Has Manchester City Bought the Premier League Title?
As today’s football draws to a close, it looks like nothing can stop Manchester City winning the Premier League Title. It just shows how unfair it is when those with the money always win.
The only hope is that the UEFA Financial Fair Play Rules bring a degree of discipline. These rules, incidentally, may hit Spain worse than anybody else, if the practices of Spanish clubs, I outlined here are stopped.
Getting Fed Up With Spurious Likes
I’m getting rather fed up with people saying they like pages in my blog because they’re hoping that will get more traffic to their blog, which in many cases, I am not interested in.
It never used to happen, but now if I publish a small page, it will get several likes immediately.
If people like a page, they should say so in a comment.
Has Steven Gerrard Come of Age?
You’d think that the headlines about Steven Gerrard this morning, would all have been about his performance in the FA Cup Final yesterday. The Times rated him at 6/10, but said he was rather a frustrated figure.
The biggest headline about himn today, is that he has signed a letter with Jamie Oliver, saying that cooking should be taught in schools, as a means of fighting obesity.
Coupled with his measured and thoughtful support for the new England manager, Roy Hodgson, it would appear that we are seeing a very different Steven Gerrard.
Cynics might argue though, that he wants the England captaincy.
Sir Anthony Caro and Dave Pearson
After I’d seen the work of Dave Pearson, I went to Canary Wharf and took some more pictures of the sculpture by Anthony Caro. So I’d seen two extensive exhibitions for the princely sum of nothing. As I have a Freedom Pass, I didn’t even pay for the travel to get there. I did buy my lunch, but then I didn’t want to starve.
The cost is one of the great things about art and scupture in the UK and that it is nearly always free. I’m particularly keen on street sculpture, like the characters on Brixton station. That is unless it gets nicked like the good Doctor Salter.
Dave Pearson
Dave Pearson was not an artist I’d heard of, until his exhibition at the Bermondsey Project Space was previewed on BBC London News a few days ago. Someone on that preview, said he was better than Hockney. Judge for yourself.
I did ask before I took these pictures and afterwards feel it was the right decision. Especially for me, as he died just a few months after C, my late wife, did. He was still painting up until his death.
You’ll have to hurry if you want to catch this exhibition as it finishes on the 19th of May. You can find out more about Dave Pearson at the Dave Pearson Trust website.
Searching For The Bermondsey Project Space
I was actually going South of the Border to visit the Bermondsey Project Space, which is one of the more unusual exhibition spaces in London, buried in deepest Bermondsey. These pictures might help you find it, as they document my walk from the 21 bus stop at Bricklayers Arms.
In the end I found it quite easily. But it would’ve helped, if some of the street signs hadn’t been nicked.
I just went down Pages Walk and then turned right into Willow Way, where the Project Space is at number 46, which is clearly marked.
Pictures From a Bus on Southwark Bridge
The tourists boats on the Thames, always used to claim that Southwark Bridge was the one over the river that had the least traffic. Today, because of diversions, I was on a 21 bus, that took a detour on its way to the Deep South. So I took some pictures, which are probably the some of few taken on a bus on that bridge. Only one route crosses the bridge in normal service, the 344.
I could of course be wrong, but as you can see they were taken from the lower deck, so there is more of a chance they’re the only ones taken from the lower deck of a bus on Southwark Bridge.
A Return to Brixton Station
When I went to Brixton in the week, I felt that a return visit might be in order to see Brixton station. So yesterday I went and took these pictures.
Note the picture I took of the underneath of the bridge that will carry the Overground to Clapham Junction over the station. It all goes to emphasise what a complete mess the railways in the area are.
In the next few days, if not today, I shall visit Loughborough Junction station, to see the mess the Victorians created there.
At least the artworks improve the station, which is not one of the UK’s finest. But integrate the three lines at Brixton properly, with perhaps a shopping centre and you might be able to create an interchange of which everybody could be proud.
Anthony Caro At Canary Wharf
Jubilee Park in Canary Wharf is being used this summer for a series of sculpture exhibitions. The first is of Anthony Caro’s work.
I wonder how many sculpture exhibitions are held on the roof of a station.
Where The Great Eastern Was Built and Launched
Brunel’s most famous ship, the Great Eastern, wasn’t built in Liverpool, Belfast, Glasgow or on the Tyne or Tees, but on the Thames at Millwall. If you take the DLR to Island Gardens station and then walk along the Thames Path towards the City, you’ll see a sign pointing you to the Great Eastern Launch Site. It’s shown in these pictures of the Launch Site itself.
The Great Eastern was so large it was actually launched sideways, as the river wasn’t wide enough for a traditional launch. It was also pushed in by scores of hydraulic rams, as it was reluctant to move. It is said that these rams, built by Tangye, launched that company as well.
The Anonymous Widower 