Archive for category: Culture

  • Review: A Wellcome Death

    Death: A Self portrait is a free exhibition on at the Wellcome collection until 24 February. I should start by saying that there are some and interesting pieces in this free exhibition. An eclectic, or  some might say haphazard, mix of items around the theme of death we see everything from […]

     
  • Book Review: Of course, the ruling class are vampires!

    The best thing about God Save the Queen (Kate Locke) is that it’s clearly a labour of love and that love is infectious. Drawing a world where the aristocracy are literally parasitic on the country they command we see the likes of Queen Victoria and Winston Churchill in a new light […]

     
  • Reuben-Bard Rosenburg: Music Review Silver Sam and Anna Giles

    Reuben-Bard Rosenburg writes at the Third Estate.   “Boo and hiss to you for abandoning me and Leon Rosselson” my friend Cizzi texted me before the gig. Indeed there are few artists for whom I would turn aside the chance to see Leon Rosselson and Roy Bailey in concert together. […]

     
  • Stephanie Phillips: How will the Olympics impact London’s environment?

    Stephanie Phillips takes a look at the impact of London’s Games. These Games are likely to set a precedent for decades to come, so that all Olympic Games after them will be as green and sustainable as possible. Even though London did not make the Games completely sustainable, they have certainly […]

     
  • Olympics resolution number one: be nice to people

    I’ll be honest – I’m an Olympics grump. Don’t get me wrong, I love watching people jump over things, kick balls, throw spears and race each other, although please don’t make me watch dressage – but the whole corporate, big money, delirious patriotism for sports no one particularly watches and […]

     
  • William Blake, poet of the streets

    William Blake radical, poet and artist was born and bred in Westminster in the 18th century. An advocate of “free love” and opponent of organised religion Blake was not one to swim with the cultural tide of the day and was one reason why he owned his own printing press. […]

     
  • Thinking aloud: Giving to beggars

    I broke a long standing habit today. I gave money to a beggar. It’s not that I don’t think homelessness and poverty are problems, nor do I think I’m absolved from my own small part of personal responsibility. Quite the contrary I gave to charity – probably too infrequently and […]

     
  • Review: Leon Rosselson at The Cellar Upstairs

    The Cellar Upstairs at the Exmouth Arms near Euston hosts a regular season of folk clubs (restarting in September, it’s not a summer sport) with some of the top names in today’s folk scene as well as talented locals who just like to get up and have a go. There’s […]

     
  • Review: Detroit

    Detroit, at the National Theatre, is something quite unexpected. Appearing at first to simply be a play about new neighbours in an American suburb the layers of the onion gradually unfold transforming a witty, well performed play into something far stronger. As the backyard barbecues go on Ben and Mary […]

     
  • Save Our Placards

    The Save Our Placards project ais to preserve all those wonderful hand drawn banners and placards that would otherwise end up in the bin somewhere. Personally speaking, I far prefer the home made placards than the mass produced ones because they are sally funnier and because, more seriously, they don’t […]