made in china '69: life and culture in east london

29.3.06

Las Vegas: dirty girls, cold beer

I didn't like Las Vegas. Too disorientating (I know that's the idea). We got a bus up from our Stassi-themed hotel by the flyover to the top end of the strip where the prostitutes live (as opposed to where they work) and walked down. It's two or three miles. We'd pop into different casinos to have a look around, gawp at the bedraggled queues of people for the all-you-can-eat buffets and then spend half an hour trying to find the way out. The best bit was the vodka martini I had in a Japanese restaurant about halfway down. Having said that the fact there were 200,000 people in town for a fashion convention didn't help my mood. But we do have some nice pictures, like this one.

10.3.06

Santa Cruz to Pacific Grove

We went for a walk in Santa Cruz in the morning before breakfast. Lots of joggers and power walkers.

7.3.06

Round San Francisco

Still slowly uploading all the pics from USA. We haven't left SF as yet. This was Saturday at the Farmer's Market, the view away from the people buying organic oranges and french pastries.

5.3.06

Murphy's: San Francisco

More pics from San Francisco.

2.3.06

Alcatraz: No Exit

Alcatraz: San Francisco

I am back from California. I have 1000s of pictures. I will refrain from posting them all and just post the better ones. We started in San Francisco and one of the best things we did there was visit Alcatraz. You can see the pics here or click on the picture.

Did you know: The Birdman of Alcatraz didn't have any birds in all the time he was at Alcatraz, that was at his previous jail.

4.2.06

Bob and Roberta Smith at Hales Gallery, Tea Building, Feb 2006

Went round some East End galleries with Andy yesterday. Gilbert and George was good (The White Cube website is a disaster); Bob and Roberta Smith at Hales is also good. If you go to them also go to Kate MacGarry (Matt Bryans erased photos cut out from newspapers and magazines) and Trolley (David Fryer, Sean Flynn and Robert Montgomery - get them to open the basement space over the road for you) on Redchurch Street and then go and get the best Salt Beef beigel in London from this place.

1.2.06

Pickpocket: Bresson

While my wife was out drinking with her bookclub buddies (Philip Roth's Plot against America since you ask) Robert Bresson's Pickpocket was on Artsworld. I've never seen it before and it was excellent. Basically it's Crime and Punishment but with an unexpected dollop of redemption at the end. Shot largely from the point of view of our wastrel pickpocket of the title, it's hardly a realist movie despite the naturalism of the settings, the camerawork and even Bresson's casting of non-actors. The story moves along through visual clues as much as any spoken narrative and works by the seemingly logical progression of one scene simply following the next. If you liked Le Samourai, L'Homme du Train or even Ghost Dog then you'll like this.

30.1.06

Uncle Bert

Mum's brother Bert used to shoot for Trinidad and Tobago and won some medals.
As the TT Express said recently:
"The name Bert Manhin however, is synonymous with the sport of rifle shooting.
For many years he represented Trinidad and Tobago in rifle shooting at the CAC Games, Pan American Games, Commonwealth Games and Olympics.
He excelled in that discipline and his prizes include one gold, a silver and several bronze medals. "

29.1.06

Outside Transition, the panoramic view

This is the outside panoramic view to go with the interior panoramic view previously. You probably need the larger view to see anything.