Today was different. Today, there were camels, giving kids rides around on the grass by the river. A nice stunt by easyjet.
A good photo op for your now-never-without-her-camera correspondent.
Showing posts with label more london. Show all posts
Showing posts with label more london. Show all posts
Wednesday, 11 August 2010
Crazy London: Camel Rides by Tower Bridge
Sometimes you head outside for a lunchtime wander around More London and Potter's Field and there's nothing of interest to distract you from the silent in-head planning of your afternoon / next big idea / wedding.
Today was different. Today, there were camels, giving kids rides around on the grass by the river. A nice stunt by easyjet.
A good photo op for your now-never-without-her-camera correspondent.
Today was different. Today, there were camels, giving kids rides around on the grass by the river. A nice stunt by easyjet.
A good photo op for your now-never-without-her-camera correspondent.
Thursday, 22 January 2009
Lunchtime at the Design Museum
Because I'm lucky enough to work in More London, I was invited to take part in a curator's tour of the current exhibition at the Design Museum, a show of Alan Aldridge's work called The Man With Kaleidoscope Eyes.
So, on a rainy Thursday, I stopped for a proper lunch break with a couple of mates from the office, and wandered through grey More London to the Design Museum.
The exhibition was fantastic. A riot of loud, colourful, sensual, gorgeous pictures. It didn't need a lot of thought; the woman showing us round was great in her simple story-telling descriptions, giving just enough information without overloading us. A revelation.
Alan Aldridge was responsible for some pretty cool book covers while he worked with Penguin. He was also the guy behind this picture for Chelsea Girls, which I think is bloody brilliant. In the second room of this exhibition, you move through to all his illustrations for, and of, The Beatles. Here, beautiful colours, remarkable lines and witty representations of them, their lyrics, and basically, the era all jostle for attention in a room with pictures covering the walls, the ceiling and the floor.
Two more rooms are dedicated to his funky, 70s anthropomorphic designs for children's books like The Butterfly Ball and The Grasshopper's Feast. Looking at them, I felt I was seeing the first ever designs for children's books; as if nothing came before, and everything after was different. I could see what The Faraway Tree was inspired by; where James and the Giant Peach and The BFG came from.
Alan Aldridge's later designs for bands, people like Elton John, and brands like The Hard Rock Cafe seemed so much less exciting than the work we saw in the earlier rooms. It's hard to say if this is the way you feel about any exhibition when you reach the final room, when the earlier spaces have been so exciting...
But I actually think it's because he's a man of his time, really. Alan Aldridge's art from the 60s and 70s was so lovely, beautiful, shocking, trippy, exciting and arresting, because that was his time. Now he's making work in today's world, and I don't think it's his time anymore.
I was curious as to why we don't see the best of his 60s stuff on every student's room in every hall of residence in every university town. The pictures, I think, have that kind of quality. They'd fit perfectly alongside a shot of The Beatles crossing Abbey Road, and a Dali rose(!). I asked the lovely curator (must find out her name), and she said it wasn't really about copyright or ownership; and in fact, she thought Alan would be happy if this were the case!
In short: a really refreshing, colourful, gently informative way to spend a gloomy weekday lunchtime. Here's hoping the More London crew organise some more things for us to do.
So, on a rainy Thursday, I stopped for a proper lunch break with a couple of mates from the office, and wandered through grey More London to the Design Museum.
The exhibition was fantastic. A riot of loud, colourful, sensual, gorgeous pictures. It didn't need a lot of thought; the woman showing us round was great in her simple story-telling descriptions, giving just enough information without overloading us. A revelation.
Alan Aldridge was responsible for some pretty cool book covers while he worked with Penguin. He was also the guy behind this picture for Chelsea Girls, which I think is bloody brilliant. In the second room of this exhibition, you move through to all his illustrations for, and of, The Beatles. Here, beautiful colours, remarkable lines and witty representations of them, their lyrics, and basically, the era all jostle for attention in a room with pictures covering the walls, the ceiling and the floor.
Two more rooms are dedicated to his funky, 70s anthropomorphic designs for children's books like The Butterfly Ball and The Grasshopper's Feast. Looking at them, I felt I was seeing the first ever designs for children's books; as if nothing came before, and everything after was different. I could see what The Faraway Tree was inspired by; where James and the Giant Peach and The BFG came from.
Alan Aldridge's later designs for bands, people like Elton John, and brands like The Hard Rock Cafe seemed so much less exciting than the work we saw in the earlier rooms. It's hard to say if this is the way you feel about any exhibition when you reach the final room, when the earlier spaces have been so exciting...
But I actually think it's because he's a man of his time, really. Alan Aldridge's art from the 60s and 70s was so lovely, beautiful, shocking, trippy, exciting and arresting, because that was his time. Now he's making work in today's world, and I don't think it's his time anymore.
I was curious as to why we don't see the best of his 60s stuff on every student's room in every hall of residence in every university town. The pictures, I think, have that kind of quality. They'd fit perfectly alongside a shot of The Beatles crossing Abbey Road, and a Dali rose(!). I asked the lovely curator (must find out her name), and she said it wasn't really about copyright or ownership; and in fact, she thought Alan would be happy if this were the case!
In short: a really refreshing, colourful, gently informative way to spend a gloomy weekday lunchtime. Here's hoping the More London crew organise some more things for us to do.
Spotted: Boris Johnson
When: around 1.45pm
Where: More London
Not that much of a surprise to see BOJO around the More London estate, I know. But I've worked here for longer than he has now and this is the first time I've seen him outside. And totally on his own.
(Other time was NOT queueing in the City Hall dinner queue. Ken used to queue.)
He looked awful as usual. Scruffy, terrible, monk-like, I-pause-to-use-the-word "haircut", giving off all-round idiot vibes.
The rest of us would never get promoted or respected if we carried on like he does. It winds me up.
Where: More London
Not that much of a surprise to see BOJO around the More London estate, I know. But I've worked here for longer than he has now and this is the first time I've seen him outside. And totally on his own.
(Other time was NOT queueing in the City Hall dinner queue. Ken used to queue.)
He looked awful as usual. Scruffy, terrible, monk-like, I-pause-to-use-the-word "haircut", giving off all-round idiot vibes.
The rest of us would never get promoted or respected if we carried on like he does. It winds me up.
Wednesday, 19 November 2008
19.11: Today's Moment of Zen
Time: about 6.50pm
Place: walking over Tower Bridge to Wilton's Music Hall
It's pretty lovely around More London on a mild autumn evening.
If you've just left a happy Peter Pan Kensington Gardens producer supping champagne, chatted to your bf about each of your days, are heading out to a press night of a new play, by the RSC, at an exciting new (to you) venue, to review for londonist, it can seem even lovlier.
Place: walking over Tower Bridge to Wilton's Music Hall
It's pretty lovely around More London on a mild autumn evening.
If you've just left a happy Peter Pan Kensington Gardens producer supping champagne, chatted to your bf about each of your days, are heading out to a press night of a new play, by the RSC, at an exciting new (to you) venue, to review for londonist, it can seem even lovlier.
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