it is architecture week, or just was, or something . . . and a new structure has been errected in clerkenwell green, something new for the tourists to gawp at as they follow the ‘historic trail’ in one of the oldest parts of london. this thing looks like it’s been designed by major clanger on one of his brighter days.
the partner of chetwoods architects, aka major clanger, explained at the opening that it contains a wind-turbine, a hydrogen fuel cell, solar panels, &c. the idea is that you sit on a clear plastic cylinder, under a clear plastic cone, which pumps out rain-water-purified london air and brian eno. this makes the world better, oh and the ‘leaves’ open in the moonlight.
UPDATE
I had a meeting over a pint of guinness at the crown, opposite the carrot yesterday. my counterpart and i tried it, he first. i’ve seen no one else have a go at any time. i guess sitting in a clear plastic cone right outside a pub in a popular part of london doesn’t do it for people. inside the cone are four, very nickable, lcd screens, cold air and pink floyd. i think the whole experience would be enhanced by the addition of a carrot of the camberwell variety.
what with the world cup, these blasted flags are everywhere.
the flag originated in the first crusade where crusaders of all nationalities wore the cross. in the first crusade all wore a red cross, though in subsequent crusades the colour varied:
In the first crusade all wore red; in the third, the French alone preserved that colour, while green crosses were adopted by the Flemings, and white by the English. Yet in England the red ever appears the favourite, and , as it were, the national colour of our military ensigns and uniforms.
So there you have it from Gibbon (who else). We should be hoisting a white flag. (Though not, perhaps, until we face Germany in the later stages).
i just got back from a week at the hay festival. last year bill clinton called it the “woodstock of the mind”. well, given the weather (rain) and the ensuing mud, this year it was more like the glastonbury of the dualit-owning classes, you know, people called poppy or beatrice or toby, or those that fry mushrooms in the morning with balsamic vinegar.
still, a good time was had by all, and it did clear up. one evening a red sky could be seen. zac and bethan came out of the tent saying, “cool, an oblivion gate has opened”. [a reference to The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion game].
here’s zoe teaching jeanette winterson how to write books:
