diamond geezer

 Tuesday, October 01, 2024

30 unblogged things I did in September

Sun 1: My new laptop is on quite the sightseeing tour. Yesterday it was in Shanghai, today it's in Köln and tomorrow it'll be in Stanford le Hope.



Mon 2: At Gipsy Hill station I spotted a cat on the Oyster reader, and quite frankly this is Instagram gold.
Tue 3: The Old Ford Waste Water Recycling Facility in the Olympic Park, much lauded in 2012 as the UK's largest community wastewater recycling scheme, is being converted into a Park Operations Centre comprising office space, security rooms and equipment storage for QEOP employees. So much for green credentials and long-term sustainability.
Wed 4: The Walled Garden at Eastcote Manor is very pleasant and the cafe is a magnet for local pensioners, but I don't think anyone else was there specifically to see the UK's first pair of mini-roundabouts.



Thu 5: The former Showcase Cinema beside the Roding in Beckton (closed 2022) has been reborn as four very large architecturally anonymous warehousing units, and that's another cluster of joy entirely erased.
Fri 6: I checked what everyone else in my train carriage was looking at, and it was "phone phone phone window phone phone phone phone phone Richard Osman book phone phone phone phone phone".
Sat 7: For Heritage Open Days I went on a tour of Woolwich Works, the converted arts venue in the former Royal Arsenal, and it was a lot bigger than I expected. Our guide Nicholas gave us a properly theatric walkround, inside and out, perhaps tipping the focus more towards events than heritage but definitely eye-opening. Free tours run every Sunday morning if you're interested.



Sun 8: Dad tells me he was very pleased that his knobbly carrot won first prize at the village produce and handicraft show.
Mon 9: I'm enjoying Word Grid, a daily game where you have to fill in a 3×3 grid with words fitting certain letter-based criteria, the aim being to pick words picked by as few other people as possible. I like to get all pinks (and maybe some unicorns) every day.
Tue 10: Today I received a phone call from Wilmslow, and I'm expecting this to be a unique experience in my life.
Wed 11: Mince pies are back in the supermarket at the same price as last year (which was 51% more than the year before).
Thu 12: The latest authors in my A-Z library book challenge have been Anthony Quinn (I would read again), Philip Roth (I unintentionally picked his serious musings on mortality) and Zadie Smith (the NW postcode fizzed to life). I'm not sure how Colm Tóibín is going to go.



Fri 13: Three places in Redditch I didn't blog about: 1) Bob & Hazel's Hot & Cold Food Bar (bacon & sausage rolls for £3.80), 2) the Palace Theatre (its dressing rooms were formerly part of Shrimptons Needle Factory), 3) the Headless Cross water towers (one brick, one concrete).
Sat 14: Received one of those phone calls that starts "He's absolutely fine but...". I still regret phoning my parents in November 1999 and forgetting to start with "I'm absolutely fine but...".
Sun 15: The Open House venue in Cavendish Square may have been a huge disappointment, but on the walk back to the station I passed Melvyn Hayes stepping out of a cab carrying a Morrisons bag, and that made my visit enormously worthwhile.
Mon 16: I got away with taking lots and lots of photos of Canary Wharf station, somewhat suspiciously, but it only took one photograph of a skyscraper at Wood Wharf for a security guard to walk over and ask what I was doing and demand to see it. Perhaps I shouldn't have taken it right in front of her.



Tue 17: My upcoming hospital appointment appears in my online patient record with a seriously (seriously) unnerving title. Later I'll discover this is the name of the clinic I'm attending, not a diagnosis, and perhaps they could have made that clearer.
Wed 18: Jim Waterson, formerly of the Guardian, formerly of Buzzfeed, has launched a new London-based news Substack called London Centric. It looks it'll be properly in-depth rather than frothy so will help fill a gap in the capital's news bubble post-Standard, but I'm not sure £80 a year puts it within the reach of many.
Thu 19: Today I walked the back lanes between Shirley and Addiscombe, and you might be pleased these didn't form the basis of another 'Underwhelming London' post.
Fri 20: I finally mucked up my Wordle streak because I failed to boot up my old laptop soon enough before midnight. I still haven't found a way to transfer cookies from my old machine to my new machine.
Sat 21: I've been playing Threes on my phone for ten years and today I swiped through my 20,000th game. I still haven't unlocked a 3072 tile, but I did score 29091 points so it wasn't a shabby milestone.



Sun 22: The other Open House event I partook in was TfL's Jubilee Line Treasure Hunt celebrating the 25th anniversary of the line's extension in 1999. You started at Stratford, picked up a 16 page full colour clue sheet and then had to solve clues at seven successive stations. All the answers were in plain sight so a keen eight year-old could have solved it but it was still challenging. A lot of staff time was spent letting participants in and out of ticket gates without swiping, so perhaps it was just as well not many people were taking part. I ended up at Southwark after 90 minutes to claim my prize which turned out to be a silvery JLE25 tote bag. It didn't look like many had been claimed, the box was still almost full. What's more there was another unopened box underneath and that was labelled "21 of 25", so I suspect there are hundreds and hundreds of these bags elsewhere and I hope they find a decent way to distribute them.
Mon 23: I had to wait at the self-checkout while the couple in front of me attempted to buy 24 tubs of Celebrations. They were firmly told that the maximum sale was 10, so eventually left with 20 tubs between them.
Tue 24: All six episodes of The High Life, the classic camp 1995 Air Scotia comedy, are showing again on BBC Four. Dearie dearie me.
Wed 25: One of the signs inside the Royal London Hospital said 'Training in Progress - Please Bare With Us', and I was glad that wasn't the department I was visiting.



Thu 26: Such is the decline of newsprint that the News Box kiosk on the Waterloo & City line platform at Bank no longer sells any printed material, not even fortnightly copies of Private Eye (but it does have a lot of mints, vapes and chocolate).
Fri 27: I broke a Pyrex dish and needed a replacement, but from where? I would have gone to Wilko, and was actually heading to Argos, but instead dropped first into John Lewis and was chuffed to discover they had a sale on (20% off until 10th October). The saleslady wrapped my purchase in three sheets of paper and a further sheet of bubblewrap, all secured with five strips of sellotape, and you don't get that kind of service in Lakeland.
Sat 28: I thought the DVLA withheld rude or offensive numberplates, but I saw PU55E OL on a Mercedes in Neasden and they certainly slipped up there.
Sun 29: I didn't have 'Pass under Tower Bridge on the bridge of a ship' on my bucketlist, but I ticked it off tonight and it was magical.



Mon 30: The Bow Roundabout roadworks were finally due to start today. There is no evidence that anything happened.


<< click for Newer posts

click for Older Posts >>


click to return to the main page


...or read more in my monthly archives
Jan24  Feb24  Mar24  Apr24  May24  Jun24  Jul24  Aug24  Sep24  Oct24
Jan23  Feb23  Mar23  Apr23  May23  Jun23  Jul23  Aug23  Sep23  Oct23  Nov23  Dec23
Jan22  Feb22  Mar22  Apr22  May22  Jun22  Jul22  Aug22  Sep22  Oct22  Nov22  Dec22
Jan21  Feb21  Mar21  Apr21  May21  Jun21  Jul21  Aug21  Sep21  Oct21  Nov21  Dec21
Jan20  Feb20  Mar20  Apr20  May20  Jun20  Jul20  Aug20  Sep20  Oct20  Nov20  Dec20
Jan19  Feb19  Mar19  Apr19  May19  Jun19  Jul19  Aug19  Sep19  Oct19  Nov19  Dec19
Jan18  Feb18  Mar18  Apr18  May18  Jun18  Jul18  Aug18  Sep18  Oct18  Nov18  Dec18
Jan17  Feb17  Mar17  Apr17  May17  Jun17  Jul17  Aug17  Sep17  Oct17  Nov17  Dec17
Jan16  Feb16  Mar16  Apr16  May16  Jun16  Jul16  Aug16  Sep16  Oct16  Nov16  Dec16
Jan15  Feb15  Mar15  Apr15  May15  Jun15  Jul15  Aug15  Sep15  Oct15  Nov15  Dec15
Jan14  Feb14  Mar14  Apr14  May14  Jun14  Jul14  Aug14  Sep14  Oct14  Nov14  Dec14
Jan13  Feb13  Mar13  Apr13  May13  Jun13  Jul13  Aug13  Sep13  Oct13  Nov13  Dec13
Jan12  Feb12  Mar12  Apr12  May12  Jun12  Jul12  Aug12  Sep12  Oct12  Nov12  Dec12
Jan11  Feb11  Mar11  Apr11  May11  Jun11  Jul11  Aug11  Sep11  Oct11  Nov11  Dec11
Jan10  Feb10  Mar10  Apr10  May10  Jun10  Jul10  Aug10  Sep10  Oct10  Nov10  Dec10 
Jan09  Feb09  Mar09  Apr09  May09  Jun09  Jul09  Aug09  Sep09  Oct09  Nov09  Dec09
Jan08  Feb08  Mar08  Apr08  May08  Jun08  Jul08  Aug08  Sep08  Oct08  Nov08  Dec08
Jan07  Feb07  Mar07  Apr07  May07  Jun07  Jul07  Aug07  Sep07  Oct07  Nov07  Dec07
Jan06  Feb06  Mar06  Apr06  May06  Jun06  Jul06  Aug06  Sep06  Oct06  Nov06  Dec06
Jan05  Feb05  Mar05  Apr05  May05  Jun05  Jul05  Aug05  Sep05  Oct05  Nov05  Dec05
Jan04  Feb04  Mar04  Apr04  May04  Jun04  Jul04  Aug04  Sep04  Oct04  Nov04  Dec04
Jan03  Feb03  Mar03  Apr03  May03  Jun03  Jul03  Aug03  Sep03  Oct03  Nov03  Dec03
 Jan02  Feb02  Mar02  Apr02  May02  Jun02  Jul02 Aug02  Sep02  Oct02  Nov02  Dec02 

jack of diamonds
Life viewed from London E3

» email me
» follow me on twitter
» follow the blog on Twitter
» follow the blog on RSS

» my flickr photostream

twenty blogs
our bow
arseblog
ian visits
londonist
broken tv
blue witch
on london
the great wen
edith's streets
spitalfields life
linkmachinego
round the island
wanstead meteo
christopher fowler
the greenwich wire
bus and train user
ruth's coastal walk
round the rails we go
london reconnections
from the murky depths

quick reference features
Things to do in Outer London
Things to do outside London
London's waymarked walks
Inner London toilet map
20 years of blog series
The DG Tour of Britain
London's most...

read the archive
Oct24  Sep24
Aug24  Jul24  Jun24  May24
Apr24  Mar24  Feb24  Jan24
Dec23  Nov23  Oct23  Sep23
Aug23  Jul23  Jun23  May23
Apr23  Mar23  Feb23  Jan23
Dec22  Nov22  Oct22  Sep22
Aug22  Jul22  Jun22  May22
Apr22  Mar22  Feb22  Jan22
Dec21  Nov21  Oct21  Sep21
Aug21  Jul21  Jun21  May21
Apr21  Mar21  Feb21  Jan21
Dec20  Nov20  Oct20  Sep20
Aug20  Jul20  Jun20  May20
Apr20  Mar20  Feb20  Jan20
Dec19  Nov19  Oct19  Sep19
Aug19  Jul19  Jun19  May19
Apr19  Mar19  Feb19  Jan19
Dec18  Nov18  Oct18  Sep18
Aug18  Jul18  Jun18  May18
Apr18  Mar18  Feb18  Jan18
Dec17  Nov17  Oct17  Sep17
Aug17  Jul17  Jun17  May17
Apr17  Mar17  Feb17  Jan17
Dec16  Nov16  Oct16  Sep16
Aug16  Jul16  Jun16  May16
Apr16  Mar16  Feb16  Jan16
Dec15  Nov15  Oct15  Sep15
Aug15  Jul15  Jun15  May15
Apr15  Mar15  Feb15  Jan15
Dec14  Nov14  Oct14  Sep14
Aug14  Jul14  Jun14  May14
Apr14  Mar14  Feb14  Jan14
Dec13  Nov13  Oct13  Sep13
Aug13  Jul13  Jun13  May13
Apr13  Mar13  Feb13  Jan13
Dec12  Nov12  Oct12  Sep12
Aug12  Jul12  Jun12  May12
Apr12  Mar12  Feb12  Jan12
Dec11  Nov11  Oct11  Sep11
Aug11  Jul11  Jun11  May11
Apr11  Mar11  Feb11  Jan11
Dec10  Nov10  Oct10  Sep10
Aug10  Jul10  Jun10  May10
Apr10  Mar10  Feb10  Jan10
Dec09  Nov09  Oct09  Sep09
Aug09  Jul09  Jun09  May09
Apr09  Mar09  Feb09  Jan09
Dec08  Nov08  Oct08  Sep08
Aug08  Jul08  Jun08  May08
Apr08  Mar08  Feb08  Jan08
Dec07  Nov07  Oct07  Sep07
Aug07  Jul07  Jun07  May07
Apr07  Mar07  Feb07  Jan07
Dec06  Nov06  Oct06  Sep06
Aug06  Jul06  Jun06  May06
Apr06  Mar06  Feb06  Jan06
Dec05  Nov05  Oct05  Sep05
Aug05  Jul05  Jun05  May05
Apr05  Mar05  Feb05  Jan05
Dec04  Nov04  Oct04  Sep04
Aug04  Jul04  Jun04  May04
Apr04  Mar04  Feb04  Jan04
Dec03  Nov03  Oct03  Sep03
Aug03  Jul03  Jun03  May03
Apr03  Mar03  Feb03  Jan03
Dec02  Nov02  Oct02  Sep02
back to main page

the diamond geezer index
2023 2022
2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
2016 2015 2014 2013 2012
2011 2010 2009 2008 2007
2006 2005 2004 2003 2002

my special London features
a-z of london museums
E3 - local history month
greenwich meridian (N)
greenwich meridian (S)
the real eastenders
london's lost rivers
olympic park 2007
great british roads
oranges & lemons
random boroughs
bow road station
high street 2012
river westbourne
trafalgar square
capital numbers
east london line
lea valley walk
olympics 2005
regent's canal
square routes
silver jubilee
unlost rivers
cube routes
Herbert Dip
metro-land
capital ring
river fleet
piccadilly
bakerloo

ten of my favourite posts
the seven ages of blog
my new Z470xi mobile
five equations of blog
the dome of doom
chemical attraction
quality & risk
london 2102
single life
boredom
april fool

ten sets of lovely photos
my "most interesting" photos
london 2012 olympic zone
harris and the hebrides
betjeman's metro-land
marking the meridian
tracing the river fleet
london's lost rivers
inside the gherkin
seven sisters
iceland

just surfed in?
here's where to find...
diamond geezers
flash mob #1  #2  #3  #4
ben schott's miscellany
london underground
watch with mother
cigarette warnings
digital time delay
wheelie suitcases
war of the worlds
transit of venus
top of the pops
old buckenham
ladybird books
acorn antiques
digital watches
outer hebrides
olympics 2012
school dinners
pet shop boys
west wycombe
bletchley park
george orwell
big breakfast
clapton pond
san francisco
thunderbirds
routemaster
children's tv
east enders
trunk roads
amsterdam
little britain
credit cards
jury service
big brother
jubilee line
number 1s
titan arum
typewriters
doctor who
coronation
comments
blue peter
matchgirls
hurricanes
buzzwords
brookside
monopoly
peter pan
starbucks
feng shui
leap year
manbags
bbc three
vision on
piccadilly
meridian
concorde
wembley
islington
ID cards
bedtime
freeview
beckton
blogads
eclipses
letraset
arsenal
sitcoms
gherkin
calories
everest
muffins
sudoku
camilla
london
ceefax
robbie
becks
dome
BBC2
paris
lotto
118
itv