Any performance that involves synchronised dancers, a white leisure suit and lighting a cigarette halfway through is a winner in my book.
Wednesday, 28 July 2010
Sunday, 18 July 2010
Rotherhithe
The Thames path along the north side of the Thames from Tower Bridge to Canary Wharf is well-known, taking in several ancient pubs through Wapping and a ton of Dockland history before finally ending up in Canary Wharf itself. The best thing about the northern path is the sheer number of 'secret' bits of London you encounter - everything from Wapping Old Stairs to pirate execution spot Execution Dock and one of London's best pubs, The Prospect of Whitby.
With the idea that the south side must be equally interesting given the sheer amount of history associated with the area, I headed for Rotherhithe to join the Thames Path, and then headed east.
The first place of interest, on Lower Road, is the Swedish Seaman's Mission. According to Wikipedia it's still a place of Lutheran worship, alongside several other Nordic churches in the area, and also offers accomodation. It's certainly one of the longest words you'll see on the exterior of a building in London.
Onwards into Southwark Park, where up until recently the late-19th century bandstand had a piano in it that anyone could play as part of the London-wide Steet Pianos project.
Coming out of the park and across 4 traffic-choked lanes of Jamaica Road, it's then a short distance before you arrive at the River Thames. There's a path of sorts that traverses its shoreline, though plenty of the bland 'executive' housing lining the river seems to have taken liberties and fenced parts of it off under dubious legality.
Slightly east of here must be one of London's most depressing statues. It's of Dr Alfred Salter, who worked to alleviate poverty in the area in the early 20th Century.
His daughter tragically died of scarlet fever aged 8, and the artist has thoughtfully frozen Dr Salter staring over at her playing in perpetuity.
A few hundred metres from here is St Mary's of Rotherhithe. The graveyard contains numerous graves dating back to the 1700s as well as commemorations to the Mayflower, which began its transatlantic voyage from a spot on the river near here.
On the side of St Mary's:
Figurines on the school opposite, dated 1741:
The tomb of Prince Lee Boo is also at St Mary's, a Pacific Islander brought back to London in the late 1700s who was briefly very famous. He lasted only 5 months after arriving in London, dying of smallpox.
Not far from here is the first of many salty riverside pubs, this one aptly named The Mayflower.
The path then narrows, going through some old dock buildings, before coming out in a small square next to the Brunel Museum. The museum commemorates the Thames Tunnel, a joint project by Marc and Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Outside is a bench in the shape of Tower Bridge.
Part II coming soon...
With the idea that the south side must be equally interesting given the sheer amount of history associated with the area, I headed for Rotherhithe to join the Thames Path, and then headed east.
The first place of interest, on Lower Road, is the Swedish Seaman's Mission. According to Wikipedia it's still a place of Lutheran worship, alongside several other Nordic churches in the area, and also offers accomodation. It's certainly one of the longest words you'll see on the exterior of a building in London.
Onwards into Southwark Park, where up until recently the late-19th century bandstand had a piano in it that anyone could play as part of the London-wide Steet Pianos project.
Coming out of the park and across 4 traffic-choked lanes of Jamaica Road, it's then a short distance before you arrive at the River Thames. There's a path of sorts that traverses its shoreline, though plenty of the bland 'executive' housing lining the river seems to have taken liberties and fenced parts of it off under dubious legality.
Slightly east of here must be one of London's most depressing statues. It's of Dr Alfred Salter, who worked to alleviate poverty in the area in the early 20th Century.
His daughter tragically died of scarlet fever aged 8, and the artist has thoughtfully frozen Dr Salter staring over at her playing in perpetuity.
A few hundred metres from here is St Mary's of Rotherhithe. The graveyard contains numerous graves dating back to the 1700s as well as commemorations to the Mayflower, which began its transatlantic voyage from a spot on the river near here.
On the side of St Mary's:
Figurines on the school opposite, dated 1741:
The tomb of Prince Lee Boo is also at St Mary's, a Pacific Islander brought back to London in the late 1700s who was briefly very famous. He lasted only 5 months after arriving in London, dying of smallpox.
Not far from here is the first of many salty riverside pubs, this one aptly named The Mayflower.
The path then narrows, going through some old dock buildings, before coming out in a small square next to the Brunel Museum. The museum commemorates the Thames Tunnel, a joint project by Marc and Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Outside is a bench in the shape of Tower Bridge.
Part II coming soon...
Friday, 2 July 2010
Saturday, 29 May 2010
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor are from LA, their guitar player is 14 and they have this whole Wendy and Bonnie / much cooler Bangles thing going on. They're called Piper and Skylar which is ace in itself and who knows, maybe they'll become one of those totally chill L.A. buzzbands before long.This below is 'Luv Goon', lovely dreamy summer pop which you can buy for real over on the Mexican Summer site, and you could do worse than sniff around there and check out the likes of Washed Out too.
Pearl Harbor - Luv Goon by robhyde
Tuesday, 25 May 2010
Monday, 24 May 2010
Enis' Cafe
After reading a review on this blogof the mysterious Enis' Cafe in Waterloo, I knew I had to go and see it for myself. I'd heard of customers being locked in there by Enis, of the police being called after a dispute over the bill, and the numerous signs plastered on the walls advertising a mysterious 'elixir' - a steal at £100 a bottle.
I arrived to find it empty - the temperature outside was pushing 30 degrees. Nonetheless, there were 3 staff stood idly in the kitchen. I'd already eaten and hadn't heard the greatest reports on the food anyway, so I ordered a Coke. Sadly around this point I got spotted fumbling under the table, trying to surreptitiously take photos and the waitress firmly requested I stop. So I didn't manage to snap the kitchen clad entirely in tin foil, numerous 'elixir' adverts, or the writing / colouring in on every available surface. A repeat visit is in order and I'll be more careful this time. Oh - and the Coke was warm.
Enis Cafe
79b Waterloo Road, London SE1 8UD
I nicked this from Bingo Betty's blog, as I was gutted not to have taken a photo of the hand-drawn 'Breakfast Club' wall:
EDIT: Vaughan Denny kindly shot the weird side hatch (with what appears to be shell detailing in the concrete) and sent a photo over. Follow him on Twitter: @vaughan
EDIT 2: My friend Paul went, I thought I'd post his writeup too:
"I went to Enis's cafe. it was a crazy experience, the walls are all lined with tin foil and it is easily the craziest place i've been to. I have to lay down, the coffee made me feel sick and the place smells like congealed grease, and the owner yells at you, it was the funniest and best cafe experience ever. We got in and the owner started to glare at us, like 'WHY ARE YOU IN MY CAFE' and we sat down and the first thing you notice is the smell of damp and grease. and all over the place there was signs for Enis' 'Elixir of life'.
I asked him for a tea and he goes "WE CHARGE ONE POUND FOR A TEA, ONE POUND FOR A TEA, JUST SO YOU KNOW WE CHARGE ONE POUND FOR A TEA". He charged two puonds for a coffee, and it came with the thickest sewage drainage pipe foam on it, literally, it was solid-thick. I had asked him about the Elixir of Life, and he goes 'DISCOUNT OFF OF IT IS GONE, DEAL IS OFF, DEAL IS OFF' and ripped the card out of my hand and started to fold it up and balanced it on the table. It was nutzzzzzz. I feel a bit sick now, I drank two little drinks of the coffee and it tasted like pissed-in rain water. I love the 'there is nothing more beautiful than real cappucino' sign - mine honestly tasted and looked like sewage treatment."
I asked him for a tea and he goes "WE CHARGE ONE POUND FOR A TEA, ONE POUND FOR A TEA, JUST SO YOU KNOW WE CHARGE ONE POUND FOR A TEA". He charged two puonds for a coffee, and it came with the thickest sewage drainage pipe foam on it, literally, it was solid-thick. I had asked him about the Elixir of Life, and he goes 'DISCOUNT OFF OF IT IS GONE, DEAL IS OFF, DEAL IS OFF' and ripped the card out of my hand and started to fold it up and balanced it on the table. It was nutzzzzzz. I feel a bit sick now, I drank two little drinks of the coffee and it tasted like pissed-in rain water. I love the 'there is nothing more beautiful than real cappucino' sign - mine honestly tasted and looked like sewage treatment."
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
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