From York to London

Well, I've done it. I packed up my things in York and drove down to London on Monday. I forgot how much I've got used to living in a small town - from Scarborough at 50,000 people and York with 200,000 - walking and cycling everywhere in less than 20 minutes, and crossing town on foot.

It's such a contrast to London with millions of people and from so many different countries. My first task after I unloaded the car was to return it to the hire company in King's Cross and had the dubious pleasure of tackling London traffic in rush hour. Cycling is going to be quite a challenge but I bought a helmet so I have no excuse for not giving it a go although I'll probably leave it until next week.

Funnily enough even though it's such a big place I just discovered that one of the guys in the house I'm staying at is good mates with my old next door neighbour from NZ! More small-world randomness.

Nothing...

Nothing is often a good thing to do and always a clever thing to say. - Will Durant, US historian, philosopher and writer.

Freeze! Hold it right there

Thanks to the blog Karizmatic, I just found a wicked Improv art group that perform to "cause scenes of chaos and joy in public places". It's like flash-mobbing but way cooler! Check out this one where 207 people freeze mid-action in the middle of the busy central New York train station.



They just did one last this past weekend in Trafalgar Square, London, I wish I'd found out beforehand and I would have gone to see it. 1000 people froze in spot (and it was a very cold day). The group is called Improv Everywhere, and they've been doing chaotic missions since 2001.

From the York Massive

Congrats Julie on the permanent spot on bfm - Tuesdays 3 - 6am! I'm tuning in from work, and the time is perfect for me, late Monday afternoons. Luckily everyone in the office wears headphones so I blend right in.

It's not just the headphones that give away that I'm in with the IT department: the other day I asked a developer who was the best person to find out some information I was looking for. He pointed across the small office and told me to email him to find out. I replied, "Er, I could just walk over and ask him." I got an email later on from the developer, "That's right, you marketing folk can deal with people face to face :)". It makes me smile whenever I think of it.

Easing into 2008

What a slacker, so much for regular posts! I was going to post about the flooding and show my before & after pics of the Ouse River in York, but the moment has passed. It was fun cycling through foot-deep (like 12 inches, not shoe-height) water to cross the Millennium Bridge for a couple of days.

I'm listening to 95bfm, my fave radio station. I don't always like the music, I don't always like the DJs - not you Julie! I mean Havoc, I still don't know if I love him or hate him - yet it's genuine, different and still close to its capping-stunt "let's give people some quality music" roots. Where else can you listen to the Prime Minister every week, keepin it real for da yoofs?