onionbagblog

Yep, it’s the sequel that no one wanted to make - the boy from the wrong side of the tracks who has an obsession with filming the lamentable recycling efforts of those around him: Palfrey Place Pt III - Fly Tipping Becomes Personal.

How disappointing to find that only two days after the good @cllrrobbanks organised a clean up of Palfrey Place, the inconsiderate idiots around these parts (of which there are many) are up to their old tricks once again.

But wait! What’s this? The traditional dumping ground of the Palfrey Place lamppost has shifted slightly to become a street corner. Not in my back yard, etc.

My little patch of South London has recently become a police control zone, allowing any anti-social behaviour to be moved along. Great for this side of the estate, not so for the other areas where the idiots get shifted to. Buy hey, I’ happy.

It seems that in an almost comical twist of fly tipping fate, the same scenario is now being played out along Palfrey Place. Dumping from the stump has been sorted; further up the road on the street corner, and it’s back to where we started.

I’m not promising a 3D re-make for Palfrey IV, or jumbo size popcorn cartons either. They’d only end up being selfishly strung across the street.

Disappointing.

Early morning work complete - rewarding myself with lido swim, and possibly a trip to #treehousegallery #

A madcap Friday afternoon spent falling asleep up a tree Regent’s Park, as the bonkers bongo boys played out a tribal march on their drums below me. Blimey - not your everyday start to the weekend then.

Intrigued by the growing number of tweets documenting the summer project of #treehousegallery, I cleared an afternoon of work and cycled up to NW1 to see if the online expectation matched the reality of the event.

The premise behind the project is to celebrate the summer in the natural environment, sharing ideas and debating opportunities for sustainable living within the city. Sounds a little too ethical and worthy? No worries - there’s plenty of childhood fun to retreat back into with music workshops, big swings and hammocks.

The Treehouse Gallery is essentially a living art project right in the centre of Regent’s Park by the boating lake. It has become something of a #Tuttle retreat in recent weeks, with ICA sessions often carrying on al fresco up a tree.

Two large structures have been converted into living areas. Around the periphery and you’ll find a number of other structures that facilitate learning and discussion. Overlooking the lake is a series of swings and hammocks.

It’s the treehouse garden you never had as a child, and sadly one that won’t last longer than the end of September.

Lying in a hammock at #treehouseproject. Public art as procrastinating - perfect #

I started off my afternoon becoming entangled in a giant hammock. I managed to escape the clutches of the rope, listened to the drumming workshop (yeah, I know…) and then went for a read up a tree.

Oh dear. Grown man trapped in hammock at #treehouseproject #

Two hours passed by in no time, and soon it was time to return back to base for the evening shift. Regent’s Park was particularly beautiful in the late afternoon sun, providing an escapism that I’ve yet to experience up in North London.

I imagine the setting becomes more magical in the evening, with candlelit illuminations leading the way for the music that follows. Of course it would be folly to suggest that this is a long-term solution for city living. But then given the alternative of crappy inner city estates, then I’m ready to listen to the debate.

Leaving #treehouseproject at Regent’s Park. A bonkers event, but one of the highlights of the London summer. Do come, open until end Sept #

Full flickr set over here.

A further update from the good @cllrrobbanks, regarding the public dumping ground of Palfrey Place, SW8:

I have now had a follow up email from **** which says that they have identified the housing that the perpetrators live in. I will not name the actual name of the block of homes in order to protect those residents who are innocent!

They have written to those they believe are guilty of this and will be taking further action if the problem persists. I checked it last night and it was looking tidy.

How wonderful. And so this is how local democracy can help to produce real results at grass roots level. All it took was a simple Flip vid and a tweet; the mess has now be cleaned up, and hopefully a long term policy is in place to prevent Palfrey Place becoming a tip once again.

I wonder how @lambeth_council managed to identify the fly tippers? Perhaps through looking through the contents of the crap disposed and finding an address?

Doh!

Good work, @cllrrobbanks.

Milford Lane, WC2, WWSI

“I am afraid I have little history to offer you for this weeks location. Milford Lane runs from The Strand to the Temple Place. It’s one of those London streets where you go from modern concrete blocks, to quite an amazing old world charm.

Named from a ford over the Thames at the extremity, and a windmill in The Strand, the Lane once hosted the offices of the the Illustrated London News.

One of those streets that at first appears dissapointing, but spend some time here and you’ll notice more and more” [um, I didn't...]

I’m not really into this guest blogging lark, mainly because I can’t find anyone else who actually wants to guest blog on onionbagblog.

But then an email from a friendly lido face this morning, and I just knew it was worthy of posting up here. I don’t think it’s technically a guest blog post, merely a publishing of a (private?) email.

Whoops.

But it sort of fits in with the aquatic theme of late, and it made me smile anyway.

I won’t post up the author’s name; suffice to say that he is South London’s leading authority on the history of outdoor swimming.

I have bat-like vision when I swim with goggles and without glasses (I’ve not yet tried to wear both simultaneously,) so I was a bit surprised this morning when I thought I saw a man swimming nearby wearing an armband, but only on one arm (his left). A bit old for that, aren’t you?, I thought.

The fates determined that he was entering the shower as I was coming out, so I made so bold as to ask him was it a heart monitor (such as I have known the wetsuits to wear)? Nothing so worthy, he said.

It was his iPod. The contraption is a strong plastic bag with inbuilt jack and waterproof earphones that he confessed to having purchased on t’internet for £20. He said the earphones kept dropping out of his ears but worked very well in transmitting the sound.

He said it was wonderful to swim along to great music. I asked what great music he was listening to today and he said it was actually a Radio 4 podcast. He said Kate Adey occasionally put him off his stroke, an effect she’s had on several men, I believe. From a distance, I could detect no appreciable deterioration in technique.

Blimey.

Two points arise out of this:

(i) Would you trust taking your iPod underwater?

(ii) Why would you feel the need to take your iPod underwater? Indoors, maybe, but outdoors at the lovely lido, when the ambience is all about solace and escapism?

Whatever next? iPod sex? That really would need a watertight compartment.

Back to more micro-local matters with a home video offering the view I get each morning as I attempt to cycle along Palfrey Place, SW8. The narrow passage running adjacent to the Clap’ham Road is a strange place at the most pristine of times. When it becomes a dumping ground for the selfish citizens of SW8, then it’s a right stink.

It would be easy to criticise @lambeth_council here, but that’s not the issue. The weekly refuse collection takes place around Palfrey - and perhaps this is the main problem…

The collection of household crap is left in a location that isn’t even a waste collection point. It’s simply a stump in the pavement, used by uncaring members of the community as a dumping ground. Once the bin men start to take away all the rubble, the message is sent out that this is acceptable.

The immediate local environment around you matters, more so than perhaps the wider global picture. Why be encouraged to take part in the larger conversation if you are closing yours ears back at home base?

Palfrey Place and the ignorant fly-tippers has become a very real pain around these parts. And that’s not rubbish.

Update from @cllrrobbanks:

“I reported this before I went on holiday and got the rubbish cleared by the council, but as you say this encourages anti social residents to dump more stuff there. But if you don’t do anything that also encourages bad behaviour! I have asked the council to take monitoring action to try and identify the culprit, I will try to take another look tomorrow and find out from Streetcare what else they can do.”

Herne Hill Halloween

A little known fact of le velo is that there is also a thriving cyclo cross community sitting right next to the track. It may not be the most rock ‘n roll of bicycling lifestyle choices, but this could all change with the help of some promotion from the Rollapaluza crowd. Having made roller-racing sexy once again, Rollapaluza are now turning towards cyclo cross at Herne Hill on Halloween night. Chapeau!

Serco Secure Le Velib

From the company that is responsible for running the DLR and Woolwich Ferry, comes… a whopping £140m budget to roll out le velib scheme across London. In principle, yes; it’s all about the bike, after all. But the good folk of velorution raise some valid points about the budget, and how it could be better spent.

And finally…

Heads up @BillBuffalo for MC Spandex and the semi-pro Vs fakenger skit. I know which side of the saddle I sit upon.