Horizongo.
Back To The OldSchool
Yesterday I went to a memorial party for my secondary school English teacher Patrick Underhill, who died at the beginning of the year. It was a very well attended and upbeat celebration of his life, held in the school library.
Books and wine - two of Mr Underhill's very favourite things - were in abundance, as were teachers I hadn't seen for nearly fifteen years. It was both a terrifying and surreal experience, a bit like one of those recurring anxiety dreams where you are suddenly back in the classroom.
Luckily, unlike in my dream, I'd remembered to wear trousers.
But enough about my nightmares.
My most vivid memory of Patrick is when we all watched a video of Macbeth in class. When Lady Macbeth disrobed, my friend Gavin shouted 'phwoar', causing Mr Underhill to launch into an magnificent tirade about how we were insulting women, specifically our sisters, mothers, grandmothers, and aunts.
He finished with a devestating flourish:
"Ignorance associated with arrogance is obtusive"
A riposte from which I suspect Gavin has never entirely recovered, and one which subsequently entered my lexicon, even though I've checked, and the word 'obtusive' isn't actually in the dictionary.
Mr Underhill then, passionate about language.
Even language that doesn't fully exist.
Warning: Portions of the above story are likely to have been misremembered. If anyone else recalls what actually happened, do comment below.
Patrick in his youth
Me and my old nemesis Mr Scarth
Eileen Underhill's fabulous purple stockings and £4 heels from Camden Market.
Our Cat Ran Up Their Ginnel*
(Click to Enlarge)
The word ‘Ginnel’ is a northern dialect term for a narrow alley. The earliest literary reference to the word was in 1885, when Benjamin Brierley wrote the simile: "as pleasant as stondin in a Ginnel ov a wyndy neet waitin o'th' sweetheart comin out". At Artsadmin the Ginnel refers colloquially to the foyer of Toynbee Studios.**
For basement tenants, visiting the Ginnel is often their only opportunity to experience natural daylight and human interaction. Many go there to check their pigeon holes several times a day, even though there's only ever one postal delivery (at most).
Nearly all visitors entering and exiting the Artsadmin compound must first pass through the Ginnel, and so inevitably, if you loiter there for long enough, someone amazing will walk by.
The Ginnel, then, is an overlooked social hub.***
Three cheers for the Ginnel and all who pass through her!
*Lancashire phrase used to indicate a very tenuous familial relationship between two people
**other nouns with a similar meaning include ‘Snicket’ and ‘Flutester’
***equalled only by the narrow entrance to the middle bar at The Arches, Glasgow during NRLA weekend
Cross Purposes
Today me and Luci visited the new diagonal pedestrian crossing at Oxford Circus.
Almost immediately we were accosted by a passing documentary film crew:
And you can watch Will and Jenny's report here!
Almost immediately we were accosted by a passing documentary film crew:
And you can watch Will and Jenny's report here!
I read about the plans for the crossing last year, and am actually quite surprised at how quickly it's been implemented, and how closely they kept to the original concept:
The crossing ignites memories of my trip to Tokyo in 2005:
Another Japanese feature that London should consider adopting is these countdown timers:
Which would help emphasise the rather tight 30 second diagonal phase.
But If you think Oxford Circus is perilous, just wait until they install one of these Kyoto-style footbridges across the Thames...
The crossing ignites memories of my trip to Tokyo in 2005:
Another Japanese feature that London should consider adopting is these countdown timers:
Which would help emphasise the rather tight 30 second diagonal phase.
But If you think Oxford Circus is perilous, just wait until they install one of these Kyoto-style footbridges across the Thames...
Mummy, the television news is swearing at me.
Fast-forward to 1m51s:
I am so offended that I am deleting myself from the internet immediately.
The Pussycat Dolls Have Got A Lot To Answer For
Last night my friend Bryony texted me to say that she'd just put me on the guestlist to see Same Difference perform their new single at Madame JoJo's.
Thus, I immediately jumped on the tube, arriving just in time to witness the following:
You can't say fairer than that.
Their performance was part of Popshow Gold. Also on the bill were three quite similar new girlbands trying a bit too hard to be sexy. Here are two of them:
And here's the third.
I blame the Pussycat Dolls.
For most things.
Just look what they've done to Sugababes.
Quantum Mechanics
If you observe something, you change it.
Thankyou Josephine for shaming me into updating DeDomenici Blog!
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