Fun in vehicles

Courgette flower

On Friday I washed my car, I don't know when I last did this, of late my annual service included a car wash- this time though, in December it didn't happen  so I got round to it 6 months later and strangely enjoyed the endeavour  too.

There's something about cars and particularly the utilitarian aspect that provides me with a distinct pleasure - from my teenage years I recall school-friend Jon Holles's father's estate car and it being  loaded with timber .

I think it was 1976 that we had the really dry hot summer in the UK  and I was working at TPI (Technical Panel Industries) - it sounds almost  James Bond-ish, (actually TPI made  Plywood & Resin composite panels for lorries and trucks).

Stuff to plant

Anyway I used to get a lift home from the factory with one of the guys who also worked there - I can't recall his name but as well as working at TPI he ran a market garden enterprise - it used to be quite cooling to travel in his van with the door held open (with a rope?)

Sadly I think he had a minor stroke while I was working there but today as I loaded my car with things to take to the allotment I was reminded of him and the pleasure of labour, camaraderie  and a cash pay packet.


I also cast my mind back about 13 years to riding in the back of an open truck in Trinidad  off to the Rum bars which was also pleasant.

Design Museum exhibition and peripheral facts

At the Design Museum earlier in the week and greatly enjoyed the  new-ish Life on Foot which examines modern footwear mainly from a Camper (brand) point of view.

Big Bold and Spanish- (ish)

In a way what is interesting  here is the stuff that only just gets in -like the fact that manufacturing is outsourced (to the far east), this is quite marginalised even in films showing production but it does make the idea of the shoes as Spanish a little  problematic (to me) - but it's the same deal as Dyson vacuum cleaners - but the spin is better used by Sir James?


Quirky footwear on show.

Away from the use of cheaper labour - I was also intrigued to know that the brand (Camper) is now stretched to a hotel chain - who would have seen that?

In fact what surprised exposed in  a couple of pictures was recent history reflecting modern UK life.


The  Zebra crossing was introduced in the UK in 1951  as was too the first pedestrian  precinct (although I feel this is slightly more contentious)  - that really doesn't seem that long ago and for me is  one to file along with The Times only starting to have  front page 'News' in 1966 .

And precincts too

1951 new fangled crossings arrive

Wow! That's colourful and not 1951

Around Westminster

News that The Palace of Westminster needs a shed load of money (£3billion) spending on it has been long signposted- I was there earlier in the week (with a minister at DECC, my brother) and it seems to look okay to me but it does need updating and not just the fabric..

Open for business- more public access needed

Perhaps it is  time (or even overdue) for us to radically rethink our democracy and the seat of Government and make the  current (historic) location some monument to earlier democracy  (some say it's this already!)

Let's face it the building although looking Gothic is Victorian and what was radical then is not now -we need greater accountability and a system that serves a 21st Century democracy.

A fantastic statue of Richard I outside the Houses of Parliament  - find out more

Ealing for Location shoots and Kingston for Street performers

Good to see?

I don't know if you've spotted those little luminous  arrows on lampposts with the suffix Loc?


It's a sign and a location

Well in Ealing over the last few months I've seen about half a dozen or so of them and they're actually bits of the borough that are being used as locations for filmmakers/TV productions.

[There's an office in the Council that looks after it if you want to user Ealing]

'It's a wrap' last night  at Sherwood Close, West Ealing

And here's a local pub (below) that I've seen being used a couple of times.

I suppose it causes some minor disruption but I presume there's some money changing hands too and it adds a bit of interest to the area - last night followed the arrows to this back street in West Ealing - doesn't look like it'll be a Hollywood Blockbuster but you never know.

Kingston for Performers

I'm not the world's best shopper but I do like Kingston, London as place to buy and 'potter'- my favourite shop there , currently and undoubtedly Clas Ohlson (all the electrical, and DIY bits I love) but there are some other good places around the town , Art Shops, cafés and a real open air market.

Another thing that distinguishes Kingston  is the Buskers/Street Performers - in some places they could be intrusive but in my experience, here they add local colour and are varied - this weekend there were a couple of guys playing percussion on some household items as well as along the road some more conventional singers - perhaps other London boroughs could follow suit on the policing of this?

Beat It - no only kidding you're really good.