urban75 blog

Meeting Phil Daniels (Quadrophenia)

2010-03-07T23:50:00.001Z

I was asked by an old chum to take some photos at the launch of Phil Daniel's biography, Phil Daniels - Class Actor - I've always liked the fella since seeing him in Quadrophenia and modelled a quitting work speech on his excellent lines from that film.

The beer was free and Phil turned out to be a diamond geezer. Here's a few snaps:

Damon Albarn from Blur.

Hugh Cornwall (of the Stranglers) was a hoot and took our drunken japery in very good heart.

Offline goes Brazilian!

2010-03-07T23:36:00.001Z

We had a great Offline night in the Brixton Albert on Friday, with Brazilian rockers OCIO putting in a top live set.

Here?s a few pics.

Windrush Square: new public square in Brixton

2010-03-07T23:25:00.001Z

Used for sheep pasture until the end of the 19th Century, the space in front of Brixton Tate library was purchased by Sir Henry Tate's widow and donated to the public in 1905 (eight years after the library was built).

Originally known as the Brixton Oval, and then Tate Gardens, its new name of Windrush Square was decided upon after local residents, businesses and organisations were given a small selection to choose from. There was no option to keep its current name.
Years ago, the space once housed attractive enclosed gardens, with ornate wrought iron gates guarding the entrance.

Various 'landscaping' schemes over the past twenty years have seen the gardens and lawns swept away to be replaced by a barren, windswept open space, designed to discourage drug dealers, ne'er do wells and anyone contemplating tarrying away an alcoholic afternoon in the public space.
According to Lambeth, the project, "aims to create a safe, high-quality public space reflecting our unique and diverse community."

We're not entirely sure how such a bleak, featureless expanse of concrete and stone reflects much of Brixton's character, but here's some photos...

Brixton Windrush Square photo feature.

Brixton Village (Granville Arcade)

2010-03-07T23:22:00.001Z

Late last year, the Space Makers Agency teamed up with London & Associated Properties PLC and Lambeth Council to fill the empty shop units in the Brixton Village indoor market (aka Granville Arcade).

Claimed to be the UK's biggest 'empty shops project,' the disused units have been given over to temporary and permanent projects with the aim of kickstarting regeneration.

We?re enjoying seeing the arcade coming back to life, and have been regularly checking out what?s going on ? here?s some photos:

More photos.

Atomic Suplex at Offline Club, Brixton

2010-02-17T16:45:00.001Z

It was a night of full on raaawck'n'rollll at the Brixton Albert on Friday - here's some pics:

More pics

Chelsea vs Cardiff City: FA cup, pics

2010-02-17T16:41:00.001Z

We came. We saw. We outsang the home fans. We put up a bit of a decent fight but were finally overwhelmed.

Here?s some pics from Cardiff?s away trip to the Premiership toffs at Chelsea:

Note the pleasing lack of sitting down going on. How can you sit down for a football match?

More photos

My mod past

2010-02-11T16:13:00.001Z

Here's me in my mod days, back in 1842 with the band Beggar (as heard on the outer chart troubling Mods Mayday album). I'm the bloke on the left.

I'd clearly started to move on from mod by the time the second picture was taken and was already heading for the 'Electric Eighties' (my next band was an electropop affair signed to RAK Records - home of Kim Wilde!). More obscurity beckoned!

Trinity Buoy Wharf and Container City, Docklands - photos

2010-02-09T15:45:00.001Z

Here's the second part of our walk last weekend. Trinity Buoy Wharf is a great place to visit, and the diner was ace too!

More pics:
Trinity Bouy Wharf
Container City

East India Docks and Basin walk - photos

2010-02-09T15:43:00.001Z

We went for a walk around East India DLR station on Saturday and had an unexpectedly pleasant walk.

Parts of it feel very Brooklyn-esque: wide open spaces, industrial decay and hoity toity apartments all rubbing together.

Here's a few pics:

East India basin.

None more 'LA' looking!|

More pics:
East India Docks and Basin walk photos
More East India Docks and Basin pics

Offline Brixton Hot Tiki Party

2010-02-02T21:09:00.001Z

This was one helluva party!

We had the Silver Brazilians onstage, plus the Actionettes dancing - and the gig was packed all night long.

Here's a few photos:

More pics: here

Next party: Friday 13th Feb with the mighty Atomic Suplex!

Coffee and cake

2010-01-30T15:12:00.001Z

The Photographers Gallery (now situated by Oxford Circus) has long been my favourite cafe in the West End.

Here's a photo of their cafe staff ready to load up the delicious banana cake on to my plate!

National Portrait Gallery

2010-01-29T19:59:00.001Z

There's a small selection of great photos to be seen downstairs in the National Portrait Gallery at the moment.

It's free so pop in if you're in town!

Oh, I'm trying out the free Blogpress app for the iPhone with this post. So far, so good!

Blurt at the Brixton Dogstar

2010-01-29T14:41:00.000Z

Great to see old-school punk/jazz/experimentalists Blurt doing their thing upstairs at the Dogstar last night.

Cardiff Bay photos

2010-01-26T01:20:00.001Z

We took a walk around the Bay around Christmas, and the place keeps changing so fast I can hardly recognise parts of it.

A new walk had been opened up from near the tubular visitor centre things right out to the the barrage, and it looks like it'll be lovely in the summer.

Anyhow, here's a few pics:

These strange yellow markings make no sense...

...until you stand in the right spot and they create a neat pattern of concentric circles!

Loads more Cardiff bay pics here: Cardiff bay, Winter 2009

I'm a Photographer, Not a Terrorist! protest

2010-01-25T01:01:00.001Z

We went along to Saturday's I'm a Photographer, Not a Terrorist! protest in Trafalgar Square to register our concerns about about the increasing use of terrorism laws against street photographers.

The cops aren't harassing people scaling up trees to take pictures of nuclear installations through massive telephone lens. They're harassing normal people taking ordinary tourist photos, or documenting architecture, or capturing police misconduct (G20) or taking the kind of street scenes that has produced some of the greatest photography.

Things are bad enough already - giving the law even more reason to harass people exercising their right to take pictures of whatever they like will result in massive restrictions on photography, more hassles from cops - and lots of photos of police abuse being censored.

Here's a few pics from the demo:

More photos here

A winter's day trip to Crickhowell, Powys - photos

2010-01-17T21:58:00.001Z

We popped over to Crickhowell for the day over Christmas and I'd forgotten what an attractive little Welsh town it is. It was unbelievably cold though!

Here's a few photos:

More photos

Goodbye snow

2010-01-14T11:28:00.001Z

It was with a heavy heart that I pulled back the curtains this morning to be greeted with a damp, wet day outside.

At least the snow went out with a bang, with an unexpectedly heavy snowfall yesterday.

Here's two photos from around Brixton. Come back soon snow!

Snowy walk: Hamsey Green - Coulsdon South

2010-01-12T01:36:00.001Z

Here's the full set of photos from our fabulously wintery trek through the snow covered fields of deepest south London and Surrey.

Loads more photos here!

A winter's walk through Kenley Common

2010-01-10T19:12:00.001Z

We had a fabulous day today, trudging through gloriously deep snow on the outer edges of south London, not far from Coulsdon.

Here's a few pics: lots more to follow!

London snow: frozen Serpentine lake and Trafalgar Square fountains

2010-01-09T22:23:00.001Z

I've never seen London this cold and snow before, with both the Trafalgar Square fountains and the entire Serpentine lake frozen solid. And I love it!

Here's some pics:

More photos:
http://www.urban75.org/london/hyde-park-snow-2010.html
http://www.urban75.org/london/london...uary-2010.html

A few snowy Cardiff pics

2010-01-04T01:42:00.001Z

A few snaps from my trip up to Cardiff on Christmas Eve (including the train 'trouble' when some arse on a bridge in Slough threw a brick at the train driver) and the wintry walk on Christmas Day.

More pics soon!

More photos

Offline NYE party - the mayhem!

2010-01-02T19:44:00.001Z

More photosL
http://www.urban75.org/offline/albert-nye-09.html

Goodbye Cardiff's Ninian Park

2009-12-29T17:15:00.001Z

Some photos of Cardiff City's half demolished stadium - a place full of memories for me!

More: http://www.urban75.org/cardiff/goodbye-ninian-park.html

Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park

2009-12-23T15:01:00.001Z

I didn't even know this was going on, but came across it while we were taking in a winter's walk across Hyde Park.

I didn't expect a lot, but it was actually really rather lovely. It's on till the 3rd January and it's free.

More pics

Borders bookstore RIP

2009-12-21T22:33:00.001Z

The whole Borders UK operation is winding up this week, dumping over 1,100 people on the dole on Christmas Eve.

Here's the last days of the Charing Cross Road branch.

More photos