Recession! What Recession?

Isn't it good to know that some companies are making money out of the recession and its not just the usual culprits, pawnbrokers, money-lenders, bookies and banks etc !!!
Fried Chicken shops and the Lottery are both booming, one from the country's obsession with unhealthy, fatty and high salt content foods and the other by stripping money from working class communities.
According to an article in the Guardian recently, for every school in Tower Hamlets there are 42 Fried Chicken outlets and some children in the borough eat 16 takeaways a week. They also say that the borough is considered by nutrionalists to be an 'obesogenic environment', an unfortunate Americanism! Most outlets I know off have £1.99 deals directed mainly at school kids, which provide about as much nutritional benefit to developing minds and bodies as 'agent orange' does as a growth enhancer to plants!
And what do the Condems do to try and tackle the issue, they involve the big food companies in formulating public health policies relating to food quality and safety! A bit like asking Myra Hindley about childcare provision!
The National Lottery is also making a 'killing' out of working class communities, with the average amount being spent by individuals £5 per week, now this doesn't sound a lot but  if you say live in a community of 2,000, that's a lot of money every week, money that could be put in to opening a food bank or credit union.
Now that really would be the 'Big Society'!

Hidden London - 'Soapsuds Island'



Aerial photograph of Kensal and North Kensington, 1938

 London really is an amazing city, you think you know it then you turn a corner!
'Kensal New Town' is wedged between the Grand Union Canal and Goldborne Road, with Kensal Green Cemetery to north and Trellick Tower to the south. Commonly known as 'Soapsuds Islands' in Victorian times due to the abundance of laundries in the area.
The area now is mostly made up of council housing and an interesting open space called the "Emslie Horniman's Pleasence' which contains the 'Voysey Garden', named after the architect who designed it.
A fascinating area with a real sense of itself!

Westmoreland Road Flea Market - A Eulogy!

Between East Street Market and Albany Road SE17, lies Westmoreland Road. Famous for its 'pie and mash' shop, opened in 1914 by W J Arment & Son and up untill last year its Flea Market.
Visiting Westmoreland Road Flea Market was like stepping back into victorian times, a raggle taggle bunch of people selling a raggle taggle bunch of goods. Old clothes, bits of crockery, dubious looking electrical items, well thumbed books etc
Now its gone but the memory still lingers! http://www.soundsurvey.org.uk/index.php/survey/soundmaps/more/37/35/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mal1/3795705591/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mal1/3795707693/

Austerity London (or any other place)

I quite often walk around London wondering how i would manage with no money, or very little, and i actually try some times not to spend very much just as an experiment, obviously i do this on my own and not with my wife and kid who would accuse me off being a skinflint! Anyway here are my observations;
Food and Drink -
Waitrose and some of the other posher stores regularly have free tastings as do food/farmers markets such as the ones in Borough and Spitalfields.
Private views in the smaller galleries, and even some of the bigger ones, are usually quite easy to gatecrash and usually have free drink and food, I even gatecrashed the Whitecube in trendy Hoxton and helped myself to quantities of free wine, beer and canapes.
Culture -
Obviously private views and galleries again.
Libraries with free books, newspapers, IT and events.
Bookshops with free book readings and events.
Free lectures at the LSE, Gresham College etc
And obviously just walking around London is free and I cant think of a better way to pass a few hours.

Sam Smith's

There are 36 Sam Smith's pubs in London, and every one of them is an architectural gem, how does the company do it? They've managed over the last few years to take over some of the most beautiful victorian pubs in London.

I've been in few, and it's my ambition to try all of them, but my favourite has to be the 'Cittie of Yorke', 22 high Holborn, it has a wonderful vaulted beamed ceiling and 'confessional' like snugs.

There are also a number of huge wine vats near the entrance, said to hold 1000 gallons each!

The 'Pure Brewed' Lager is only £2.88 a pint, which is nearly Weatherspoon prices!