best Sunday song ever- today

mixed tapes

I remember (here we go, I feel already your eyes glazing over reaching for the skip button) the days when cassettes ruled, aa batteries mattered and a good way to spend an afternoon was to hunch over the radio and tape songs. Mixed tapes took a good deal of time, and where are they now?

Well, online of course indulgent? Perhaps, but lets give the guy some credit. Come on feel the noise after Eat it? classic eighties.

However if you want to get some mixed tape CD's - Join this facebook group- if the link works, (if not generic search engine is yr friend)
Love is A Mixed Tape I do it, you do not often get what you put in, but I love it.

New music Day

Just spending the day finding some new music, and adding here in case you were wondering how 2011 is working out

Spot The Tox Competition

ok, first to spot the first Tox11 gets a prize.

Back to the Future

Is it me, or is this just ridiculously familiar. The family genes run strong. I thought I would put this in so I dont have to search the net every time I want to bore-amaze people with this photo.

Shard Watch

New Year, New Mirrors.

That's enough from you. You don't write, you don't call, you think a face book status update is enough to sustain this sort of relationship? well its not bucko.

Here we are then, and I will let you into a secret, I am to write in here once a week. There I have put it down in this internet thing here- (interesting things machine) and I am bound to it. If I don't do it then I look like the sort of person who makes resolutions and then disregards them! I will be like a leper. Or a wolf. Yes a lone wolf.

I am making this easy on myself by dedicating this entry to shard watch. Now if you were lucky enough to sit next to me at work, you would know that I am deeply impressed at the changing of the London skyline by the shard. Now London is always changing- cranes and scaffolding cover most of the west end at any given time, but something so startling as this mammoth building does not happen everyday. Now I am not going to bore you with the nuts and bolts about it. But I am going to show you the three pictures I have taken it this last weekend.




There you have it. I will keep you updated with Shard Watch when blog inspiration runs thin.

Holiday in Cornwall

Choosing to use up your allocated holiday time to holiday in the UK in June is fraught with issues. Mainly- unpredictable weather.
We dithered too long deliberating about the ash cloud and the potential to be spending too much time in an airport, awaiting air space to open up that by the time we were looking at flights or the eurostar prices were soaring. So we thought we would go through with a plan that we had always wanted to do, which is camp-hike around the Cornish Coast.

I am very pleased we did, because in the most part, the weather was perfect, the people friendly, the camping splendid and the landscape fantastic.

We caught the train to Penzance, laden down with out packs with 2 hours to spare until the next bus we caught a beer and L. had her very first "Rattler" a Cornish Cider with a kick of around 7%.


We stayed in Sennen Cove camp ground, which was a 3 minute walk to the beach.
We began the walk the very next morning, as the morning mist began to lift. The sky was grey and rain was promised so we were not expecting much. During the short spring many rare flowers bloom, and the start of our walk took longer than it needed to be as we took shot after shot of small flowers.
Although we werent to know it, this was to be our longest walk, heading around Lands end to Treen.



And once we were in Treen we didnt want to leave! Firstly because of the campsite, it was ace, if we set up tent away from the shelter of the hedges we would wake up and see the Ocean! The End Of Land!
Next day the rain hit the tent so hard the tent door was laid concave by the force of it.
We stayed within its walls and the pubs.

Margate

Never ask Londoners about Margate. Man they do not like it. not one bit.
However, this strange corner of England is peaceful and optimistic. They told us the waterfront were offering a years free rent for new businesses. Take from that what you will but there were very good businesses around.
And the best fish and chips I have tasted here. Dont get me started on the Shell Grotto.

What is this?

Fuck, havent posted since Feb? Whats that about. How many things have I done that I have missed out?
well i never remember stuff really. I am a man of the moment. A man of a moment. Have you read Imagica? The main characters "Gentle" and "Judith" are cursed to walk through life never remembering more than ten years. They are gorgeous magnetic folk, who do not need to do much to have people rushing around them, helping them out. But Gentle reminds me a little of me sometimes, as it takes a reminder usually before I recall. She turns out to be a fake btw, half fish. You know the type.

Lets see if I can remind my self of something to tell you about.
By Photo.
Well I still live in London. London loves to slip between seasons, but when it gets them, it wears them well. Winter just kept up, bringing with it snow, wind, early nights which always bring accessable sunsets.

Throughout 2010 I have been to many wine tastings. These are some great wines.



2010 sounds old already. 2014 sounds like its never going to come. A time of the future that is lost to me. If I die before then, mark these words.
L& I went camping. We want to go camping in portugal in a couple of months.
We went to the new forest, its about an hour or so from London, however trains are fucken expensive. Get your self a rail card and it saves you and three others 30% off each tx. thats good. This place in Brokenhurst has horses everywhere. its weird. but fun. we woke up to see loads of horses around us. Dont feed them all the signs say. But the little bastards can't read and try to intimidate you.

My favorite London Wineshops

Lets see how far this post goes haha.

SO I thought that I might post all my favorite Wine shops. I dont know how many favorites I actually do have, so that may take some research :)

This one if ace! Situated in this crazy haven of the middleclasses, The Winery sits happily next to a deli, fancy furniture store and baby boutique, opposite an organic butcher so you can get all your middleclass wares, cheese wine baby gifts and steak (£33 pounds a kilo for Sirloin- 8.95 per kg for a shoulder of lamb). But do not judge it by its street! The staff take time and care on their recomendations, will give history lessons (it use to be a chemist) and go to many of the winerys themselves to choose which vintages to take.

Band club

Went to see shrag last night, these guys supported, they were nice. Guitar layers with keyboards, a sort of post rock J/D-ish bass and a singer not entirely unlike Julie Cruise and Portisheads love child.

But the main drawcard is Shrag. These guys are just fun. You would like to hang out with them, i am loathe to type the word sassy, but these guys (last bastions of the "dont call me twee" kids) are tie your springs to your shoes fun.

well initial upload does not seem successful. will work on this any way.

Bo Ningen

We were the first to arrive to the Bo Ningen gig at the corsica studios, Elephant and Castle. London is cold this time of year, so to starve off the freeze we mimed the sort of djs we would be.

The gig was full of the youth, apparently this is where they go out. The bill is quite eclectic between hip hop and japanese doom folk so I don't know who they are here to see. It never becomes clear because every possible cranny and nook is full of people.

I squeeze myself to the dance floor and take this footage. its awesome so turn it up and watch it all!

Two Thousand and Ten starts with double duvets!

Here we are then. Arthur C Clarke time!

Oh and its cold. Boiler seems to be playing up so we have to grab the spare duvet for the bed! grim.

Below I present you with the first photo of the year.




you all know the story right? well, I felt ashamed of myself as I excitedly went to spot the new "release" of Banksy- I don't realy like him myself, I mean some of them are awesome, but - the whole "save our banksy shit pisses me off. its just graffiti and the very act of it means that you should deface it. which this one is a prime example.
Any way, its down the road from my house so why not right?

right.

2010.
the year starts with clubs coming back. and all clubs start with this blog.

Went to the Heath today with Z. The coldest Winter in 30 years makes it look fantastic.

chutney oclock

L.'s Chutney recipe

1kg tomatoes, roughly chopped
200g shallots, roughly chopped
1 big English cooking apple, peeled, cored and chopped
100g Sultanas
spices (salt pepper all spice) 1/2 t each
2 red chillies, deseeded & chopped
2.5cm bit of ginger
125g dark brown sugar
100g light brown sugar
300ml white wine vinegar

Cook the sugar and vinegar down for a while. Add the sultanas and cook for a bit longer. Then the rest of ingredients cook on the stove for about 45mins on a lowish heat, uncovered. Add more spices/seasoning to taste and pour into sterilized jars. Keep until Christmas then eat with cheese.

Steak Club

Its a simple dream. A search for the finest plate of steak served ever. EVER!

Our first steak club met in the cobbled streets of East London, we walked through London Fields to the closed Broadway Market to Buen Ayre

I shared a plate with D. with a 12oz Sirloin and a 10oz rib eye, two sausages, black pudding and a slice of houlami. It was an excellent steak.

The restaurant was tricky to book, had to pay 10 pounds a head deposit but if you wanted to do it over the phone, you could only do that when the restaurant wasnt open for service... Over the phone they seemed a lot more regimental than in practice.

The mean of the scores were:
Rate your steak: 3.98/5
Rate the restaurant: 3.38

The first steak club team.


For a random selection of steak shots, each steak club I shall take a photo of the person to my right. Here E. enjoys a sirloin...

Lizzie on the Plinth!

London, half one on a Wednesday morning in October. I tell you what, there's not a lot to do in Leicester Square! This is one of the only places open, and was thoroughly worth it. It should be on a things to do when in London list.

Then L went on the Plinth! How awesome is that? pretty damn cool. I was jealously taking photos around and shivering while at it! Maybe I wasnt that jealous to be up there in the cold, but what a view! Lucky L!

"history is always the first to go"

One of the best things about London has to be the ICA.

L & I do day dream about what the best thing that our combined talents could ever come up with, and it would be direct competition to the ICA. Our bar would be better and there would be somewhere for local kids to learn how to make music/ films but this place is pretty awesome. Great films, great talks, a fiver on Mondays- bring it on!

We spent last Tuesday watching Joe Sacco, author and artist of Palestine. I am ashamed to say (but not too proud to admit) that its pretty musch all I know about the place! I know! anyway, he spoke at length about his style -no computers- ink and pen, what he has seen and hasnt seen. Its just amazing to see someone speak about his life and be soooo moved and inspired, its a shame I can not draw I thought! but then, what sort of comic would my day make? well I am sure I could write it well.... you want to hear? see- its another thing! haha, this guy just up and took himself to an area he was upset to here about to see it for himself.


I am upset to hear about the shoddy infrastructure that led to the Vector being commisioned for the UK army, but none thought about the supply of parts. apparently (bbc4) it couldnt be fully loaded or the wheels fell off, and by licence they couldnt buy spare parts from the us company that supplied it because their initial contract with the U.S. meant they get first served. Uk are dropping them after only an couple of years in service. In this day in age that is a disgrace (and i know i have to stop talking now because I believe soldiers are as good as dead when they sign up- and if they live to leave,it is a miracle! but to die in todays age of planning because of faulty vehicles, in a place that the uk has fought in for how many years???.... and I am not going over there to make a comic/ film about it. so hats off to Jo.

Tomorrow might be the most exciting day of my life, with the Pixies followed by L. on the plynth! can you belive it?! I cant...
another wine I think as I turn over Dolittle on the record player.

TV at work.

This is the second every 21:9 telly to come into England, and one of 6 in Europe at the moment. At around 6 grand it offers cinema like viewing for the first time. Apparently 16:9 is technology borne of a mistake. That the basic crt started at 4:3 and everytime they tried to bring it back to 21:9 the tube imploded. They bought it back and back and back until it did not implode and that was 16:9!

All the above information was given to me by this silver fox holding court below.

Here we see 3D television. It's actually amazing!

mushrooms and chestnuts

Hampstead Heath. Its pretty much London's window into the past. We all know that Lewis came here, saw a gas lit lamp in the snow, went home and wrote that wonderful scene- we know that Spacey lost his phone while innocently taking his ailing dog on it's walk. But its possible to forget the sirens and shoulders of London here- and everyone is on their best behavior.

I walked the park by myself and found some orange and green places, mushrooms and chestnuts, pathways and dead ends.
Here are some photos of them.

open house London

For those of you who haven't been to London- the Lloyds building has a mostly aluminium alien feel to it, with its exoskeleton type lifts that ferry suits up the sides of its building and the feeling that you really can't just go in and say hello, that stands in the city of London proudly, mostly inaccessible.




Except once a year. When London opens it's doors to the public, who usually queue for streets, and these days with their canons, sonys and ngati Nikon at hand. That was this weekend just passed! hey- who am I not to grab my camera and q with the rest of them!



L. and I were constantly amazed at the history of the place, despite its ultra (80's) modern exterior. The Adam room for instance had been bought in auction and moved twice, (by the same firm- 200 years apart!). A quick note on Lloyds- they underwrite insurance companys, and pay out when they have to pay out huge sums.
They paid out for the Titanic!!

(open this photo large and you should be able to see the entry!- They still operate this loss book, which is still written - currently by this guy!- with a quill!




You have to keep reminding your self that its a place of business, a busy marketing floor with people negotiating insurance prices, and even through the tourist-murmur song you could hear the ghost chatter of a thousand voices ringing through the sound of coins piling up > bullion even!!


Historically- when a ship would sink- they would ring the bell once- (i hope this is right)- and when they found it again, they would ring it twice. Now days this bell is rung mostly as a mark of two minutes silence for a catastrophe. David here rang it for Sept 11th.



It is a lovely building, and its a fantastic time - I guess i wish that I went to more, but if you were to go to one, then it wasnt a bad one to do.