A Colour-Coordinated Commuter
The picture shows the London Overground’s distinctive orange colour that gets everywhere. Perhaps, the colour design team was led by a Blackpool supporter or someone from The Netherlands.
The London Overground Orange
Opposite me on my trip to the deep South, was a very normal looking commuter, who had an orange-framed Brompton bicycle and a phone and an MP3 player in orange cases.
I felt to take the photograph would have been too much orange.
By the way, one of the Overground lines reaches from the Olympic site at Stratford to convenient buses to Alexandra Palace, where the Dutch House is to be setup . So is this orange by design or coincidence?
The Dutch should feel happy at Ally Pally, as it has an ice rink. They could get vertigo though, as it is one of the highest points of London and the views are spectacular.
Rainbow Cauliflowers
When I first heard this story I thought it was April 1st, 2012 and had been to sleep for a few months because of the hay fever.
But it’s true and it’s all down to clever traditional plant breeding rather than genetic engineering. But then we’ve been doing that for centuries.
The article also explains why carrots are orange.
Until the 17th century most carrots eaten Europe were white, yellow or purple. The orange pigment was added by Dutch plant breeders looking for a way to celebrate Holland’s royal family.
So blame the Dutch.
Fourth of July Tomorrow
Remember it’s Darrell’s Day tomorrow.
If Nathanial Darrell and his brave band of Marines hadn’t repelled the UK’s last attempted invasion, we’d all now be wearing clogs!
Clerkenwell Design Week
I went along to Clerkenwell Design Week today, which lasts until Thursday.
Clerkenwell Design Week
It was well worth a visit and was a much more worthwhile event than Grand Designs Live.
The first thing of note, I saw was this folding chair concept called a Flux Chair from The Netherlands.
Flux Chair
This video shows how it opens and folds flat.
Now I have to admit that I like origami and a designer, Reg Bentinck I used a few years ago was a great exponent to create interest in a product.
Anglepoise is a respected British company, renowned for the famed lamp.
Anglepoise Lamps
They had a big display, with lots of new versions. I’d love a large one in brass to go with my colour scheme in my new house.
I walked around the floors of the Farmiloe Building and saw some impressive furniture and lights, but none that really struck me for my needs. There were lots of pendant lights, which are no good for me, as I have concrete ceilings and no points wired to put any. I didn’t see any decent wall lights at all.
As I left this caught my eye.
Furniture Construction Set
It is a sort of construction set for small items developed by Pal Rodenius from Sweden. He had some clever ideas that I liked and I’ll look out for his name in the future.
A Different Approach
This idea of his, is a method for constructing objects, by cutting around different coloured lines to get a chair, a table or a desk. It is a very different approach to creating affordable furniture. I may have got this wrong, but it seems you just trace the design on a piece of plywood and then cut around the appropriate coloured line to get your furniture. See his web site for more of his fascinating work.
I couldn’t miss this as I left to catch a bus home.
A Striking Floor
it was advertising a company, who’ll put any image you want on your floor. Like this map.
A Map as Flooring
I might go back again to dig a bit deeper. It is certainly worth a visit. Especially, if you’re interested in design, as either a practitioner or a purchaser.
Who Dropped the Trophy?
The Ajax goalkeeper, no less!
Has he blown his chances of being signed by Alec Ferguson?
Icelanders Give the UK and The Netherlands Two Fingers
Th Icedlanders did what was expected and rejected the deal to repay the UK and The Netherlands in a referendum. After all it wasn’t the fault of the good people of Iceland, that their banks went bust.
The trouble is there is a hell of lot more than one born every minute. A few ended up running the Icelandic banks and many more individuals and councils from the UK and The Netherlands invested in banks that were paying a rate that was too good to be true.
If you put any money in something that is outside of both the banking regulations and the UK, you’re asking for trouble. I know people who put all their savings in such as Icesave. They’d have got a better return in Corals, backing horse number 7 in each race.
But the individuals were all compensated by Gordon Brown, using our hard-earned taxes. After all if he hadn’t, the election result might have been different!
Councils, like these in Scotland are still waiting.
Commentators and politicians say the dispute will end up in court. So the lawyers will love that one!
A Previous White Christmas
All of this bad weather reminds me of a tale of getting home for Christmas in probably 1978. I say probably as the BBC have said that that was a very bad winter. Ian, one of our consultants, was working in Amsterdam and joined the exodus with many fellow Brits back to the UK on Christmas Eve at Schipol. But Heathrow was closed as many aircraft were frozen to the stands. More by luck than judgement BA were able to get a Tri-Star to Schipol after finding out that East Midlands airport was free of snow. The jet then did several shuttles between the two airports to bring everybody home, albeit not to where they wanted to go. BA also hired every coach they could find to complete the passengers’ journeys.
One version of the story says that the last flight came in at three in the morning of Christmas Day.
One gets the impression, that that sort of spirit no longer exists in our transport industry. Although as I said at the time, I’ll give credit to National Express East Anglia for getting me home on Saturday from Ipswich.
The Netherlands By Rail
I was looking at Eurostar, as I want to go to Berlin at some time to see the new museum.
When I went to The Netherlands last time on the train, I had to wait for about an hour in Brussels to buy a ticket to get to Den Haag, as it was impossible to buy one before I left London. Now though you can buy a ticket from London to any Dutch station. All you have to do is get to Brussels Midi and then take a Dutch domestic service within 24 hours! The rules for return, are that you can take any Dutch domestic service that arrives within 24 hours of your Eurostar departure.
That sounds like a really sensible way of travelling. You could catch the next train to say Rotterdam and save time or you could catch a morning train to Brussels, have a look round the city and perhaps have a good lunch as I did in the spring and then take an evening train across the border.
It would seem to be cheaper too, as my ticket last time to Den Haag from Brussels and back would have cost 60 Euros in Standard Class. Looking today and going in a couple of weeks, it looks like I can do the whole journey both ways for about £120 or less. That price was for next week, so I suspect, you could beat that if you booked further in advance.
Incidentally going by Thalys to say Amsterdam from Brussels on the same dates, doesn’t have a very good choice of trains and costs twice the price! I suspect you might save a few minutes on the journey, but because of the connections, you would probably have to leave London an hour or so later. That is not my style, as I’ve always been one for an early start! I always think that you can get a good lunch in Brusssels anyway. Or you could visit the falcons in the cathedral.
It all sounds to be a good deal to me! But one that won’t be too good to be true!
The Dutch Lose a World Record to the Iraqis
I don’t think the Dutch will be too bothered, as it’s only the record for the longest time taken to form a government! The full report is here.
Send For The Dutch
Blackpool has a problem in that they’ve now run out of orange paint. Apparently, it got worse when Blackpool beat Wigan in their first match in the Premier League
I think the Dutch ought to send some of their emergency supplies.
It strikes me though that it could be an opportunity for a great deal of fun and partying on both sides.
Do Blackpool have a Dutch branch of their Supporters Club? I suspect that they will soon!
What is addiction to orange called?
The Anonymous Widower 