Brian Redhead Was Right
He was quoted as saying that if television had been invented before radio, then radio would be the dominant medium, as the pictures are bretter!
Following the Tour de France today on ITV, I’m constantly switching to Radio 5, during the adverts ruining the program. So Brian is certainly right today.
Vive Le Tour!
That is the headline on the wrap around The Times today.
Vive Le Tour!
I do think that Yorkshire has shown how to do a Grand Depart. I suspect that Utrecht next year, will follow Yorkshire’s lead.
In some ways it’s all a bit sad, as there aren’t many events like the Tour de France, that can be used to build a great event around.
Yorkshire is apparently starting the Tour de Yorkshire, London has the Marathon, Liverpool the Grand National and Newcastle the Great North Run, so perhaps we ought to get our thinking caps on, to create some more iconic events.
The Adverts Are Driving Me Crazy!
I’m trying to watch the Tour de France on ITV4.
But there are so many adverts, I get so many interruptions, that I could be in trying to watch it in the middle of a main road.
Don’t you just hate it!
The worst is some loan company advertising loans at with an APR of 1971%. If they sell any, I wouldn’t have thought that even a spendthrift mug would get a loan at that rate!
One advert is for a deodorant. I had one other product in the company’s range. It has now gone in the bin and when I find,what the parent company is, then they’ll be on my non-preferred list.
I’d be happy to pay a subscription to get advert-free television!
A Sensible Solution To A Local Religious Problem
The Tour de France is creating a problem for the Jewish community in Leeds, as the synagogue is on one side of the route and the congregation general live on the other. So crossing the road twice is going to be difficult on the Sabbath.
Radio 5 have just had an interview with the local rabbi and it was amazing as he told how he dealt with all the problems and decided to have services on both sides of the route, in a synagogue and a school. He’s also timed everything to fit in with the race, so his congregation can also see the race, if they want to.
This interview should be played to all of those religious fanatics around the world, as a practical example of how to celebrate your religion, without imposing any limits on others.
Tottenham Court Road To Be Transformed
It has been announced and reported here, that the Tottenham Court Road area of London is to be transformed. Here’s the first two paragraphs from the BBC article.
Tottenham Court Road will be reserved for buses and bicycles only during daylight hours from Monday to Saturday.
Camden Council wants to make the central London street safer and boost business ahead of the opening of a new Crossrail station in 2018.
I like the idea, but will everybody else?
I’m sure that it won’t be popular with taxi drivers, as how will they drop well-heeled customers at Heals?
I have a feeling that Crossrail and Thameslink could be the key to making this scheme work? I’ve not seen any figures, but how many people will switch to the trains rather than drive in London, when the two railways open around 2018. If the switch is quite substantial, then cars in London will drop and this will speed up the buses.
We live in interesting times.
The Notorious Bow Roundabout
Several cyclists have been killed or injured on this notorious roundabout.
Work has been done to improve it, but it’s still not a great place to walk.
Don’t Trust Your Phone On A Bike
Perhaps that is the moral of this story on the BBC’s web site, about an idiot cyclist, who was cycling along the M25 in Surrey trying to find a quick way home.
I’m not sure, that I could have ever used a smart phone on a bicycle, at any time of my life!
I’ve only ever seen a cyclist once on a motorway and that was a guy of about twenty pedalling furiously up the hard shoulder of the M11 towards Stansted.
Cycling Superhighway On Cable Street
Cycling Superhighway, CS3, on Cable Street, seems to be very safely laid out.
As there wasn’t much traffic in the area, I think I’ll give it a try, by taking a tain to Shadwell. As this map shows, it’s pretty straight too.
Green Bicycle Racks
These bicycle racks were outside the cathedral.
What an unusual and good way to solve the problem of bike security in a sensitive area!
The Travel Choice advertised on the stands is for Peterborough’s transport system.
The Anonymous Widower 