Fine timing

A local bookshop capitalises 

Finchley O2 shopping - No Screens 

It was good to be back in Finchley and see again a shopping development I visited around 15 years ago for work  (BT at that time) to consider how we might add screens to help shoppers- and I did find that the the place is still bereft of them!

In one of those rare (but good) examples of happenstance ahead of a planned visit to Finchley's Freud Museum I saw Bettany Hughes' rather good TV programme about this 'Modern Genius'.


I find the programmes that Bettany fronts engaging and what hit me more on this visit was how awful it would  have been for the elderly Doctor to have see his neighbours and country turn against him as the forces of Nazism spread.


Although Freud's scientific methods are now considered to fall a little short of the full rigour we;d expect today - the point that he got people talking about their internal traumas has been a force for good in 'civilised' society his descendants continue to contribute to UK society.

The consulting rooms in Finchley where Freud's possessions were transferred too from late 1930's Austria 

Another £2.50

I suppose Freud would read something into my growing fund?

And £187.50 is where we stand 

The level of activity

Tour de London - keep out the way

What I didn't mention yesterday was how intimidating  the pace of life felt in the centre of London -which I briefly experienced yesterday.


25 years or so ago I used to ride my bicycle to work  - it was relatively sedate, no Hi-Vis Lycra or helmets were needed - a few people used to go for a jog at lunchtime  or even have a game of badminton- now the people between 25 and 40 seem to be trialling for the Olympics - there's a scary glint in their eyes  and beware stepping into a cycle lane!

[And people work Friday afternoon too]


The years passing have has not made life easier and I know Rupert Murdoch is not a figure to admire in so many ways - but his work ethic and ethos are amazing- I recall seeing him in HK 20+ years ago and thinking why don't you retire? - well a couple of marriages on and he's still trying to make deals (what would Freud say about this? - more on that later).

Delhi on the line & I need a fag

What price are we all paying for our outrageously lavish but preessured lifestyles - are we able to smell the roses/coffee?

I don't know but there's little chance of it dropping down a level - so as they say 'suck it up'.

A convention of Hi-Vis wearers perhaps- but what's it all for?

Amazing camera on the way.

My ambitions are modest - £185

TV - What happens next?

What it said on the tin.

LWT - It used to be the home of Blind Date

Off to Waterloo and a great big bit of the skyline has gone more offices and flats I expect for oligarchs and as a secure-ish home for 'hot cash'..

You don't visit for a few months  and it's all knocked down

Then along to the old LWT building (now the ITV centre)  for what was a really good scene setter for changes around what we used to thing of as the telly - the Goggle box (not the Google box) and not the irritatingly PC bunch of Sofa surfers featured on UK TV's Channel 4 Gogglebox.

Well blimey Nigel was a good speaker, he's worked with TV companies for the last 20 years looking at new Gizmo's and functionality and he'd got his crystal ball out tonight too.

TV is going to be owned by Amazon (or perhaps Google or Apple or a really big Telco, bigger than BT).

The battle will be for the gatekeeper function.

Sky need to up their game.

Social media like Twitter and Facebook will have/be channels - you can already see on some Programme guides what bits are generating 'tweets'

Everything else will be relatively trivial.

Camera time

And it's now £183.50

Ealing North Constituency

Not shy Labour

Oh yes there's an election campaign on - Tim Farron leader of the Liberal Democrats s was on TV last night and came over very well  (even though he scarily had a picture of Mrs T on his wall at one stage).

 Not too sure why he's so strongly against pacts and deals - whatever happens his party is going to win next month.

Where I live we've got a popular and hard working Labour MP - Stephen Pound, he was a friend of Tony Blair and is generally considered  a moderate (whatever that means as many would Labour's Shadow chancellor is  making, so far  'moderate demands' of the rich but is considered 'Hard Left').

The constituency  (Ealing North) perhaps surprisingly has since 1997 been pretty solid Labour .

In the area I have noticed quite a number of Labour posters and boards up supporting Pound but nothing so far for the other parties - this of course could be shy Tories.

Only a few weeks more.

Waiting patiently 

The Fund

Two nice new £1 coins mean ..

I've got £182