Got lured into watching one of the gizillions of "homes" shows on Channel 4 last night by a glimpse of a communal garden (the obsession continues).
This is the show's premise: "now the property market has slumped, we need to forget about tarting up our houses to sell them and instead make them places we want to live in". Fair enough.
The rest of the show had rather less of a credit-crunch theme however.
The macho presenter ("yeah, I'm a designer,but you wouldn't catch ME in a floral shirt. Look at my big hammer") went round to a young couple's fantastic 4-bedroom Victorian mansion block flat in Maida Vale, complete with large lush communal garden. He pronounced that it needed a complete renovation, which he said would cost £200,000, but he could do it for £150,000. The couple both work in the City and only (only!) had a £100,000 budget, but said they had some contingency money.
"I'm gonna have to think of a way to get them part with that other £50 grand", the presenter confided to the camera, before the works had even begun.
He confronted the couple: "If you REALLY want that HIGH SPEC KITCHEN,it's going to cost you £150k."
"We've compromised enough" said the boyfriend. "I'm in".
Cue simpering and flicking of blonde hair from the girlfriend.
It was like watching City boys play poker. Urgh.
Anyway, they ended up with a flat that looked like a 4 star boutique hotel - all flat screen tellies and beige walls. But with black and white photos of the couple on the wall, just so they know it's their flat.
£150,000 would probably buy a 4 bedroom house in Macclesfield. Makes me want to puke.
Friday, 10 July 2009
Wednesday, 8 July 2009
Would you be gay?
Dreamed last night that heterosexuals were in a minority. I (a heterosexual) had to decide whether to "out" myself or become homosexual. Neither seemed a particularly enticing prospect.
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
What to call the short film competition?
Looking for a name for the short-film competition I'm organising.
The competition will be open to the people of Archway in London. The theme is "healthcare".
There will be prizes for the best film by an under-16 and the best film for an over-16s. Winning and shortlisted films will be shown at a special screening.
After the competition, the films will be used to teach medical students about the patient's perspective of healthcare.
The idea is to increase communication between UCL Medical School, which is partly based at the Whittington Hospital in Archway, and the local community.
Archway is at the intersection of Islington, Camden and Haringey and has high levels of socio-economic deprivation and quite sizeable black and minority ethnic populations.
The competition will be open to the people of Archway in London. The theme is "healthcare".
There will be prizes for the best film by an under-16 and the best film for an over-16s. Winning and shortlisted films will be shown at a special screening.
After the competition, the films will be used to teach medical students about the patient's perspective of healthcare.
The idea is to increase communication between UCL Medical School, which is partly based at the Whittington Hospital in Archway, and the local community.
Archway is at the intersection of Islington, Camden and Haringey and has high levels of socio-economic deprivation and quite sizeable black and minority ethnic populations.
Monday, 6 July 2009
Nosy neighbour
Spent an hour of last night's warm sunny evening walking around St John's Wood, Kilburn and the places in between.
Really LOOKED at the buildings for the first time. So interesting to note the different styles, all crammed in together. Neo-gothic victorian mansions next to 1970s council blocks next to Georgian town houses next to 1930s Poirot-style flats.
We came across a old chapel (not sure what it's used for now) that a woman had built in Kilburn, in memory of her brother. The stone plaque in the wall said he'd spent the last nine years of his life preaching what sounds like the open air. His first sermon was delivered in Abbey Fields, presumably somewhere around the present-day Abbey Road (of Beatles stuido fame). His last sermon was delivered on a bridge in Brondesbury.
Also came across a church that F instantly recognised as Catholic, by the architecture. It was next to a community centre outside which an elderly man in a suit was smoking a cigarette. F said he would put money on him being Irish. He said Irish men of a certain age always put a jacket on to go the pub.
I also spent ages being extremely nosy, trying to find an entrance to the mythical meadow, more of which in a future post.
Really LOOKED at the buildings for the first time. So interesting to note the different styles, all crammed in together. Neo-gothic victorian mansions next to 1970s council blocks next to Georgian town houses next to 1930s Poirot-style flats.
We came across a old chapel (not sure what it's used for now) that a woman had built in Kilburn, in memory of her brother. The stone plaque in the wall said he'd spent the last nine years of his life preaching what sounds like the open air. His first sermon was delivered in Abbey Fields, presumably somewhere around the present-day Abbey Road (of Beatles stuido fame). His last sermon was delivered on a bridge in Brondesbury.
Also came across a church that F instantly recognised as Catholic, by the architecture. It was next to a community centre outside which an elderly man in a suit was smoking a cigarette. F said he would put money on him being Irish. He said Irish men of a certain age always put a jacket on to go the pub.
I also spent ages being extremely nosy, trying to find an entrance to the mythical meadow, more of which in a future post.
Friday, 3 July 2009
Throwing money at bicycles
Is it worth buying a bike for more than £150? The people in the bike shop tell you there's a big difference between a £200 and a £300 bike. Is this really true? How much is reasonable for a bike you ride to work on and take on holidays 3x a year?
Thursday, 2 July 2009
Monkeying about
So I've been offered the chance to go on a Go Ape day in August with 13 friends (unlucky for some...?).
Apparently it involves swinging through the canopy like some kind of chimp. Mysteriously, my friends seemed all to have heard of it. Apparently they do quite a lot of corporate events.
Anyhow, I will post pics of my terrified mug when I get back.
Apparently it involves swinging through the canopy like some kind of chimp. Mysteriously, my friends seemed all to have heard of it. Apparently they do quite a lot of corporate events.
Anyhow, I will post pics of my terrified mug when I get back.
Wednesday, 1 July 2009
Assisted dying
Cheery topic for today's post.
Went to a UCL debate last night on assisted dying.
Most of the original panel couldn't make it becasue they were at a debate on the same issue in the Lords - somewhat unfortunate timetabling. But the attending panel made their statements clearly and in a surprisingly unemotional manner. It was also interesting to hear Debbie Purdy's point of view from the audience.
The clearest point for me came from Sir Ken Macdonald QC, former Director of Public Prosecutions, who said that nobody has been prosecuted for helping someone commit suicide (e.g. by taking them to a clinic in Switzerland, Holland or Oregon) because it is not deemed to be in the public interest. What is the point of a law that is never exercised?
An amusing aside from Dr Evan Harris MP. Trained as a doctor, he's now a Lib Dem MP. His campagning on the pro-choice side of the abortion issue led the Daily Mail to dub him "Dr Death". Apparently his Jewish mother didn't know what to make of this. One the one hand she was dismayed and upset. On the other hand, dissapointed that he had left medicine for politics, the article at least provided concrete proof to show her friends that her son was really and truly a doctor.
Oh, and here's an article from Charlie Falconer about the amendment that is currently being debated in the Lords (see above).
Went to a UCL debate last night on assisted dying.
Most of the original panel couldn't make it becasue they were at a debate on the same issue in the Lords - somewhat unfortunate timetabling. But the attending panel made their statements clearly and in a surprisingly unemotional manner. It was also interesting to hear Debbie Purdy's point of view from the audience.
The clearest point for me came from Sir Ken Macdonald QC, former Director of Public Prosecutions, who said that nobody has been prosecuted for helping someone commit suicide (e.g. by taking them to a clinic in Switzerland, Holland or Oregon) because it is not deemed to be in the public interest. What is the point of a law that is never exercised?
An amusing aside from Dr Evan Harris MP. Trained as a doctor, he's now a Lib Dem MP. His campagning on the pro-choice side of the abortion issue led the Daily Mail to dub him "Dr Death". Apparently his Jewish mother didn't know what to make of this. One the one hand she was dismayed and upset. On the other hand, dissapointed that he had left medicine for politics, the article at least provided concrete proof to show her friends that her son was really and truly a doctor.
Oh, and here's an article from Charlie Falconer about the amendment that is currently being debated in the Lords (see above).
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