London is the last stop in an epic trip across Britain filmed in remarkable early colour.

London was the final stop in a marathon journey around Britain filmed as a series of cinema travelogues. Made in 1927 by pioneering filmmaker Claude Friese-Greene brought these picture-postcard scenes to life with a specially-devised colour film process.

Click on thumbnail to view B&W Gallery

]]> http://jellylondon.wordpress.com/2010/02/04/brand-nu-for-london-film-museum/ Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:46:53 +0000 jellylondon http://jellylondon.wordpress.com/2010/02/04/brand-nu-for-london-film-museum/

jelly hello!

If you take a walk down to the Southbank you will see the fantastic new branding for the London Film Museum, designed by our very own Brand Nu.

The fantastic bright-coloured collage pieces featuring everything from Charlie Chaplin to a Stormtrooper feature on all branding including t-shirts, banners, flyers and posters!

You can see all of this by taking a trip to the London Eye or by visiting Brand Nu’s website.

HELLO. IT’S ME AGAIN., originally uploaded by mpaulda™.

Much Much Better Large And On Black
It Has Been Far Too Long Since I’ve Posted My Old Friend…

The proposal to site a large power station on the south bank of the River Thames at Battersea in 1927 caused a storm of protest that raged for years. Questions were raised in Parliament about pollution which might harm the paintings in the nearby Tate Gallery and the parks and “noble buildings of London”.

Now Battersea Power Station is one of the best loved landmarks after serving London with electricity for 50 years.

In the UK during the 1920s electricity was supplied by numerous private companies who built small power stations for individual industries with some of the surplus power generated going to the public supply. There was a bewildering variety of incompatible systems, high cost and jealous competition between the numerous companies. This chaotic situation caused Parliament to decree that electricity generation should be a single unified system under public ownership.It was to be another 30 years before the electricity supply was nationalised.

In the interim the formation of the London Power Company was a response by private owners to delay the imposition of public ownership. Set up in 1925 it took up Parliaments recommendation that electricity generation should be in fewer, larger power stations. This led directly to the building of the first super station, to produce 400,000 kilowatts, in Battersea.

Sir Giles Gilbert Scott was commissioned to design the building. His other buildings include Liverpool Cathedral, Bankside Power Station, Waterloo Bridge and the classic red telephone box.

London
UK

Mark’s Updated Website

Continuing with Things you Don’t Need To Know About London, and looking for a new bus system for its capital Havana, Che Guevara – at the time Cuba’s Transport Minister – placed an order for 450 London buses. The height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the sale and export defied a United States’ trade embargo, and after much wrangling, in October 1964 an East German ship with 24 buses onboard eventually set sail, Cuba bound, from the Port of London. In thick fog the ship soon collided with a Japanese vessel and promptly sank, along with the buses. The buses were later recovered from the River Thames, raised to the surface by filling them with ping-pong balls. 

Conspiracy still surrounds the “accident”, with a finger of suspicion pointing towards CIA involvement. 

"Two singles to Cuba please".

Gormley – Bird – Akzo Nobel, originally uploaded by neilclasper.

Docklands Development, originally uploaded by neilclasper.

Two birds and Quantum Cloud, originally uploaded by neilclasper.

The Merlin Entertainments London Eye (known more simply as The London Eye, and also known as the Millennium Wheel), at a height of 135 metres (443 ft), is the largest Ferris wheel in Europe, and has become the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom, visited by over three million people in one year. At the time it was erected, in 1999, it was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, until it was surpassed by the Star of Nanchang (160 m) in May 2006, and then the Singapore Flyer (165 m) on 11 February 2008. However, it is still described by its operators as “the world’s tallestcantilevered observation wheel” (as the entire structure is supported by an A-frame on one side only).

The London Eye is located at the western end of Jubilee Gardens, on the South Bank of the River Thames in the London Borough of Lambeth in England, between Westminster Bridge and Hungerford Bridge. The site is adjacent to that of the former Dome of Discovery, which was built for the Festival of Britain in 1951.

See all our Urban and City Canvas Art Paintings.

Click on image to enlarge

Click on thumbnail to visit B&W Gallery

Frost fair, 1683

I suppose today is as good a day as any for an entry about the old Frost Fairs. What with it being really snowy and all. The frost fairs, for those of you who aren’t “in the know” as we say, were undoubtedly a class of event whose time has passed.

From the fourteenth to the nineteenth centuries, Europe experienced an unusually cold period known as the “Little Ice Age.” The exact duration is unknown, as are the causes. Suggestions for the cause have ranged from solar activity to reduced agriculture following the Black Death, the latter of which I think can’t have been much more than a contributing factor at best. What is known is that during this period, winters were harsh. Britain, a chilly sort of place at the best of times, was particularly hard hit.

[PARENTHESIS: Critics of the concept of global warming argue that we're still recovering from the Little Ice Age, hence the gradually rising temperature although this is considered to be a poorly-supported theory at best.]

Farming was the trade worst hit for obvious reasons. Fishermen, too, found themselves at a loss (although if they’d had a bit of nous, Captain Birdseye might have come on to the scene centuries earlier). Fuel was at a premium, and many found themselves unable to afford enough fire to keep themselves alive. It goes without saying that river trade was, so to speak, up the creek.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom, though. In London, the Thames froze on several occasions. At first, it was simply a way of getting across the river without paying for a boat or using the eternally-congested London Bridge. Tentatively, though, people started to realise that they could have a bit of fun. After all, it’s not every day that the Thames freezes. By the sixteenth century the frozen river was used for sport and recreation, with dances and games played on the ice. Henry VIII would sleigh down the river, and if it could bear his weight then it was a sure sign the ice was safe (cheap shot, I know).

A souvenir from the 1683 Frost Fair

The first true frost fair is generally acknowledged to be the one seen above, the 1683 fair when the river was frozen for two entire months. Enterprising tradesmen set up stalls, many of them watermen temporarily put out of business by the ice. Coachmen plied their trade up and down this new highway. There are even accounts of animals being roasted on the ice, though it would take a braver man than me to set up a fire in the middle of a frozen river.

Frost fairs took place on a number of later occasions, but the last was in 1814, when nothing less than a full-grown elephant was seen on the ice.

Since 2003, an event known as the ‘Frost Fair’ has taken place on the South Bank, but I think it lacks a certain something by virtue of not being on a frozen river. Or maybe that’s just me. There was also a slightly bat’s-arse idea to freeze the river again in 2000 using a network of refrigeration pipes, which was abandoned due to environmental concerns and, one suspects, because it sounds like exactly the sort of thing that James Bond would be called in to prevent.

The nineteenth century really put paid to the Thames freezing again, supervillainy aside. The reason the Thames to the west of London Bridge was so prone to freezing was, to a large extent, due to the old London Bridge, seen left. The bridge, as you can see, was supported on a series of narrow arches. The already narrow passages were cluttered up further by waterwheels, fishing nets, mooring posts and any old crap people felt like putting down there. As a consequence, the water rushed through the arches at a hell of a rate. It was said that a wise man would cross over the bridge, but a fool would cross under it, and watermen considered it a test of skill to shoot the rapids without, you know, dying. What this meant was that the water west of the bridge was fresh – not a hope of any brine getting past that lot. Furthermore, it meant that if a chunk of ice got stuck in one of the arches, the whole thing could very quickly get dammed up. In 1831, though, the medieval bridge was replaced. It was considered to be woefully inadequate for its purpose, making boat trade and cross-river traffic alike unnecessarily difficult, and a new bridge with wider arches replaced it.

The next obstacle to the Thames freezing was Sir Joseph Bazalgette, whose name has graced these pages before. His embankments may have done wonders for the cleanliness of the water, but they also narrowed the river, making it too fast flowing to freeze. Further construction, including several more bridges, made it even less likely.

And then, of course, there’s the fact that it’s a lot warmer these days. Remember that as you struggle into work tomorrow.

After taking the wallpaper pattern from The Grapes and using it as a balustrade, it was felt that this intervention was far too modest. The idea that this beautiful perforated pattern frames a patron’s view of the river when seated is still maintained in the new proposal but instead of creating something that was incredibly “outrospective”, the new design aims to add something to the rear elevation that addresses the river. The new design is a rather more drastic modular addition which in essence is a large cubic volume attached to the back of the building inspired in part from the volume designed in Skeleton. This creates a beautiful observation booth which also retains a sense of privacy.

River Thames, originally uploaded by Ginger Nut Designs.

A photo taken on the north bank of the River Thames in London.

The recent snow at the start of 2010 has been beautiful and early trips into Richmond Park and Marble Hill Park provided some exciting photographic opportunities:

These images and more are available to buy.

St. Paul’s Cathedral, originally uploaded by Ginger Nut Designs.

A view of St Paul’s Cathedral from the South Bank, near Blackfriars Bridge.

Cursus Monument:  OS Grid Reference – SU 7669 7599

Archaeology & History

Sonning Cursus & other ancient remains (after Ford 1987)

Barely visible nowadays, the site was described by archaeologist Steve Ford (1987) as, “a very convincing cropmark with markedly rectangular end with entrance gap” at its far eastern end.  This once impressive looking cursus aligns east-west and is found amidst a cluster of other neolithic and Bronze Age monuments.

It was first discovered by aerial surveying in 1959, but still remains unexcavated (I think!).  The dead straight neolithic monument,

“consists of parallel ditches 45 metres apart extending for at least 200m west towards lower ground.  The eastern end has a (flattened) terminal with a single entrance, whereas the western end is untraceable beyond a modern field boundary.”

In Roy Loveday’s (2006) survey, this cursus was stated as measuring 250m in length and 35m across.  Although the western end hasn’t been located, it’s highly probable that it reached to the River Thames a short distance away.  An excavation at one of the three ‘enclosures’ beyond the eastern end of this monument, revealed it have been built in the late neolithic period.

References:

Ford, Steve, East Berkshire Archaeological Survey, Berkshire County Council 1987.
Loveday, Roy, Inscribed across the Landscape, Tempus: Stroud 2006.

Links:

1. Short Notes on the Site at Pastscape

© Paul Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian

Click on image to enlarge

Click on thumbnail to view B&W Gallery

]]> http://gingershots.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/london-eye-houses-of-parliament/ Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:22:29 +0000 jasinto http://gingershots.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/london-eye-houses-of-parliament/

London Eye & Houses of Parliament, originally uploaded by Ginger Nut Designs.

Taken from Jubilee Bridge, in this photo you can see three iconic symbols of London: the Thames, the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye. To get them all into one shot, you need to have patience and run the risk of getting a stiff neck.

Report by: Suraiya Makhdoom

On the call of KTN/Kawish, to mark 24th January as the Sindhu River Day, World Sindhi Congress, a leading Sindhi organisation fighting for the cause of Sindh and Sindhis, organised events in UK in Birmingham, London and Sheffield. A brief account of each event is as follows:

London: WSC organised Indus River day in London on the bank of river Thames.. Those who attended included Dr Haleem Bhatti Chairman WSC, Dr Lakhu Luhano, General Secretary, WSC, Sadiq Bhanbhro, Sultan Mahar, Awais Mahar, Asif Jatoi, Imtiaz Soomro, Manzoor Mangi, Karim Rind, Shuja Mahaser, Ghulam Haider Daudpoto and Ayaz Solangi.

Dr Haleem Bhatti said the right of Sindhi people to their source of inspiration and livelihood since times immemorial, the river Indus, has been systematically, vehemently and criminally denied by Punjab and Pakistani establishment. The mega-water projects on the river have chained it and it cannot reach to its rightful inheritors. Dr. Lakhu Luhana said building of dams on river Indus has brought unseen destruction of the millions of years old habitats, crumbling of Sindhi people’s economy, poverty and annihilation. This all is happening against the international legislation and norms and the cases that have been proven in front of Pakistani establishment again and again beyond doubt.

World Sindhi Congress has demanded that all the mega-water projects on river Indus be halted, all the projects already built against the wishes of Sindhi people such as Thal Canal and Tarbela Dam should be decommissioned. WSC reiterated that it would continue to raise this issue of critical importance at all the international forums to inform the international community and request their support.

Birmingham: Sindhu Day in Birmingham was celebrated on the famous and historic Canal on Broad Street. Candles were lit, flowers offered to the canal and children, who showed great enthusiasm, waved balloons. The participants came from all walks of life. The attendees included Ms Suraiya Makhdoom, Senior Vice Chair, World Sindhi Congress, Fayaz Khuhro, Miss Lilly, Mr. Mark, Shabir, Pari Khuhro, Naseem Khuhro and Mehran Khuhro.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms Suraiya Makhdoom said Sindhu is the lifeline of Sindhi people. Many people’s livelihood depends on this river. Sindhi people have historic, cultural and emotional attachment with Sindhu, so much so that Sindhi poetry is full of compositions on Sindhu. Unfortunately, the government of Pakistan has been planning to construct dams on Sindhu in violation of its own treaties on the waters of Indus.. Sometime back Pakistan Central government announced to construct the infamous Kalabagh Dam on Indus, but due to the powerful opposition from the people of Sindh, Balochistan and Pakhtunkhwa, the present elected government had to shelve the project. She said Sindhis are united today to save their culture and resources, including water.

Mehran Khuhro, a year-three student, said that he was proud his parents named him after the great Sindhu river, also known as Mehran. He said Sindhi people have no other source of water for irrigation or drinking except Mehran. It is estimated that 10 million people are adversely affected because their fertile lands have been taken by the sea. Mehran appealed the world community, including the humanitarian and environmental organisations to come forward and save this greatest river, Mehran.

Miss Lilly, a supporter of the rivers and environment said she was happy to be a part of the Sindhu Day and be aware of the problems faced by the people affected by the government policies. She praised the organisers for arranging this event to inform the people about Indus and issues.

Sheffield: Offering flowers to the river and praying for Sindhu, WSC and Sindhi Sangat UK marked the Sindhu day at Rother Valley Country Park. Those who attended included Dr Hidayat Butto, EK/Europe Organiser, WSC, Ms Hafeezan Wadhiyo, Nisar Gilal, AD Keerio, Akbar, Sattar Soomro and Meer Khan Khushik.

Dr Hidayat and Hafeezan Wadhiyo spoke on the occasion. They said by celebrating the Sindhu day, WSC and Sindhi Sangat UK are demonstrating their unity with Millions of Sindhi people who are also celebrating this day today in whole of Sindh. They condemned water theft and the construction of dams and canals by Punjabi establishment to make Sindh as desert. They said they will always work for Sindhi people’s rights on their Sindhu river.