Olympic spirit

July 28th: A stunning ceremony opened the Games: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18906710 At the very same time, more than a hundred cyclists kettled by police near the Olympic park for attending the monthly group ride event: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-19023104

August 1st: Bradley Wiggins wins a gold for Team GB: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19077813 Later the same day cyclist is killed by Olympic bus driver near the velodrome: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19087826

This is probably the main reason I am not excited and didn't bother to get tickets even for sports I'm myself into.

P.S. "Bradley Wiggins reacts to Olympic park rape urging women to dress modestly" http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/aug/02/bradley-wiggins-law-cyclists-helmets Seems to be a mistake in report: https://twitter.com/bradwiggins/status/231017601193635840

Thoughts on possible North London transformation

The transformation of "depressed" North London areas promised soon after the last year riots is apparently going to happen, but in the a questionable way.

Plans were presented for Lea Valley, Seven Sisters, White Hart Lane, etc. all of them boasting glossy photos (or more precisely, smooth rendered images) and offering some some different experience for everyone. Some of the projects have longer history (e.g. Wards Corner restoration has been a debated issue for several years), some were were introduced during the last year only and have already changed their developers, but there is still a progress to observe.

Those who actually happen to walk the streets of Tottenham might be given a leaflet issued by local community group and raising some questions:

[click for a bigger version]

I find these arguments valid, but at the same time can't fully agree. I hate big retail centres with identical shops and chain restaurants, and well, not because they "lack their own face". I actually more enjoy, say, buying clothes in bigger stores - the less interaction, the better (doesn't apply to food though, and there is Amazon for everything else). The real problem with mass retail is that one day you realise most of the staff they employ actually hate being there and either hope it's (and you're) being only a short stop on their way to something more decent or live under permanent stress of fines, low wages, rude customers and no perspective.

On the other hand, it's hard to argue that cafes and small stores currently open at Wards Corner are not the cleanest or safest ones, and being honest I wouldn't go there myself. I wouldn't use them as a good small business examples either - they change owners and signs fairly often, and those signs are cheap and don't reveal the best taste.

Back of that "own face" problem leaflet is focusing on, despite all these facts, you can still claim that some of them can only exist there (not the prettiest or most friendly face though), while residential towers and retails centres can be erected absolutely anywhere and be as absolutely identical.

And most importantly they aren't going to accommodate those who live and work there now. The "restoration" is, effectively, not about helping businesses and people to become better off. It is, in a longer perspective, more about replacing them.

It's over now

Let's remember how it all began:



And how it ended:







The hero father Tariq Jahan said that "a day from now, maybe two days from now, the whole world will forget and nobody will care". I'd agree that very few people apart from those who lost their property and loved ones will remember their own reactions and not the media coverage, that what they have seen and not what they were told.

I'm not blaming the media there, that's a natural way of world to be, but let's keep our own memories as well even if they are not comfortable to, and remember them when coming across relevant discussions. There's something to think about.

Earlier this year Lambeth council celebrated the anniversary of Brixton riot as an "uprising" (still causing controversial reaction). Who knows how these events will be seen in 30 years from now.

So we've been there

Tonight we were interrupted by door knock - police was asking everybody to leave to house as the next one to it caught fire.



Outside we discovered it wasn't really the next one but still close. Firefighters and *lots* of police were already there and the shop was smoking with no fire visible from where we were stopped. Apparently we weren't notified right after the event, looked more like everything was already close to the end.



Using their folding step-ladder firefighters evacuated three people from the first floor over the shop (they looked fine but first were just lying or sitting on the ground) and finished with the remaining fire. Meanwhile we and our fellow neighbours had nothing to do but to wait and look at the numerous vehicles around:







...and, uhm, dance?





We also witnessed more than 10 riot vans plus some strange armoured trucks passed the street heading north, probably to Enfield where EDL "vigilante" activity was reported:



However, it was quite and peaceful at the area all the time we were outdoors (well, with so many officers around, no surprise). In an hour or so we were allowed to return back home.

Strangely, that accident only made me more confident in the fact the city we happen to live in is gorgeous. Everything will get better, more than ever before.

Take care of yourself.

Update: It turned out later there were no clear evidences that the fire was indeed related to rioting activity in the area. Hopefully that was just a case of unfortunate timing.

This is England

© pixel.eight

Laurie Penny on riots

There are lot of opinions on what's going on in London and some other cities these days. That's what I recommend you to read: http://pennyred.blogspot.com/2011/08/panic-on-streets-of-london.html

Police and Thieves

Kano - Fightin' The Nation (from London Town)

Tottenham, a day after

The area is still closed and I didn't try to sneak into - anyway, there already are plenty of pics everywhere and actually vandalised shop fronts are not so pleasant to look at, so to speak. I noticed many police vans parked alongside the street but few officers outside. More vans were constantly moving through the junction in Tottenham Hale direction.

So I just took a glance up the blocked High Road which looked absolutely deserted:



One of the burnt police cars:



TV crews:





Also to mention, stickers and tags are already there. London stays London, after all:



Meanwhile, riots are spreading to Enfield and I also heard about the anxiety in Brixton today.

Riot in Tottenham

I heard a police helicopter an hour ago, then opened my Twitter to complain about the noise and found that:

http://yfrog.com/h4yu8gpj
http://yfrog.com/h79y8roj
http://yfrog.com/kjrmmdmj
http://yfrog.com/kfcf8tfj
http://yfrog.com/kjji3jej

(sorry for the lack of original pics, I wasted my chance to become a famous reporter and stayed at home)

First coverage from BBC is also available by this moment (and more).

My first idea about the reason of the riot was obviously that recent Ferry Lane shootup when supposed gangster was shot dead by police (BBC, local Indy).

Earlier anonymous witness told Evening Standard that the man was shot at point blank range pinned to the ground. I don't know if that's true and what exactly happened as there is no official release from Met yet (at least as far as I know) due to internal investigation launched, but anyway most likely that very information has triggered the rioting.

I believe things were not like that especially given the fact on which everybody seems to agree that the man shot first wounding an officer. Also, that place is usually crowded as a huge retail centre is just across the road plus buses to local IKEA stop nearby - so there should have been many people witnessing the operation, and only one stepped out with that version. Still, that information cannot be immediately discharged as total nonsense as the similar thing happened at least once.

So far no reports on wounded or injured people tonight, hope it stays like that.

Apparently, no sequels are planned

Just in case if you still remember, this is the end of that cinematic story, in all probability: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/10449578.stm

No country for old women

Walking down the street last week I've noticed posters on local shops fronts offering reward for the information about elderly woman murder in the area (more details about that case).

Later this week I've stumbled upon another two brief articles (1, 2).

That's not a stereotypical picture of the European capital, is it?

"Eminem or Dr Dre"

Mr Ahmed admits they had a secret agenda for entering Afghanistan, but it wasn't to join al-Qaeda.

"Aid work was like probably 5% of it. Our main reason was just to go and sightsee really and smoke some dope".

Nothing to laugh about this story, actually, but still I can't help remembering that Harold and Kumar film.

Left is obsolete, new zig-zag platform introduced

Daniel Hannan was right this spring - it seems that Labours are brokenly trying to catch their supporters leaving for radical candidates.

The Vigilante

Street crime piece again, this time ended happily: Johnson saves woman from 'oiks'.

Boris is awesome!

How the heck does he manage to secure a flasher and a siren on his bicycle, Mr. Johnson's Russian collegues must be wondering.

London street crime

Kicked to death over girlfriend's Halloween hat

Paired with that recent Trafalgar square murder, this makes a good picture of local bullies and thugs if you were unlucky to face one among decent people. Sometimes things are somewhat far from stereotypical green liberal tofu-eating European idyl.

HOPE'n'CHANGE

The famous Jaffa Cakes change shape known for 80 years.

This

is

serious

business.

Uroboros

There was a lot of racket today about an indicative case showing Labours being addled by their own overcomplicated immigration rules.

Many expect Tories to tighten either 'to enter' and 'to remain' criteria next year but I hope that at least for those who fit the bill system would become more friendly and less bureaucratic.

By the way, I've stumbled upon quite an interesting discussion on BBC 4 radio on about 5pm explaining Lady Scotland fault circumstances. Hope they publish transcripts so I'd recommend to look for that conversation later if you're somehow interested.

Hello from TfL

Today, power supply went off in our home. After futile messing with fuses and switches I went outdoors to check if some works were in progress and indeed discovered the cause:





That bendy bus smashed into the house right next to ours.

Snatch

If you somehow managed not to hear about the greatest London heist in August, you surely must pay attention.

The thing with it is that the event was perfectly cinematographic. I mean, from the huge booty taken in two minutes to the every detail. Just look through the newspapers websites and put a mark when you face some criminal movie cliché: two of robbers, black and white, sharply dressed, disguised with Mission Impossible latex masks, grabbing precious jewels without any casualties, leaving the place changing cars etc.

And the final detail - get ready - Britain's previous largest robbery took place at 2003 at the same store! So, it was a sequel.

Also, why 'cinematographic' instead of 'cinema' for CCTV shots and bypasser's mobile video are available to the public. Gosh, it's better than a movie!

See, conclusion honest person must come to: Guy Ritchie is a bloody realist.

August 27th

Kuwait: British soldier was kidnapped at knifepoint by muslim fanatics

Essex: Muslim leader was kidnapped at knifepoint by white racists

Luckily, Lord shows not only perverted sense of humour but mercy as well: both of them survived.