London agenda for Wednesday 30 May 2012

1. Soul search one’s reading desires at the School of Life with Bibliotherapy [Le Cool]

2. Listen to live scores of experimental films at Whirlygig [Run Riot]

3. Head to Cargo for Islet [Don’t Panic]

4. Stand proud for geek rights at the Geek Manifesto [Ian Visits]

5. Try star-spotting with the Baker Street Irregular Astronomers [Tired of London]

As Chicago sets a target of zero road deaths, where is our Road Safety Plan?

Atlantic Cities reports on Chicago’s new transport plan:

“Eliminate all pedestrian, bicycle, and overall traffic crash fatalities within 10 years. That is the first “performance measure” listed in the safety section of the Chicago plan, which also calls for a 50 percent reduction of roadway injuries to pedestrians, bicycles, and motorists in five years.”

That target of 0 deaths on the road has raised eyebrows. How can it be achieved? The plan will include:

“…engineering local streets to reduce car speeds; improving pedestrian and bike facilities; education; better data collection and evaluation; and increasing enforcement. Mayor Rahm Emanuel is strongly behind such measures even when they are politically unpopular, as was the case with a controversial speed camera bill that the mayor pushed through the City Council last month.”

This is only a plan, for sure. But it’s an ambitious one aimed at protecting the lives of the city’s people.

It’s also politically brave. Set yourself a target as tough as this, and there’s a good chance you will fail. But even failure might save lives.

How does London measure up?

Road deaths are falling. 126 people died on London’s roads in 2010, down 57% in 10 years. Chicago averages about 50 deaths a year.

Road safety was a live issue in the Mayoral and London Assembly election earlier this month, chiefly thanks to the vocal efforts of cyclists. Last year in London 16 cyclists lost their lives, and so far 5 have died in 2012 (details here).

And yet the city’s latest (PDF) Road Safety Plan dates from 2001 and carries a foreword by Ken Livingstone. Green Assembly Member Jenny Jones asked Mayor Johnson for an update on when we might see a new one in January this year:

“Why has your draft London Road Safety Plan failed to appear, despite three years of promises that it would? Will you now have time to formally consult the London Assembly on the document as you promised and to finalise it ahead of the pre-election period?”

His response, paraphased: “We’re working on it.”

The 2001 plan set targets for reducing deaths and serious injuries by 40% by 2010. This was achieved ahead of schedule, so in 2006 new targets of a further 50% reduction in deaths and serious injuries by 2010 were announced. These targets, set 6 years ago and with an end date 2 years ago, are the latest that I can find. There do not appear to be any current published targets for reducing deaths on our roads.

I have asked TfL for an update on when the new plan will appear and what the current targets for casualty reduction are. If they ever get back to me, I’ll post their response.

Atlantic Cities – Chicago’s Ambitious Plan for Zero Traffic Fatalities
PDF of the 2001 Road Safety Plan
A couple of Jenny Jones’ questions, Nov 2010, Jan 2012 on when a new plan might appear
Spreadsheet of cycling deaths and serious injuries on London’s roads since 2006.

Brent council launches daring night-time raid against its own library books

“On the advice of the police, the council removed its property from the building in the early hours of the morning.”

So, according to the Independent, say Brent Council after sending removal men round to Kensal Rise Library at 3am on Tuesday morning to take out all the books. The council say they will be distributed round the borough’s other libraries. Campaigners don’t see why they can’t stay where they are.

The council tried to remove the books in the hours of daylight two weeks ago but were scared off by a bunch of local residents, including a couple of authors. So they came back in the darkness, when even authors must sleep.

One of them, Maggie Gee, calls it “cowardice”. Whether or not you think libraries have a future in the digital age, it’s hard to argue with that.

Independent – Kensal Rise Library to be sold or rented out after Brent council’s 3am raid to strip it of books

London agenda for Tuesday 29 May 2012

1. Be haunted by Kyla la Grange [Run Riot]

2. Get noised by the pride of Vancouver, Japandroids [Don’t Panic]

3. Debate whether to keep the monarchy or send them packing [Ian Visits]

4. Buy wines at Gerry’s [Tired of London]

Waters by White Birds

There’s something quite magnificent lurking under the sub-aquatic production on this new track from Philadelphia’s White Birds. Waters is available physically through Grizzly Records July 10. Download below.

The police have a new weapon against anti-cuts protestors: potato salad

In an illuminating insider’s report on the weekend’s UK Uncut protest party outside Nick Clegg’s house, Rikki at Indymedia warns protestors against accepting police hospitality. Apparently potato salad was offered as ingratiation ahead of some sly questions about the participants’ intentions.

[He doesn’t say what potato salad the Met favoured, but in my experience the judicious addition of the under-appreciated radish makes all the difference. This recipe is a good one.]

It looks like a happy event, despite the over-simplification of complex issues.

For example, one picnic-goer, Jean Sandler, is quoted in the Mail:

“No one voted for Cameron and Clegg’s disastrous plan that means that we end up paying for the banks’ crisis. These cruel cuts are designed to destroy our public services, the NHS, the Welfare state and our future.”

Denying the legitimacy of an elected government is a good way of making yourself sound like extremist cranks.

Indymedia london – uk uncut great british street party at clegg’s
Channel 4 food – Potato and radish salad recipe

London agenda for 28 May 2012

1. Listen to James Sallis, author of ‘Drive’, and music from Milly Blue, singer for Basement Jaxx. Also, drink whiskey. At Whiskey & Words [Le Cool]

2. Take the last change to see Cillian Murphy in Misterman [Run Riot]

3. Get overloaded with Internet cuteness at #Kittencamp [Don’t Panic]

4. Explore the almost lost neighbourhood between Clerkenwell and Shoreditch with St Luke’s Walk with Old Maps [Ian Visits]

5. Find London’s first drinking fountain [Tired of London]

Revealed: How Boris Johnson's team threatened journalists and smeared critics

Boris Johnson’s communications chief threatened a “huge public fight” against the BBC if they went ahead with an interview with his biographer Sonia Purnell.

Emails from Guto Harri leaked to the Guardian threatened the broadcaster with a wave of attacks from “our friends in the papers” and “our good friends in No 10.”

One email to the BBC’s Will Walden, who is now taking over as Boris’s new communication chief reads:

“Dear Will. We are all sick of this at City Hall, and increasingly at Number 10. BBC London is in danger of causing real problems to all of us.” Pressing Walden on the question of who else he should raise his concerns with just minutes after raising it with two senior BBC figures in a separate email, he added: “If this interview run [sic] on Sunday, there’ll be a huge public fight.”

Last week I revealed how Boris’s press operation, led by Harri, ruthlessly controlled access to the mayor to all but the most friendly of media outlets.

Under Harri the BBC were subject to a barrage of complaints from City Hall about their coverage, with Boris’s Deputy Kit Malthouse being a particularly regular complainant.

During the election campaign, Boris’s whereabouts were withheld from BBC London and journalists at the organisation were forced to pre-submit questions before interviewing the mayor.

Boris’s biographer Sonia Purnell was also targeted by Boris’s team with smears about her previous relationship with Boris briefed to sympathetic journalists.

The attacks against the BBC, led by Boris himself, are especially striking given how overwhelmingly gentle the wider media coverage has been of Boris’s time as mayor.

Under Boris, potentially hugely damaging stories such as the pensions scandal at Visit London and the failure of Boris’s flagship mentoring scheme have gone unreported by all but BBC London, The Guardian and a handful of independent bloggers.

The rest of the Westminster press has focused almost solely on the relationship between Boris and David Cameron. London’s only dedicated newspaper is now both owned and edited by personal friends of the Mayor.

It is hard to think of a British politician who has been given an easier ride by the media over recent years.

The intimidatory tactics revealed in the past week give us some clue as to why that might be.

More on the smears against Sonia Purnell at The Guardian

BBC London’s statement on Guto Harri story

Brainlove Festival: Väljasõit Rohelisse

Last of the featured band interviews from this weekend’s Brainlove Festival is Estonia’s Väljasõit Rohelisse. Make sure you head down to The Windmill in Brixton today, with music starting from 2pm, to catch the band, soak up the sun, have a bit of free BBQ and generally have a drink and listen to some fine, fine music.

To get you warmed up, this is what Väljasõit Rohelisse had to say about themselves.

Could you introduce yourselves?
We are an amateur affair. One-chord ceremony with swamp blues, surf and krautrock tinges and Estonian echoes. Named after the sci-fi novel “Roadside Picnic” by Soviet writers, Strugatsky brothers. Picture an echo-chamber filled with smoke. An off-duty shaman having a mushroom salad and a glass of absinthe. Cheap crystal carafes, inverted glances, glittering tambourines and oscillating tremolos spread the infinite drone all around the town.

For people who haven’t seen you live before, what can they expect?
Thick veils of smoke, green lights, white shirts, black shirts, white dress or black dress, tons of echoes and reverbs, glittering tambourines and shamanic beats, some awkward dance moves (if you’re lucky), five different personalities playing a mind ping-pong with each-other.

Are you familiar with the Brainlove Festival?
We haven’t played nor been there before. But we’re really looking forward to it.

What are you looking forward to most about it?
Old windmill and barking dogs; lazy atmosphere; nice chats about weird music, books, food, sailing, films, alcoholic beverages, art, computer games; latest gossip; people’s reaction to Estonian language; a lot of great sounds to nod your head to.

Looking at the line-up, who are you excited about seeing live?
We played with Mat Riviere and Napoleon IIIrd at Tallinn Music Week and these guys were really great, so we’re looking forward to see them again live. Also Female Band and Octagon Court sound exciting.

How do you find festivals in general? Do you prefer smaller venue shows?
The thing with festivals is that there are always really tight time limits for sound checks and getting on and off the stage. As we are just amateurs and using quite a lot of cheap electronics and effects, we are always short on time. So it’s fair to say that we prefer smaller venue shows time wise and also because of the intimate feeling and being closer to audience (and each-other on the stage).

Do you enjoy the prospect of people that necessarily aren’t that familiar with your music getting the chance to stumble upon you?
It’s always wonderful to get this kind of positive feedback from people who haven’t heard us before. The feeling that you can surprise people with your creation is one of the best that’s out there.

Could you tell us a little bit about the track you chose to give away as a free download?
It’s called “Pea on pilvedes” (Head in the clouds) and it reflects quite well what we’re about – one-chord drone with glittering tambourine, tons of echoes and reverbs, sinister bass and synth lines and distant vocals with a touch of melodrama. It’s recorded live in our rehearsal space with just one take on portable Zoom recorder. All the instruments and vocal together. It paints a hazy picture of introvert tripping in the spheres of one’s mind. In a darkened room, where you never climb higher in the name of ambition. With a touch of erotic closeness.

What do your band have going on at the moment? Anything you’re working on or forthcoming releases in the works?
Performing at Brainlove Festival is actually a part of our record “gastroll”. A mini-tour to present our first official release, a 10-inch EP “Külastus”. It’s released by Estonian label Onesense Music and will be also lovingly released and distributed in UK with the help of Brainlove Records (thanks, John at Brainlove and Helen at TMW!) Our gastroll also takes us to Moscow on the 19th of May. And of course couple of shows in Estonia. New songs keep popping up all the time, so may-be later in autumn we’ll record some new material also.

Brainlove Festival takes place at Brixton’s Windmill today (26th May).