The Palace of Industry
The building in the picture is what remains of the Palace of Industry of the 1924 British Empire Exhibition. Everybody passes it to get to and from Wembley from Wembley Park station.
The Palace of Industry
My father had a rather unusual snooker cue, that was exhibited in this exhibition. They were all in one piece in those days and the butt end was spliced with some very unusual woods. What happened to it, I do not know!
The old Wembley Stadium with its twin towers was built for the 1924 Empire Exhibition. The Wembley Arena was built a few years later.
George Dixon Lives
Television in my childhood is always remembered for the television police series; Dixon of Dock Green.
Cosy policing, like that portrayed in the series has long since gone. Or I thought it had.
However, today at one of the Olympic venues, I started talking to a Police Sergeant about the Olympics and my life since C died. He congratulated me on what I had done to raise money for cancer research and shook my hand as I left.
George Dixon would have felt that the Sergeant had done well. So did I and I hope that the best of old-fashioned methods are creeping back into modern law enforcement.
Air-Conditioning
On the way back from the women’s football on Tuesday, I got talking to an air-conditioning engineer. I said about my solar gain problems and how I’d improved the atmosphere by installing air-conditioning.
He then asked if I lived in a loft. I said no, and he said that most needed air-conditioning, but the archiotects never specified it to save money. I suppose he didn’t mind, as it was a good earner.
But after my experience here, I do think that surveyors should understand solar gain problems better. If I had installed air-conditioning earlier, I might have saved myself a lot of trouble.
At least I seem to be finally on the mend.
Free Pussy Riot
This was the slogan on a placard objecting to President Putin’s policies in London today.
I do know what Pussy Riot is, but taken in straight English, it could be read another way.
Is There A Case For A mini-Peer-to-Peer Lender?
By all accounts, the lender of last resort, Wonga, is successful, despite the fact that it lends money at extortionate rates to those who shouldn’t really be borrowing money. On the other hand, the major peer-to-peer lenders, like Zopa, Funding Circle and Ratesetter, go from strength-to-strength and continue to gain plaudits from financial commentators.
If the peer-to-peer lenders have a problem, it is the perceived entry level, where potential investors like the concept, but are put off by not wanting to put several thousand pounds at risk.
So could the parameters of the peer-to-peer model be modified to borrow smaller amounts and lend it to out in dribs and drabs as payday loans?
I’m not sure, but it would be a much more ethical way of satisfying the market and possibly educating the borrowers as well.
You’re probably venturing very close to a completely automated credit union.
It Must Be The Silly Season!
I’m getting masses of spam, trying to get me to join casinos. I haven’t seen it at this level for a couple of years.
They say there’s one born every minute, but it would appear that most of them are promoting on-line casinos. I suppose it could be due to a large number of unemployed kids, who’ve just left university and this is the only job they can get.
It’s so sad really.
The Unknown Sprinter
Unless you live in London and regularly watch the local BBC News, you won’t know of Adam Gemili. It appears too, that the Olympic Accreditation Department didn’t either, as they got his picture wrong on his ID.
He runs on Saturday morning in the heats of the hundred metres.
I don’t think he’ll be unknown for long! Even Tyson Gay thinks he’s very good.
Arise Sir Bradley
If after his exploits this year in the Tour of France (It’s the Anglo-Saxon’s now!) and then his untouchable performance in the Olympic time-trial yesterday, where he made a world-class field look like amateurs, he must be odds-on to be knighted in the near future. The web certainly thinks so.
Would he be the first Sir Bradley?
Searching the Internet only finds an anti-gay evangelical Christian web-site, a US wrestler called Sir Bradley Charles and a Sir Bradley Avenue in Sacramento, California. In my book only the last one has any credence. So who was it named after?
So I think he would be the first Sir Bradley!
There of course a lot of sites saying he should be knighted.
For different reasons, such as his part in bringing the Olympics to London, it can’t be long before Her Majesty corrects the mistake the Greeks made over David Beckham, by adding a knighthood to his name.
What A Difference A New Train Makes
Getting back to Central London after a match at Wembley has been difficult all of my life, although since the new Wembley Park station has been built it’s been a bit better, especially when the police get their Triggers out.
But these last two days home after 70,000 plus crowds at Wembley have been much easier because of the new 8-car S-Stock trains. These take passengers on the Metropolitan line at 1,400 in each air-conditioned train load, On both days, I went all the way to Moorgate station for a friendly 141 bus almost to my door.
The trains are an enormous improvement and will get better, as track improvements and retirement of the A60-Stock allow higher speeds.
I Called It Right
I know a few Koreans and so I went with them to see them play at Wembley tonight against Gabon. We were a bit higher up in Club West.
Korea v Gabon at Wembley
The view was a bit better, than for the game last night.
It wasn’t an exciting game and the goalless draw was about fair. But it meant that Korea came second in their group.
When Great Britain won, it meant that the tickets, I’d bought on spec to see the quarter-final in Cardiff won’t have to be sold on.
I just felt the two teams might meet there. And I was right!
So it’ll be off on a High Speed Diesel Train on Saturday. What better way is there to travel to see your team?
The Anonymous Widower 