please empty your brain below
The Fleet was two years ago. Fuck.

Another Andrew | 01.08.07 - 8:36 a.m. | #

....I've been standing in a pub having a drink instead, or just out being sociable at some event somewhere.....
August 2008: Any suggestions?.....

Perhaps you tell us your opinions on todays pubs,the smoking bans affect, types of beer, a report on the events you have attended.
I value your London reports so hope you soon get enthusiastic again.
Maybe you could do an article on Buskers, or the old working mans greasy spoon cafes. The New Piccadilly Cafe in Denman Street which has remaimed the same inside since 1955 closes next month for demolition, worth a visit with your camera?
The pie and mash at Greenwich has already gone so too late for that one.
You could go along to Cafe Rest (Harris) on the Goldhawk Road W12 another good old cafe/restaurant. Slowly these old cafes are being replaced with burgers bars etc.

John

dg writes: I'm not really a "pub" person. I don't go to pubs to enjoy the "wide range of real ales" or the "unique inglenook atmosphere". I go to pubs to drink Becks with people I know. I don't think you'd appreciate my non-in-depth pub analysis.

Ditto cafes. I hate sitting in cafes by myself. And, sorry, I wouldn't want to introduce a "Meet DG for bangers and mash" month.

John | 01.08.07 - 9:20 a.m. | #

Maybe you should pop over to the neighbouring borough and do a history of the City of London. I always planned to do that while I was still blogging (in fact I'd even sorted out subjects and started writing some of the posts) but giving it up sort of got in the way of that.

dg writes: The City's already come up as a "Random Borough", but to do it in depth would be a huge undertaking. I'd need a way of narrowing it down to 31 "bits". But, hmmm, it might work. Maybe I could steal your leftovers...

Dave | 01.08.07 - 9:30 a.m. | #

Firstly, I'm with Another Andrew in the saying of 'fuck' about your Fleet series being two years ago. Stunned, actually.

Secondly, hurrah: enjoy the pints. (I am living my life vicariously through you.)

The Girl | Homepage | 01.08.07 - 9:37 a.m. | #

On the pubs theme, you could try "significant pubs".

I think it's the Ploughman's Arms off Museum Street that Aleister Crowley used to drink in, for example.

Or the Krays' local, the name of which I forget.
The George in Southwark (adjoining the site of the Tabard Inn from teh Canterbury Tales, and one of the oldest pubs in London anyway).
That kind of thing.

TM | Homepage | 01.08.07 - 9:49 a.m. | #

I will cope - but with difficulty!

I would be interested in an exploration of the Thames from the Dome to Woolwich and beyond...where exactly does London stop?

dg writes: The Thames downriver of Tower Bridge has huge potential. It would mean trying to make Dagenham and Erith sound interesting, though...

ChrisC | 01.08.07 - 10:06 a.m. | #

The Inns of London might be good (Inns of Court obviously) with Temples and stuff...

dg writes: There's plenty of them, that's for sure. But if I can't get inside, this might get a bit repetitive.

Strandman | 01.08.07 - 10:09 a.m. | #

How about heading outside london to each of the junctions of the M25. That's about the right number, isn't it?

dg writes: It's exactly the right number and would be perfect, except that I don't have a car, and getting to some of these places is damned difficult otherwise. And because a lot of these junctions are in fields, a long way from anywhere thrilling. But the idea has potential...

ian | Homepage | 01.08.07 - 10:27 a.m. | #

I like the pub idea!

I started reading regularly during Picadilly month. I await my anniversary card to plop on my mat.

Essexgirl | 01.08.07 - 10:33 a.m. | #

Surely there has to be more than 31 museums in London that could do with the exposure, and I'm not talking about the obvious ones. Little ones like the Fan Museum in Greenwich and other things off the beaten track. Local history exhibits that libraries tend to have. No doubt a lot of research would be involved to find them all and possibly a fair bit of travelling, but certainly educational.

dg writes: I've sort of been doing museums as part of my "I-Spy London" series. But, hmmm, it might be quite interesting to try to visit one in each borough.

Steve | Homepage | 01.08.07 - 10:47 a.m. | #

I'd second the suggestion about small local museums - most boroughs have one of their own, and they are very little publicised. Hackney Museum is a bit meh, but the Cuming museum in Southwark is brilliant. Maybe you could combine pubs and museums for the perfect (geekish) day out...

dg writes: Did I visit the Cuming Museum on an off-day? Because when I went there as part of my Southwark "Random Borough" trip I thought it was tiny and not brilliant. In fact I didn't even bother to write it up.

Alyx | 01.08.07 - 11:46 a.m. | #

No local history?

Can I get a refund?

Emmesse | 01.08.07 - 12:12 p.m. | #

But there'll be nothing ultra-big this August. You'll cope. You may even prefer it that way.

No I certainly can’t cope.
So what do you expect me and the family to do in August??
Question- have my family PAID you to stop as I believe I’m the only member who really enjoyed dangling over a bridge to view the exit of the Fleet into the Thames and the train journey from Baker St was not too inspiring for the little ones…………………………….Oh well, enjoy your pint

peter | 01.08.07 - 1:29 p.m. | #

How about dividing London into 10 degree segments, centered on Charing Cross. A challenge might be to create tesselation....

Ham | Homepage | 01.08.07 - 2:48 p.m. | #

Hurrah for Social DG! Enjoy.

NiC | Homepage | 01.08.07 - 6:21 p.m. | #

If anyone could make Dagenham and Erith sound interesting, it would be you! I actually found your blog through your London pages, a long time ago, apologies for never commenting before how much I liked your explorations. But hey, a pint with pals during the summer sounds good as well, and hopefully something else London-ish will appeal to you enough to write about it sooner or later.

Jayne | Homepage | 01.08.07 - 7:00 p.m. | #

I like the Random Boroughs. Isn't it time for another one soon?
The River Fleet was marvellous!

dg writes: Well spotted. The next Random Borough is indeed overdue. But for exactly the same reason.

Leuconoe | 01.08.07 - 7:00 p.m. | #

Dagenham and Erith: not interesting?

Oh, come on, pull yourself together.

Talk about when they opened the pier in Erith with a show of bare-knuckle wrestling (this was the mid-19th century), find the massive whale-bones displayed (that formerly formed an archway over a road) on Valence House in Dagenham, and see how devastatingly beautiful (and, erm, devastated) the riverfront on both sides, whether between Creekmouth and Dagenham Dock, or Slade Green and Erith is...

Venichka | 01.08.07 - 7:22 p.m. | #

What about visiting every football, rugby (league and Union) and cricket ground in greater London? There are around 25 but the big teams like Chelsea you could devote 2 days to?

dg writes: That sound you can hear is my brother laughing his head off. Other than that, great idea.

Simon | 01.08.07 - 8:28 p.m. | #

How about "DG drinks in the DG"? A series where the new, socialised DG drinks in pubs with the initials DG.

Firstly, the Director General in Woolwich. You could take Dave Gorman with you.

Inspector Sands | Homepage | 01.08.07 - 8:59 p.m. | #

I hope you have fun fella - you don't need me to say it, but blogging is all about fun after all.

Take care mate.

TomReynolds | Homepage | 01.08.07 - 9:05 p.m. | #

Diamond Geysers - London's 31 hottest water features?

Dave | Homepage | 01.08.07 - 9:09 p.m. | #

Having visited London almost every year for 20+ years, I really enjoy reading of your off beat things. Museums, I've been to many, but the various borough museums have mostly eluded me. After the Cummings, I have avoided them. I visited the Chislehurst cave in Jan 07 after reading about it from you. Really enjoyed it. I enjoy the free MP3 London walks that Robert Wright does. He tends to get into the obscure facts that you like. Perhaps you could take some of his walks and add some more comments.

Gene | 01.08.07 - 10:08 p.m. | #

Took 569 words to say "I don't know what to do". You could take up writing official reports for somebody who gets paid by the weight or thickness of their output.

pop artist | 01.08.07 - 10:54 p.m. | #

Anytime The Girl says 'Fuck' I'd like to be right by her side. But, even this far removed, I must agree... Fuck.

Still, rare - if ever - is the day that you totally disappoint, so I suppose you should be given this year's August adventure time off.

But don't even think about it next year. (Crap, I'll be there in May and was hoping to use this August for ideas. Double-crap!) (And, oh, by the way... Fuck!)

Dave in Chicago (but wishes it | 01.08.07 - 11:44 p.m. | #

Blimey, anyone would think that the world was ending. I'm still going to write about London, I'm just not going to write about a small bit of it for 31 consecutive days.

And are there any other blogs that do this mega-monthly project thing, or is it just me?

diamond geezer | Homepage | 02.08.07 - 12:25 a.m. | #

Well, fair enough, but I do enjoy local history month every year, and I'll miss it this time round.

Jameso | 02.08.07 - 8:59 a.m. | #

I think you should do Oxford Street, just to see if you can find anything remotely interesting about it.

keith | 02.08.07 - 10:23 p.m. | #

no long -haul London blog this year ?
Shame on you - combine social life + London!

Elaine | 05.08.07 - 3:15 p.m. | #











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