VIDEO: Lithe young forms perform award-winning new choreography at Sadler's Wells
This is what new modern dance looks like in 2012. Muscular, and not without a certain grace.
James Cousins won the inaugural New Adventures Choreographer Award, founded by Matthew Bourne, last year. His prize was funding and support leading to this performance at Sadler’s Wells on 7 September.
More details here.
17 Sep 2012
City history: 16th century booze holder goes on show at Museum of London Docklands
This jug for booze can be seen at the Museum of London Docklands from 17-26 September.
Not being an expert on 16th century booze, I can do no better than quote the Museum of London press release:
“This tankard holds three pints. Was it used to carry beer from the barrel to the table or, was this someone’s personal beer mug? The only other items that are contemporary and similar in appearance come from the Mary Rose, although the Mary Rose examples carry 8 pints. In this period ship building in the Ratcliff area was well established. A link between these drinking vessels and ships is clearly emerging. Perhaps these containers were designed to guarantee minimal spillage on rocky boats.”
Sailors. I knew it.
“On the base of the tankard the initials RH are inscribed. It is not known whether these are the initials of the owner, the maker or perhaps even the ship.The preservation of this object is astonishing and was made possible by it having lain buried in the muddy depths of the Thames.
Ah, booze. Bringing people together over 500 years. You might think you can’t understand these Londoners from far back in the past, but then you realise they wanted a pint just as much as you.
More details at the Museum of London Docklands website.
17 Sep 2012
Weather and portents for the week ahead. What is an equinox anyway?
Weather
In the week of 17-21 Sep 2012, an unaccustomed stillness will settle on the city. Clouds will float but never threaten. The sun will flit but never burn. We have entered seasonal purgatory. No waiting room could be more serene.
- Monday – Light cloud, light sun.
- Tuesday – Light cloud, light sun.
- Wednesday – Light cloud, light sun.
- Thursday – Light cloud, light sun.
- Friday – Light cloud, light sun, light rain.
The full BBC weather forecast is here.
Portents
The discovery of a skeleton in Leicestershire which may be that of Richard III bodes ill for any Plantagenets in London. Folk superstition holds that when a body is exhumed from its place of burial, a relative of the exhumed is doomed to die.
Seasonal notes
The autumn equinox occurs on Saturday, 22 September. At the equinox, day and night are of equal length. Light and darkness are in perfect balance. Enjoy it, citizens. For on the following day, the darkening begins.
17 Sep 2012
Tory Assembly Members defy Boris's backing for gay marriage
Three Conservative London Assembly Member have refused to back Boris Johnson’s call for the introduction of civil gay marriages.
Tony Arbour, Steve O’Connell and Gareth Bacon all abstained on a motion congratulating the mayor for his support for the Out4Marriage campaign.
Speaking at the London Assembly last Wednesday, Arbour said that the Assembly shouldn’t be used to “rubber stamp” individual’s personal opinions on gay marriage.
“I am abstaining on this motion because I do not believe it is part of the function of the London Assembly to offer an opinion on this matter…Individuals here have long advocated this proposal and I see nothing wrong in them advocating that but what I do not want is to see the Assembly being used as the validation and the imprimatur of your personal testomonies and your personal wishes. We were not elected to express our personal opinions. We are not the decision makers as far as this is concerned and I don’t believe that this is a matter on which the assembly should have an opinion or take a view. We can all deal with this matter elsewhere and I believe that it is this kind of motion and I am afraid that this body and the GLC before it frequently offered opinions on matters over which we have no control and no influence over whatever. Please as individuals go out and advocate your point of view but don’t use the Assembly to rubber stamp those opinions.”
Arbour has previously used his position as Assembly Member to rubber stamp his opinions on union legislation, government sentencing policy and even the cost of plastic bags, none of which the GLA has control over.
The Greater London Authority does on the other hand have a statutory responsibility to promote equality in the capital.
Arbour was joined by fellow Tory AMs Gareth Bacon and Steve O’Connell in abstaining on the motion. Both Arbour and Bacon are thought to be on the hard right of the party.
Earlier this year Arbour caused controversy by claiming that fare rises didn’t matter because most people don’t use public transport. He also once described people living in council housing as “riff raff.”
Two other Tory AMs did make passionate speeches in favour of gay marriage including Andrew Boff who is already in a civil partnership.
The Mayor’s Chairman of the Fire Authority James Cleverly also supported the motion saying that: “I like marriage… being able to distribute the good that marriage does to as wide a cross section of society as possible is a good thing.”
All Labour, Lib Dem and Green Party Assembly Members supported the motion.
17 Sep 2012
Snipe Likes: Sweet Silence by Barbara Morgenstern
Title track from the Berlin electronic pioneer’s recently released seventh album, available through bespoke German labelMonika.
14 Sep 2012
Westfield East has more visitors than London's top 10 museums and galleries combined
This methodologically suspect chart isn’t really making a serious point except that A LOT of people like to spend their leisure time shopping at Westfield Stratford. It’s getting an average of 800,000 visitors a week. That’s more than the number of people who go to the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, V&A, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, National Portrait Gallery and St Paul’s Cathedral combined.
Apples and pears you might say. But I don’t think it’s a useless comparison. The point is that people really love to shop, and in particular they really love to shop at Westfield. No-one’s forcing them. That’s something to pick the bones out of.
Question: What, if anything, does it say about us all and the messed up times in which we live?
NB the chart was amended after publication after the original underestimated the number of football watchers. Thanks to James in the comments for raising that.
Standard – Westfield Stratford City draws record 47m visitors in first year
Figures for Westfield West from its opening year in 2009
Figures for visitor attractions from ALVA for 2011
Figures for Premier League attendance from 2011/12
See also:
City Sketch: Westfield Stratford’s opening day
14 Sep 2012
Meursault - A Mother's Arms
Here’s an unusually post-rock inflected song from cult Scottish indie-heroes Meursault. But down-tempo or not, frontman Neil Pennycook’s impassioned voice never fails to make the hairs on the back of one’s neck stand on end. This is the b-side of forthcoming single A Dull Spark, which is released on Song, By Toad on September 24th.
13 Sep 2012
Snipe Likes: Chad Valley
We’re all rather looking forward to the debut album from futuristic pop crooner Chad Valley aren’t we? The Jonquil man releases Young Hunger on November 18 via Cascine/Loose Lips. Stream Fall 4 U, featuring Cameron Mesirow of Glasser, below. Additional guests on the LP include slick LA hipster/novelist Twin Shadow and former tour mates Active Child.
13 Sep 2012
Ink goes on by INK
‘Write me boy, with the reason why you like me now’ … a charming if slightly needy sentiment from Miriam Massie, one half of freshly baked London duo INK (along with Colin Morley). The shiny happy two-some has yet to play live and there’s not much to go on thus far, but this track screams MASSIVE POP HIT, if such a thing exists anymore. Check out the video here.
12 Sep 2012
Veronica Wadley was the only candidate for £95,000 job
Boris Johnson gave the former editor of the Evening Standard a £95,000 job without interviewing a single other candidate, his office admitted today.
A spokesperson for the Mayor said there was no requirement under the law to advertise for Mayoral appointments.
The mayor’s office insist that Veronica Wadley, who is a former colleague and close ally of Boris’s, was appointed on merit.
Wadley campaigned vigorously against cronyism at City Hall in 2008. She was interviewed by a panel chaired by Boris himself.
The Mayor’s office have been keen to point out that Wadley is not taking a salary in her first year.
However, her total pay over four years will be broadly the same as other Mayoral advisers, suggesting that this is simply a crude attempt to deflect criticism of her appointment.
So far this seems to have worked. Four days since we revealed details of her lucrative new role, London’s Quality Newspaper have still failed to find room for the story.
11 Sep 2012
Snipe Highlights
Some popular articles from past years
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- Could red kites be London's next big nature success story?
- The five spookiest abandoned London hospitals
- Number of people using Thames cable car plunges
- Summer Camp: Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days
- Diary of the shy Londoner
- Only 16 commuters touch in to Emirates Air Line, figures reveal
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