Tag: london

For Ada Lovelace Day: Eleanor Coade, technology entrepreneur of the 18th Century

It's Ada Lovelace Day, an international day of blogging to celebrate the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and maths. In previous years I've written about Elizabeth Montagu, Lizzie Le Prince and Laura Willson. This time I want to highlight the unique achievements of Eleanor Coade, creator and entrepreneur behind one of the most durable … Continue reading For Ada Lovelace Day: Eleanor Coade, technology entrepreneur of the 18th Century →

Mr. SMEATON IN UR RIVR FIXIN UR BR1DGE

On opening the great arch at London Bridge, by throwing two arches into one, and the removal of a large pier, the excavation, around and underneath the sterlings of that pier, was so considerable, as to put the adjoining piers, that arch, and eventually the whole bridge, in great danger of falling. The previous opinions … Continue reading Mr. SMEATON IN UR RIVR FIXIN UR BR1DGE →

View – History – Flatten layers: Part 1. The Russell Square Aeroplane

One summer morning a jetplane flew south over central London, gear down, seatbelts on, devices off. Thousands of feet below, traffic flowed around Russell Square. An open top bus turned into Bedford Way, plunging its passengers into the shade of the tall university buildings. Thanks to the aristocrats whose names the streets wear, this part … Continue reading View – History – Flatten layers: Part 1. The Russell Square Aeroplane →

King Chaunticlere; or, the Fate of Tyranny

An Anecdote, related by Citizen Thelwall, at the Capel Court Society, during the discussion of a question, relative to the comparative Influence of the Love of Life, of Liberty, and of the Fair Sex, on the Actions of Mankind. You must know then, that I used, together with a variety of youthful attachments, to be … Continue reading King Chaunticlere; or, the Fate of Tyranny →

We don’t want to change the world, we’re just waiting for a plate of chips

I held off writing up the Ignite London talks until now because I wanted to link to some of the great videos of the event now live on Vimeo. It must always be a tough challenge to get the balance right, all the more so for our capital's inaugural Ignite. I reckon the programme was spot … Continue reading We don’t want to change the world, we’re just waiting for a plate of chips →

Give me five minutes and I’ll give you a year – Ignite London, 18 November

Wow, I'm privileged to have been invited to appear alongside some amazing speakers at London's first Ignite event on the evening of November 18. If you were at the first ever British Ignite in Leeds in January, or any of the others around the world, you'll know the deal:  20 slides advancing automatically every 15 … Continue reading Give me five minutes and I’ll give you a year – Ignite London, 18 November →

One & Other in a roundabout way

This is a photo of the screen of a computer, displaying a webcam that's trained on a plinth. Not just any plinth, The Plinth. On the webcam is a whiteboard that carries a message, a message that's saying hello to my sons. They were very impressed. Lorinda (who I've never met) wrote the message. Lorinda … Continue reading One & Other in a roundabout way →

O₂MG, what have they done to the Dome?

Love it or loathe it, Richard Rogers' Dome was the architectural icon of of Britain's new millennium. The hubristic creation of Michael Heseltine and Peter Mandelson, it was meant to symbolise our country's post-Thatcher renaissance, all Britpop and Cool Britannia. It didn't work out quite like that. Along with millions of other Britons, we didn't … Continue reading O₂MG, what have they done to the Dome? →

UR SCULPTURZ Я IN OUR PARK AMUZIN OUR KIDZ

Today's Manchester Guardian gives an unchallenged outing to metropolitan whinger Germaine Greer on the subject of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, near the heart of our 15-million-strong Supercity. Complaining, apparently erroneously, about the amount of the nation's collection of sculpture kept outside London, she sneers: If you can manage to get yourself to West Bretton near … Continue reading UR SCULPTURZ Я IN OUR PARK AMUZIN OUR KIDZ →