just media-savvy 20 and 30-somethings who use the web to discuss and debate the issues of the day. Political parties are aware of the influence that sites like netmums.com can have and political activists have even been rumoured to have tried to infiltrate the message boards of such sites to try and influence voters.
The 2010 General Election will also see TV debates for the first time. An idea borrowed from American politics in an attempt to help reconnect the nation with politics again. Whether it will work will remain to be seen - the many rules and regulations are likely to prevent any real excitement over these political debates. But if X-Factor, I'm a Celebrity... and a whole host of other reality TV shows have told us anything, it's that people love to vote - if you give them enough encouragement to do it. Perhaps Ant and Dec should be hosting the election - "If you don't want your favourite politician to loose the chance to win the keys to the Number 10 house then vote now. Gordon really doesn't want to leave the house. Remember every vote really does count!"
Whilst they won't be enlisting the help of two Geordie TV presenters, because the election is set to be so tight, all political parties are likely to try almost anything to get us to vote for them. The Conservatives may be ahead in polls but it doesn't mean that a Tory victory is inevitable. The Lib Dems were once seen as wasted vote but the prospect of a hung parliament means that they may have important role to play in the next parliament. But at the end of the day it will be up to us to decide. That's the beauty of democracy and that's something that we seem to have lost touch with. Hopefully the prediction that this election will be genuinely close will help to get us, the apathetic docile masses, to be interested in politics again. Because whatever the outcome of the next election, a national reconnection with politics can only be a good thing.
Friday, 26 March 2010
My Dreams of Being in a Band
"If you don't have a dream, how you gonna make a dream come true?"
- Happy Talk, South Pacific
The
I wasn't exactly a child prodigy when it came to the Beautiful Game - a few seasons at left-back for the 3rd Ipswich Boy's Brigade Junior team was the highlight of my footballing career. I can't remember much from the games, only that I tended to kick the ball out of play when it came near me. What I enjoyed most were not the games themselves but the act of being a footballer. I felt immense pride in pulling on my team's shirt, great enjoyment in singing songs in the minibus on the way to and from games, pleasure in banging the mud out of my football boots and satisfaction in admiring my mud-stained legs in the bath at home. Then I broke my arm and missed my final season playing for the team.
I continued to play football whenever I could but never again played for a representative side. My passion for football was as strong as ever but then I found a new love in life - music. If Italia '90 was my football awakening then the 1995 Brit Awards marked my musical epiphany. Blur cleaned up and what struck me about them was how much fun it looked like they were having - from that moment on I wanted to be in a band. The following Saturday I went out and purchased my first album - Parklife - bought on cassette from WH Smith for £10. I started off by listening to the hits but the rest of the album quickly grew on me and I was hooked. Not only had I discovered a great album but I had found what felt like a key to a whole new world - the world of the music fan. Melody Maker, NME, Steve Lamacq and indie club discos all became important influences in my life.
Like the child who dreams of being a footballer because he plays football all the time, I dreamed of being in a band because I listened to and read about music all the time. Whilst I couldn't play a musical instrument I felt that if I listened to as much different music as possible then I was bound to absorb some of it. Whilst I wanted to write songs, what I dreamed about most was actually being in a band. I watched Starshaped (early 90s film about blur) repeatedly and what I loved the most were not the live performances themselves, but the footage of the band just being a band. Singing on the tour bus, messing around at service stations, jumping into rivers together - that was I wanted to do.
My icon for who I wanted to be when I was 16 was Alex James. I studied every word of his tales of drunkenness and Soho life in the mid-90s - it was the template for how I wanted to live my life. I had 2 pictures of Alex on my bedroom wall - one was the above one of him looking like the coolest person in the world, the other was of him drinking champagne out of a bottle. It was the champagne one I liked best - highlighting how I wanted to be in a band as opposed to wanting to be a musician. I first saw blur live at V97 and my first thought was 'oh my god I can see Alex James'. Damon was great, leading the performance, but Alex was faultlessly cool throughout.
Three years later I finally made the leap into the world of the band when I started creating music with my 2 closest friends. I played keyboards because they seemed like the easiest instrument to play - all the notes are in order and you can create interesting sounds relatively easily. Like many unsuccessful bands we spent far to much time arguing about unimportant things - band names, what type of record label we'd sign to, would we write credits on our first album sleeve - than doing the important things - learning how to play our instruments better and writing more songs together. Looking back it was because I was trying to live the dream rather than make the dream a reality. The band disbanded after just over a year and while I spent the next few years dreaming that we'd re-start our musical careers, it never happened.
Last year I found the original 4-track recordings of our demos. Listening back to them I'm immensely proud of what we did create - 10 years on the songs haven't aged and if anything they sound better than I could remember. It's because of this that I regret that we never pursued it further - if we had applied ourselves better, practiced harder and more often, then something might have become of it. The Stone Roses and Blur are two of the best bands of the last 25 years and are packed full of once-in-a-generation musicians but they only achieved their success by being incredibly dedicated and practicing constantly.
In the early 2000s my brother was the drummer in a pub-rock band and his band did practice hard - to the point where they could perform most of the pub-rock classics to perfection. I was frustrated with them because they had the talent that I lacked but did not have the ambition that I had. Looking back they only had the talent because they practiced at it. Still I was proud to be associated with them and took great pride in loading and unloading his drum kit from the car before and after gigs and practice sessions. However small it was, I enjoyed the 'I'm with the band' feeling that all roadies must get - that's probably why they hang about on stage so much.
My brother's band eventually went their separate ways and he gave up drumming - something I have had a go at him about ever since. Last November he finally said that he'd take up drumming again if I learnt to play the guitar - something that I had never managed after 2 unsuccessful attempts in my teens. So I bought the best value beginner's guitar on the market and now I practice whenever I have some spare time. I can only play few chords clearly, but it's more than I could do before. Whether I get to the standard that I could actually play in a band will depend on how much time I devote to it but just playing a musical instrument again will do for now. It won't stop me dreaming though.
My brother's band eventually went their separate ways and he gave up drumming - something I have had a go at him about ever since. Last November he finally said that he'd take up drumming again if I learnt to play the guitar - something that I had never managed after 2 unsuccessful attempts in my teens. So I bought the best value beginner's guitar on the market and now I practice whenever I have some spare time. I can only play few chords clearly, but it's more than I could do before. Whether I get to the standard that I could actually play in a band will depend on how much time I devote to it but just playing a musical instrument again will do for now. It won't stop me dreaming though.
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Why I Write
"We are what we repeatedly do, therefore excellence is not an act but a habit."
- Aristotle.
I started this blog in 2006 when I was halfway through a Communication Studies degree and wanted to write for the web. I took a module which was taught by a Cambridge web design company and called, appropriately, 'Writing for the Web', and this blog was born. My last post was over 2 years ago when I was unemployed and had just lost my first paid writing job - I was unsure of my future but used my frustrations with the job interview process as a creative force for writing something that many job applicants could relate to. I was fortunate enough that my endeavours paid off and I got another writing job - just like my first, it was for a website. While I'm incredibly grateful to be get paid for something I like doing, I seem to have lost the enjoyment of writing and have lost touch with why I wanted to write in the first place.
The best way for a writer to improve is to read lots, write lots and share their writing with other writers. I haven't had much time for any of these lately and as a result have lost confidence in my writing ability. I have also lacked inspiration - nothing has driven me to force myself to write something, anything. But I have missed writing creatively and recognise that is something that I need to do.
I think of the writers who inspire me most and I can only marvel at the dedication they had to their craft - they all became excellent writers because they wrote all the time and were completely obsessed by it. I love the passion and sheer bloody mindedness of Charles Bukowski who never compromised his artistic integrity. I love the creativity, horror and dark humour of Irvine Welsh, who for me is the best fiction writer of the last 25 years. But for sheer writing ability, structure and effectiveness I admire George Orwell - creator of 2 masterpieces of fiction and countless excellent observations of the world he lived in - from The Road to Wigan Pier to Down and Out in Paris and London. For me, there is no better writer.
Poetry is not a form of writing I have particularly explored but Paul Sarrington (a writing friend of mine) is, in my opinion, a very good poet. I would like to end this article with one of his poems about writers:
I’m a writer.
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