Pubs Football Pubs

We watch football at Doggett's. I once punched a ceiling panel out when jumping up in either joy or misery and punching in the air. It had something to do with Sol Campbell, but I can't remember what. It's not important; the moment was, the detail of the game is irrelevant. This is how it is with football. If anyone tries to tell you different, they are probably slightly sub-mental.

We also stop off at Doggett's on the way from the RFH toward The Founders Arms. Can you see a pattern emerging? That's right, I like pubs.

I like them so much, I wish I was one.

Sun Thing Wonderful

It finally seems as though summer has arrived after three long months of grey skies, rain and flooding. Greenwich shimmered this morning, bird's sang and people smiled.

What a difference the weather makes. This morning was the first morning in weeks that I have bothered to sit on the open deck and take in the sights and smells. I had been huddled away inside the boat with a paper and a warm coffee. This morning I reclined on the deck taking in huge nasal gulps of river air and all the light my pores could consume.

I feel a huge sense of excitment and anticpation. Like something wonderful is just about to happen.

Do Londoners Dream Of Electric Eels?

The Dixie Queen Mississippi paddle boat just doesn't seem out of place in London. Firstly, London is such a culturally diverse city that it's unusual when you can't see anything from another time or place.

Secondly it's a simulacra. A fake. A replica. There's something very London about that, at least very London right now. In a culture where authenticity is on the wane and instead replicated things and experiences are on the increase; then the Dixie Queen seems to fit in perfectly.

Irish Pubs, Chinese Takeways, Hackney Carriages, The Royal Family, Democracy, The Globe Theatre, London Dungeon, Nightclubs, Tower Bridge, Pirates. All trying to be something else, or at least pretending to be something they're not. But in doing so for such a long time, they now define what they are pretending to be.

Space Pens And Other Myths

Tower Bridge is often mistakenly called London Bridge. There's also an urban myth that London Bridge was once sold (to either an Arab or American) millionaire with them thinking they were actually getting Tower Bridge. I don't think this story is true. In 1968 the old London Bridge was sold to an American and shipped to Lake Havasu, Arizona; but that's because it was sinking and he knew full well which bridge he was getting.

There's another urban myth about NASA spending $4m and 2 years developing a pen that worked in space (zero gravity causes havoc with ink-flow). Upon being told this by a proud NASA official, a Russian cosmonaught simply replied 'We just use pencils'. Much to the embarrassment of the NASA official and entire American nation.

I want to believe this story. But its quite obviously bollocks.

Shakespeare, The Raj and Populism.

Until now I've resisted taking pictures of the obvious buildings along the Thames. Tower Bridge, The Tower Of London, The Globe Theatre all seemed a bit obvious. But what's wrong with obviousness? There's a reason that these things are popular and obvious landmarks; they're interesting and beautiful and people flock to them.

Is it a particularly British trait to condemn the obvious and popular? I can't imagine Africans or Indians being so offish about a popular person, building or thing. Maybe I don't know enough Africans or Indians to make that judgement, but there does seem to be something particularly British about putting down the popular.

Does this come from our inherent sense of superiority from our colonial past? Do we expect to be of the chosen few, like the 1500 Governors that ruled some 400 million Indians during the British Raj? Do we want life to be slightly better for us than for the masses? Is that why we always shun what they like and look for something 'better'?