Highlights
Nearly half a bicycle
The atomic theory in Kilburn — This place (on Kilburn High Road) has been morphing steadily from dry cleaner’s to bike shop over the last few years. I remember being surprised one morning to see a few kids’ bikes lined up for sale outside but I’d say the shop is now approaching 50% bike shop. […]
Where is my patriotism?
Come, love of country, fill my heart… — I do love Britain. I guess I love England more. London most of all. I hope that in my life I’ve honoured the place I live and not disgraced it or undermined it (I support England and GB in sporting events – I fly a little flag […]
Some bullet-points about regulation
In case you’d got the wrong idea about how the ’regulatory state‘ is supposed to work — UPDATED 23 May 2025. I could update this thing daily. Regulation is always a news story in the UK (Search any news service for ‘regulation‘ right now and you’ll get a long list of current news stories about […]
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Domestic disorder
Everyone has their favourite button on the microwave. Here’s mine.
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Making things in a deflationary climate
The economics of making things is all over the place these days. I guess I understand how Argos can sell this really handsome steel barbecue for £9.99 (that’s how much…
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Rembrandt?
Sometimes the crappy little pictures from my Camphone are really gorgeous – like this little Rembrandt from Blacks yesterday (and a few others from the phone).
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Badges? Badgers?
I bought a big bag of 1970s and 80s badges from eBay (click the little pics for bigger ones). “I vote for I.I.C.C. Shooting Stars of Ibadan”?
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Simpson of Piccadilly
Dropped into the lovely Simpson of Piccadilly yesterday – now no longer a classy clothing department store but a giant Waterstones book shop. When I got my first proper job…
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Go Walter!
Listen. I know I can’t vote there (what with being British and living in Hertfordshire and all that) and I know I should probably worry more about the British political…
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Pauperism: 339. Anatomy: 611. Butter: 637. Dancing: 793. Greenland: 998. Mortality: 312
A long time ago, I worked in a library and one of the joys of the job was the Dewey Decimal classification system – a Victorian wonder of such arbitrary…
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Good radio
A couple of outstanding BBC Radio programmes – Lionel Kellaway’s really thought-provoking Nature on the ecological value of so-called ‘brownfield’ land and the risks to the well-being of City dwellers…
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The wisdom of the EPG
Admirable prescience from someone at Tivo about last night’s England France game.
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So sue me…
Listen, I’m a parent. I’m going to do this from time to time: three pics of my beautiful children.