#trinity buoy lighthouse

[haxanbroker]

East India Quay. London, May 2023.

[spaceahoy]

This lighthouse has Longplayer in it, which is a 1000-year-long musical composition - it's currently 24 years in. More info about the whole thing here https://longplayer.org/

A lighthouse in London

I like a bit of quirkiness. This lighthouse was built in 1864. Although located by the River Thames, it was not a navigational aid but used to experiment with and develop lighting equipment. You may have also seen it in the Netflix film, Rogue Agent.

[aneverydaything]

Day 2193, 24 June 2024

Today is amazingly An Every Day Thing’s sixth birthday. Thank you to everyone who has commented upon, re-blogged, liked or even looked at any of the daily photos on this blog. Admittedly, over the last 12 months or so, I have become somewhat disillusioned with photography both as an artform and even as a simple mechanism to record a moment. This is because there is so much fake and artificially created “photography” these days. Whilst I get the argument about artificially created photographs “being just another form of art, grandad”, personally I would prefer to get out to seek photographs rather than sit in front of a computer screen and create them. Therefore in an attempt to regenerate my love for photography and to keep it “real”, I have decide to experiment going forwards by adding comments to my daily photographs. The comments may be as short as a title or a bit about the background to the photograph. In keeping with my original aim, this blog remains “focused” on the image and is not intended to be autobiographical. I therefore intend to keep the comments more observational rather than self-promotional. And so to the first comment! I wanted something a little unusual for my first comment and so took a quick lunchtime trip to Trinity Buoy Wharf in East London. The photograph is of a lightship moored there which is now a recording studio. The is also a lighthouse at Trinity Buoy Wharf which can be seen here on my blog Sometimes London. Yes both the lightship and lighthouse are real and not artificial creations!

[londiniumlundene]

Longplayer

The tower of the lighthouse at Trinity Buoy Wharf no longer houses powerful lighting equipment, but instead is filled with the ethereal chimes and resonances of Longplayer, a composition destined to be one thousand years long. Beginning on 31st December 1999, it will not be completed until 31st December 2999 – at which point it will start all over again.

Longplayer’s staggering length results from the treatment of its source composition: a 20 min 20 sec score for Tibetan Singing Bowls, which has then been transposed six times such that each transposition varies in pitch and duration. Six sections from these pieces play simultaneously, chosen so that no combination is repeated until exactly one thousand years has passed. All this is currently done by computer – Longplayer lives as a live-stream and can be heard outside of its Trinity Buoy Wharf home at several “listening post”, as well as online (the singing bowls on display at the lighthouse were used for a special live performance).

The creator of Longplayer, Jem Finer, describes it as not just a piece of exceptionally long music, but also an experiment in how time is experienced and understood from the perspectives of philosophy, physics and cosmology. In particular, there is the question of how one keeps a piece of music playing across generations. The technology currently running the composition will inevitably become obsolete – how will it adapt? How will the responsibility of looking after the music be passed on across the 950 or so years after its original custodians have perished?

[lukasnovo]

Mural I illustrated for Aloft London. It captures the local landmarks such as Balfron Tower, Tate+Lyle sugar factory and the lighthouse at Trinity Buoy Wharf. Commissioned by Duncalf , architects who designed the super cool interior.

[lighthouses-click]

Bow Creek (Trinity) Lighthouse, Trinity Buoy Wharf, East London, December 2019⠀ This used to be one of two lighthouses and is now the only remaining. It was not an aid to navigation but instead a test lighthouse used to test electricity in lighthouses by Michael Faraday!⠀

[deepartnature]

My Lighthouses

C Levå, Marinmotiv

"Certain landlocked cities have lighthouses. On such rivers as the Rhine, the Seine, and the Saint Lawrence, lighthouses gave warning of dangerous areas. In London, the Trinity Buoy Wharf light is still in existence. This hexagonal, pale-brown brick structure is located in an area known as Container City. I remember my father telling me about these buildings when I was a child. To my ears, accustomed to the Spanish language, the word container, which I never completely understood, sounded warlike; I imagined gigantic metal constructions, improbably conical or spherical in shape. It never occurred to me that they would be like shoeboxes. ..."

The Paris Review

amazon

[mariuscreatives]

Lighthouse Research

What are they? What is their purpose?

A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses. It serves as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.

Lighthouses mark dangerous coastlines, hazardous shoals, reefs, rocks, and safe entries to harbours; they also assist in aerial navigation, not only maritime. Once widely used, the number of operational lighthouses has declined due to the expense of maintenance and has become uneconomical since the advent of much cheaper and more sophisticated and effective electronic navigational systems.

They are painted differently to help mariners identify them during the day, it also differentiates them from their background (contrast).

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How do they warn ships?

Most lighthouses also include fog signals such as horns, bells or cannons, which sound to warn ships of hazards during periods of low visibility. For example, a lighthouse might emit two flashes every three seconds to distinguish it from a lighthouse that emits four flashes every three seconds.

When visual navigation aids such as lighthouses are obscured, foghorns provide an audible warning of rock outcrops, shoals, headlands, or other dangers to shipping.

Danger. Occasionally, lighthouses will use red light to notify incoming ships of danger. They will use a flashing red light or switch between red and white to distinguish the warning from their normal characteristics. Red traditionally means stop, and informs the ship to seek out further information.

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What do they symbolize?

They are used in literature and cinema to symbolize strength, safety, individuality, and even death. Because lighthouses are constructed to withstand powerful storms and turbulent ocean waters, it is no wonder why they are frequently depicted as symbols of strength. Hope, the light through the darkness.

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Are they still necessary?

Despite advances in navigational technology, lighthouses and other physical aids to navigation such as buoys are still absolutely essential in ensuring mariners are able to safely negotiate rocky and dangerous coastlines and they continue to be a vital part of the mix of maritime aids to navigation.

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All my research is going into a sketchbook which I will be posting pictures of later on throughout my blog but I will be linking articles and other media as I go too.

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The sources below are sources in general that I have used for my research.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lighthouse

https://answerstoall.com/language/what-is-the-main-purpose-of-a-lighthouse/#What_is_the_main_purpose_of_a_lighthouse

https://greenbrierepiscopal.org/how-were-lighthouses-built

https://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/about-us/trinity-house-faq/why-are-lighthouses-different-colours-and-heights

https://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/lighthouses-and-lightvessels/anvil-point-lighthouse

https://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/lighthouses-and-lightvessels/portland-bill-lighthouse

https://oceanhelper.com/blogs/news/are-lighthouses-still-relevant

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/smalls-lighthouse-pembrokeshire-wales-coast-18033286

[easygourmet]

Jenny and Chris’ Wedding reception in the Chainstore at Trinity Buoy Wharf  The historic Chainstore  is a Grade II listed brick building with triple height ceilings and plenty of character.  Built in 1854 and connected to London’s only Lighthouse, the venue offers 420 m2 of space with an optional 1,528 m2 of riverside terrace  Sharing feast dinner  Canapes: Crispy scotch quail eggs- Toasted cherry tomato, rocket & halloumi skewers - Fresh fish & fat chips Starter: ITALIAN ANTIPASTI PLATTER Pie: Bacon, chicken -Steak & Ale Mash Potatoes - Mushy peas  Apple crumble Wedding naked cake tier Victoria Sponge Madagascar Vanilla raspberry jam -Coconut , mango, passion Sponge Evening Bacon rolls & chips rolls Beautiful picture capture by: @tomleishmanphoto  Venue: The Chainstore at Trinity Buoy Wharf @trinitybuoywharf  Catering & Cake @easygourmetcatering  Florist & stylists: @starryeyedweddings  DJ and photobooth: @mephotobooths . . . #londoncaterer #foodart #easygourmet #eventprofsuk #londonfood #londonfood #liveauthentic #foodbeast #eeeeeats #eatfamous #feedfeed #dailyfoodfeed #onthetable #lifeandthyme #tastingtable #thatsdarling #loveauthentic #engaged #greenweddingshoes #chasinglight #bohowedding #weddingseason #smpweddings #thisislondon🇬🇧 (at Trinity Buoy Wharf) https://www.instagram.com/p/COxXxfkhlXY/?igshid=141nmlifmclez

[wecityguidecom]

Lonely Lighthouse of London

You will explore the different type of London landmark this time. You know Westminister, London Eye and Big Ben, everybody knows them. But know its time to meet the only and the lonely lighthouse of London. Yes, you read right, London has a lighthouse. It always nice to explore the hidden gems of the cities. Like lesser-known districts, streets, buildings and landmarks. London's only lighthouse is one of these lesser-known beauties of London. London doesn't have a seaside but she has River Thames and there are quite docklands within the deeps of the meeting point of River Lee and River Thames.

London's only lighthouse is at the Trinity Buoy Wharf (Source).

Only and Alone Lighthouse of London

This lighthouse built between 1864 and 1866. The main purpose of the lighthouse was to test the new types of lights and lamps technologies developed by British researchers.  Lighthouse is located in the area called Trinity Buoy Wharf. More than 200 years, the Trinity House of Deptford Strong used this area to land as lightboard dock, storage and maintenance depot. By the year 1910, wharf so busy that more than 150 people were working in the area which is a quite high number for that date. In 1988, wharf closed and the future of it remained uncertain. After 8 years, a private company bought the land with a long lease and convert the area into a cultural center for art and activities. Today, this area becomes one of the best places to chill out with its bizarre components. For example, this lighthouse is now home of the music melody which will played 1000 years until 31 December 2999. There is a listening room inside of the lighthouse and you can get in there and listen to the live stream.

Where is Trinity Bouy Wharf and Lighthouse?

Trinity Bouy Wharf is located on the east side of London very close to London City Airport. The easiest way to go to the light is by taking a 10-minute long walk from the East India Dock DLR station. Also, you have another option to get there. You can take another walk from the Canning Town Station and it will take around 15 minutes of walk. If you are coming to the area from the south side of the river, there are regular shuttle boat service which will take you to the North Greenwich pier directly. If you have experienced this unique place in London please share your thought about it to let others know about it! Also if you go to the Trinity Bouy Wharf don't forget to visit the surrounding places on both side of the river. The Crystal and A Slice of Reality worth to see places. Read the full article

[eastlondonflaneuse-blog]

London’s only lighthouse

Flaneusing from a viewpoint at Trinity Buoy Wharf

Today we are exploring a micro space, we wish to explore the development in and around the Docklands, but also reflect on time and the impact of different visions of the future. What is valued and invested in? How does London balance between art, heritage, and tourism?

The site the lighthouse stands on was historically an important industrial space. The material produced there helped make Britain the important seafaring nation it once was, but as technology progressed it was left derelict and abandoned. As a result of this industrial shift, thousands of people lost their livelihood at the docks, which in turn meant the displacement of many local residents and subsequent redevelopment. We will mostly be looking at the failed dreams represented by the O2 Arena and the Emirates Airline. In this entry, we will try to give a sense of the ways the lighthouse at Trinity Buoy Warf can be a good starting point for sociological exploration, and without delving too deep, highlighting some of the issues of birds-eye view Flaneusing.

The experimental lighthouse in Trinity Buoy Wharf stands rather modestly in an urban art filled environment on the banks of the Thames. Through a number of narrow staircases, members of the public are invited into the curious space. The building was originally used to test maritime lighting equipment and train lighthouse keepers. Like most lighthouses, this one built in 1864 has a rounded glass wall, allowing river-farers to see the bend of the river clearly at night. In this day and age and perhaps more importantly, visitors to the lighthouse can gaze out at this historic area of London. The space is designed in such a way that if you stand in the middle of the room, you can hear a strange delay of your voice - a poetic feature when thinking about the all the things that have happened around the room in the last 220 years.

The Docklands has a rich history leading back to the Roman era. Trinity Buoy Wharf was established in 1805, and employed a variety of workers, loading and unloading ships, working on batteries for the light houseboats and in the production of buoys. The sixties and the advent of shipping containers saw the docks no longer able to accommodate large ships, and it lost its role as a larger-scale employer. The development of the area started almost at the same time, and its residential population has doubled in the last thirty years. The fact that developers have largely focused on building luxury flats rather the affordable housing has led to friction between the local community and new arrivals. This is a process described by Slater as Developer‐led gentrification (Slater, 2006).

London Docklands Development Corporation bought the site in the nineties, with plans to develop it for housing. But In 1998, Urban Space Management took over the site and was given a 125-year lease. Through cooperation with the local borough a creative space has emerged, but is by no means a non-profit structure, making large amounts of money through the letting of spaces and the development of new creative workspaces. In terms of the area’s main contributing funder, 25% of the Wharf's income is paid to a Trust to be used for promoting arts in the area. Thus the prominence of street art in the enclave upon which the lighthouse stands.

The group that today call themselves Urban Space Management has historically been a key player in redevelopments such as Camden Lock market and Old Spitalfields Market, but was pushed out when other parties saw the great potential for profit-making. This highlights the different modes of development threat, visible from the broken glass windows of the light house.

Tower Hamlets, the borough housing this site, rates the second highest in London in terms of unemployment, and nationally it is the local authority with the highest child poverty rate. What makes this even more of a crucial point in thinking about the significance of the place, is the towering vision of Canary Wharf. A report commissioned by Tower Hamlets shows the discrepancy between the majority of its residents compared to those close to this financial centre. Some of the best-paid individuals in the country living side by side with some of the poorest.  

So who should be responsible for preservation or for guiding change? From the windows of this little outpost, you can make out Narrow Street to your right. This street features heavily in works by people such as Twain and Dickens, and houses the Grapes pub, now owned by Ian McClellan. The Grapes is the only bar left on the street and was bought by the actor to secure preservation.

This links to another current issue in the neighbourhood. Not directly visible from the lighthouse but right behind the Grapes, lies a set of warehouses with small cultural venues inside, that are currently in the process of being evicted. So while Tower Hamlets pours money into heritage sites, it is still not willing to make a political decision to save local, culturally significant places, going against the advice of London’s Night Czar, Amy Lamé. She called clubs like Jamboree that is currently housed on this site a community asset, the preservation of which is critical in guiding redevelopment.

A feature of the Internal space of the lighthouse is the piece of music playing inside. The ‘Long Play’ as its called, is a piece of music that is programmed to play for 1000 years, having started its run on the stroke of midnight on the 1stJanuary 2000. This is a rather profound concept when overlooking the failed dreams visible from the viewpoint, as well as the rich history and the slow movement of the river below.

Time plays a key role when standing in the lighthouse. The biggest landmark that can be seen is the O2 arena, or the Millennium Dome as it was named when being built for the Millennium Exhibition in 2000. The building itself is a circle with a diameter of 365 meters, one for each day of the year. The monstrous yellow beams are numbered twelve, on for each month of the year, or each hour on the clock face. This in itself echoes the experience of the lighthouse quite well. With substantial financial investment, the dome was anticipated to draw a crowd of 12 million people in the first year, but in reality, it only attracted 6.5 million and was generally regarded as a flop by the media and government. The statement dome was put up for sale and subsequently bought by the telecom company O2, that now lends its name to the tent-like structure. 

The Emirates Airline cost the British taxpayer £24 million plus, back in the era of Boris Jonson as Mayor of London. The cable car is the tallest gondola line in the country, and was originally sold as an alternative to commuters, costing only £1.70 if you were willing to buy in bulk for ten tickets. The cable cars were intended to link two Olympic sites together, stretching from Royal Victoria Docks to North Greenwich, but much like the Millennium Dome, it has not lived up to the grand promises it was meant to fulfil. It is tempting to think about the links between wealthy non-residents of London buying up property in the area, and the corporation that runs the cable cars together with Transport for London.

The many uses of lighthouse, the conflicting rhythms of the surrounding area, and the value this gives the local community makes Trinity Buoy Wharf stand out. With both the Millennium Dome and the Emirates Airline being built largely with tourists in mind, there is a dissonance between the politicians’ views of what this part of London could be, and the quality of life for the surrounding community. But from the lighthouse it’s hard to get a real feeling of the space, and much like a tourist one is left feeling like an observer and not a key player. It would be interesting to see who truly feels like this space belongs to them, as from this view it seems like a vision, a piece of jewellery independent from the history of the place in which it is situated.

Go forth explore!

[londiniumlundene]

Fat Boy’s Diner

Trinity Buoy Wharf is home to so many unusual sights – the only lighthouse in London, housing, offices and artists’ studios made of shipping containers, modern art installations (including a taxi with a tree growing out of it) and a recording studio aboard a big red boat, that an American diner built in New Jersey in 1941 and later shipped to London really doesn’t seem that out of place.

Fat Boys Diner came to the UK capital in the 1990s, first residing in Bishopsgate and Spitalfields before moving to the Wharf in 2002. For a location that has featured in the film Sliding Doors, Vogue photoshoots and several music videos, it’s surprisingly relaxed and often quite quiet, which makes it relatively easy to get a place despite its small size. The décor is predictable – red and chrome finish, stools at the counter, and few cosy booths – as is the classic 50’s music playing while you eat.

The food is a mix of those classic Americana offerings of burgers, hot dogs, shakes and pancakes, alongside full-English breakfasts, jacket potatoes and, for the slightly more health-conscious, salads and wraps. I opted for a Fat Boy’s Dog (smothered in onions, cheese, gherkins, ketchup and mustard) with fries, and a Snickers milkshake for lunch on my first visit – I am pleased to report it was not only delicious, but kept me full well into the evening!

[lukasnovo]

Sound on! View from London's only lighthouse in Trinity Buoy Wharf. What you're hearing is Longplayer, 1000 year long music composition which plays here since 1/1/2000. Twenty years without ever stopping.

Come and visit.

[wwtravels]

London's Only Lighthouse

London’s Only Lighthouse

By Linda Tancs

Built in the 1860s, London’s only remaining lighthousein the Docklands is of interest not only for its historical use as a testing facility for lighthouse technology but also for its current use as the musical home of a composition destined to last for 1,000 years. Known as Longplayer, the score is a continuous 1,000-year-long piece of music performed with Tibetan singing bowls…

[lundenwic-bitch]

Inside London’s only lighthouse is the 1000-year-long art installation, Longplayer. It’s worth a visit for the lighthouse itself- it was used by Michael Faraday for experiments, and you can go right to the top- but Longplayer is quite beautiful. At first, it seems like a giant monument to the artist’s hubris, but if this thing has to play for 1000 years, then someone has to figure out how to keep the building standing, and the instruments in good order, and the computer playing the piece up to date (it’s already quite ancient-looking). Someone’s had to think about how to carry the piece on if the power goes out, or the money dries up, or civilisation falls. And in the year 3000, people who are as different from us as we are from the Vikings will hear the end.

[rupertacton]

FUCK MY LONDON

Hermit's Cave. Sniff in the bogs. Fucking stinks in here. Camberwell Road. Corrib Bar. Watching football. Landlady said we were welcome back but not to bring any black people with us. Not in those words. Never went back. Walking past venues I played in that are no longer there. Rhythm Factory. Whitechapel Road. Round the corner. Used to be able to buy hash. Private member's club. Pool table. Foreign students. Building gone. Pint in the Castle. One end of Brick Lane. £2 in my pocket. Other end. Got food. Zoot. Beer. Still had some change. In my day this was all fields. Stewart Home. This is my home. I want to leave. Leave home. Chemical Brothers. Prodigy. Brixton Academy. No drugs. 13. Wouldn't go to see either of them now. Fuck them. Tried to get into the 4 Aces. Dalston used to scare the shit out of me. Me and Andrew went to buy an ounce and got robbed. Clapton Square. Got away with the weed but Andrew got his phone and ring nicked. Andrew convinced it was a set up. I'm still not sure. Arrested for criminal damage and possession at Caledonian Road & Barnsbury Station. The free line. Graf everywhere. Me and Mark. He was already on doing more serious stuff. Getting banged up for writing would've been silly. Bumped into him on Cambridge Heath Road. Years later. He was in an X5. Little gaff out in Essex. Kid. Still moving food but not touching it if you get what I mean. Born in Walworth. First wave gentrification. Sitting out in the garden at 6am sharing a joint with one of the Birmingham Six. Reading Ballard. Under the Westway. Subterranea. Black Star and Company Flow. MCD and Scratch Perverts supporting. Mainly crushing fucking boredom though. Africa Centre. Hour of jungle at the end of Funkin' Pussy. Listening to Rudimentary Peni. Carcass. Blak Twang. Rodney P. Heartless Crew. Upfront FM. Fuck it. Listing stuff. I'm sitting in the Barbican. Working. Listening in to an American man having a conversation with an English woman. I sort of hate them. They are probably alright. Vacuous pricks. The lot of us. St James' C of E primary school. Bermondsey. Jamaica Road. Everyone white. Almost. Everyone racist. Almost. What the fuck happened there? Used to play out on the Arnold Estate near the community centre my mum helped found. Found a load of porn out back. Awakenings. You can get a St John Bakery custard donut there now. Arches used to be full of garages. Cut and shut. Dennis was a ticket tout. Got us tickets to the '93 Semi-Final. In the fucking Spurs end. I was in an Arsenal shellsuit. Scarf. Cap. Got let in the Arsenal end. Grew up watching Palace. Everyone at school was Millwall or Liverpool. Why the fuck do I support Arsenal? Questions. Didn't grow up but I got old. Long nightwalks. Getting robbed in broad daylight on my own street. Kids from Kid's Company. Wallet full of cash I couldn't really tell anyone about. My sister wanted to go down there with a kitchen knife. In the end they apologised. Sent a cheque. We all make mistakes. Always carry a glass Lucozade bottle. Middle class grunger to middle class wannabe badman but I never wanted to be anything. Books. So many books. Art was everywhere. Went to Sensation. Load of shit obviously but exciting. Southbank. Mid to late 90's. Never skated. Legendary names. Benjobe. Tom Penny. Hardcore. Hip-hop. Rapping. Kope was working at A1 Stores on Wooly. Bag full of spraypaint. I never painted. Different sort of writing. Exploration. I'm not an urban explorer. Follow the Thames. Richmond to Teddington. Tower Bridge to East India Dock. Trinity Buoy Wharf. Sitting in a lighthouse all day. Hungover. Got chased through Broadway Market. Years before the farmers showed up. London is tiny if your postcode limits your movement. Escape. Fiction is liberating. The truth won't set you free. George Davis is innocent. Frankie Fraser on the 12 bus with his little dog. Chatting to my mum. Richardson's club house and torture chamber on a quaint little square just off Camberwell Road. Pet shop that used to stink of skunk. Dangerous dogs out front. This is what you're moving into. The ghosts will catch up with you. The past is never really the past. I'm past it. Read too many conspiracy theories. Canary Wharf as a beacon of occult energy. Hawksmoor Churches. All mainstream. Pick up the info in Waterstones in the London section. Make up your own myths. Smoking DMT in Blythe Hill Fields. London breathing. Viewpoints. Greenwich Park. Primrose Hill. Parliament Hill. Lunchtime. Out of the stockroom. Packing records all day. Enough to make you hate music. Where's the glamour? Guestlist is standard. Why the fuck would you pay to watch music? I still love it. Astoria. Gone. Plastic People. Gone. We went downstairs and when we went back out everything was covered in snow. Walking back. D Double E and Footsie. Legends. Tubby on decks. I think. All blends into one. But the snow. That happened. Stayed in Hackney. Walked back along a white carpet. These moments we live for. Put up with all the shit. I never really took photos. Stopping traffic at Elephant & Castle roundabout after getting run over. Black cab driver wanting to make sure I was alright. Asked what football team I support. Told him. Said he'd leave me in the road if it was up to him. Banter. Fucked up my Helly Hansen. Driver had no insurance. I told him to drive off but everyone made him stay. Writing is alchemy. You don't have to believe me. Planning is alchemy. London is being remixed. New block of flats named after the pie and mash shop on Westmoreland Road. Some attempt at continuity. Don't worry about me. It's everyone else. The search for authenticity is futile. Tayyabs. Lahore. Needoo. The holy trinity. But don't kid yourself. You can't eat your way to an understanding of lived experience. I'm sitting across the road from Madame Tussauds. This is authentic London even if you think it isn't. Some of my best friends are northerners. GO HOME. Get out while you can. I grew out of the fear of other areas. I moved. I walk from Lesnes Abbey to Grove Park on the Green Chain with my uncle. I walk from Finsbury Park to Alexandra Palace on the Parkland Walk with my girlfriend. I walk from Limehouse Basin to Island Gardens to Greenwich to Southwark Park with my mate. I walk from my flat to Walthamstow Marshes via the Olympic Park with myself. Memories shadowing every step. An egret and a heron near Stratford Westfield. I'm convinced we're all going to die in a shopping centre. Kingdom Come. Every witness appeal tells a story. Pain. Tragedy. I was watching Therapy? at Brixton Academy when the second riot happened. A venue full of pale faced teenagers insulated from an outpouring of justified anger. I performed with the guy who is supposed to have started the first Brixton riot. When the whole city rioted I walked up the back of Walworth Road watching kids hide stuff in bins. No one even noticed me. This is England. Wembley. Norway. Such a terrible match. The people behind me and my dad making monkey noises whenever Paul Ince touched the ball. Turned me off England for life. I couldn't even enjoy Euro '96. Arch contrarian. Of course I disagree. Got my bank account emptied and lost about £140 of other people's money getting robbed on Churchill Estate. Never trust someone who has just come out of prison for kidnap who says they can get some good food for a good price. Lesson learned. Two kids on the N68 tried to move me up. This was much later. I was wearing a Stone Island. I think they thought I was balling. I'd spent the night doing other people's sniff. I had a shit phone and an Ipod. I explained. We left on good terms. Lesson learned. Even where I used to sign on is gone. RIP Camberwell Job Centre. I fucking hated you but I miss you. Monday night football at the Petchey Academy saved my life. Made me a better person. The Shacklewell before it was cool. When it was cool. Saw Rodigan out back. Felt like a proper shubs. The Haggerston when it was Uncle Sam's. Live jazz. Terrible pints. Sitting in a Polo. UKG. Smoking draw. Just driving around. My room in the attic full of smoke. Entire house stinking. So many lost years. Round to Len's after a night out. Get the chop out. Staggering home. 8am. Mouth so dry. Lying in bed. Zoot in the ashtray. Bottle of water. Normal weekend. The Gramaphone. Commerical Street. Gone. Rushing. Hudson Mohawke and Rustie. Insanely strong pills. Up to the tubes for a weird after party. Everywhere will go soon. Corsica Studios. Summer of ket. Spangled in the smoking area. That rave in Hackney Wick. Bouncer wearing a bally. I was sick into a ballon. I was falling in love. Never wanted a relationship before that. Football. Drugs. Music. Books. Art. Masturbation. Very occasional sex. That was enough for me. I was kidding myself. Obviously. You pick and choose memories. You order the moments. You try to create a coherent picture. There is no coherent picture. Nothing to see here. Move along. First football match. Palace. Millwall. Punch ups in the family enclosure. Scary as fuck. LOVED IT. Grown men screaming cunt. Just got a text saying Whitechapel Bell Foundry is closing. My London is over. Fucked. Done. You can keep it. Do what you want with it. I don't care. If I don't care then why am I crying?

THE CUNTS, FREAKS, CRIMINALS, BOHEMIANS, NAZIS, NUTCASES, IMMIGRANTS, COMMIES, TRAMPS, ARTISTS, VANDALS, MUSICIANS, SHOTTERS, MIDDLE CLASSES, WHITES, BLACKS, WORKING CLASSES, TOFFS, GAYS, CHANCERS, BANKERS, BARROW BOYS, STALLHOLDERS, STAKEHOLDERS, LADS, CASUALS, RUDEBOYS, ANARCHISTS, BELL MAKERS, DRUGGIES, BARISTAS, RAVENS, BEEFEATERS, TOURISTS ETC. ARE ALL GONE. DONE. FUCK MY LONDON.