Indiaaaah

I feel so remiss for not sharing my wonderful Indian experience with you all. So here you are, with no further ado, and no futher commentary, some pics from far away places. Ask me questions if you want to know more.

Px

I have no idea what this is about

But someone else might: Australian sportsmen wearing skimpy clothes.

Dear friends

Please read the comments section of this Surrey Comet article. You will be truly rewarded.

Christ Almighty

The celebrated quadragenarian Mr Bartley Shaw Esq. suggests that for our next read we might like to have a go at the Gospels concerning the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ Almighty, and what more appropriate subject for this time of year, say I. However, let's have none of this modern nonsense and the awful wishy-washy Anglican-lite socks-and-sandals rubbish of the New English Bible (1970). Instead, how about William Tyndale's stirring New Testament of 1526?

'I defy the Pope and all his laws, and if God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the plough shall know more of the scripture than thou dost.' I think we can all agree with that.

William Tyndale's New Testament, £3.99 at Play.com

It might be a good idea to do this on the Feast of Epiphany which this year falls on a Saturday. Uncanny.

Look away, Lynne Truss, look away

Wandering through the blogs this afternoon instead of doing what I'm paid for, I found:

1. A Flickr set of photos of signs in which quotation marks are used inappropriately. Or should that be signs in which "quotation" marks are "used" inappropriately?

2. Also at Flickr, signs with dodgy apostrophe's.

Fireworks

See?!

So what is all this 2012 business?

Hey -- this is a bit of a back burner. Certainly don't want to force upon anyone events which will trigger mass hairwashing or other such eco disasters.

I sometimes cycle around the 'Bow Back Waters' partly out of it being a nearby, erm, nature spot to Hackney, but also to educate myself on the extent of the planned Olympic develpments. I've remarked to Trevor that this area holds the same fascination for me that pre and post Wall areas of Berlin have. Veritable no-man's land whose topography will be rewritten within our lifetime... in the next six years actually if they don't fuck it up. Which they will, but that's another subject altogether. Whether you're pro or anti all the 2012 hype, there's a lot of change on the way.

I've cobbled together some aerial photos from work along with some bits from 'Hackney Today's' Olympic maps in an attempt to show future and current realities. In the area itself there are paths you can walk or cycle that really are quite surprising, and additional journeys can be made up to Hackney/Walthamstow Marshes or down to Docklands near the modernist Thames Barrier Park. The latter path is the 'Greenway' which is an elevated path above the Victorian sewer crafted by one Joseph Bazalgette which extrudes the shit of the metropolis through East London. I find amusing [more so than necessary] that in our modern era one Peter Bazalgette is responsible for bringing 'Big Brother' to this country. Could the two possibly be related? Or just a scatological coincidence?

Remembering the hairwashing fiasco, I'm not suggesting an actual date for these Stratford-and-beyond excursions, but just thought I'd add it to the burgeoning cultural agenda.

xkev, your East London correspondent

Roxy

Stephen draws this to our attention and it looks absolutely brilliant. When are we all free?

The Roxy is open from 11am - 11pm daily.
There are no entry fees for any of the screenings. Roxy Bar & Screen is an independent bar / restaurant / screening venue.

'A unique new venue for London Bridge, a relaxed, friendly atmosphere for customers to enjoy good food and drink in stylish surroundings. The menus have a wide selection, are good value-for-money and will change on a regular basis.'

'With the 4m screen in the back area we aim to create an informal screening venue for customers to enjoy screenings with their drink/dinner. Discover and enjoy the pick of recent films, cutting-edge audiovisual work and performances from the world's leading VJs. The venue has a capacity of approx 200 and seats around 110.'

Is it the British influence?

Via unfogged:

Have you heard about the Disney orgy? It's Disneyland staff dressed in costumes of Disney favourites Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Goofy pretending to have sex in a variety of kinky poses ... "It's Disney characters as you've never seen them before. Goofy grabs Minnie's boobs but the highlight has to be Mickey's gay romp."

And yes, video here.

Food and drink festival bleg

("Bleg" = to beg on a blog)

Emergency query from my lovely friend Jill immediately below. If any of you globetrotting gourmands/drunks can help, fire away in comments!

Do you know of any great food or drink festivals, anywhere in the world, any time of year? I have to do a feature very quickly with a calendar of worldwide gourmet festivals. Exhibitions don't count. Any help much appreciated. I'm particularly looking for non-UK festivals.

Remember, Remember the 25th of November

Along with my very good friend, Bridget, I offer you good company and a swell time for all in celebration of 40 fine years in this very fine land.

Where? Upstairs at The Bear, St. John's Square, Clerkenwell, EC1M 4DE
When? Saturday 25 November, 8pm to 2am

Loved ones and potential fossils, naturally more than welcome.

xx

Psychogeography

Dear urban adventurers,

Here is Richard Blome's 1664 map of London. Why don't we go on a bike ride around the edges of the old city? Should be fun. Christ knows when though. How about this Sunday the 15th if the weather's good?

Inspired by the UCL Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis here is an overlay of 1664 and the city as it is now.


Here's what the City would have looked like if John Evelyn had had his way after the Great Fire. Modern. And we would have kept the Fleet River overground.

Simon Breed at the Corsica Arts Club

Oi! Arts lovers. This from the Corsica Arts Club website:

'The Corsica Arts Club is a part of Corsica Studios and provides a platform for performance and exhibition. It aims to create a new social and cultural focal point for the Elephant & Castle and the Borough of Southwark as well as encouraging existing and new audiences into the area.

From October 2004 The Corsica Arts Club offers its members a weekly programme of art, music, talks, book launches, DJ evenings and performances. We are currently concentrating our programming on two main events, Cabaret Sauvignon, a bi-monthly performance and music evening and The Night Gallery a quarterly multi-media arts exhibtion. If you are interested in submitting work, proposing an idea for other events or hiring the gallery please contact us.'

To become a member send your full contact details to membership@corsicastudios.com

Now then. This Sunday night 8th October at 8pm my lovely neighbour who is the singer/songwriter Simon Breed and the other half of the lovely Alice who you met at our coctelopera is performing with Gallon Drunk and Gin Palace at the Corsica Studios, Unit 5, Farrell Court Elephant Road London SE17 1LB. Click on the map to enlarge.

Also, next Thursday 12th October, Simon and band will be headlining the JOHN PEEL DAY gig at THE LEGION, 348 Old Street EC1. For reduced admission email breedgig@hotmail.com with the header LEGION GIG.

Yearn to Herne

This for all chums whose emails I seem not to have in my contacts...

Hope y'all will be there...

Will be such fun.

Px

Hmmm... text not come out well, but essential details:

Half Moon Pub, Herne Hill
Saturday 21st October
9pm until 2am
Choons and fun.

Shameless Eco Advert

Hey guys -- Trevor and Toni will know that I have waxed lyrical [if not operatically] about the car club I belong to. I'm not sure why I get so excited about it as really it's just a new way to hire a car. I guess I like it because it works pretty well, it has very hi-tech Oysteresque cards you wave at the windscreens of shiny new VW Golfs, those Golfs are located within half a mile or so where you all live [ok, a mile if you're in Camberwell] and if you are renting for a very short amount of time or distance it's really cost effective at £4.95/hour including first 30 miles -- additional miles at 19 pence and no charge for petrol. Their web interface, through which you book the cars, is good looking, easy to operate and sensibly written. AND, if two of you join and give my name as the refering Streetcar member ['how did you hear about Streetcar?'], I get 50 quid in theatre tokens, that is if you do this by 12 Nov. Tokens aside, have a look anyway at the site: www.streetcar.co.uk and post any questions you might have about it to the blog. Downsides? I suppose the initial committment you need to make is the £150 deposit they take off your card when you join but that is refundable if you leave and that is the only membership cost, as it were. Beep beep.

Doss Serveythath Poor Favoor

Awww, we had to come back from out little log cabin hideaway in Ibiza... but we had another lovely time at Camping Cala Nova Playa, (oo, ah) Es Canar. Here's a few photos of our gleeful smiles... OK, so you are seeing, in no apparent order:

(i) the Ibiza survival pack, plus Ibiza scenic scene.
(ii) Alison, drinking so deeply of happiness that it's sucked right out of an innocent bysitter (it's the sardinas).
(iii) Noel, drinking equally deeply... spot the difference, Noel? (they don't call me the doctor for nothing!)
(iv) Gary, cunningly caught in the act of adoring Lesley.
(v) Me as Matador, er, kind of.
(vi) Paul, with well greased hair and nipple... about to be dragged off the scene apparently.
(vii) Yinka - who didn't want it known that he does washing up - doing the washing up... he had to find some way to pay for all the designer bags he bought in Ibiza Town, I guess.
(viii) Tracey and Anna, caught with their pants on.
(ix) Lucas, snogging some German bird.

Roll on next year.

Px

Grupo de libros

I suggest Amsterdam, winner of the 1998 Booker Prize, as the first choice for our group. Kevin B, Bartley and me hammered out a very equitable founding charter at The Coach and Horses on Tuesday night and it goes like this:

We meet every six weeks. The host chooses the book, and provides the dinner. The guests bring the drinks. At the end of every dinner the next book (and host) is chosen in an exciting tombola draw. Come ready with your book choice. There's no restriction on when the book was published, or what genre it is. Fiction, non-fiction, popular fiction, chick lit, children's, romance, sci-fi, horror, biography, er, Hegel, praps not.

So then, all back to mine on November 3rd for an evening of literary high jinks, no-brow discussion, heart-felt argument and narrative how's your father. Kick-off 7pm, dinner at 8.30. Bring a bottle of your favourite. Nothing red, alright, go on then, since I have finally discovered juice drink nirvana in the form of Pomegranate and Blueberry - delicious!



RSVP

That French Champagne

This, courtesy of Unfogged. Thanks very much. Mwa-hah.

How to Live

Whilst most people have answered this question by going to Ibiza, those of us left behind might want to ponder it at the Barbican between September 20th and 23rd. Any enthusiasts for the doyenne of theatrical domesticity herself, Ms Bobby Baker?

Bobby Baker in How to Live
20 - 23 September 2006 / 19:45
Barbican Theatre

Tickets: £7 12 16 21 26

'Bobby Baker once more seeks to answer the question that has been vexing the minds of our greatest thinkers for thousands of years – how to live? Here she opens up her unique Therapy Empire offering a set of life-changing techniques in a show guaranteed to affect ordered and disordered minds alike. Using state-of-the-art technology and remarkable special effects, How To Live features a live ‘open session’ with one of Baker’s many patients, a frozen pea. Watch the pea as it learns new skills to cope with its problems.'

Don't miss Bobby Baker in conversation about human rights and mental health with journalist Jon Snow on 21 September.

Running time: 75 mins / no interval

Listen to Bobby Baker on Woman's Hour

Does what it says on the tin

Message from Stevie:

'Now this is what I call blogging.'

Most Boring Blog in Universe

Going anywhere nice? (part three)

Let's go to Granada. Here's the plan in its various forms:

Departure Stansted Thursday November 9th at 17:50, arrive 21:35.
Return Sunday November 12th at 22:00, arrive Stansted 23:45.
Price including taxes = £46.28.

Departure Stansted Friday November 10th at 17:50, arrive 21:35.
Return Sunday November 12th at 22:00, arrive Stansted 23:45.
Price including taxes = £46.28.

Blimey. Cheap flights here: Ryanair
Hotels/apartments here: SOL.com, CasaSpain.com and GranadaInfo
Offset carbon emissions here: NativeEnergy.com
Other emissions here: GayGranada

Going anywhere nice? (part two)

Jd's post below has set me thinking. You know how everyone always complains that there's no politics in Pride anymore? Well, let's go to Riga Pride next year and support our brothers and sisters there. Here's a report about July's Pride March from the ILGA website:

"RIGA - A total of 14 people have been detained for attacks on representatives of sexual minorities in the Latvian capital Riga on Saturday during the gay and lesbian pride festival.

National Police spokeswoman Sintija Kajina told the Baltic News Service that 13 of the detainees face administrative charges, while a criminal proceeding will be started against one person who was detained. The charges stem from an attack on gay and lesbian people who attended a service at the Anglican Church in Riga as part of the Friendship Days festival held last week.

An angry crowd threw tomatoes, eggs, and excrement at people entering the church service. Later, they threw eggs and splashed water on a taxi in which Swedish participants of the Latvian gay festival were travelling to the airport. The taxi was chased on its way to the airport, and attempts were made to push it off the road."

They can't push everyone off the road and shit comes out after a couple of washes. It'll be a laugh. Or perhaps a fight. Or both.

Riga Pride 2006

Calls to ChildLine about homophobia and homophobic bullying

Remember all those mornings you've woken up and asked yourself, "I wonder what children who call ChildLine say about their experiences of homophobia and homophobic bullying?" Well, wonder no more - I've finished my mini-report on that issue, and it's available here (top link), along with some pieces I've done on other issues.

The report has received very good reviews from Stonewall and EACH (Educational Action Challenging Homophobia), both of whom are now working with ChildLine in various capacities as a result of it, so that's good.

Don't be shy about having a look if you have the time. It's mostly direct quotes from kids who call ChildLine, which makes it non-academic and easy to read. I would be interested in comments, should you have any.

Reading material

If anybody ever wants to go to any of the events at Crockatt and Powell on Lower Marsh or at The Calder Bookshop on The Cut then just say the word. C&P recently had that Zadie Smith talking about her Orange Prize winner On Beauty.

Any more votes for unread novels that might form the basis of a book group? Currently, only Amsterdam by Ian McEwan gets votes. What I Loved by Siri Hustvedt and When I Lived in Modern Times by Linda Grant are supposed to be good and there's stuff on the 2005 Booker Prize longlist that is nagging away.