Some research from Bath University suggests that wearing a helmet might be more dangerous than not. And that drivers gave women cyclists a wider berth when passing. Personally I’m not taking any chances cycling around London without a helmet but I am considering growing my hair and wearing a skirt, just to be on the safe side when cycling to work.
a strangely familiar barnet
As I cycled home, after a sweltering summer’s day in our Soho offices, there was a continental buzz in the air that is London after work – out on the pavements, enjoying one of England’s rare and blissfully perfect long evenings, cooled by a pleasant breeze and a beer. I turned into St James’ Park and who should drive past in a cavalcade? The Queen! I was genuinely monarch-struck – glowing with a patriotic pride I never knew I had. I’ve never understood all this flag waving, cheering and general whooping that our Queen seems to provoke but, I have to admit, she had a similar effect on me. As soon as I saw the outline of her familiar head I started to grin. I wonder, is it something to do with seeing that instantly recognisable hair-do? I am so accustomed to seeing her on casual everyday items like cash, stamps and so on that it is really quite amusing to see the real thing. A funny thing indeed.
sinner or winner?
For those of you who wondered where our evangelist friend with the loud speaker at Oxford Circus station had got to recently during these cold winter weeks – this photo was taken in Sydney last week. He certainly gets about. It looks like he flies south for winter to find warmer preaching grounds.
winter beckons
Going under the railway into Tooting Bec Common – a nice park for Winter walks in London.
Fireworks, fat scarves, tasty warm soup, seeing your breath in the air, crackling log fires – all these things make the approaching winter fun. Rain, colds and the complete lack of light after 4pm do not.
Although at the moment, I am enjoying the crisp, clean air – with its frosty mornings and blue skies. It’s quite a change from last year and all rather exciting really. Who knows – it might even snow in London this year…
preaching to the converted
Walking round the corner during my lunch break today I stumbled into a kind of flash mob going on inside the Starbucks on Oxford Street, led by the infamous Reverend Billy . Bizarre – one moment the coffee shop was packed full of “worshippers” and then they instantly diluted into the crowd of shoppers and passers by. This was followed by a theatrical rant against consumerism/iraq/bad coffee by the reverend himself. It’s good to see some humour injected into protests. I can’t help but think the messages are a bit confused though – it’s a very tongue in cheek approach to some potentially serious issues. I mean – good coffee is important.
Nervous tension
Driving through the east end and financial centre of London, on our way back from a beautiful weekend in Cambridge, was a little edgey last night. Road closures forced traffic down narrow back streets as police stood impassively at every corner, while locals and meandering sunday night revellers picked their way through the congestion. An unsaid thought evident in the expressions of drivers and pedestrians alike – “had there been another?”. Everyone is getting on with their lives, as you do, but the reality of the ever present threat in London has been brought home and people certainly seem more aware now, what ever the headlines say about it being “business as usual”.
Anyway – I’d like to take you This Way Please for a far more eloquent take on things.
Wellcome to the future
Considering where I am working right now, I haven’t seen enough of the local area during lunch breaks and so on. But when I do, I’m happy to have dragged myself away from the usual half hour of joy – slowly dribbling bits of sandwich between the keys. Walking in from a bright Spring afternoon, this place – with its perspex tables, neon lights, beeps, whirls and blips – was all a bit disorientating but then this is the future after all (and maybe that’s how I’ll feel at eighty years old). And what a future it is. I am going there more often. The Wellcome Wing at the Science Museum that is – not the future. Although you never know…
culture
(CULTURE) – only one more to collect.
ThisWayPlease.com
this way please… go check it out, fred’s been busy.
EDIT: more here
tube strike
with the tube strike in mind tomorrow, here’s a quick quiz to decide whether it’s really worth going in to work…
looks like i’m going to have to stay at home 
