Time to get organised. Somebody new is starting in our office today, and we don’t have enough mugs for the coffee. Tonight I am off to see a gig at The Borderline. Additionally I have a strange urge to make my computer make sounds on various actions – usually I work with the sound muted to stop all those sounds created by random things online but right now I want it to speak to me. I must be mad. I will get over it tomorrow.
There was an amusing news story last week about a man who pressed what he thought was a the trigger of a second world war bomb only to discover it was part from the suspension of Citroen car. I read it in a newspaper that was discarded on the underground on my way into work. It stuck in my brain, so I’ve been telling people about it for a good week now, and to share it with even more of you, I’ve found a link to the story in The Guardian.
Routemasters are a fantastic icon of London, and I will miss them when they are gone. Yesterday, as I sat explaining their value to a group of visiting Americans, I watched as the crowds on Piccadilly boarded them anywhere on the street. Smart and efficient. Then I watched a bendy-bus block most of Piccadilly Circus. Somebody thinks it’s progress. [Routemaster Bye Bye]
I didn’t want this site to become full of my photographs, but I couldn’t resist posting another one from my weekend in Shrewsbury. This picture isn’t as good, but it’s of Shrewsbury Abbey – at the bottom of Abbey Foregate, just before you reach the English Bridge. I passed this place every day on my way into college as I was growing up, and it’s a sight that always makes me think of being a teenager. [Shrewsbury Abbey].
Sadly, I could only find one other picture of Shrewsbury at Flickr and that turns out to be a different Shrewsbury!
I love the colours in this picture. Although it was taken early in the morning (at least, early for a Sunday), the colours are fantastic. What’s more, I took it with my Treo’s mobile camera, which isn’t the greatest camera in the world. According to Shropshire Online, “Lord Hill’s Column, outside Shirehall, is one of Shrewsbury’s striking landmarks. The tallest Doric column in the world, it commemorates the First Viscount Lord Hill, who lived from 1772 to 1842.” [Lord Hill’s Mighty Tower]
I posted this to Flickr because it’s something I have seen more and more of. If you work in advertising and you’re trying to imply something is easy and relaxed, it would seem you must use a model with his shirt open. [A Shirtless State Of Mind]
Last week, Tony Blair talked a little about climate change and the environment. According to The Guardian, low-carbon fuel sources are “indispensable today if we are to cushion the British economy against volatile oil and gas prices” [source].
Today I learned that 74% of people in the UK think wind farms are necessary to meet current and future energy needs. According to Embrace The Wind (I’m not sure about the name), the voices of those 74% are not being heard, which is why they say it’s time to show your support and Embrace the Revolution.
A word about the image I posted to Flickr on Monday. I am starting to see autumn colours everywhere, and I love it. There’s a breeze in the air which, I swear, smells of autumn.
So I have to take it all back to TV pop stars. Last night I went to The New Wimbledon Theatre to see the touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar. PY bought tickets for my birthday. I had heard the soundtrack as a child but never seen the musical until I was in Norway a couple of years ago when I saw it in Norwegian – which of course made little sense to me but was an amazing staging in an outdoor setting. This one was, thankfully, in English. Fame Academy star James Fox was Judas, and he put in a superb performance. He was very impressive, with a much more powerful voice than I thought he had the last time I saw him perform his own material.
Glenn Carter was excellent as Jesus (although it seems to have been a role he has played many times), and the rest of the cast were also very good. The only thing I found a little odd was Herod’s Song, which was unnecessarily campy, but overall, it was an excellent night out and worth seeing. Last night was the first night, and it was sold out. I hope the rest of the run is like that, as it deserves it.
Flickr is my photo site of choice right now. Ideally, I would like to build similar features using Gallery (which I have hosted on my site too), but I don’t have the time to sort it all out yet. So, right now, Flickr will do me very well. I am pleased to learn in their recent blog post that they are Canadian (I have such a soft spot for Canada) and – what’s more – they are based in Vancouver, which is where we’re planning our holiday next year. You weren’t really interested in that, were you?