The Assommoir

Roy Kitchen 3 BS 1985

The Assommoir — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 23:01:22 +0000

Banksy visits Scunthorpe

The Assommoir — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 23:01:27 +0000

I prefer the one on the right

I’ll have what he’s having

The Assommoir — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 21:04:46 +0000

Of late I have become pretty much completely obsessed with Roxy Music. In the absence of the will or ability to write anything meaningful about them, and in particular Bryan Ferry, (yet), here’s a superb clip of them performing Virginia Plain on Top of the Pops in 1972.

It’s played at a slightly slower tempo than the studio version, making it a little easier to hear (if not necessarily understand) Ferry’s lyrics (“Havana sound we’re trying / Hard edge the hipster jiving, woah / Last picture shows down the drive-in” anyone? Anyone?).

What’s particularly noticeable is an in-cred-ible visual performance by Ferry. Here’s the video:

the STONE CASTLE

The Assommoir — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 23:01:05 +0000

the MOTTE & BAILEY CASTLE

The Assommoir — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 23:01:58 +0000

the ANGLO-SAXON BURGH

The Assommoir — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 23:01:52 +0000

The Ministry of Works

The Assommoir — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 23:01:01 +0000

“Ministry of Works”. Now there’s a proper Ministry for you. It sounds earthy, solid, manly

2012 in review

The Assommoir — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 15:06:16 +0000

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 12,000 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 20 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

The Trinity House

The Assommoir — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 20:41:56 +0000

The general lighthouse authority for England, Wales and the Channel Islands. A deep sea pilotage authority and also administers charitable funds mostly connected with seafarers.

As seen in London, a stone’s throw from Tower Bridge.

From the sea to the land beyond

The Assommoir — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 22:30:33 +0000

This is the best thing I’ve seen on TV for a long time: a documentary of the British coastline (both on- and off-shore), soundtracked almost exclusively by re-arrangements of British Sea Power songs.

Gentle, fascinating, touching, and (towards the very end, in something close to modern-day Blackpool) mildly profane.

Just beautiful, and absolutely essential watching.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b01nyz3p/