| February 10th 2010 |
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Harrods Horse Power!
Looks like Harrods are "doing their bit" for the environment! I suspect they don't actually do deliveries with this, but use it for publicity...like they need it! I have seen this about town before, but just happened to be passing them today when they parked at the back of the store.Related Links Harrods Posted in categories Transport Post URL http://londontownblog.com/posts.php?post=40 |
| January 30th 2010 |
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Blair at Iraq Inquiry - Protest
Joined the protest outside the Iraq Inquiry yesterday, at the Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre in Westminster. Tony Blair was giving evidence.
True to his nature as the supreme snake-oil salesman, he slipped into the inquiry and slipped out by a back door. He did not face the protestors. Natural behaviour for a coward, I suppose. There wasn't a huge number of protesters there, but the protest was from 8am to 6pm (about the time most people went away, but I was there 'til nearer to 7pm). So people came and went during the day. Plus there was pockets of protestors around the building, not all being in the same place at the same time. The reason for the protests around the building was because we were not certain where Blair would come out. Naturally for Teflon Tony, he would want to slither away from his critics. This he did successfully with the help of a huge police presence. No-one saw him leave. When I left, most of the coppers had left, most of the protestors had left and some of the media were packing up. I still think he was in the building. Could be wrong, but I can't see how he got away without being seen. I was determined to see him because I wanted to shout at him, so I hung about for as long as I could, but it was bloody freezing, Friday night, most people gone away...so eventually I did the same thing. I'll tell you what bugs me. All the media could talk about was Blair's "performance". It's not a fucking theatre, it's an inquiry (ostensibly) into the mass slaughter of innocent Iraqis. Mind you, for Blair it probably is a performance, but the media shouldn't encourage it. Witnesses aren't there to perform, they are there to answer questions. Blair came across as the master bullshitter that he is, and sadly a lot of gullible people buy it. I should say, we couldn't hear his evidence at the demonstration, I heard quite a bit of it on the radio earlier. Nothing new in it. He must have mentioned Security Council resolutions, and Iraq being in breach of them, about 100 times. That's interesting. There is no country more in defiance of Security Council resolutions than Israel, but I don't recall him saying we should attack them. In any event, the resolutions in question, did not authorise the use of force and for this reason, the Foreign Office lawyers advising Blair, said an attack would be illegal. This of course he ignored, just as he ignored the million demonstrators in London pre-attack. He did however, dutifully obey one Texan oilman. Posted in categories Events Places Politics Post URL http://londontownblog.com/posts.php?post=39 |
| January 19th 2010 |
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Iraq Inquiry Demonstration
Tony Blair is appearing before the Iraq inquiry on Friday 29th January, and a demonstration is planned for the day by the Stop The War Coalition. This news is released at the same time as a poll that says 1 in 4 Britons believe that Blair should stand trial for war crimes.
The inquiry is being held at the Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre, near Parliament Square in Westminster. Related Links Stop The War Posted in categories Events Politics Post URL http://londontownblog.com/posts.php?post=38 |
| January 15th 2010 |
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Whaling Demonstration
Was walking along Piccadilly today and noticed a demonstration outside the Japanese embassy. It was an anti-whaling demo. I remember seeing some demonstrators there before, demonstrating about the same thing, so it looks like Japan has a thing about catching big fish (ok mammals).
Here's a hot tip if you are planning a demonstration, use a "honk" banner, like these demonstrators did. London drivers need very little encouragement to honk their horns, so you are bound to get some response. Sure enough, these guys got a lot of honks from passing motorists. Which is pretty good because the people inside the embassy were probably doing their best to ignore the demo, but they couldn't ignore all the horn blasting outside! There was quite a visible police presence compared to other demos I have seen, including some armed guys. Don't know what it is about whale protestors that merits this, maybe some of the animal rights people getting a bit excited at times? Maybe because Japan is a big prosperous country, it gets the special treatment? I didn't take a picture of the armed coppers. In post-Blair (known to the sane as "prick") Britain, that would have got me arrested for terrorism. Posted in categories Politics Places Post URL http://londontownblog.com/posts.php?post=37 |
| December 31st 2009 |
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Egyptian Embassy Demonstration
Happened to pass the Egyptian Embassy in South Street, Mayfair today. There was a demonstration outside, protesting about Egpyt building a steel wall along it's border with the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian people getting a hard time yet again, which is a disgrace.
Sorry about the crap photo, taken on my phone, light not great. Related Links More info Posted in categories Events Places Politics Post URL http://londontownblog.com/posts.php?post=36 |
| December 20th 2009 |
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Royal Albert Hall Christmas Singalong
Went to the Royal Albert Hall last night for a Christmas carol singalong! It's a hoot. I'm not religious but it's very "Christmassy" and good fun. There's not many people can say they have sung at the Albert Hall!
For me, it's as much about the venue, it's a beautiful hall, takes your breath away when you walk in. I took the picture from my seat in the stalls. Related Links Royal Albert Hall Posted in categories Events Places Post URL http://londontownblog.com/posts.php?post=35 |
| December 16th 2009 |
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Snow in London Town!
11am. Okay, it's tiny flakes but it's still snow! White Christmas?
3pm. Flakes are getting bigger and it's lying in places! 7pm. Snow has gone, just wet and miserable now! Posted in categories Weather Post URL http://londontownblog.com/posts.php?post=34 |
| December 4th 2009 |
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Hyde Park Christmas Fair
The fair is in town! Well, in Hyde Park at any rate! They've got lots of stalls and rides, and an ice rink too. Very festive! If you plan to visit, try to avoid busy times, evenings/weekends. I got stuck in the middle of it last year when taking a "short cut" through the park! Most of the attractions are either-side of the road, and it gets jammed solid when it's busy...not fun!Posted in categories Events Places Post URL http://londontownblog.com/posts.php?post=33 |
| December 4th 2009 |
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Snow in Hyde Park?!
Here's a pile of snow in Hyde Park. Only thing is...it hasn't been snowing! I presume it was left over from some event or other. It's real snow alright, the sort you get in indoor skiing centres. As a skier I was delighted to see it and had to have a stamp on it to feel the consistency! It's been pretty cold the past couple of days, which has helped preserve it.Posted in categories Weather Places Post URL http://londontownblog.com/posts.php?post=32 |
| November 26th 2009 |
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Freddie Mercury's House
I recently discovered that Freddie Mercury's house was in Kensington, not too far from me. Took a walk out to see it today. It's at 1 Logan Place and is called the Garden Lodge.
He lived here from 1980 until his death in 1991 (he died in the house). In his last years he spent most of his time here. When he died, this place became a site of pilgrimage, still is to a point. Fans left a lot of messages and graffiti on the door and the wall (you can see pictures of it from the links below). It was cleaned up in recent years. The door looks like it was painted very recently, and there is hardly any graffiti on the door or walls (there is a little bit but you can't really see it in these pictures). I think that's a bit disrespectful to the current owner (Mary Austin, Freddie's one-time partner and lifelong soulmate) when you can clearly see that some work has been done to make it clean and presentable. I'm not what you would call a huge Queen fan, but like most people I think they are pretty good and Bohemian Rhapsody was about the best pop/rock song ever written! Related Links More pictures and info QueenConcerts.com Posted in categories People Places Post URL http://londontownblog.com/posts.php?post=31 |
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