Some quick updates!



I've posted up my photo report from the weekend's fabulous Hampstead Heath walk and I'm steadily working my way through a huge pile of my new New York photos.



The next few days are going to be mighty hectic.

Tomorrow (Thurs) is my Offline Club night at the Dogstar, Brixton and we''ve got the biggest line up of music acts, including KATY CARR ("alt-folk star in waiting" -Q Mag, "definitely one for the Mercury Prize jury to consider" - Sunday Times), GINA BIRCH from the legendary all-female post-punk band The Raincoats and a host of others.

Friday sees the return of the excellent How Does It Feel To Be Loved club night in Brixton, and on Saturday it's my birthday party in a very swanky, invite only south London bar. Woohoo!

Osterley Park Walk



On a whim, we went out for a lovely walk on Sunday, through Osterley Park (west London) and along part of the Grand Union Canal.

It's a lovely shortish walk (5.5 miles) and thoroughly recommended for anyone trying to shake off a Sunday morning hangover! It's got fields! And cows!

You can see the photo report here

Another quick update

It's about three weeks overdue but here's my Photo Report of the urban75 walk around the 'London Capital Ring' a while ago.

The walk took me through unchartered south London territories, but it was fun.

But, boy, is Woolwich a shithole!

Quick catch up

Today's tunes while I work - LCD Soundsystem, Helen and the Horns, Kate Bush, Go Team, Beyond Nashville.
CD about to go in the bin: Jimi Tenor: Organism. Fuck knows where I got this CD from, but it's a silver platter of cack. The guy looks like a gay Thunderbirds puppet and the songs are painfully self-conscious art-electro wank. Shit - he's on Warp Records too! There goes my street cred! I wonder if I can spin the CD straight into the bin from here..... YESSS!!!!

Monday: This is why I love the web: Watch it shred - a bonkers site showing DVD's to Steel Drums to Industrial Batteries to Medical Waste to Washing Machines to Wood Pallets all being crushed in a series of videos!

Sunday: Photos from the fabulous snowy Kent country walk are now up - check 'em out.

Saturday: After recovering after over-quaffication at the Canterbury last night and a crap kip (why do I keep waking up so fucking early?!). went to town, met chums and had lunch in Photographer's Gallery which was rudely interrupted by some posh bloke booming out an unexpected lecture about art in the cafe.

Home to whoop with joy at the Cardiff City result. A wion at last!

Later on installed and made my first Skype conference call - boy does that software rock (it lets you make free calls to anyone in the world, so long as they're connected to the web. I love it!)

Team Not So Clever



Admire the collective genius of 'Team Clever' - the urban75 pub quiz team that managed to come fifth in a competition of just seven teams.

The quiz was at the delightfully no-nonsense Elm Park Tavern, off Brixton Hill, an old school boozer untouched by the slightest whiff of gentrification. Or paint, for that matter.

The barman-cum-quizmaster sports a New Zealand accent so strong that he needs subtitles, and the bizarre way he pronounced the questions naming English counties was a joy to behold.

We were rubbish, but after a few more beers and a trip to the White Horse we felt like winners in our own way.

Happy St David's Day/Dydd Dewi Sant! !



Bummer. I'm so busy right now it's looks like I'm not ever going to find the time to go to the pub to toast my patron saint! Grr!

After weeks, nay months, of having an extraordinarily relaxed work schedule, things have suddenly got very hectic and I'm finding it hard to keep urban75 updated.

As soon as I get time, I'll be posting up my photos from my recent trip to Rye and then a photo report from the weekend's wintery walk in Otford, Kent - and then there's the immense task of updating my New York gallery with zillions of pictures from my trip waaaay back in November.

In a desperate attempt to add something remotely interesting to this blog entry, allow me to list the music I've been playing all day while I've been slaving over a hot keyboard:

LCD Soundsystems, Bloc Party, Go Team, Hela, Grandaddy, Mojo Studio One Selector, Motown Classics, Boo Hewerdine and Sandy Denny.

Boy, do I want a beer!

Drinking, walking, clubbing and recovering



Last Thursday's Offline was a hoot: a good crowd, some great acts and even a snow storm outside!



On Saturday, we headed out to Kent for the urban75 country walk and stomped through thick snow along the Downs, visiting several splendid pubs on the way.

I loved every minute of it!