Channel 4 is 25 years old in November hence the glorious retro branding and Richard Whiteley era-Countdown appearing on TV. Famous for bringing close-ups of willies, tits and countless controversial things into the living rooms of thousands, it's rightfully celebrating a quarter-century of good reasons to stay in on Friday nights and legendary water-cooler moments.
A special off-screen marker of 25 years of success is unveiled today outside the TV station's headquarters. A towering 48 feet tall Channel 4 logo, only recognisable as a '4' from certain angles will stand ready for the official 2 November birthday. But - no callous Christmas tree treatment for this thing, it will live long beyond that date as the structure will be customised by four different artists over the next 12 months as part of the Big Art Project.
We don't think customisation in this case will mean sticking sequins and ribbon edging around the top. The first three artists are photographer Nick Knight, Turner Prize shortlisted Mark Titchner and Ghanaian sculptor El-Anatsui. Each will bring a very different discipline to the steel structure and will continue to fuel the Big Art debate about public art. The fourth artist will be the winner of a competition held jointly with the Saatchi gallery.
Watch the great erection in the clip above.
Look! We said 'great erection' courtesy of Channel 4! It's the channel that just keeps giving. Happy birthday!
Those bloody Victorians could never build anything properly. The House of Commons chamber is leaking, and may have to be closed down for three years while the roof is repaired.
This means one of four things:
1) The Lower House moves to a temporary venue suitable for debating matters of international importance.
2) Rather than closing the chamber, repair-work could be extended over a longer period, taking place during summer recess - this could take 25 years.
3) Umbrellas all round.
4) Anarchy in the UK, as a major organ of government is put on hiatus.
5) Rip the roof off and hold Parliament as our ancestors once did, in the open air. Should encourage blue-sky thinking.
In the event of a relocation, four possible venues have been mooted: the C of E headquarters at Church House; Methodist Central Hall; the QE II Conference Centre; and County Hall. All are reasonably close to Westminster Palace, thus causing less upheaval for MPs.
Although some have scoffed at the notion as ?totally unrealistic? and an ?April Fool?s Joke?, the Commons have shifted before. They had no permanent meeting place until 1547, when they were granted the Chapel of St Stephen, Westminster. During the plague years, Charles II briefly moved both Houses of Parliament to Oxford. In 1834, the Chapel of St Stephen, and most of the Palace of Westminster was consumed by flames. While the replacement was being built, the Commons met in the Old Court of Requests, approximately where the statue of Richard the Lionheart stands now. Finally, during WWII, members relocated to Church House when bombers destroyed the chamber.
So where should we put them this time? All suggestions welcome, the sillier the better.
Londonist is all about restaurants honing in on one thing and doing it right: creampuffs from Beard Papa's, burritos from Daddy Donkey, Falafel from Just Falafs. But honestly, we can?t get too worked up about the ?UK?s first hummus bar?. And even though David Schwimmer and a couple of BBCers swoon over the genius of Hummus Bros, we have been much more pleased with other chickpea pâtés sampled throughout this city, including the inexpensive varieties purchased from supermarkets and street markets. Perhaps this statement exposes the Londonist palette's lack of sophistication, but we?re pretty sure it is in good company with the taste buds of many London lunch-goers.
Yet, much of the London foodie press appreciate the simplicity of the Hummus Bros ?give (chick) peas a chance? concept. Time Out thinks it is ?a brilliant idea well executed? and places the Hummus Bros Holborn location in their Food & Drink Top 50. Online magazine, Dr Desi, claims the brothers? hummus is an ?indulgent satisfaction at its most potent,? and easyJet In-Flight says these boys give ?the chickpea snack all the limelight it deserves.? More accolades may be read on the press page of the restaurant?s website. We say the Hummus Brothers' offerings are ho-hum at best and must advise that if you absolutely must eat here, to steer well clear of the chunky beef topping.
Your mother might well have said ?that you never should/Play with the gypsies in the wood?, and she would probably advise you to give a wide berth to the begging variety in most urban high streets today as well. But this is just so much social stereotyping, and the Romany culture is a rich and interesting one, certainly worthy of more respect than it usually garners.
Londonist has exciting news for those of you who would like to know more, especially for those of you who are of a musical bent or cinema buffs.
Princes Amongst Men are a two man outfit ? Garth Cartwright and Leon Parker - who have been DJing together for a number of years now. The title derives from Cartwright?s book, Princes amongst Men ? Journeys with Gypsy Musicians, which has just been re-released to great acclaim. The two of them are to unroll an eclectic evening?s entertainment, an audio feast of Balkan exuberance, on Saturday 20th October at the Ritzy Café Bar. The group Paprika Balkanikus will be playing, and we quote:
A thrilling three piece of violin, guitar and bass, PB play a fiery blend of Balkan, Eastern European and Gypsy music with Classical and Jazz influences thrown in and have been wooing audiences with their sizzling musicianship and natural stage presence at gigs and festivals across the UK and beyond.
And then just two weeks later, Cartwright is curating the second annual Gypsy Film Festival, which once again is to be held at the twin locations of the Brixton Ritzy and the Greenwich Picture House. He promises a beguiling package of:
Rarely seen classic European films and contemporary documentaries ? most have never had a UK screening.
Londonist particularly likes the look of ?The Way the Road Bends: Tales of a Gypsy Caravan ? a documentary following the travels of five gypsy musicians as they tour the US and then back in their respective homelands. The director Jasmine Dellal hopes to present the film herself.
The weekend?s events incude the launch of Zsuzanna Ardo?s photo exhibiton, Roma Decade.
Events are on at the Brixton Ritzy on Friday ? Sunday 2nd-4th November, and then they re-locate to Greenwich Picture House for the weekend of the 9th-11th November.
Go on, go and put it in your diaries right now..
Caravan picture courtesy of rightee?s flickr stream
It may be up there with "dog bites man" as a redundant headline, but it's true: traffic in London is slow. Four years of congestion charging may have swelled the coffers of TfL, but it hasn't done much to relieve the blood pressure of motorists. Despite a 20% reduction in traffic since 2003, snaking jams of snarling drivers are common, and things are slower than in the days of horse and cart. So we weren't particularly surprised to learn that, according to a survey by Keepmoving, London has the slowest traffic in Europe.
While we're crawling along at a not-quite blistering 12mph, the rest of the continent is motoring along nicely. Paris is 40% quicker, while our friends in Hamburg rattle along at a zippy 52.3mph. Hang about, 52.3mph? That's obscenely fast. Perhaps handbrake turns and jumping out of a moving vehicle, Dukes Of Hazzard-style, are the norm over there?
Anyway, the survey notes of Hamburg's public transport system:
Buses in the city are co-ordinated with rail services to ensure a smooth commute and there are 120 free park and ride services.
Uncongested roads and an efficient transport network. Mere coincidence?
Crossrail will be a significant step in relieving London's ailing transport network, but it's a pity that we have to delve into the bowels of gridlock hell before actually doing something about it.
Clapham Junction is very rarely thought of as a magical or dramatic place. Grubby, crowded, chilly, noisy - and that's just the station. The streets around the station are even less inspiring. And yet... and yet here's a theatre company bringing an extraordinary piece of experimental theatre onto the streets of Clapham Junction, turning this area of south-west London into a unique and innovative outdoor stage. We saw something similar in Soho when we were taken Moonwalking but whereas that was about moving in groups through the festive streets of Chinatown, this is a far more urban and unusual night out.
An Audience of One is a new work produced by Laboratory, the experimental arm of Ladder to the Moon. This theatre company are accustomed to unconventional performance spaces: the main body of work for these chaps are interactive theatre projects that transform the environments of elderly mental healthcare homes, so Laboratory's efforts to go outdoors in SW11 is going to be very special. Two main actors and supporting cast lead audiences of seven at a time on an evening's walk with special pre-show instructions sent to each person. It's a highly individual experience...
When you arrive at the show you will be seated alone on a pavement, waiting to wander through the idea of home and what we are without it. The actors will come to you, tell you bits of their story and generally draw you into their world. The stories all interweave as you meet the rest of the audience and eventually you find yourself sitting down with everyone for a slightly surreal dining experience on the streets of Clapham Junction.
Marvellous.
An Audience of One by Laboratory (Ladder to the Moon Theatre Company), Friday 19 October to Sunday 21 October. For tickets and performance times, go to the Audience of One website here.
This weekend Bloomsbury erupts with the Bloomsbury Festival celebrating this famous area. Well known for its literary and historical significance it is also a thriving haven for arts and artists and packed full of beautiful, quirky, intriguing buildings and organisations and the chockerblock programme reflects every aspect of life in Bloomsbury Quarter. Check this out:
Those of you who couldn't make the Londonist Bloomsbury walk last week can take advantage of guided walks of the area on several topics all day Saturday and Sunday (although, unfortunately, not with our Chris).
Brunswick Square will play host to the Festival music stage where locals musicians of all genres, and particularly those who like to mash it up, will be entertaining and there's an after hours gig going on, at a secret location, to be announced on the day.
The fabulously named avant garde arts venue, The Horse Hospital, will run the full gamut of film, performance and open house multi-media madness and there's also film at the Renoir, dance at the Brunswick, street art everywhere, photography and art exhibitions, a food market, debates, talks, workshops, readings, ambience, crafts, aerialists and football. And more.
Bloomsbury Festival - A Celebration of Bloomsbury starts at 4pm on Friday 19th October and runs all weekend. Don't miss anything. Download your specially designed programme and map here. Most stuff is absolutely free. Bloomsbury Festival is sponsored by Allied London
Image of courtesy of Bloomsbury Festival by Keegan Duigenan.
Hands up who remembers Kriss Akabusi running though Greenwich with the torch a few years back? Us too. We also remember thinking it would have been great fun to have a go. It appears that if we were still at school, me might have just got that chance.
Secondary schools from all over the city can nominate pupils to carry the torch through London for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The torch makes its way to London in April 2008 as part of the huuuuuuuuuuuge rally through 22 countries. 80 Torchbearers will carry to torch through different London Boroughs. It's not just school kids. Sports stars and celebs will be involved too. Kriss himself might even make a repeat appearance.
They've dubbed the event 'Light the Passion, Share the Dream' which sounds a little too like 'Save the Cheerleader, Save the World' for our liking but we appreciate the sentiment. It's a great thing for the kids to be involved in.
Ken's happy too. As he rightly says, "it's a unique opportunity to generate interest and excitement across the capital as London itself prepares for the games in 2012."
We just wish that we'd could be nominated as we reckon it would be pretty good fun.
London?s got its very own comics festival, and it?s kicking off this weekend. But don?t let yourself envisage flocks of overgrown adolescents in ill-fitting capes ? Comica?s appeal is that it casts its eye more broadly, bringing in arresting art and affecting stories from around the world. Normally it?s the heroes in tights hogging the spotlight. Comica gets them to step aside for a couple of weeks a year in favour of the unusual and the unsung. Hey ? it?s like they?ve revealed comics? secret identity.
There?s loads of stuff happening in the first week, but we particularly like the look of these:
Jeffery Lewis, Saturday 20th ? The singer/songwriter and comic book artist will be playing an hour-long afternoon show before settling in for a conversation. The only other London date for this New York anti-folkie is sold out, so this live acoustic set is a bonus chance to hear him sing a good song about getting beaten up by Will Oldham on the subway. At £6 we reckon this one?s a deal.
Make Mine Manga, Sunday 21st ? Manga artists hook up with an editor to shed some light on what makes Japanese comics the inspirational force they are. Top tip: come early and use your ticket to get free admission to the finale of the 24-Hour Comics Day. Artists all over the world will have been slaving to create comic books in only a day, so slip in to see the unveiling.
Illustrated London Noise / London Lip, Friday 26th ? Punters face a tough choice on the first Friday. Pop along to the ICA for a musical evening of comics-inspired vinyl eclecticism, or head into the City to see comics legends Alan Moore and Michael Moorcock? They?re talking about their work in Iain Sinclair?s sprawling book on the capital, London: City of Disappearances. Difficult, but if you?re leaning towards the bearded Northerner be forewarned ? there aren?t many tickets left.
Comica, 20th October ? 6th November, ICA and various venues. For more information go to the Comica website here.
