I was reading a list of names yesterday, members of the armed forces who have died whilst serving in Afghanistan. Each one of them leaves behind a lengthy and complex network of friends, family and loved ones who will spend the rest of their lives thinking about them. With each death, the years of history,… Continue reading Herosim is easy to deal with
Category: London
East Dulwich: The death of community
Me and Mand went for a curry in East Dulwich the other night, it’s only been a few months since I was last there but even in that time the change has been startling. We used to go there a lot when we first moved to London and were living over that side of Peckham,… Continue reading East Dulwich: The death of community
The Local Pub
The last twenty years has seen a notable decline of local pubs in Great Britain. Whether it be to property developers, corporate pub chains or anyone else desperate to make money out of these sacred places, the local boozer is dying. There’s certain inevitability about this trend. The demise of communities, the arrival of more… Continue reading The Local Pub
Veneer of the week
We went round our friends Becky and Roger last night, they live north of the river in Turnpike Lane, a world of proper kebab houses and gigantic pubs. It was a great evening of lager, Champagne and Wild Boar sausages, topped off by a nice little drive around the North Circular. Mandy does all the… Continue reading Veneer of the week
The City of London is a dark place
The City of London is a dark place. Dark cobblestone alleys underneath dark towers of glass. Long dark coats of wool against dark leather and cheap brass. The dark wail of sirens and the pointed noses of dark self importance, dirty shoes on chipped marble. The dark smells a foul blend of urine and insatiable… Continue reading The City of London is a dark place
I quite literally despair of it all
I walk past the Apollo and through the subway on the way home from work, the mild mannered Tracy Chapman fans place their MacDonalds debris neatly on the staircase for someone else’s children to pick up. The more inoffensive the music, the more offensive the fans. Don’t believe me? Watch Last Night of The Proms.… Continue reading I quite literally despair of it all
Dirty and greedy, just like Chelsea FC
We met some of Mandy’s friends last night in central London, and with quite a few of them staying in town it was decided that the best place to meet up was Covent Garden. Which can only mean one thing, The Punch and Judy. I remember thinking how dire the place was about 13 years… Continue reading Dirty and greedy, just like Chelsea FC
Drunk on the Old Kent Road with Captain Mainwaring
I got lost last night on the way home. I was supposed to get the 171 from Waterloo but somehow ended up walking through those surreal yellow lit arches in Bermondsey. Eventually I found the Old Kent Road, which I floated along in a pissed up daze of confusion and spin. Wandering through places that… Continue reading Drunk on the Old Kent Road with Captain Mainwaring
The 4 O’clock bar
There comes a point in a mans life when he has to take responsibility for his own actions, put the past behind him and start thinking for himself. For most people this change usually occurs between the ages of 18 and 25, a time when the heady excess of youth gives way to a more… Continue reading The 4 O’clock bar
Sam Mitchell and public schools
Sat on the Piccadilly line this evening as usual, I rub the oily sweat from my grubby face whilst looking round for something to focus on. Opposite, an overweight bloke reading Nuts magazine at arms length sweats profusely and grins as Nikki from Big Brother ‘Bares all’. He slouches in his seat and periodically tucks… Continue reading Sam Mitchell and public schools