Friday, September 22, 2006
10 London-wide blogs
• London Daily Photo [a London photo every day]
• Londonist [a website about London]
• The Diary of Samuel Pepys [precisely 343 years on]
• In the Aquarium [a Londoner's life]
• London Rubbish [a London photoblog]
• The London Review of Breakfasts [capital fry-ups]
• the man who fell asleep [weekly tube gossip]
• the Rat and Mouse [a London property blog]
• London Photobloggers [photoblogging since 2005]
• london geezer [my blog, minus the non-London bits]
posted 00:01 :
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Carlessness
I sold my car five years ago today. I drove down to my local garage at lunchtime, handed over my car keys in exchange for a fat cheque, and waved goodbye to the world of driving. It felt good, at least until I realised I now had to walk the two miles back to the office.
I sold my car five years ago. It was my first and only car, and I'd had it for just a couple of years. It had four wheels and an engine, and it was blue. I'd only bought it because I had to, because it was a requirement of the job I'd been doing. But this was my last day in the job, and I wasn't sorry to see it go.
I sold my car five years ago. I was living in a Suffolk village at the time. The village had only five buses a day, at times more useful to pensioners than commuters. The local shop was a tiny post office which sold sellotape and 7th birthday cards but not milk or bread. The nearest supermarket was too far away to reach on foot, along rat-run country lanes I'd never risk walking along. Without a car I'd have been isolated and starving hungry.
I sold my car five years ago. I gave up the opportunity to drive wherever I wanted whenever I wanted. I ceased hurling myself along fast rural roads in a fragile metal box. I abandoned my private bubble kitted out with blaring hi-fi and a glove compartment full of barley sugars. I willingly surrendered my independence, speed and comfort.
I sold my car five years ago. I stopped having to fork out hundreds of pounds annually on petrol, and hundreds more pounds on insurance, and hundreds more pounds on servicing and repairs. I stopped having to hunt for an appropriate parking space, and risking extortionate fines if I couldn't find one. I had to start paying to use public transport again, but overall I saved an absolute fortune.
I sold my car five years ago. Nobody thanked me for my selfless action. Nobody gave me a certificate honouring the reduction in my carbon footprint. Nobody cheered when I stopped clogging up roads with three empty seats everywhere I went. No passing car drivers flashed their headlamps at me in deference to my greener lifestyle.
I sold my car five years ago. I recognise that this was only possible because I moved from Ruralsville to BigCity. But now I live somewhere where not having a car is the norm, and where sitting next to people on buses isn't sniffed at. I may have less freedom than before, but I also have less hassle and more money. Being car-free has made my life more carefree. And, I have to say, I wouldn't have it any other way.
posted 07:00 :
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
When there's no news ...it's easy to make some up
All of the following sponsored surveys have clogged up the UK media over the last week.
Inner city areas have the highest number of uninsured drivers, a survey has revealed.
Motor Insurer's BureauBlack people are more likely than white people to be charged with possessing cannabis, a police study has found.
Metropolitan PoliceMore than nine out of 10 12-year-olds in the UK now have a mobile phone, a survey has suggested.
Carphone WarehouseBritons worry about so-called yob culture far more than violent crime, vandalism or burglary, a survey says.
Legal & GeneralNine out of 10 retailers believe shop crime is low on the government's agenda, according to a new survey.
British Retail ConsortiumHomes in the north of England are more energy efficient than those in the South, a survey has revealed.
British GasThe long-term decline in church congregations has been slowed by people from ethnic minorities, a survey says.
Christian ResearchThe most dedicated football fans spend nearly £100,000 following their team during a lifetime, a survey suggests.
Virgin MoneyHundreds of thousands of people are failing to maintain mortgage payments and risk losing their homes, according to a national charity.
Citizen's AdviceHouseholds in the UK would recycle more waste if it was easier to understand what rubbish can and cannot be recycled, a survey has suggested.
City & GuildsMothers who began their successful businesses at home are becoming a "powerful force" in British industry, a survey suggests.
Yellow PagesMore than one third of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have been excluded from school, a survey of parents suggests.
ADD Information and Support ServiceCaithness has emerged as a stronghold for the water vole, according to the results of a survey.
Scottish Natural HeritageThe average Briton feels that they need a retirement income of nearly £30,000 a year to live comfortably.
Scottish WidowsSix out of 10 children buy a McDonalds Happy Meal at least once a month, a survey reveals.
Weight ConcernGloucester is the cheapest city in the UK for cocaine, crack cocaine and cannabis, according to a charity.
DrugScope
(although I admit I did make one of them up. See, I told you it was easy)
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