Tottenham Court Road station has changed dramatically. Earlier this week I took the train there and exited from the station for the first time in over 18 months, the first time since all the major refurbishments began. It’s a station I used to know well, and never liked it much: the small, grubby ticket hall… Continue reading Central London Changes
Most of the local cinemas I went to in my childhood are now gone. There were two cinemas on Shepherds Bush Green. The smaller one became a Walkabout (Australian pub) and now stands empty; the larger one became a Bingo Hall, stood empty for many years, and now the building has been modified and turned… Continue reading 10 Meatballs Escape from Alcatraz
We don’t have a dog. We don’t want one. It’s very unlikely that we will ever have one. Family members in Ireland and Spain have them and that’s as close as we need to get. Here in West London there are plenty of people walking their dogs during (and as part of) the school run.… Continue reading Cleaning up after your dog
There is no hierarchy of misery. Bad things happen. There is no linear relationship between the things that happen to people and how they cope with them. The worst thing that ever happened to you is the worst thing that ever happened to you. Losing a parent in your 30s or 40s can affect you… Continue reading The hierarchy of misery
Ten years ago I set up a wormery in the garden. Back then there were newspaper articles every few months advising us on how easy it was. You didn’t even need a garden. One journalist set up their wormery on the balcony of their flat, another kept one indoors. The principle is simple: a plastic… Continue reading Wormeries
Yesterday was the anniversary of my mother’s death. She died nineteen years ago. I was holding her hand as the breath left her body. Every year we commemorate the anniversary in the same way, a mass said for her intention, and a day spent doing very little. Once or twice I have gone back to… Continue reading An Anniversary Day
While writing a piece about Underground exits and interchanges the other day (“Where to get off”) two stories came to mind, one related to Earls Court station and the other from my brother’s university days. At Earls Court station there are exits at the front and back of the train. If you are travelling from… Continue reading Earls Court, Monument and Bank
Earlier today Zac Goldsmith was in the news for not knowing much about the London Underground or where the Museum of London is. This might not matter for most people, but he is the standing for election as the Mayor of London. The Museum of London is near the Barbican, in the City of London.… Continue reading Where to get off
I like fried eggs. I eat them often, at least twice a week. In the summer of 1998 I heated a frying pan, put a little bit of butter in it to heat up, and when it was hot enough cracked an egg into the pan. The egg was rotten inside. It made on odd… Continue reading Eggs and “just in case” behaviour
“What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?” For anyone of my age and background that question will bring up memories of the “Derek & Clive” recordings, Dudley Moore and Peter Cook’s curse-laden comic sketches from the 1970s. I see that they’re even on Spotify, with “You Stupid C***” as the top-rated track. I feel rather… Continue reading Jam Boy
The Compartments 