please empty your brain below
|
|
and for the rest of us . . . . DG to record this moment in time.
RayL | 22.09.16 - 7:15 a.m. | #
|
|
Everyone should keep this in mind when complaining about high property prices... ;-).
Welcome | 22.09.16 - 7:17 a.m. | #
|
Blimey.
I had thought I was thoroughly fed up, sick and tired of this city for quite a while now, but today's post has completely changed my mind in a matter of minutes. I had forgotten about all the nice little things.
Thank you, DG.
| 22.09.16 - 7:18 a.m. | #
|
Fantastic!
"..the proximity of possibility.." is probably my favourite - but I need to re-read the entire list!
Frank F | 22.09.16 - 7:24 a.m. | #
|
|
15 years since you moved to London today?
CP | 22.09.16 - 7:25 a.m. | #
|
For me much of the pleasure of being in London is now spoilt by the air pollution from diesel vehicles.
Although it is not as bad as the smogs we had in the '50s and 60s, but you could at least see that and it was seasonal, the diesel pollution nowadays is mainly invisible and is all year long. Roll on electric powered transport.
Being on a SWT route overcrowded trains is also a minus factor for me these days.
John | 22.09.16 - 7:36 a.m. | #
|
Excellent. Couldn't agree more.
'This not being Ipswich' though. Ha ha. I went to school (briefly) in Ipswich. I rather liked the Willis Faber building, but the beer (Tolly Cobbold) was dreadful. This must have improved by now, but probably still no night buses, Richmond Park, cosmoploitan coexistence, or Holden.
Lorenzo | 22.09.16 - 8:00 a.m. | #
|
...and a daily blog that (so often) celebrates London's diverse, frustrating and brilliant qualities.
Did I miss a mention of roundabouts on major arterial routes?
Waterhouse | 22.09.16 - 8:09 a.m. | #
|
|
Crafty eh DG; much troo long for 'Pseuds Corner' in Private Eye, where would they start? Sorry, a rather lazy piece compared with your usual brilliant writing. Even I could have written this.
Cynic | 22.09.16 - 8:30 a.m. | #
|
|
Oops, 'to' for 'troo'.
Cynic | 22.09.16 - 8:31 a.m. | #
|
|
Must get new specs'too', not 'troo' or 'to'!
Cynic | 22.09.16 - 8:33 a.m. | #
|
|
Brilliant. I thought at the start I would just skim this, then found myself reading, and enjoying, every word. What's more I'm sure everyone could think of something to add from their own perspective, mine would be slightly more West London orientated because that's where I live. Thank you DG.
Dave | 22.09.16 - 8:36 a.m. | #
|
|
Not sure how you keep coming up with the variety and breadth of material. Or is 'Diamond Geezer' a collective noun?
The Legendary Zelda | 22.09.16 - 8:50 a.m. | #
|
It's not bad here, is it?
Last week I arrived in Parliament Square just in time to hear Big Ben chime the hours - despite being able to hear it on the radio twice a day, it's still a bit special to hear in the flesh.
(And some 8 years after first reading about it on your blog, I finally have a ticket to visit the Whitechapel Bell Foundry)
martin | 22.09.16 - 8:50 a.m. | #
|
"Even I could have written this." said cynic.
The point is that he didn't.
strawbrick | 22.09.16 - 8:51 a.m. | #
|
|
Congratulations on your 15 years here, and thank you for that lovely post celebrating thus wonderful place and still managing to mention things I haven't heard of (or maybe had but have forgotten) in 23 years of living here.
lockedintheattic | 22.09.16 - 8:55 a.m. | #
|
|
the one that's worth more than all the rest is " knowing the ambulance will get here in time"
Caz | 22.09.16 - 9:54 a.m. | #
|
|
"actual proper unswallowed Kentish villages" - surely these must still be in Kent and not in London?
B | 22.09.16 - 9:55 a.m. | #
|
|
I love the remaining gas lamps and pretending I'm in Mary Poppins or a Dickens' book.
Antipodean | 22.09.16 - 10:07 a.m. | #
|
|
You summed it up very succinctly.
Milo Bell | 22.09.16 - 10:22 a.m. | #
|
|
Actually...that just made me cry. In a good way.
Milo Bell | 22.09.16 - 10:31 a.m. | #
|
|
I knew no list about London would be complete without him, but hey... since when did Boris become doctor??? :)
RogerW | 22.09.16 - 10:35 a.m. | #
|
A timely reminder of why I was very lucky to have been born and bred a Londoner.
I am suffering from the Dr. Johnson dilemma, but then maybe I am just tired of life.
I do wish that when people talk of great vistas that Ally Pally gets a mention, as I believe it far superior to a view from Primrose Hill.
Cheers
PJS | 22.09.16 - 10:36 a.m. | #
|
|
And one of the reasons I and others love London is that you are in it.
T | 22.09.16 - 11:19 a.m. | #
|
it must have taken you ages to think of all these, fascinating. Was reaching the centre of Hampton Court particularly significant for you? I think it's the only thing you mentioned twice.
And inevitably k*tt*ns aren't mentioned at all.
dg writes: Damn. Thanks. I've taken out one maze reference and replaced it with the Royal Festival Hall, which somehow failed to get a mention.
amber | 22.09.16 - 12:30 p.m. | #
|
|
Sad to see bus stop M isn't mentioned.
AW | 22.09.16 - 1:11 p.m. | #
|
I could argue with some of them, but I won't :)
Happy anniversary!
For me it will be 10 years in December.
Greg S | 22.09.16 - 1:44 p.m. | #
|
Apart from friends and family, is there anything you miss about Norfolk?
dg writes: I miss never having lived there.
Gerry | 22.09.16 - 1:45 p.m. | #
|
|
I rather liked Tolly's beers.
David | 22.09.16 - 2:21 p.m. | #
|
|
Home sweet home. Thanks DG for another great post
Lea | 22.09.16 - 2:27 p.m. | #
|
|
.......Reasons to be cheerful 1, 2, 3.......
Paul | 22.09.16 - 3:25 p.m. | #
|
|
Please ignore Cynic. Brilliant!
Thomas | 22.09.16 - 6:02 p.m. | #
|
@ DG
Whoops ! I'll rephrase my question.
Apart from friends and family, is there anything you miss about the village in Three Rivers where you grew up? Seeing the magic of the Milky Way? Hearing owls at night?
Just wondered...
Gerry | 22.09.16 - 6:07 p.m. | #
|
|
A great read (as usual). In nine days time I will have lived here 51 years, which happens to be my 51st birthday! Cheers Mum & Dad, and Dr. Johnson was right.
John DLC | 22.09.16 - 6:50 p.m. | #
|
I've got 65 (and a half-and-a-bit) years as a Londoner. Although I rant and rave at it - dirty / littered, broken, uncaring people, the same list as many others - when the sun comes out on Victoria Park (lived beside it for 23 years, from long before Hackney Wick went trendy-beardy), then there's nothing wrong with the world.
Maybe some interesting but not 'look-at-me-I'm-weird' buildings (and dumping Johnson's crap buses) would improve things but having travelled a lot, few places come close to London for delight, except for Sydney and the glorious Harbour Bridge.
Joel | 22.09.16 - 7:44 p.m. | #
|
|
Winchmore Hill, The Green
| 22.09.16 - 8:16 p.m. | #
|
|
Lose your job a couple of times, be the 'victim' of crime three or more times, live in 'sub-standard' housing for a decade or longer and have health issues not made any better by all the noise/pollution and then see how wonderful 'living' in London is. Granted it has a lot to offer...but for some the 'cost' is too high and the downsides out-do the 'shine'.
Grumpy Anon | 22.09.16 - 8:59 p.m. | #
|
|
Pleased you mentioned the Arsenal!
Bernie | 22.09.16 - 9:05 p.m. | #
|
|
Well, I got hammered a bit, didn't I? Probably deservedly. The point I was making was that some of 300 'plusses' were a bit OTT eg 'critical mass' or '100% style', whatever they may be! Everything in life, by and large, is a trade-off. Living in London has many advantages but to utilise these advantages one has to tolerate (exactly the right word I think) some pretty hefty disadvantages: overcrowding, pollution, physical safety to a degree, noise, to name but four. I lived in London from 1970 to 1987, now I live in the semi rural Home Counties: large detached house so no neighbours noise to keep me awake (perhaps 1 or 2 instances in a quarter of a century), no parking problems, clean air, lots of personal space etc, but it does have a downside in that opportunities such as DG loves every weekend are far fewer. I hope DG follows up with a shorter list of things he really dislikes in London. Do his neighbours disturb his sleep ever? Does his environment (other than Bus Stop M) ever cause him stress? On the 20th anniversary perhaps?
Cynic | 22.09.16 - 9:19 p.m. | #
|
Returned to the city of my birth 40 years ago next week. And yes, my list would tally closely with D G's.
@B plenty of Kentish villages in Greater London which are still in rural settings.
Timbo | 22.09.16 - 9:30 p.m. | #
|
|
I'm 15 years in London today! Went to uni and have never left
Flare | 23.09.16 - 12:27 a.m. | #
|
Great list, well done on surviving 15 years.
What about: St James's Park, Thames Clippers, bins on the underground, Southbank Lion, Battersea Park, Nat Portrait Gallery, free lunchtime concerts, The India Club, City Churches, 1am meals in Balons (stil there?), Somerset House...and on and on
SJM | 23.09.16 - 1:13 a.m. | #
|
|
Cynic: I don't think dg ever has parking problems. I know I don't, for the simple reason that I don't have - or for that matter need - a car. (And for any trips that do require a motor, there are plenty of car club vehicles at my disposal)
martin | 23.09.16 - 6:48 a.m. | #
|
@David
Perhaps I was unlucky, I was only there for a few months. I also grew up in and around Cambridge and possibly thought all beer should taste like Abbot.
Lorenzo | 23.09.16 - 8:49 a.m. | #
|
|
I'm amazed that DG has only been in London for 15 years. I still cannot fathom how he has crammed so much in in that time nor maintained his enthusiasm. I've been here more than twice as long and have done nowhere near what DG has managed.
PC | 23.09.16 - 9:40 a.m. | #
|
Well done Diamond Geezer. + The statue for Hodge the Cat. Eccentric nad fab.
Shakespeare's Globe. the ruins of the Rose.
Marmaduke Jinks | 23.09.16 - 11:29 a.m. | #
|
|
<*round of applause*>
rashbre | Homepage | 24.09.16 - 10:22 a.m. | #
|
Such great street names; St Mary Axe, Pudding Lane, Poultry.
Wonderful church names; St.Dunstan-in-the-West, St.Clement Danes, St. Botolph Without.
MikeH | 24.09.16 - 12:16 p.m. | #
|
You're all up each other's arses.. It's a noisy dirty lump of land.. Far too expensive and certainly not value for money, full of so many insincere people, especially shop assistants. :-)
Try checking out your handkerchiefs for those black blobs. Notice you don't get them in other European big cities..
But it is where I happened to be born.. But I've moved on now and am happy about it..
IsarSteve | 26.09.16 - 9:18 p.m. | #
|
|
All the things I miss about London...
Rowan | 13.10.16 - 12:10 a.m. | #
|
|
|
TridentScan v2.10.0 | Privacy Policy
|