Archive for the ‘london’ Category

'Wireless Internet Now Free For All'

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Posted 21 Aug 2008 — by admin
Category actual, london, technology, trains

As I boarded the 9.10 to Leeds with my copy of Nintendo Magazine wedged firmly under my arm I was looking forward to a leisurely train journey ‘ooop north’. Armed with my shiny new Apple Mac and a spare pair of pants I eased myself into my reserved seat ready for the off. To be honest, when I booked the National Express train to Leeds I wasn’t completely sure whether I was getting a train or a coach but as I arrived at platform 2 in Kings Cross Station I was releaved to find a spruced up intercity with the familiar National Express livery painted down the side and not a coach in sight.

In the back of my mind I was secretly hoping that there would be WiFi available on the train but I didn’t hold out much hope. These luxuries are usually only available to the corporates in first class, but as I took my seat I noticed a sign to my right that declared “Wireless internet now free for all”.

So I’ve now been sitting on the train for nearly two hours, checking my email and preping for my trip to Leeds, Skyping home (with the video functionality) and writing utter drivel on this here blog. The only slighty strange thing is that google thinks I’m in Sweden, unless I got the wrong train from Kings Cross!

Far from this being a leisurely train journey it has been, like the WiFi connection, superfast.

Must dash, the train is about to pull in to Leeds!

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A case of mistaken identity

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Posted 14 Aug 2008 — by admin
Category actual, london

In the past two days I’ve covered a fair few miles on my scooter, overtaken a few buses and won a few traffic light grand prixs. I’ve been riding the bike now for over 5 years, been in and out of a few buildings and have never had the misfortune of being mistaken for someone else.

Let me explain…

Yesterday I had an appt to keep after work. I rode up to the visitors car park, parked the scooter and went into this nondescript office block for my meeting, helmet under my arm. The first reaction of the guy at the desk was to ask me who I was delivering to. He quickly changed his mind and asked me who I was there to see. This might have been something to do with the look of utter confusion on my face. I politely let it pass, especially as he offered to let me park in their basement car park.

Today I had a shoot with work at the National Portrait Gallery in London. I was instructed to go to the reception and get my pass which I did. I’d just travelled from East London in the pouring rain wearing my waterproof trousers, which are rather fetching if I say so myself, and I even had the decency to take them off before I went in to the gallery. So I go up to the lady at the desk and introduce myself and tell her ‘I’m here to collect my pass’, to which she replies, ‘We don’t accept parcels at this desk, you’ll need to go to dispatch’, ‘Pass’ I repeated, ‘not parcel’, trying not to embarass her.

The moral of this story is, just because I carry a helmet into your establishment and my bike jacket is a little bit ‘worn’, doesn’t make me a motorcycle courier, not that I have anything against motorcycle couriers. Maybe I need to get a new helmet and a jacket that looks more like a parka and less like I want to get you to sign for something!

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Echo

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Posted 23 Oct 2007 — by admin
Category bbc, london, television centre, tvc

In the light of last weeks news about the potential sale of BBC Television Centre in London, I thought I’d post a clip by Jon Jacobs that echos my feeling about working at White City and for the BBC.  [youtube=http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-VjOi4kavNQ] Join the Facebook group opposing the sale of TVC and sign the petition too.

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Prince

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Posted 07 Sep 2007 — by admin
Category 6th september, concert, docklands, Let's Go Crazy, london, o2, prince

[youtube=http://uk.youtube.com/v/P4KDZ1Y6Vow]

More here

Banksy Vs. Warhol

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Posted 13 Aug 2007 — by admin
Category art, banksy, beatles, churchill, covent garden, hospital, london, marylin, queen, screen print, soup cans, stencil, warhol

With much anticipation and excitement I visited the Banksy Vs. Warhol exhibition at the Hospital in Covent Garden. It lived up to it’s hype and I got a chance to see some fantastic Warhols that are rarely seen like the graphite drawings of The Beatles and the Queen plus some Soup Cans and a couple of Marylins (plus a few more). All of these pop art classics were hung side by side to Banksy’s contributions, Churchill with a green mohawk, Angel Cop, the Chimps and my favourtite ‘I Can’t Believe You Morons Buy This Shit’.

While it is always a brilliant opportunity to see some quality art hanging for free in London and better than that, two great artists’ work hanging side by side, I’m not sure about pitching one against the other. You were encouraged to leave your comment in the book on the way out and people were attempting to answer the question, who is better, Banksy or Warhol. In my opinion trying to ask who is better between Banksy and Warhol is like asking, is Cliff Richard better than Elvis? Obviously not! One was the trail blaizer and the other is (was in the case of Cliff) the young pretender.  That’s not to lessen the impact or talent of Banksy but without Warhol would Banksy be doing what he does?

I’ll leave the answer to you.

Fopp off

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Posted 03 Jul 2007 — by admin
Category books, CD, closure, DVD, fopp, london, music

Once of this countries truly great independent record shops, Fopp, has shut its doors. You can read more here. It seems that it was rather sudden according to staff who were left working for nothing over the last month. However I wouldn’t be suprised if the writing had been on the wall for a while as all of the high street record shops have been strugling for a long time. Personally there is something special about buying your music in packaging like records before them.

 I’d just like to pay my last respects to one of the only record/book/dvd shops I actually enjoyed shopping in. The staff were polite and knew their stock, the shop always contained hidden gems to find whilst you were digging around and the prices were amazing. Added to this was the regular appearance of your favourite artists, DJ nights, comedy nights and loads of other stuff I probably missed!

So here’s to Fopp and lets hope they get themselves back on their feet. I no longer have a place to go to rummage through all the stuff I love, although it might stop me having to sneak the odd CD or book home of an evening!

Muse

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Posted 17 Jun 2007 — by admin
Category light, london, muse, music, rock, show, stadium, wembley

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gheNpojXJEo]

I’ve just got home from MUSE at Wembley Stadium and it was awesome in every way. Sound, lights, spectacle and the stadium itself. Enjoy my mobile clip of ‘Feeling Good’, it just doesn’t do it justice! Also there are some pics at flickr too.

Alphabet of Brooke Shields

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Posted 11 May 2007 — by admin
Category brook shields alphabet, graffiti, london, publicity, strange

Alphabet of Brooke Shields, originally uploaded by mistersnappy.

Spotted onOXford Street by Currys Digital. I don’t think this is relevant to the content of this scrawl but it seems to have popped up all over town. It’s been the subject of a tounge in cheek article in Metro earlier in the week but as yet I have heard no explaination of this curious peice of graffiti.
If you happen upon this blog entry and you have answers, please leave a comment!