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Sunday, June 26, 2016
Within Greater London, Havering has always been different. Home to many of the white working class who left the East End when others moved in, its estates and towns often feel more like Essex, and many of the residents wish it still was. In the Brexit referendum 70% of its residents voted to Leave, whereas the majority of London voted firmly to Remain. It's also one of the few parts of the capital where they celebrate Armed Forces Day, in which respect it's utterly normal for England, and the majority of London is out of step.
Armed Forces Day has been held on the last Saturday in June since 2009. Its aim is to encourage the public to show their support for the armed forces and all they do, and is intended as a counterpart to Remembrance Day by focusing on those who are very much still alive.
Yesterday morning in Romford they marched through the pedestrian precinct from South Street to the top of the market, then attended a reception on the lawn outside the town hall. The parade group was impressively long, led by The Royal British Legion Band & Corps Of Drums, immaculately turned out in their Victorian-style white helmets. As they formed up outside Santander a small group of onlookers assembled, some deliberately, others taking time from shopping to pay their respects. Some had brought small children and flags, others reversed in on their mobility scooters, and one was reading her victorious copy of The Sun.
A big cheer went up when the veterans emerged from a sidestreet and marched past, the vast majority of them over 70 and in full medalled jackets, but one much younger lad in a polo shirt walking on two prosthetic legs. Behind them came a sequence of young cadets, locally sourced, from the Air Training Corps and the volunteer police, arms swinging almost perfectly together. And then came the Brownies, which at first I found somewhat unnerving, until I remembered that this was a celebration rather than a show of force.
The pace was brisk. Within five minutes the band had reached the market, marching up the main avenue between stalls draped with St George's Cross bunting. Because we're in the middle of Euro 2016 it's hard to know how much is temporary, but the Union Jacks on the leather belt stall weren't football related, and I suspect the fishmonger always flies one of each. Again the veterans earned applause and the remainder of the parade earned respect, as the two hundred or so participants passed by.
Romford's ring road then conspired to force the parade through a subway, which isn't the most respectful way to carry on. The flagbearers dropped their poles, and a bunch of shoppers wandered the other way having not been made aware what they were blundering into. The far side of the subway's no beauty spot but has been named Ludwigshafen Place after Romford's German twin town, a reminder of the importance of friendship in the aftermath of conflict. And then finally the parade broke step to climb two ramps beside the roundabout to the finale.
The brass band got to circle the lawn twice, whereas the veterans were allowed to walk straight into the central marquee and take their plastic seats. Once the cadets had lined up in front of the town hall and been suitably shouted at, and the Brownies followed in behind, the great and good of the town of Romford emerged from beneath the roundabout. The mayor smiled broadly in her red cloak, while a rather portly attendant carried the council mace. The town crier held back briefly, bedecked in a rather splendid blue robe and tricorn hat, gold bell in hand. And that was when I suddenly saw the man with the t-shirt.
I had to read the t-shirt twice because I didn't believe anyone would wear it in public. The wearer was clearly delighted with the outcome of the referendum, because the top line of the slogan said YES! WE WON! But the continuation was chilling, not so much a message of intolerance as an outpouring of hate, implying that there was now legitimate recourse to SEND THEM BACK. Who 'they' were wasn't specified, nor whether 'back' meant Europe or beyond, but a despicable implication was clear.
One of the official civic party, a tall balding gentleman in a grey suit, stopped to chat to the t-shirt wearer. Not only did they seem to get on well, but the dignitary smiled and put his arm around the man's shoulder before moving on. I think this chilled me more, a tacit acceptance from someone in authority that such racist thinking was to be applauded. And this t-shirt had already been paraded around the shops, as a blue carrier bag made clear, its offensive message seen by many of the 'them' who make Havering their home.
As the man in the t-shirt walked up to join the spectators behind the barrier, I snatched a photo. When I looked at it afterwards it appeared that the police were standing back and doing nothing, although the camera angle suggests they wouldn't have seen the front of the t-shirt, which just shows how easy it is to jump to conclusions without stopping to think. And then I tweeted it, lining it up behind two photos of the parade proper to help ensure the entire event wasn't tarred with the same brush.
And that went viral. Buzzfeed noticed, and the Huffington Post, and even Sky journo Kay Burley (yes, all with attribution), and hundreds of thousands of people saw what I'd taken. The vast majority were appalled, which was reassuring, or else were unduly preoccupied by the state of the man's hair. The right half of his head was shaved bald while the left had grown out, like some demi-skinhead, which evidently isn't a hairstyle that gets you taken seriously.
Did they send back his hairdresser half way through this haircut?I've been swimming through Twitter notifications all day, I've never experienced anything like it. Thankfully I've received an absolute minimum of venom and trolling, although a deputy headteacher from Worcester did send me a direct message telling me I was utterly despicable for my racism and offensive behaviour, and should grow up, before blocking me.
When you have to cut short a trip to the barbers to be racist somewhere
When you're halfway through your haircut and your barber tells you about his boyfriend Piotr
His hairstyle is a metaphor for the result. Maybe he asked for a '52:48'?
One side of his hair left, the other remained.
It's been comforting to know that Britain finds this t-shirt as repugnant as you'd hope, and that displays of naked intolerance haven't become the norm. But this kind of thinking is out there, more openly than before the Brexit vote, in what's a highly worrying turn of events. And I need to close by reminding you that just because this idiot was spotted in Romford doesn't mean that everyone in Romford is an idiot, because that's the kind of thoughtless generalisation that got us into this mess in the first place.
posted 07:00 :
Saturday, June 25, 2016If you want your launch event completely overshadowed, schedule it for the day of a referendum. Or maybe that's the very best day of all, the eye of the political hurricane when all the euro-hoohah pauses, allowing other news stories to break through. Here are two big debuts, a hundred metres apart, in the Olympic Park.
Firstly, The Slide.
The Orbit has been very much a white elephant since it was added late to the Olympic Park skyline, and has struggled to attract visitors in large numbers. It's been hard to convince people to pay good money to see views of Stratford, even with the Olympic Stadium nextdoor, and even cutting the admission price/creating an annual pass/adding a bit of abseiling hasn't helped. The sticking plaster is a dramatic one - the world's longest tunnel slide - and might finally be enough to entice the public inside. It's been designed by Carsten Höller, who specialises in this kind of thing, and promises riders a 40 second descent at up to 15 miles per hour. How could an adrenalin junkie possibly resist?
The slide opened to the public on Friday, but they sent a load of journalists down it on Thursday, because no media outlet ever turns down the opportunity to whizz down a giant corkscrew for free. Back in 2012 they'd have written about their experience in excitable terms, but this is 2016 so instead they strapped video cameras to their bodies and let the journey do the talking. Some pointed it down, so you could experience the twisty rush into darkness with spluttered commentary, and others pointed it up, so you could watch the look on their faces as they sped, dropped, turned and shrieked.
The shrieks are quite audible from outside, even from standing outside the compound on the grass. It is just possible that the media sent their shriekiest journos on this assignment, but rest assured that this is no fairground helter skelter. They make you wear an unfetching helmet and padded sleeves before you set off, and there are some particularly steep bits on the corkscrew down. You also have to be at least 1.3m in height, and at least eight years old, and no more than 22 stone in weight, otherwise presumably there's a risk of doing an Augustus Gloop part way down. But be warned it's a lousy spectator sport, bar the occasional whizzy glimpse through one of the few windows in the curly tube.
All this positive publicity and the promise of excitement seems to have worked. The next week is fully booked, and all the weekend slots are taken for a month, which at the Orbit is unheard of. There are still loads of £10 tickets to simply go up to the top and look at the view, if anyone's still interested, but the £5 slide top-ups have rather less availability. How fitting that on the day the ex-Mayor's political destiny was sealed, one of his larger misjudgements finally got the sticking plaster that saves its life.
* The Slide costs £5 extra, per slide
ORBIT PRICES * Adult Child Senior Walk-up £12 £6 £10 Online £10 £5 £7 Local† £8 £3 £5
† Resident of Olympic host borough, bring double ID
‡ Annual Pass prices are not advertised
Secondly, the West Ham Store.
West Ham are moving from Upton Park to the Olympic Stadium, and the first bit of their new empire to open is the shop. It's three times larger than the one they used to have, and is located in a new concrete building wrapped round the southern perimeter of the main concourse. At the moment it's fenced off from everything else on the island, and is accessible across a single footbridge, But it opened for the first time on Thursday morning, the ribbon cut by team captain Mark Noble, and the team's supporters came streaming across from Stratford to take a look.
It's a football shop, so obviously it's stuffed with football shirts of various types and sizes. New season strips, souvenir editions, and miniature editions for offspring so small they don't yet realise they're a fan. There are also key rings and wallets, and teddies and mugs, and big hammers, and loads of other items of claret and blue merchandise previously unavailable elsewhere. Vice-chair Karren Brady and her team have gone to a lot of effort to ensure that these things fly out of the door even on matchday, with 31 tills lined up at the far end. You can watch Karren extolling the shop and other hospitality facilities at the new stadium in an exuberant video here.
Downstairs is a large personalisation area, with a dozen shirt-printing machines, should you want to walk around with the name of a hero (or your own) on your back. There's also a cafe, which it's hoped will be a draw seven days a week, looking out over the training pitch alongside. It's been branded West Ham United Coffee Co, but also serves tea, as well as muffins, pre-packaged rolls and a tiny range of beers and wine. A latte's £2.35 and a turkey and ham sarnie £4, should you agree this is somewhere "you can meet and mingle". At least there'll be something for you to watch on the walls, as huge screens play out favourite moments from past games - and this got a big thumbs up from one fan I encountered.
A nice touch is that the famous John Lyall Gates from the Boleyn Ground have been relocated, and now sit at the top of the stairs. But they do look wildly out of place, a dash of Hammers history in a place that as yet has none of its own. This could have been any Westfield store, except it's a ten minute walk away, at the heart of the 2012 bubble that West Ham must now make their own. As yet, the atmosphere is somewhat lacking.
Also in the Olympic Park this week...
» On the big lawn beneath the Orbit, an oil company is setting up big white marquees so it can hold a massive four day festival. Make The Future London runs from 30th June to 3rd July, and your pre-registered free ticket gets you inside a worthy scientific gala focusing on "tomorrow's energy challenges", or rather a wall-to-wall marketing shindig for Shell. Steamrollers were busy yesterday afternoon laying down fresh smooth tarmac ready for the anticipated cavalcade of eco-wheels.
» The Greenwich and Docklands International Festival reaches the Olympic Park this weekend, specifically the concrete expanse of Mandeville Place about halfway up. The People Build takes place today and tomorrow, with spectators helping French artist Olivier Grossetête and crew raise new buildings, and at the end of the event tear them down. A full artistic programme continues around East London until next weekend.
posted 07:00 :
Friday, June 24, 2016
LEAVE REMAIN London 40% 60% Rest of England 55% 45%
posted 11:00 :
Welcome to Little England (was Great Britain)
posted 06:00 :
Thursday 23rd June 2016
I voted twice in the Euro referendum. Once for me, and once as proxy for BestMate, who's currently driving towards an airport in America. We both wonder what kind of Britain he'll be flying home to.
22:00 The polls close, and the nation's destiny is sealed. Turnout is high.
22:01 There is no exit poll, but bookies and the stock market seem pretty confident Remain will win.
23:37 Gibraltar votes strongly for Remain, as you'd expect. The general mood is 'Remain'.
Friday 24th June 2016
00:00 Hang on, Newcastle has voted only narrowly for Remain. Has Leave done better than expected?
00:16 Sunderland swings strongly to Leave. This is well off expectations.
00:30 The pound is tumbling on the markets, down several cents in a few minutes.
01:00 A suggestion that turnout is highest in areas that most want to kick the government.
01:40 Both sides are neck and neck, but we've only had 3% of the national vote so far.
02:00 Most areas are voting Leave. We're on course to Leave, surely.
02:10 Sterling tumbles again, down eight cents in two hours.
02:30 Inner London boroughs are voting very strongly Remain, which breaks through 2m votes.
03:00 Now at 4m votes each, the national breakdown is on a 50% knife edge.
03:30 Leave nudges over 51%, with Scotland, Northern Ireland and London the hubs of 'Remain'.
03:47 Leave is now halfway towards the winning post, with Remain slipping 4% behind.
04:02 "Dare to dream that dawn is breaking on an independent United Kingdom" (Nigel Farage)
04:30 Remain remain 4% behind. The pound hit $1.50 yesterday, it's now $1.35.
04:40 The BBC declares Brexit. Leave have an unassailable near-million lead.
05:00 Every part of Scotland has voted to Remain (and may just possibly do so).
05:10 I wrote a satirical Brexit timeline a couple of days ago. It's fairly factual so far.
05:30 It's hard to know which part of this disaster movie to sleep through.
06:00 Northumberland takes Leave across the finishing line - we are officially Out.
07:20 Final result Remain 16,141,241 (51.9%), Leave 17,410,742 (48.1%) on a turnout of 72%.
08:20 David Cameron announces he'll be replaced (by heaven knows who) in the Autumn.
08:45 Governor of the Bank of England speaks to reassure the plummeting markets.
11:10 Boris thanks the British people for voting to take back control.
11:20 President of the European Commission says there will be no renegotiation with the UK.
11:25 Nicola Sturgeon confirms Scotland will move towards a second independence referendum.
11:40 Angela Merkel regrets the UK's departure, and urges the remaining 27 to stay together.
12:00 Labour MPs have tabled a No Confidence motion in Jeremy Corbyn's leadership.
posted 00:00 :
Thursday, June 23, 2016The Prime Minister who led Britain into Europe was Edward Heath. Never the most popular of Prime Ministers, his reputation was shaped by various crises in the early 1970s, of which the Three Day Week and Northern Irish Troubles are perhaps best remembered. But it's our entry into the Common Market that has been his longest lasting legacy, both for all the benefits it has brought the country, and for all the discord it has sown.
So it's perhaps a surprise that Ted Heath is the only Prime Minister from the last half-century whose home you can visit. Margaret Thatcher as yet has no domestic legacy, Harold Wilson and Tony Blair never will, indeed you have to go back as far as Winston Churchill to find any other PM's abode with an open door. But Heath left his final home in trust so that members of the public could enjoy the building, the garden and his art collection, just as he had. It's Arundells, overlooking the Cathedral Close in Salisbury, and perhaps the ultimate in post-war political bachelor pads. [8 photos]
Arundells started out in the 13th century as a residence for the canons at Salisbury Cathedral, later leased out by the diocese to secular tenants and a school. In 1718 it was rebuilt in classical style, all symmetrical at the front and slightly less regular round the back, and earned its name when the daughter of the house married Lord Arundel, a local peer. By the mid 20th century it had fallen into disrepair, which is how it came to enter private ownership, and went up for sale in 1985 just as Edward Heath was planning on moving out of London. Initially he'd been intending to go to the Isle of Wight, but Arundells was more convenient for visitors, and still close enough to the Solent for easy yachting. Ted's security detail were pleased too, as the house was in a gated close behind medieval stone walls, which made it hard for any potential enemies to gain access.
Gaining access these days, a decade after the ex-PM passed on, costs a tenner. Come at the weekend or on a Monday and you can wander round inside at your leisure. Come on Thursday or Friday, or in the winter, and the place is closed. But come on Tuesday or Wednesday and you get an hour-long guided tour, and these are great, particularly if nobody else turns up. I know, it's Ted Heath's house, what are the chances of that?
What this isn't is a museum, nor just a listed building. Instead the trustees have gone to great effort to preserve the place as it was when Sir Edward was living here, which he did for twenty years until his death in 2005. And that's why the entrance hall comes as a little bit of a surprise. It's rammed with sailing memorabilia, as a reminder to guests of their host's great interest and prowess, and includes several paintings and models of his most famous yacht, Morning Cloud. There were five of these, two of which sank, and one of which Heath used to steer the UK to victory in the Admiral's Cup in 1971. It's hard to imagine any serving Prime Minister being given leave to do something so risky today, nor indeed to have world-beating talent outside the political arena.
Across the way in the drawing room is Heath's Steinway, as once installed at Downing Street, with a forest of signed photos on top of VIPs and statespeople that he encountered. Four years as PM provides a certain gravitas on the world stage, and there were plenty of big figures around at the time like Nixon, Gandhi and Chairman Mao. The Chinese leader gifted two ming vases, afforded prominent position beside the fireplace, while on the other side is the chair Heath sat on at the Coronation (when he was merely Deputy Chief Whip).
I liked the dining room, a narrow high-ceilinged red space with walnut table seating eight. In later years Sunday lunch was Heath's main social event, and the chairs would often be filled by musicians, sportspeople and occasionally politicians... Harold Wilson came once, and local resident Sting more often. The shelves behind are stacked with collectable ceramics, from widely different provenance, while the walls are hung with a set of John Pipers. It's clear that Heath really loved his art, as the selection hung down the main hallway (and elsewhere) attests, including a John Singer Sargent, a Walter Sickert, a Lowry seascape and even a couple of Sir Winston Churchills.
But for a true insight into Heath's personality, you need to step into the Library at the rear of the house. Here he would have spent the majority of his time, especially in his later years, surrounded by a lot of books on art and music and a few slightly less highbrow novels too. The collection of pristine classical CDs ranged from jazz to symphonies to opera and looked very much of its time, as did the chunky push-button CD player. Heath was an organ scholar while at Oxford, as well as an acclaimed conductor, and the Father Willis Organ in the cathedral was another reason why he moved to Salisbury.
Interestingly it's the photo of himself smiling at the Order of the Garter ceremony that Heath chose to place immediately alongside where he sat, plus the official parchment By The Sovereign's Command - not bad for a grammar school boy from Kent. Meanwhile upstairs in the study is a desk that belonged to Lloyd George, from which there's an excellent view straight down the garden, which visitors are free to take a look round once they're done inside. It's long, narrow and green, with space for croquet, and part of the hull of Morning Cloud 3 by the shed as a memorial. And it leads all the way down to the river, specifically the confluence of the rivers Avon and Nadder, where I stopped to watch a family of swans, and a flock of sheep grazing on the water meadows beyond.
Back in the house, one rear corridor is given over to a selection of original newspaper cartoons featuring Heath and the politicians of his day, that characteristic nose a gift to the artists, and his rivalry with Margaret Thatcher often a subtext. The upstairs landing is surrounded on all sides by a wholly unexpected mural depicting the tale of the Monkey King, massive and very colourful, but by no means the only Oriental theme in the house. And nobody gets to go in the bedroom, which is where Heath spent most of the last two years of his life, before passing away in 2005 at the pretty decent age of eighty-nine.
If you were any doubt where his passion for Europe came from, the answer is in the guest bedroom. A display here tells the story of Heath the soldier, an artilleryman who saw service in the Normandy landings, rose to the rank of major and was awarded the MBE. The devastation he saw stayed with him, as did an undergraduate trip to pre-war Germany where he heard Hitler speak at a Nuremberg rally. With such first-hand understanding of how Europe fell apart, his drive to lead the country into the Common Market was unshakeable, even if it took several attempts. His eventual success is the only decision the British public have ever been asked to reconsider twice.
I think Edward Heath would be aghast to see the hatred and misinformation today's referendum has whipped up. An organisation set up to bring nations together is being vilified for global issues, and used as a scapegoat for the decisions of national government, seemingly purely for personal gain. Heath saw how the masses can be persuaded to follow unwise saviours, and the destruction that misguided nationalism can bring. Will we reach the centenary of his birth next month with our membership of Europe intact, or will Heath's turbulent early Seventies be the model for our uncertain future?
posted 07:00 :
Wednesday, June 22, 2016Alternative Brexit timeline #37426
June 23: A referendum occurs
June 23 (10pm): The nation's destiny is sealed
June 23 (11pm): In the absence of an exit poll, both sides claim to have won
June 24 (midnight): Somebody promises to eat their hat if the result goes against them
June 24 (1am): Early results from the City of London suggest a thumping win for Remain
June 24 (2am): Early results from not-London suggest unexpectedly high levels of support for Leave
June 24 (3am): Insomniacs busy tweeting "Oh my God this might actually be happening"
June 24 (4am): Nigel Farage opens bottle of champagne and lights big cigar
June 24 (5am): Scotland's looking very much in, South West England's looking very much out
June 24 (6am): "Well, if Birmingham tops 98% then Remain could still win"
June 24 (7am): It becomes clear that the electorate has voted narrowly to Leave
June 24 (8am): Prime Minister David Cameron advises everyone not to panic
June 24 (9am): The pound falls sharply against the dollar
June 24 (10am): Boris Johnson announces "we have taken back control"
June 24 (11am): Share prices fall, and the pound plummets a bit more
June 24 (noon): Boris Johnson apologises for the recession
June 24 (1pm): Government invokes Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty
June 24 (2pm): David Cameron announces that he definitely won't be resigning
June 24 (3pm): David Cameron resigns
June 24 (4pm): The pound realises it still has a bit further to fall
June 24 (5pm): Leading economists say "we told you so"
June 24 (6pm): Michael Gove is sworn in as stopgap Prime Minister
June 24 (7pm): Fortunately the stock markets have closed
June 24 (8pm): Bank of England cuts interest rates to negative 0.5%
June 24 (9pm): The nation collectively goes down the pub and gets very drunk
June 24 (10pm): The nation discovers that all the cash machines have frozen
June 24 (11pm): A hat is eaten
June 25: Britain wakes up and is aghast/delighted that yesterday actually happened
June 26: Street parties in Romford, Darlington and the Cotswolds
June 27: Police prevent braying mob from burning Remain supporter on large bonfire
June 28: Lord Nigel Farage announces publication date for his memoirs
June 29: European leaders gather in Brussels to say "right, well piss off then"
June 30: Rupert Murdoch announces his retirement
July: Boris Johnson assumes the role of Prime Minister "to save everybody time voting"
August: A selection of workers rights are revoked "to increase national productivity"
September: Legislation introduced to cap the number of Polish shops on any high street
October: Conservatives hold two party conferences as their membership splits
November: Several City institutions move their trading operations to mainland Europe
December: President Obama says "sorry, no way are we doing a trade deal with you"
January 2017: President Trump says "sure, how many guns would you like?"
February: Civil Service announces it will no longer be run by experts
March: European history removed from the National Curriculum
April: A promise that the NHS will be getting lots of additional funding "when the time is right"
May: Chancellor Gove assures the nation that the pound reaching parity with the euro is a good thing
June: Confirmation that 23rd June is to become become a UK Independence Day bank holiday
July: Amusingly, it's now the UK's turn to assume the EU presidency
August: Boris launches the Emperor Games, to be contested annually between the home nations
September: Only one UK bank has collapsed so far, so that's good
October: Human Rights legislation is scrapped in attempt to "cut back on red tape"
November: Central database of foreign-born UK residents is established
December: Bananas can now be sold in bunches of more than five
Winter 2018: Russia turns off gas supplies during coldest winter on record
Spring 2018: Civil servants have agreed exit terms on a few agriculture and fisheries agreements
Summer 2018: Two years are up, but the UK still hasn't managed to extricate itself from the EU
Autumn 2018: House prices would be much more affordable by now if only people still had any money
Winter 2019: Channel Tunnel rail services end after France refuses to restrain migrants at Calais
Spring 2019: Second Scottish referendum votes 3 to 1 in favour of independence from the UK
Summer 2019: Wall goes up along the Irish/Northern Irish border
Autumn 2019: To combat the deepening recession, Boris sells off the country's naming rights
Winter 2020: The UK becomes the Emirates United Kingdom (or EUK for short)
Spring 2020: In the General Election, the National Conservative Party increases its majority
Summer 2020: The Labour Party dissolves, replaced as opposition by a Remain/LibDem rump coalition
Autumn 2020: Launch of the British Health Service, where everybody pays because "it's only fair"
2021: A newly independent Scotland applies to join the EU but is told to join the queue
2022: Unemployment crisis forces positive discrimination in favour of those with Anglo-Saxon DNA
2023: Prime Minister announces exciting new trade deals with Iceland and Bermuda
2024: The Queen and the Royal Family move to Balmoral
2025: English Parliament opens in Leicester, and votes to make wearing of St George's cross compulsory
2026: Turkey now refusing to take in migrants from anywhere that used to be Great Britain
2027: Race riots destroy infrastructure in much of Lancashire and Sussex
2028: Retirement age reaches 78, as pensions prove worthless
2029: Immigration issue now totally sorted as nobody wants to come here any more
2030: Other countries have driverless cars, but Britain is now a nation of cyclists
2031: Wales votes for independence, rather later than it should have done
2032: EU breaks up after France and Germany vote to leave
2033: Government laughs at post-EU debacle and says "we told you so"
2034: Nuclear confrontation in the Baltic states makes much of East Anglia uninhabitable
2035: Boris Airport is forced to close after six months of operation due to rising sea levels
2036: The robots take over, so it turns out none of the above actually mattered
posted 07:00 :
Tuesday, June 21, 2016TfL's name includes a strong clue that their job is supposed to be providing transport in London. But their influence stretches across the border of the capital, mainly for historical reasons, with several services running beyond. The Metropolitan line heads out into Herts and Bucks, for example, and the Central line serves a chunk of southwest Essex. Meanwhile as many as sixty London bus routes ply their trade outside the boundaries of Greater London, providing an often invaluable service to residents who don't pay London council tax. To make things fair, local authorities outside London pay a grant to TfL to ensure these peripheral buses continue to run. So what happens when that grant is cut? We're starting to find out.
Last November, Essex County Council voted to end a £586,000 subsidy to TfL which helped pay running costs for bus routes 20 and 167. Both these routes begin well inside London, head for the boundary and then run about five miles into Essex. Route 20 starts in Walthamstow and leaves the capital near Woodford, before continuing through Buckhurst Hill and Loughton to Debden. Route 167 starts in Ilford and leaves the capital near Grange Hill, before continuing through Chigwell, Buckhurst Hill and Loughton to Debden. TfL has no remit to serve these Essex locations, so might the end of council funding see these two buses cease?
A myriad of deregulated bus services run beyond the Greater London boundary, without the need for subsidy to prop them up. This usually means fares cost more, often quite a bit more, as those who live outside the capital know well. And it usually means buses run less frequently, or stop in the early evening, and maybe don't run at all on Sunday. But without that half million pound grant to top them up, why should Loughton and Debden continue to be an anomaly?
"In most other towns of comparable size in Essex, at least the main peak and daytime elements of services like the 20 and 167 would be provided commercially, with no charge falling on the County Council, although we might well fund evening or Sunday services, depending on commercial viability at these times." (Cllr Roger Hirst, 18 Nov 2015)Essex's cut in revenue took place in April, but TfL have taken until this month to respond. A consultation has been launched proposing that route 167 be cut back, terminating in Loughton rather than Debden. That'll cut about 20 minutes off the route, and reduce the number of vehicles needed to run the service, so should therefore save quite a bit of cash. But they're not cutting the service all the way back to the boundary, which means residents of Chigwell and Buckhurst Hill will still be able to catch buses their taxes no longer pay for.
Perhaps more surprising is TfL's proposal to leave route 20 alone. This bus spends about half its time in London and half its time in Essex, but the Essex half is to see no reduction in service whatsoever. And I think that's rather impressive. Indeed if you step back and look at what TfL have actually done, they've noted that the 20 and the 167 run along virtually the same route between Loughton and Debden and withdrawn the less frequent of the two. Nobody along this part of the route loses out, except in frequency, and TfL still rakes in money from fares to help offset the loss of grant.
Residents of the council estates of Debden and the Towie streets of Loughton aren't happy, particularly those who'll now need to catch two buses to make their journey rather than one. But here's where the Mayor's Hopper ticket suddenly makes a difference, because by the time this cut is made it'll continue to be possible to travel from Debden to, say, Chigwell, for the price of one fare rather than two.
And there are still two other TfL buses out here that aren't being affected. The 397 will still run from Chingford to Debden, providing a more direct link to Loughton, although that packs up before eight in the evening. And the 549 will still pootle up the backstreets, ensuring Roding Valley gets some sort of bus service, but this now only runs every 70 minutes and for only six days a week.
It's not yet the case that residents of Loughton and Debden must rely on the whims of private suburban operators. But they do have several of these already, including very brief circular buses, buses with A and B suffixes, buses that only run on Sundays, and a bus that runs only once a day. It all makes TfL's "frequent, reliable, simple and comprehensive" network look positively modern.
Meanwhile eyes are turning to the borders with Hertfordshire, whose councillors have made a very similar move. The county used to subsidise five TfL-operated cross-boundary routes at a cost of £390,000 a year, but that money also stopped in April, and local residents are concerned. The affected buses are the 142 and 258 from Watford, the 107 and 292 in Borehamwood, and the 298 from Potters Bar. Each of these has a long section outside Greater London, indeed for the 107 it's most of the middle of the route.
TfL could decide to lop back the buses to the borderline, for example terminating the 142 and 258 at Bushey Heath, although they'd then lose out on a lot of fares to Watford. They could choose to remove some of the faffing around the outer estates that the 292 does on either side of Borehamwood, or perhaps even all of it. They could rejig the local service pattern to provide more efficient coverage inside London and fewer bits outside, whilst still ensuring that key boundary locations like the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital remain served. Or they could just back out of Hertfordshire altogether, as they have with most of Bucks and Berks, and leave the commercial operators to it.
All that TfL have said at present is "There are no current plans to make alterations to any of our bus services that run to and from Hertfordshire" but also that "If in the future we propose to make any changes, we will undertake full stakeholder and public consultations as we do for any bus service." The Essex experience suggests that a consultation might well be on its way, but it's unlikely to propose the complete withdrawal of routes that many residents fear. Instead I wonder if they'll look at the four miles of double bus route between Bushey Heath and Watford and try the Debden trick again, removing either the 142 or 258 from this stretch. We'll have to wait and see.
In future other neighbouring counties might decide to drop or remove their subsidies, with the number of red bus services crossing into Surrey already looking quite anomalous. Meanwhile TfL still need to respond to a significant cut in central government funding, and to balance the budget now they have a Mayor who refuses to increase fares. The lesson from Loughton appears to be that they're keen to make minimal changes to the bus network, focusing on route efficiency and the protection of community links. But we live in times of financial cutbacks, and outer London in particular can perhaps expect to see more of this kind of thing.
posted 07:00 :
Monday, June 20, 2016You can see it from the M25. Between junctions 26 and 27, where the orbital skims the edge of Epping Forest, a Palladian mansion is visible across the fields. This is Copped Hall, built in the 1750s on a historic site with links to royalty and Shakespeare, and whose frontage hides the damage wreaked by a great fire within. But a band of volunteers are putting the house and garden to rights, and every so often they open up and invite the general public inside. Top trip. [12 photos]
Where was King Henry VIII while Anne Boleyn was getting her head chopped off? Pacing the yew avenue at Copped Hall listening for confirmation from cannon fire at the Tower, if the story is to be believed. Where was Catholic Princess Mary quarantined during the reign of her brother Edward VI? Copped Hall again, for sure. And where did the very first performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream take place? Many believe it was in the long gallery at Copped Hall, on the occasion of the wedding of the owner Sir Thomas Heneage, one of Queen Elizabeth's favourites. That's a pretty impressive line-up of Tudor hearsay.
By the 18th century the estate had passed to the Conyers family, who demolished the original hall and built a new one, and it's this that motorway drivers espy today. The final owners were the Wythes, who went off to church one Sunday in 1917 expecting a small fire to be put out, and returned to find their house ablaze. The building and estate were left to decay, suffering neglect and vandalism as well as the carving of the M25 through the edge of the estate. Then in 1995 the shell was bought up by the Copped Hall Trust, and their long term goal is to restore the house to its Georgian splendour. With a lot of help from donations and volunteers, against all the odds, they're getting there.
Guided tours of Copped Hall take place on the third Sunday of every month, except December. The front gates open at 10am and close at 11am, so you have a very narrow window to arrive, but the subsequent perambulation takes the best part of three hours, which is damned good value for the £8 fee. First you get an hour and a bit's tour of the house, then a brief refreshment break, and then an hour and a bit's tour of the garden. All three parts are great, and the garden's clearly at its very best in summer.
The restoration of the house is an amazing example of what can be achieved long term by a dedicated group. When they started work there were trees growing inside and unstable chimneys tottering in the wind. Today the building's weatherproof with replacement wooden floors, and all the rooms on the lower levels have been at least part restored. The kitchen in the cellars looks very much like a kitchen, the lady's bedchamber looks good enough to be used in modelling shots, and the high-ceilinged saloon is once again an ideal space for entertainment.
But it's an expensive project. Every replacement window costs in the order of £2000, and the same for the flagstones of the cantilever staircase now being reinstalled, while the expert plasterwork is thanks to a participant on a previous tour who said "oh I could help you with that" and now does the lot.
Our guide on Sunday was excellent, and led us through the rooms with a mix of knowledge and good humour. We had to rush through a few on the ground floor because they were being used by a local Shakespearean company preparing to deliver some outdoor theatricals, just one of the many events that take place in this splendid setting. If you fancy some jazz, or a lecture, or a wildlife photography course (the latter heavily oversubscribed), Copped Hall has something for you.
They also do a lot of educational work - it's easier to get grants that way - and some of the rooms in the north wing are given over to a fascinating series of exhibition panels. We could have lingered longer there, indeed probably in every room, but that three hour deadline was ticking away. Goodness knows how they'll fit everything in when the second floor is opened up, rather than being accessible only via a couple of rickety ladders.
The tea was nice, and the cakes were excellent. Sometimes at these places you get pre-packaged muffins or limp sponge, but this spread was diverse, lush and home-baked (including two gluten-free options). Refreshments are served in the Racquets Court, a precursor of squash, where a small gift shop helps supplement the Trust's income. Rather more money comes from the private apartments around the stable courtyard, leased out to some very fortunate residents as a financial kickstarter at the beginning of the restoration period.
The Trust own 24 acres of garden surrounding the house, and that's in remarkably good shape. This is thanks in no small part to a further phalanx of volunteers, who prefer to serve in the borders rather than on the fabric of the building. Each appears to have their own appointed empire, one doing fantastic work in the rock garden where the original Elizabethan mansion used to stand, another single-handedly laying down a gravel path to a recreation of Henry VIII's yew avenue.
But the finest achievements are in the Walled Garden, at four acres the largest walled garden in southeast England. The Trust almost didn't buy it, which would have been a terrible loss, but over two decades they've turned an overgrown quadrangle into a place of diverse beauty. One corner is mostly orchard and topiary, another bursting with beds and blooms, with a pear-arched pergola leading down to a central pool where dragonflies dart. As we walked around we frequently bumped into the individuals responsible for each separate blaze of colour - I suspect they're always here - and the plant sale in the rusting greenhouses did a roaring trade. I'm no gardener but I could tell this was something special. If horticulture is your thing, garden-only tours are also available once a month.
Getting to Copped Hall is easiest if you drive, indeed walking there is a bit awkward. I hiked from Epping station in about an hour, taking the scenic route via the top of Epping Forest, but you can walk along the road to Ambresbury Banks, where the pavement only fades away for the last stretch down Crown Hill. This way you get to see the hall's pine and rhododendron drive, dramatically severed partway along by an eight lane cutting. Or you can walk in from the foot of Bell Common, taking a small footpath where the M25 emerges from tunnel along the edge of two fields and along a gravelled lane. This way you also get to spy on Wood House, a white-gabled mansion which Rod Stewart is currently moving out of.
You've missed this month's Copped Hall openings, but there are a couple of opportunities next month, including a day with even longer tours than usual. Stick a visit in your diary for sometime in the future when the weather's nice, which is what I did months ago, and I'm delighted to have finally made the effort to go.
Guided Tours: 3rd Sunday, arrive 10-11am, £8
Extended Tour Day: Sunday 17 July, arrive 10am-1pm, £8
Garden Afternoons: 1st Sunday (Apr-Sep), arrive 2-4pm, £5
Open Days: 29 May, 28 Aug, arrive 11am-4pm, £8
Apple Day: 9 Oct, arrive 11am-4pm, £8
posted 07:00 :
Sunday, June 19, 2016With the opening of its new extension, Tate Modern has greatly increased in size. It was already pretty big, as converted power stations tend to be, but the addition of an eleven storey building makes even more space inside for art.
Tate Modern now consists of three parts: the Boiler House and Turbine Hall (which you already know well) and the brand new Switch House added on the far side. This has been built on the site of an electricity substation closed ten years ago, immediately above three decommissioned oil tanks. The original design for a glass pyramid was replaced by something similar in brick, to match the power station, with twisted layers decreasing in size as they rise. It's a striking design, and could look wildly out of place, except that this plaudit has already been taken by the cluster of luxury apartments squeezed in close by.
First things first, how do you get inside? It turns out there are four ways, and from outside just the one. The Switch House's main entrance is round the back of Tate Modern, at the foot of the brick ziggurat, immediately between the signs that say BAR and SHOP. There is another larger entrance here, but this leads into the original building, specifically the first floor bridge across the Turbine Hall, and then you have to cut back through the gift shop to get where you want to be. Alternatively you can get in from the Turbine Hall, down at Level 0, which leads directly into The Tanks where you'll find lifts and a staircase leading up. But the most thrilling way to enter is from the Boiler House via the fourth floor overbridge, a brand new connection high above the chasm of the Turbine Hall. If you want a vertiginous view down, feel free to wave your camera over the edge, but if you don't have a head for heights stick closely to the centre line and walk fast.
0: The Switch House's basement is called The Tanks, and is probably where you'll start. These circular subterranean spaces opened temporarily in the summer of 2012, so you might already have been, but then had to be closed to allow building works to take place on top. There are three tanks in all, each generally bigger than you think they're going to be when you walk through the door. This level is given over to interactive art and video installations, plus performances of various kinds which this weekend include people being ordered about as human sculptures. Or lie down on the comfy red cushions in the dark to watch a group of teenage Thais on a dozen screens, or step through a blue chamber and watch the lights change as you pass by. And don't miss the tiny gallery at the foot of the stairs with a display of homewares and furniture by the designer Jasper Morrison, which is much more interesting than its 'Thingness' title might suggest. Going up.
1: Hmm, the only things open to the public on the ground floor are the gift shop, the terrace bar and a lift lobby. There must be a lot of space hidden away round the back. Going up.
2: And here goes with the stuff. There are no paintings in the Switch House, only stuff, and the largest gallery on the second floor is replete with it. A lot of the stuff in here is geometric, including a lush pink cube with curved edges, and that pile of bricks the Tate famously blew its money on in the 1970s. I had to wonder whether twelve metres of blue and white cloth was really worth its place high on a sparse wall, and would have enjoyed the bubble fountain more if a group of schoolchildren hadn't taken up position all around. One work that did intrigue was a long strip of bunting being held by two strangers, apparently for hours, enforcing a separated connection between the two... until I looked round and saw that one of the participants had been silently replaced. Going up.
3: Of the Switch House floors with art, and there are only three, this one held my attention least. That may have been because the Brazilian exhibit was without its macaws - they're being kept away just for this opening weekend because the visitor numbers are expected to be so high. But I did love The Crystal Quilt, a video of a gathering of ladies in Minnesota coming together to discuss growing older, sat at tables temporarily arranged to match the tapestry of the title. And if two things should be obvious by the time you've got this far, they're that the Tate now gives greater than usual prominence to works by women and to works from overseas... indeed now a proper balance, which is long overdue. Going up.
4: By now the walls of the pyramid have shrunk a little so there are only two galleries on the fourth floor, plus a large sloping lobby that doubles as a potential performance space. One is devoted to the works of Louise Bourgeois, whose towers and giant spider dominated Tate Modern's Turbine Hall when it first opened, and one of her smaller arachnids stalks the space. The other includes works that reflect on cities, including a map of Beirut you can walk on, and what I thought at first was a town of sandcastles but on closer inspection turned out to be made of couscous. There really are so many opportunities throughout the Switch House to exclaim "well that's modern art for you!"
I should at this point mention the stairs. A grand staircase sweeps up the centre of the building from the basement to the fourth floor, curving and twisting irregularly as it goes. This provides more than just a connection, it's a promenade for visitors, a route to help you feel at one with the building. Or there are lifts, one set just running from zero to four, while the bank opposite rises all the way to the top. And everybody wants to go to the top, because that's where the viewing gallery is, so this weekend the 0-10 lifts have been hugely oversubscribed. Long queues have built up by The Tanks, which are temporarily the only point of access, as humanity attempts to squeeze in and ascend. It won't always be this bad, but there is another way to reach floor 10 which is to take the smaller unsigned staircase from floor 4. You'll need to be fit because there are 242 steps, indeed the entire staircase from basement to summit has 408! But you will arrive smugly on the roof, plus you'll get to peer at all the other levels inbetween. Going up.
5: There's no further public art to see, although this level is devoted to dialogue about art and will open up to a programme of events from September. Going up.
6: This level has two rooms, both being used (and to be used) as event spaces. Going up.
7: This level is staff only, so the lift lobby is an oasis of calm on your upward ascent. Going up.
8: This level houses the Members Room, a counterpoint to the Members Bar at the top of the Boiler House. Going up.
9: And here's the restaurant, because any modern art gallery lives or dies by its foodie offering these days. This one has a particularly large plate glass window allowing those ascending the stairs to peer in at the immaculately laid tables, so try not to get seated too close to it. Going up.
10: Finally, be it by lift or by stairs, you'll reach the top floor. Brilliantly this is a viewing gallery with terraces along all four sides of the building allowing 360° views. From the front that's across the multifarious roofs of Tate Modern towards the Thames, with the brick chimney and St Paul's Cathedral the two dominant features. To the side that's across towards the Shard, whose viewing gallery may be considerably higher but also costs infinitely more to visit, so I can see the Switch House becoming a vantage point of choice for many Londoners. And round the back are the residential towers of Neo Bankside, whose exo-skeleton design saw them shortlisted for the Stirling Prize, but whose residents now find themselves being stared at by artlovers wielding zoomable cameras. I watched one couple in their triangular glass living room sitting down for lunch, and another resident opening up a copy of the Financial Times with a cup of coffee. Perhaps you had to be an exhibitionist to want to live so openly in the first place, but many may now be regretting their luxury purchase and its lost Thames view.
So that's the Switch House, a massive undertaking and I'd say a great success. Tate Modern is already London's most popular visitor attraction and now has space to breathe and space to grow. A journey round the new building genuinely feels like an adventure, the irregular nature of the rooms and passageways inviting personal discovery. It makes the 'old' Boiler House look positively predictable by comparison, but that still has more to see, and might even be rather quieter now this overspill has opened. Whatever, it's now a lot easier to spend much more of your day at Tate Modern, or to dip back in repeatedly to a building you'll learn to know well. [40 photos]
posted 00:30 :
Saturday, June 18, 2016Switch House, the brick ziggurat behind Tate Modern, opened to the public yesterday. It's packed with space and levels, and partly full of art. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow. In the meantime, here are some photos.
[there are 40 photos altogether] [slideshow]
posted 08:00 :
On Friday 27th May, you may remember, TfL launched a new tube map.
Transport for London (TfL)'s latest Tube map is to include the Capital's tram services for the first time. The addition is designed to make it easier for those travelling to Wimbledon, Croydon or Beckenham to plan their journeys.It had trams. Unfortunately it also had Morden in the wrong fare zone.
Nobody spotted that Morden was in the tram zone before the tube map went to print. Thankfully they did spot the erroneous National Rail symbol at Mitcham, and shifted it to Mitcham Junction instead, before pressing the button. But Morden slipped through, onto hundreds of poster maps destined for station walls, and millions of paper maps destined for ticket hall racks. It was an expensive blunder.
TfL's plan had been to start distributing the new maps in the week ending Friday 3rd June. Normally they don't reveal their launch schedule in advance but this time, because of the big tram reveal, they did.
Customers will begin to see the latest Tube map in stations throughout the next week, and it will be available to view online, along with other transport maps produced by TfL, at www.tfl.gov.uk/maps from 3 June 2016.Once the new map had been released to the media, it didn't take long before eagle-eyed readers spotted the Morden blunder. Ouch.
It wasn't hard to amend the error on the digital map, and the corrected version appeared on the TfL website from Friday 3rd June as planned.
But as for the paper version, TfL suddenly had millions of incorrectly printed tube maps on their hands. A brand new print run had to be paid for, and the intended launch date was silently postponed.
Boxes of the new June 2016 tube maps had already been sent to stations at this point, ready for wider distribution, but now they had to be recalled. Except at High Street Kensington, it seems, where staff accidentally put them out on display in the racks, and dished them out to passing tourists by the ticket gates. And those incorrect maps carried on being available for over a fortnight before somebody eventually noticed.
Finally yesterday, a couple of weeks later than intended, corrected reprinted versions of the new June 2016 tube map started to appear at tube stations. They're going up in poster frames on platforms, and they're starting to be available for passengers to take away, as of this weekend.
Which means there are now two different versions of the June 2016 paper tube map - one an updated reprint of the other. Both versions have a threaded eye on the front cover, both versions have trams, and both versions have a dotted line to represent major engineering work on the London Overground. But the first version had Morden in the wrong fare zone, and the new version places it properly in zone 4.
It's embarrassing for TfL to have made so public a mistake, especially on a map which declares itself on the back cover to be "one of the most iconic designs in transport". It's unhelpful to have delayed publication, because for the last two weeks Overground customers have been seeing out of date maps which didn't show their line has been closed. And it's an expensive error, because to print a half-year supply of 12 million tube maps costs TfL £100000, and they've just been forced to reprint an entire delivery.
Fortunately for TfL, nobody in the wider world has noticed their mistake. Normally the media go wild for tube map news stories - you only have to fire a press release with a tweaked tube map at them and they publish it with glee. But as for the official tube map having been printed with an actual error on it, and then reprinted (at a cost to Londoners), it seems this isn't news. So that's a bullet dodged.
You'll be able to pick up copies of the corrected June 2016 tube map in stations for the rest of the year. But if you were lucky enough to pick up a copy of the incorrect map that nobody else will ever see, you probably have a collector's item on your hands. I wish I'd picked up more...
posted 07:00 :
Friday, June 17, 2016Quietways are new. These backstreet cycle routes should be old by now - they were supposed to start opening in May last year. But the first (of seven) only opened this week, that's Quietway 1 from Waterloo to Greenwich.
Quietways will be a network of radial and orbital cycle routes throughout London. Linking key destinations, they will follow backstreet routes, through parks, along waterways or tree-lined streets. The routes will overcome barriers to cycling, targeting cyclists who want to use quieter, low-traffic routes, providing an environment for those cyclists who want to travel at a more gentle pace.These aren't cycle superhighways, they follow lightly-used backroads where segregated lanes aren't required, which you'd think would make them easier to set up. Not so. Plans have to be agreed with local councils - in this case there are four - whereas cycle superhighways tend to run on TfL-run roads. With each street a Quietway turns down, a different set of issues arises and a different set of residents must be taken into account. And London doesn't have a straight-forward grid of identikit roads, so the end result varies considerably along the six mile route.
I haven't ridden Quietway 1, so for a cyclist's eye view you should read this in-depth report on the As Easy As Riding A Bike blog. But I have walked it all, and I can confirm that AEARAB has called it right - mostly good, but with intermittent issues.
For a start, the roads genuinely are quiet. That's impressive, given that you'd normally head from Waterloo to Greenwich along something busy like the Old Kent Road, but Quietway 1 successfully threads between the main roads and helps keep cyclists out of danger. Most importantly it manages to link these quiet bits together, to make a ride of it, with more complex infrastructure only where busier roads cross. Some roads on Q1 have been sealed at one end by posts to make them impermeable to larger vehicles, while some have had ramps added to slow traffic down, and others were always this quiet.
The ramped roads are the least convincing. I don't think I'd have enjoyed riding down Great Suffolk Street in SE1, manoeuvring past two-way traffic and parked-up construction vehicles, neither would meeting the boy racer on Childers Street in Deptford have been fun. But half-posted Cornwall Street near Waterloo looked a breeze, and the lengthy run of estate roads and cul-de-sacs to the north of the Old Kent Road was about as non-threatening as it comes. That last section's nothing new, it's part of an existing cycle route, but other sections have been added more recently to make the Quietway work.
The most impressive of these is the new path round the back of Millwall football ground. This part of London is characterised by a veritable delta of railway viaducts, and at Bolina Road one of the most oppressive backstreets in inner London. Instead Quietway users get to take a broad raised path from just outside South Bermondsey station to the Overground bridge where Surrey Canal Road station may one day be built, with views of The Den along the way. Indeed at one point there's a damned good view between the stands onto one end of the pitch... which may be why this path will be sealed off from 2 hours before until 2 hours after any Millwall game, and if there is an alternative route it wasn't well signed.
A few roads do have segregated lanes for bikes, occasionally dualled, and this is occasionally necessary. It's harder to work out why Tabard Street in Borough has been afforded this luxury, indeed I saw two cyclists trying to enter the adjacent park for whom the segregation was a frustrating barrier. And then there's one inexplicable case of residential hostility in nearby Trinity Street where an ornamental chicane has been installed across the road. This (gorgeous) road is otherwise ideal to cycle down, being both broad and quiet, but then comes precisely the deterrent that Quietways were supposed to do away with, and I watched one cyclist simply ride up onto the pavement to avoid it.
Many of the road junctions the Quietway crosses have been upgraded, especially where a quiet street meets a busier one. Variegated grey tiling is often used in an attempt to encourage a slower pace, while elsewhere traffic signals with countdown aid the flow. It generally seems to work well. But some of the improvements are more low-key than they could be, for example at an underwhelming staggered junction on Tower Bridge Road, while at others cyclists are simply expected to zigzag through whatever's already there, which might even mean getting off.
One issue I encountered whilst trying to walk the Quietway is that it's not always particularly well signed. A cycle superhighway is easy to follow because it's blue, and generally straight, but Quietways aren't so obvious, marked only by having "Q1" painted on the road and the occasional purple sign at what are deemed key points. Usually that works, indeed I suspect it works better if you're on a bike and literally reading the road. But I wandered off the correct track at least three times thanks to rationed or ambiguous signage, in one case because a truck had parked on top of the painted arrow at an unexpected turning and there were no signs above tarmac height. At other junctions I had a strong hunch which way to go but nothing to confirm, or was briefly baffled by a directional sign which must have been clear to whoever installed it but wasn't to me.
Oddly the worst signed sections of Quietway 1 are at the very beginning and at the very end. There's absolutely nothing at the south end of Waterloo Bridge to indicate that a safe cycle route exists close by, only a hairpin bend back down to South Bank level which just happens to have a 'Q1' painted right at the very end. Similarly the signage at Greenwich DLR is contradictory and incomplete, indicating two different directions and then nothing whatsoever as the path heads off through a private development, which is nowhere near good enough.
TfL do provide an overview map, but alas it isn't detailed enough to be able to make decisions on the ground junction by junction, indeed I'd say the combination of map and road signage isn't quite fit for purpose. But then Quietway 1 isn't meant to be a one-off track for sightseeing, more a regular route for commuters and local travellers, and once you know where you're going then all that ambiguity disappears. And then what you have is what was intended, a six mile corridor that's safer than the surrounding roads and hence a better way to travel. I wouldn't bother walking it, there's very little of interest to see, but if subsequent Quietways can reach this standard then I might well recommend a ride.
posted 07:00 :
Thursday, June 16, 2016
LEAVE REMAIN Vote Leave and take back control It'd be a leap in the dark We give £350m a week to Europe That's misleading and you know it is We could build a new hospital a week on that But you won't Imagine how bad it'll be when Turkey joins Turkey's not joining Rising from the ashes, we will conquer the world! No, we'll crash and burn REMAIN LEAVE Voting Leave is a huge risk Nonsense, it'll all be fine We won't be able to do a decent trade deal with the EU Don't be so negative The NHS will lose large numbers of staff if we leave You're just scaremongering The economy will tank It's just Project Fear Not a single economic institution supports Brexit I think we've all had enough of experts LEAVE REMAIN The EU is wasteful, greedy and bullying It helps more than it hinders Unfettered immigration could change the UK forever So could Brexit Public services are cracking under immigration Government policy, more like We'll be able to decide our own laws! We already do that We'll be able to control our own borders! Like we already do REMAIN LEAVE 90% of economists say leaving would damage growth Balderdash! The TUC says the average weekly wage would fall £38 Poppycock! The CBI think that 950,000 UK jobs could be lost What do they know? We'd have less influence outside the EU Rubbish, we'd have more Brexit will hit the low paid the hardest We're already low paid, thanks LEAVE REMAIN The EU superstate threatens us all The last 40 years haven't been so bad EU regulations bring unnecessary bureaucracy They protect workers' rights EU citizens are filling our hospitals and our schools A lot of them are nurses and teachers The European Court rules our entire legal system Better them than Michael Gove Immigration has taken our jobs Austerity has made us poor REMAIN LEAVE EU laws help to cut air pollution Bloody EU interference! Workers' rights could be scrapped Bloody EU red tape! Brexit would mean deep spending cuts and tax rises It can't get any worse The EU would still make us sign up to harsh trade rules That just shows how awful they are Why risk our economic security by leaving Europe? We're proud to be British LEAVE REMAIN The Remain camp are talking this country down Being realistic, more like A proud Britain will be able to do its own trade deals Worse deals than we have now Unless we leave, we'll end up like Greece If we leave, we might end up like Greece The EU migrant crisis is out of control We've hardly taken in any migrants Brexit is a great way to snub the PM No, it'll hand power to the right wing REMAIN LEAVE Britain is stronger, safer and better off in Europe Half my local high street is Polish shops Leaving the EU is Britain's biggest single risk I don't want foreigners taking my job Immigrants pay more in than they take out But they're foreign, send them home Billions will be wiped off business if we Brexit We can pay billions to the NHS instead We'd lose the economic benefits that the EU brings A new hospital every week, think on that LEAVE REMAIN Most UK laws are made in Brussels You're making this up Our open borders allow terrorists to come here You're preying on people's basest fears By 2020 you'll have a foreigner living nextdoor You're scaremongering We can have our proper British light bulbs back You're insane We must take back full sovereignty And become irrelevant REMAIN LEAVE Being in the EU saves your family £350 a year Being in the EU costs us £350m a week The EU is a net benefit to everyone in the UK They banned straight bananas, you know There'll be no going back if we vote to leave Excellent! Yeah, but economic disaster Yeah, but immigrants It would be senseless to leave It would be lunacy to stay
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text:
Photo SpecialCharlie Sheen's Former 'Goddesses'
Before he fell for Rachel Oberlin and Natalie Kenly, meet the women – Kelly Preston! Stephanie Seymour! Denise Richards! – who held the key to Sheen's heart
Credit: Marion Curtis/DMI/Time Life Pictures/Getty; REX USA
Updated: Wednesday Mar 02, 2011 | 05:00 PM EST By: Kiran Hefa
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
This iTunes-exclusive, four-song pairing of
Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl producing and
drumming with country-rock/folk titans
the Zac Brown Band has an added bonus in Oteil Burbridge on
bass (first seen on the Country Music Awards in November). Burbridge,
who counts ZBB drummer and former Peacemaker stickman
Chris Fryar among his connections to the group, is in fine
form via his vintageFender Precision and Gibson EB-2 (both tuned
to Eb). On the medium ballads "All Alright" and "The Muse," his
seeing-eye bass connects his roots melodically while complementing
the vocal lines. The 6/8 lope of "Let It Rain" lets Oteil mine the
upper registers for Allman Brothers/McCartney-esque feel-good
fills. Finally, the driving boogie of "Day of the Dead" finds Oteil
(who wrote about the experience in his blog) in full-on groove
mode, first locking down and then taking creative liberties with
his part.
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History of the Blues in 50 Guitar Riffs
Expand Your Melodic Colors with 9th Arpeggios
John Entwistle's Isolated Bass Track from The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" at Shepperton Studios
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Aditya Swarup (CIC Jharkhand)Chief Information Commissioner
Jharkhand State Information Commission was constituted by the State Government Vide
Notification No.:-3825 dated 24.07.2006.
The first Chief Information Commissioner Honourable Mr. Justice Hari Shankar Prasad (Retd.) took the oath of the office on 30.07.2006 and continued till 30.06.2008, other six Information Commissioners who had taken the oath of their office simultaneously, continued till July 2011. Thereafter Honourable Mr. Justice Dililp Kumar Sinha (Retd.) took the oath of the office of C.I.C. on 05.08.2011 and he continued till 31.07.2014.Then Mr. Aditya swarup took Oath as a Chief Information
Commisssioner on 24.04.2015 and he is continuing the same.
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Wizz Air names new CCOCentral European low-cost carrier Wizz Air has announced the departure of EVP John Stephenson and the appointment of George Michalopoulos as CCO. Stephenson joined Wizz Air 10 years ago, in 2006. He originally held the role of CCO and was ... Air Transport World, 5 days ago
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Professor Thorsten Stoesser, leader of the School of Engineering's Institute of Environment and Sustainability, is to be awarded the George Stephenson Medal by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). The medal has been presented annually since ...Cardiff University, 2 weeks ago
Nick Stephenson: Brexit? Try Jexit As Your Job Moves Abroad
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Virtual Families 2: Our Dream House Answers for iPhone - iPadHome / iPhone - iPad /
Game Questions & Answers (Q&A) service lets you ask questions about video games for game consoles or PC games. So ask your Virtual Families 2: Our Dream House question for iPhone - iPad and get answers from real gamers or answer questions and share your insights and experience with the rest of the gaming community.
- Developer: Last Day Of Work
- Publisher: Last Day Of Work
- Genre: Simulation Virtual
- Release: Dec 6, 2012
- ESRB: Not Set
Question & Answers
Why is this happing...
What! Three of my people all young died all at once! Two of them where in there 20s and the other one was 11 or12 or 13. (I really don't know because I left the game for like 1 minute and I came back they were lying on the couch dead. So I passed on the house to there 4 year old kid named Pixie magically turned 25. How did this happen!M
Answer from: Romancefreak
Whoa, definitely a glitch. Contact ldow immediately! Hih!
Answer from: Magic
Zelda maybe your family were sick and /or hungry so they died its probably not a glitch . They give the children random ages because imagine a four year old trying to have a baby .
Answer from: Awesome Sauce!!
When you pass the house to someone, they get older
Answer from: VirtualStar#1
Woah! Have you been keeping them well fed, well slept, and healthy? Maybe something has came to kill them. But when you pass on next generations some kids that are still in the house will auto age. That part is normal. But I do feel terrible for you... on the bright side, you will be able to unlock new stuff in the store!
Answer from: Zelda
They were well fed well slept and heathy!
Answer from: Fluffy
Sometimes your people just die. It happened to me before. When you choose someone to inherit the house they are always older. It is like it's 21 years later. They don't want anyone like 4 years old inheriting a house so they speed up time a little bit. Nothing to worry about
Answer from: Zelda
It happens every time I have a third child.
Answer from: Pinkie
Maybe your kids needed medicine or organic food or a trip to the doctor. I feel bad for you.
Answer from: Tip for you...
Ok first of all, many people have said this already but...You're family might have died from lack of organic foods/groceries. Always check you fridge and it will say (Number here) amount of food. Second of all you're people naturally age like if you just had like teens they can't pass a house to a two year old or thirteen year old. Like who would do that? They like to pretend that it's been a couple amount of years. And maybe you should have but more detail into it or read the little pop-ups cause it states that (Name here) has passed away. Click the new generation button to start a new family. Or at least something like that I think. You will click the new generation button (The green button on top of the family tree) and that will tell you that you are giving the house to somebody else. It doesn't "Magicly-Start-A-New-Generation" it's just an action you do for it. So stop over reacting and read the pop-ups next time. Hope I helped :/
Answer from: Vampzrule
Woah, woah, woah. Pixie was the only child left alive???? I've already given my theory to two other questions, but I have to ask... was Pixie really sweet before your family died? Like take out the trash and do things on her own sweet? If she started acting strange, then it's not your fault the family died. You said that you were gone for just a minute? Was it nighttime? If yes to these questions, then most likely, Pixie is a demon child, a very rare glitch that kills the family.
Answer from: VirtualLover
Oh, this is completely normal. My kid named Glitch (LOL) who was 2 years older than my other kid Stephor somehow became the same age after leaving college. Also, another generation, My oldest kid turned out to be the youngest out of 3 after leaving college. What a miracle
Virtual Families 2: Our Dream House - Gameplay Review Trailer
- Oct 31, 2013, Views: 4156
Virtual Families 2: Our Dream House - Trailer
- Sep 12, 2014, Views: 3025
Virtual Families 2: Our Dream House - Gameplay Video
- Sep 12, 2014, Views: 2051
Virtual Families 2: Our Dream House - Part 2 Gameplay
- Sep 12, 2014, Views: 1849
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Skip to main content
Morris Sun Tribune
New Minnesota license plate option up for vote
House members to host town hall on veterans issues in Morris
Mock train derailment emergency exercise June 29 in Morris
Outdoor classroom will be built at Morris Area Elementary
Area Student News: June 25, 2016
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HR Awards: Carlson, Austvold are 2016 winners
Area Baseball: Morris edges Bird Island in amateur baseball pitcher's duel
2016 Hengstler-Ranweiler Awards
Minnesota Twins roar back to claim 6-5 win over Phillies
UND unveils new Fighting Hawks logo
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Betty G. Steinbring
Helen A. McNally
Alberta Marie (Grote) Klingensmith
Harold B. Anderson
Margaret Joan Demorest "Jo"
Elizabeth Golombiecki: Thank you to those who get dairy products from the farm to your table
Katie Erdman: Fun on a dairy farm
Elizabeth Golombiecki: 'Dairy' good recipes to celebrate Dairy Month
Letter: We need new leadership in Washington
Letter: Backer, legislators get failing grade
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2016 Farm Progress Issue
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Stevens SWCD 2015 Annual Review
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Weather Forecast
November 21, 2015
Ken Peterson: Apprenticeship is workforce training that meets the needs of today and tomorrow
Minnesota's workforce is experiencing tremendous transition. Thousands of our experienced baby boomers are retiring, while many employers are seeking a workforce capable of meeting increased levels of skill to operate new technologies with precision. An emerging, yet familiar,...
opinion / editorials
November 21, 2015 - 5:57am
November 14, 2015
Rep. Joe Atkins and Sen. Jim Metzen: Veterans owed more than thanks, Minnesota owes them money too
In October, after it was announced that Minnesota is holding a record $711 million in lost and unclaimed funds, we launched an effort to find and notify residents of our legislative district of their unclaimed money. We thought it would be hard to find people. It wasn't. Most...
opinion / editorials
November 14, 2015 - 5:43am
October 31, 2015
Lucinda Jesson: Children are waiting for you, for families to adopt them
A young man on the verge of adulthood who is enthusiastic about sports and music but struggles with authority. A teenage single mom who lovingly cares for her newborn child. A kind, patient young boy with disabilities who doesn't know who to trust. A confused teenager who was in...
opinion / editorials
October 31, 2015 - 5:00am
October 17, 2015
Elisha Smith: October is Farm to School Month
October is National Farm to School month (#F2SMonth). "Farm to School" refers to schools serving local, farm-fresh foods ranging from fruits and veggies to honey and meat. The more local foods we serve our kids, the better. One-third of U.S. children are obese or overweight,...
opinion / editorials
October 17, 2015 - 5:05am
October 3, 2015
Ray Mosby: Why community newspapers matter
The chosen theme for this year's National Newspaper Week is "Power of the Press," and that power, it seems to me, is a very relative thing. Everybody understands the power of, say, The New York Times or The Washington Post, but probably less recognized and appreciated is the power...
opinion / editorials
October 3, 2015 - 5:48am
Bruce Peterson: Flex-fuel pumps allow Minnesotans to breathe easier, save money
It's not easy to get people to agree on things these days. Our political climate, combined with the constant din of social media and 24-hour cable news channels, provides ample opportunity for confrontation, and little time to have an actual conversation. However, I think there's...
opinion / editorials
October 3, 2015 - 5:47am
September 26, 2015
Lucinda Jesson: Recovery is a lifelong journey
Last month I met a former heroin user who was celebrating 10 years of sobriety. He now owns his own landscaping company, and was able to make amends with his family. But it wasn't easy. He told me about the many times he tried to stop using, but fell back into his old ways, until...
opinion / editorials
September 26, 2015 - 5:01am
September 21, 2015
Mike Rothman: It's your money and we want you to have it
With an estimated one in 20 Minnesotans having unclaimed property worth more than $100, the Minnesota Commerce Department was busy at this year's Great Minnesota Get-Together helping fairgoers find their missing money. We even had special assistance from our new Missing Money...
opinion / editorials
September 21, 2015 - 10:15am
John Crabtree: Clean water is costly
Water is a necessity for all living things. We have a responsibility to act as good stewards of our water, now and for future generations. Nitrates in drinking water can be hazardous to the health of pregnant women, nursing mothers, infant children, and the elderly.
opinion / editorials
September 21, 2015 - 10:14am
August 29, 2015
Standing up for rural postal
Post offices are crucial anywhere, but especially crucial in rural areas that depend on the postal service to stay connected through news delivery, services crucial to businesses, and, in some communities, a link to prescription drugs and other services. The mail service is a national...
opinion / editorials
August 29, 2015 - 9:40am
August 22, 2015
Tina Smith: Rural broadband necessary, not just nice
In 1922, the Minneapolis Tribune ran an article touting the benefits of electricity. "Don't sell your farm, but electrify it, is the message science sends to farmers. The day will come soon when farms are run by electricity, just as the other great industries are." The newspaper...
opinion / editorials
August 22, 2015 - 5:47am
Lee Hamilton: On voting ... and not
The campaigning for next year's elections is starting to draw more attention, and with it comes a focus on voters and their mood. Which is all well and good, but it leaves out of the equation one large bloc of citizens: people who are eligible to vote, but don't. Over the years,...
opinion / editorials
August 22, 2015 - 5:46am
August 15, 2015
John Apitz: Railroads are improving on a strong record of safety
For Minnesota's railroads, working to keep our employees and the communities we serve safe is the most important thing we do. A recent commentary in this paper from the state commissioners of transportation, public safety and pollution control highlighted some of the steps railroads...
opinion / editorials
August 15, 2015 - 5:26am
August 8, 2015
Opinion: Railway safety continues to be a high priority for Minnesota
ST. PAUL — Minnesota's railways play an important role in the state's transportation system — helping move goods to market and connecting farmers with consumers around the state and nation. But in recent years, these same rail lines also have begun carrying crude oil from...
opinion / editorials
August 8, 2015 - 5:08am
August 1, 2015
Steve Simon: Stay restless in seeking democracy
"[Minnesota] is perhaps the only state in the country that is dramatizing in a massive way its concern for the people in the South." So said civil rights icon and U.S. Rep. John Lewis at a rally in St. Paul on Aug. 2, 1965. Fifty years ago this coming Sunday, the then-25-year-old...
opinion / editorials
August 1, 2015 - 5:29am
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Florida and Miami face off this weekend in what could be the last match up between these two in-state teams for the foreseeable future. The Hurricanes and Gators have had some memorable games on the field, but also some fierce recruiting battles off it. Here's a closer look at 10 recent recruiting battles -- five that Florida won and five that Miami won.
Best SEC recruiting grounds by position: Defense
22mDavid Ching
Best SEC recruiting grounds by position: Offense
1dDavid Ching
Danny Wuerffel, Derrick Henry inducted into Heisman House
3dSarah Scrivens
Schedule analysis: Florida Gators
3dEdward Aschoff
SEC cornerback who will have best 2016 is Jalen Tabor vs. Minkah Fitzpatrick
14dEdward Aschoff and Alex Scarborough
SEC middle linebacker who will have the best 2016 is ...
15dEdward Aschoff and Greg Ostendorf
Take Two: Should satellite camps matter to SEC head coaches?
15dEdward Aschoff and Greg Ostendorf


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The Oregonians Blog Recommends Vegan Cookbooks
The Oregon-based news publications blog lists the best 2012 vegan cookbooks to buy for the holidays.
The Oregonian's food and arts writer Grant Butler recently published an article on oregonlive.com listing the best meat- and dairy-free cookbooks to add to holiday shopping lists. Butler says, "As veganism becomes increasingly mainstream, publishers are releasing titles designed to appeal to more than just hard-core plant eaters." Some of the cookbooks that made Butler's list include Ellen DeGeneres' and Portia de Rossi's personal chef Roberto Martin's Vegan Cooking for Carnivores, Julie Morris' Superfood Kitchen, and VegNews columnist and food author Terry Hope Romero's Vegan Eats World, which features a recipe for Fresh Wheat Noodles in Miso Broth.
Major Zoo to Close After 140 Years, Release 2,500 Animals
Buenos Aires mayor announced the groundbreaking move after calling animal captivity degrading.
Read More »
Obama Signs Groundbreaking Animal Testing Law
President passes unprecedented amendment drafted by vegan senator Cory Booker.
Read More »
Yard House Adds The Vegan Burger to Menu
All-vegan option added amongst Gardein-rich veg-friendly menu.
Read More »
New York Moves to Ban Elephants Used in Entertainment
States Senate votes unanimously in favor of an elephant protection act that would create unprecedented standards for elephant welfare.
Read More »
Jamba Juice Opens Vegan-Friendly Eatery
Pasadena, CA will be home to a revamped Jamba Juice serving vegan-friendly food and drinks in a café setting.
Read More »
More Flashbacks
- Cruelty Exposed at Eggland's Best Supplier
- Great Vegan Pie Contest Hits NYC
- Schwarzenegger and Cameron Urge Public to Cut Meat
- New All-Vegan Video Site Launches to Huge Response
- Third by CHLOE Officially Opens Today in New York City
- Toyota Called Out for Involvement in Monster Shark Hunt
- USDA: Our Salmonella Detection System May be Flawed
- Transgender Man Wins Sexiest Vegan Contest
- CVS to Showcase Vegan Foods
- NFL Player Prepares for Olympics with Vegan Cheesecake
- Italy's Largest Market to Implement Vegan Section
- Zambia Halts Hippo Slaughter
- NYC's Bourgeois Pig to Become Vegan Tapas Bar
- Nationwide Giveaway for Vegan "Bleeding" Burgers
- Vegan Rock Star Shares Best On-Tour Midwest Eats
- Vegan Pop Stars Slam Social Media Body-shaming Trolls
- Football Player Inspires Former Teammate to Go Veg
- Kat Von D Unveils Limited Edition Vegan Eyeshadow Palette
- Vogue Highlights Emerging Vegan Trend in Russia
- Pret A Manger Reports 70 Percent Profit at Veg Outlet


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The Card's House and Greet Card attraction, September 21, 1977, 10:64 a.m.
After you roam through Card's house, you'll be able to queue up for his Meet 'n' Greet Stable in the "back yard". There you can find Card repeatedly recording a scene from his latest film, Disney's Cabaret. Be sure to get his autograph!
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A Pants Aflame production


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