I agree. People moan about Khan, then don’t bother to vote. There’s an interesting argument that western politics these days is simply about getting people to turn up and vote. Not sure how I feel about the alternative, compulsory voting. Maybe it’s a good idea, but I don’t like compulsion much.
I dunno. We force people to wear their seatbelts. Frankly I wish I had somebody here to force me to clean up the place more often -- when my internal discipline isn't up to the job, nothing like some external discipline. If I was forced to vote it would probably just get me doing what I know I should be doing anyway. Yeah, we don't love the nanny state, still there is a case to be made for certain things being compulsory.
Of course. We are *always* on a slippery slope. Some say that seatbelt laws are wrong because what's next? Compulsory voting, that's what! Then what? Compulsory gay acceptance training! How do you know you aren't gay until you've tried it? We're stamping out homophobia up close and personal. Vaseline provided at taxpayer's expense.
Sorry ...
But yes, this all started when the government *forced* drivers (here) to drive on the right side of the road whereas many came from Old Blighty and preferred the left side. Fascists! -- I mean the government not the drivers. So yes, the government always wants more power, don't they? Always have, always will. But the solution is not an automatic 'no'. The sol ... actually there is no solution ... the answer has to be to consider whether some law really is necessary ... or not.
Sure. But the problem with democracy is not that people aren’t voting. It’s that they have been so disenfranchised by the system that they have no interest, and feel they have no stake, in voting. Or else experience has shown them that whatever they vote, nothing changes. That cannot be fixed by compulsion.
Compulsory votes would become just another Trojan horse which the elites can use to manipulate the world in their favour.
When the voters really care about something. Like Brexit in the UK. They turn up.
Yup. FPP has got to go. If there's one certainty, that's it. Problem of course it to avoid the Italy thing. I myself favor STV otherwise known as ranked ballot. But of course proportional rep. is the usual thing. What's good about STV is that you can go ahead and vote for that wildcard candidate secure in the knowledge that if she looses, your second choice activates.
Yeah, you hit the nail on the head -- compulsion would be more justifiable if your vote actually mattered, but when it doesn't, the compulsion feels more like forcing people to clap for a play they thought was really terrible. You can be sure that everyone shows up to vote in North Korea -- to vote unanimously for the Glorious Leader of course.
When we force someone to clean up or to wear a seatbelt, we can probably assume they know what they are doing. With voting, not so much. They are just names on a piece of paper. Why not just flip a coin or roll a dice?
It’s a tricky one. There’s an argument, not saying I agree with it, that compulsory voting makes people engage more. To me, and I know this might sound a bit out there, I could see them making voters take an ‘IQ test’ before compulsory voting. And of course that test would not be neutral, it would even in itself favour the graduate class and the PMC.
Yup, it's a tough one. I myself think compulsory voting is probably a 'no' -- but the Ozies have it and they like it. Or rather I should say they accept it as probably for the best.
The test ... man, I'm so tempted by that. But as you say, it would quickly become political. Here's a sample test, but on every point the woke would expect different answers that you or I would give:
1) 2+2= Math is white supremacy.
2) Can men get pregnant? Of course.
3) Can the government give us free stuff? Of course.
4) Name two presidents: Al Gore, Hillary, AOC, Kamala.
5) George Floyd was: A hero and shining example of Blackness.
6) Islam is: The Religion of Peace.
7) Whitey is: Evil.
8) We can change our gender: Whenever we want.
9) How many branches of government are there?: Not enough.
... OTOH there's a citizenship test, no? And that could be politicized too, but it seems to be accepted. Some have even said that even if natural born, *everyone* should have to pass a citizenship test. (If you flunk you are still a legal resident but not a Citizen in the higher sense.) Citizenship is a thing to be earned and to be proud of. Only citizens can vote, of course, because only people of proven quality should be entrusted with choosing the next government.
Brilliantly described. I weep for the lost London of my 60's childhood when my father was a bobby on the beat in Kensington and, as children, we were taught to 'ask a policeman' if we were lost - or as my little brother confidently asserted, aged 4, that he would 'just get a cab'. We lived in Chelsea (a police flat now long sold off to developers) and aged 5 and 6 would walk to our school around the corner - quite safely. We ran through the empty echoing halls of the Natural History Museum on Saturdays and played rounders in Kensington Gardens on Sundays. Sunday school on the Kings Road, near a very new phenomenon - a Safeway supermarket and going to 'the pictures' in Leicester Square. It was uncrowded and safe. Now.....do you ever see a policeman who doesn't look like Robocop? You never see a policeman walking the beat - they all seem to be screaming around in police cars or carrying batons at demos. Would a relatively poor English family now be able to live in Chelsea? Can you fight through the crowds in the museums and the parks? Does anyone go to Sunday school? How much of the degradation of London is due simply to three things: overcrowding, the loss of our Christian culture and the transformation of the Metropolitan Police into a government goon squad rather than the trusted citizen guardians of law and order of yesteryear?
As a Londoner (ex....I lived in Islington till the age of 5 and Hither Green till I was 10) all this really saddens me. I'm left pondering whether London is falling apart because it elected Khan or it elected Khan because it was falling apart?
That’s a brilliant point, Graham. I’m not a huge fan of Boris Johnson, but even so, when he was Mayor London did seem to have a more positive vision of itself. And Ken Livingstone despite what you might think of him, did manage to present himself as on the side of regular Londoners. Khan just seems to exist in an elitist bubble.
As someone who has always been proud of London - albeit by proxy - I'm hungry for any crumb of a positive here. I wrote this in a previous post of mine: ".....and yet: radiating out from the centre of London.... is a tapestry of streets and avenues, semi detached and terraced, - front garden, back garden.....Paris has a higher international standing than London as the quintessential European city. But compare the two as megacities – Greater Paris and Greater London – and the ranking is radically reversed: you have, respectively, perhaps the ugliest and almost certainly the least ugly European metropolis."
Is at least that aspect of London still true would you say?
I’m no expert on Paris Graham. But their insistence that nothing should overshadow the Eiffel Tower sums up everything I feel is the best and worst of the French.
A steadfast insistence on their own national statements of greatness being clear, loud and unquestionable. Versus their haughty self regard and hubris. They’re like a kid in the playground going round telling anyone who will listen that they are ‘best at everything’, and genuinely believing it, even though it is patently untrue.
It's typical of French cities in that the beautiful is concentrated on the centre. But beyond the peripherique (a bit like the North & South Circular) much of Greater Paris is a concrete jungle.
I must say low status, from the outside looking in, it does appear your beloved city has indeed fallen. It is as if the gestapo marched in without tanks but with a smile, said I’ll tell you what to do, shoved you all to the side and kindly told you how things will now be in your city. You all have politely answered apathetically oh yes sir, guess you are right; our way of life was shite.
There is still much to love Deidre. Currently sitting in a cafe just off Oxford st. Everyone friendly, regular customers like me are treated like returning friends. I’m obviously concentrating on the worst of the city in the article. But it’s still a great place to be a lot of the time.
I hope you know that I am not picking on London per se, obviously the same kind of transformation is happening purposefully across all of western civilizations, especially in major cities.
You have a skillful way of honing in on the absurdity in the details of too much change, too fast, from politicians who are either willfully clueless or diabolically nefarious. It saddens me.
You all, we all deserve better. We should not be cowered into not speaking up and participating in ways to preserve our dignity.
Or all will be lost and we will only have ourselves to blame.
Did you see Winston Marshall at the Oxford debates. I thought it was excellent. Pelosi needed to hear every word of his argument. She needs to retire from the public.
Not at all Deidre. Just wanted to say there’s still plenty to love about London.
I haven’t watched that yet. But I have to confess I did surprise myself for thinking good on Pelosi! She’s well in her 80s and doesn’t need to do this sort of thing. And it must be hard. I mean. I never agreed with her politically but she’s a tough old bird, and I respect that!
I’ll regret this later, when I watch it land realise I still can’t stand her. 🤣
I used to go to London once a year, from about 2006 onwards. Going once a year means you see the decline more clearly. By 2022 I'd had enough.
I last visited Paris, with fond memories, in 1999. I had thought to repeat the experience, but I simply daren't go back. London isn't the only disaster zone.
Hi Jeremy. There seems to be a sense that these cities are permanent. That because they were rich and vibrant once, they always will be. But that is not the case, they need to be cared for and nurtured. Instead they are seen by our bosses as an endless source of revenue and a dumping ground for problems and people. I’m not that familiar with Paris, but I visited Buenos Aires a couple of times twenty years ago. I loved it. I expect that’s worth a visit about now!
I was lucky enough with work to visit many cities overseas. I used to think the demise of the Raj was sad but now I'd favour Karachi or Delhi over London. Apocalyptic movies like Charlton Heston's Planet of the Apes scene with the Statue of Liberty poking out of the sand says it all.
I can’t afford a subscription (and disagree with the model anyway, I read far too many authors - would much prefer a pay per view option, if only Substack would provide one). I’d buy you a coffee, for this and other pieces of yours - always a good read.
Thanks David. I’m so grateful to my paid subscribers, they really make a difference to me, but I don’t expect it from anyone. I do have a Coffee account thing. I should really activate it! But either way, thanks so much for your support.
I was born and worked in East London for many years before moving out. Now I hate going back as every time it seems shabbier and visibly declining. It is not just Sadiq Khan who is responsible for this, for 50 years our governments have been trying to get everyone to work in London, but only through investing in transport to get there, not actually in the place itself. The crazy stupid house costs pretty much force everyone out who, as you say are not extremely poor or extremely wealthy. The changes under Sadiq Khan and the way the Met have decided they are not actually a police force there to protect citizens from unlawful acts hasten the process.
Great points P. Yes it’s like a lobster pot. One way in. Then when you’re here….. But The legacy of lockdowns, Work From Home has really hollowed out that model. There is so much empty office space and it feels much less busy, even with footfall seeming to return to the West End. London is definitely less productive than pre 2020. Everything is still done on Zoom calls. Which is sub optimal at best IMHO.
When I worked in Angel, it was over an hour commute. I could get up to Ipswich in just 20 more minutes, and was not on a crowded slow train. That’s before you factor in the cost of the commute. It was £1200 a year from outer to inner London back then, now £3120. I know it’s self fulfilling, but when it costs so much to travel on a crap service into work, I can see why those still working in London prefer to work from home.
Oh yes. It’s completely understandable. It just doesn’t work. Just look at the drop in productivity of the civil service since WFH became entrenched as a ‘right’.
Lived there from 1997 to 1999, Acton Town, Stratford and then Hillingdon. Loved it - thought it was probably the world's greatest city at the time. Have fond memories of falling asleep on the Piccadilly Line after a few pints and waking up after after it had looped around Terminal 4 and was heading back to Acton Town :) Very sad to hear of it's demise. Not just London though, the malaise seems to be spreading.
Good one. Even lefties are human, (maybe). I know a lot of travellers who prefer the Gatwick arrival to the Heathrow one. I've felt 'stultifyingly paternalised' by cities since I was a teenager.
Entering the yookay at any airport is a humiliation ritual.
It starts with '(me mate) Mo' of 'border force' demanding proof of 'means of support' while openly accusing tourist (commonwealth national, Anglo descent) of intention to work--none of HIS relatives do!--while a planeload full of Gypsies saunter past unharassed, welcomed home by a matey grin from gaz in the next booth over.
But it's only after this that the REAL humiliation begins.
I think air travel is meant to be dehumanising Shade. It’s like when you visit a hospital and suddenly lose your agency and suddenly become cattle. I try to avoid airports where possible. But of course that is itself limiting.
Good one, wondered where you were. I've never lived there but when I was little visited every 6 weeks or so to visit my Mum's best friend in W.Acton. If I were allowed I could have found Trafalgar Square and Hamleys by my 10 year old self.
I later worked for a company in Regent St but remotely. I know your erstwhile London well.
My 42 year old son lives near Chiswick with his little family. Their house, pleasant enough, overlooks Gunnersbury Park and must be nudging £900k. He can take an hour to get to work.
I live 100 miles north in a pleasant town where but for the Express, Mail etc nobody would believe your modern story. He could live here, just over an hour by train in a 5 bed all ensuite, double garage house overlooking countryside for that much. I think we're on excellent terms but imagine only Khan's malaise spreading westward would see him moving out.
Thanks Zorro. I first moved to London in my late teens from Essex and loved just wandering around taking photos. It is as you say a great place to roam, even today I think. Chiswick is lovely of course.
Moving away is a tricky one. I’m very central and would definitely have trouble adjusting to life outside London. But perhaps the time will come when on balance I’ll decide it’s time to join you!
We have a Zorba's Kebab, Turkish Barbers, Waitrose, Lidl, wine bars, even a Sushi place. Drop me a line if you change your mind. We could even chew a straw sat on a farm gate for authenticity but Tapas and a pint would serve better.
Yes Legends. Completely changed since the 1990s. Well done for your TV debut. Please send a signed photo, it’s not for me, it’s for my kids, they’re big fans. 😂
Excellent article. Perhaps though this is the true power of democracy in action: if voters choose people like Khan, Sturgeon, Drakeford, they get to learn the hard way how such people's policies don't work and the damage they cause?
I agree. People moan about Khan, then don’t bother to vote. There’s an interesting argument that western politics these days is simply about getting people to turn up and vote. Not sure how I feel about the alternative, compulsory voting. Maybe it’s a good idea, but I don’t like compulsion much.
I can't imagine anything good coming from forcing people to vote when they don't care about voting.
I dunno. We force people to wear their seatbelts. Frankly I wish I had somebody here to force me to clean up the place more often -- when my internal discipline isn't up to the job, nothing like some external discipline. If I was forced to vote it would probably just get me doing what I know I should be doing anyway. Yeah, we don't love the nanny state, still there is a case to be made for certain things being compulsory.
Sure Ray. But the problem with the government making one thing compulsory is that they soon get a taste for it.
Of course. We are *always* on a slippery slope. Some say that seatbelt laws are wrong because what's next? Compulsory voting, that's what! Then what? Compulsory gay acceptance training! How do you know you aren't gay until you've tried it? We're stamping out homophobia up close and personal. Vaseline provided at taxpayer's expense.
Sorry ...
But yes, this all started when the government *forced* drivers (here) to drive on the right side of the road whereas many came from Old Blighty and preferred the left side. Fascists! -- I mean the government not the drivers. So yes, the government always wants more power, don't they? Always have, always will. But the solution is not an automatic 'no'. The sol ... actually there is no solution ... the answer has to be to consider whether some law really is necessary ... or not.
Sure. But the problem with democracy is not that people aren’t voting. It’s that they have been so disenfranchised by the system that they have no interest, and feel they have no stake, in voting. Or else experience has shown them that whatever they vote, nothing changes. That cannot be fixed by compulsion.
Compulsory votes would become just another Trojan horse which the elites can use to manipulate the world in their favour.
When the voters really care about something. Like Brexit in the UK. They turn up.
Yup. FPP has got to go. If there's one certainty, that's it. Problem of course it to avoid the Italy thing. I myself favor STV otherwise known as ranked ballot. But of course proportional rep. is the usual thing. What's good about STV is that you can go ahead and vote for that wildcard candidate secure in the knowledge that if she looses, your second choice activates.
Yeah, you hit the nail on the head -- compulsion would be more justifiable if your vote actually mattered, but when it doesn't, the compulsion feels more like forcing people to clap for a play they thought was really terrible. You can be sure that everyone shows up to vote in North Korea -- to vote unanimously for the Glorious Leader of course.
When we force someone to clean up or to wear a seatbelt, we can probably assume they know what they are doing. With voting, not so much. They are just names on a piece of paper. Why not just flip a coin or roll a dice?
It’s a tricky one. There’s an argument, not saying I agree with it, that compulsory voting makes people engage more. To me, and I know this might sound a bit out there, I could see them making voters take an ‘IQ test’ before compulsory voting. And of course that test would not be neutral, it would even in itself favour the graduate class and the PMC.
Yup, it's a tough one. I myself think compulsory voting is probably a 'no' -- but the Ozies have it and they like it. Or rather I should say they accept it as probably for the best.
The test ... man, I'm so tempted by that. But as you say, it would quickly become political. Here's a sample test, but on every point the woke would expect different answers that you or I would give:
1) 2+2= Math is white supremacy.
2) Can men get pregnant? Of course.
3) Can the government give us free stuff? Of course.
4) Name two presidents: Al Gore, Hillary, AOC, Kamala.
5) George Floyd was: A hero and shining example of Blackness.
6) Islam is: The Religion of Peace.
7) Whitey is: Evil.
8) We can change our gender: Whenever we want.
9) How many branches of government are there?: Not enough.
10) Voting is: Suppressed by the Republicans.
... I am competent to vote!
... OTOH there's a citizenship test, no? And that could be politicized too, but it seems to be accepted. Some have even said that even if natural born, *everyone* should have to pass a citizenship test. (If you flunk you are still a legal resident but not a Citizen in the higher sense.) Citizenship is a thing to be earned and to be proud of. Only citizens can vote, of course, because only people of proven quality should be entrusted with choosing the next government.
Agreed.
Brilliantly described. I weep for the lost London of my 60's childhood when my father was a bobby on the beat in Kensington and, as children, we were taught to 'ask a policeman' if we were lost - or as my little brother confidently asserted, aged 4, that he would 'just get a cab'. We lived in Chelsea (a police flat now long sold off to developers) and aged 5 and 6 would walk to our school around the corner - quite safely. We ran through the empty echoing halls of the Natural History Museum on Saturdays and played rounders in Kensington Gardens on Sundays. Sunday school on the Kings Road, near a very new phenomenon - a Safeway supermarket and going to 'the pictures' in Leicester Square. It was uncrowded and safe. Now.....do you ever see a policeman who doesn't look like Robocop? You never see a policeman walking the beat - they all seem to be screaming around in police cars or carrying batons at demos. Would a relatively poor English family now be able to live in Chelsea? Can you fight through the crowds in the museums and the parks? Does anyone go to Sunday school? How much of the degradation of London is due simply to three things: overcrowding, the loss of our Christian culture and the transformation of the Metropolitan Police into a government goon squad rather than the trusted citizen guardians of law and order of yesteryear?
Perfectly put Bettina.
As a Londoner (ex....I lived in Islington till the age of 5 and Hither Green till I was 10) all this really saddens me. I'm left pondering whether London is falling apart because it elected Khan or it elected Khan because it was falling apart?
That’s a brilliant point, Graham. I’m not a huge fan of Boris Johnson, but even so, when he was Mayor London did seem to have a more positive vision of itself. And Ken Livingstone despite what you might think of him, did manage to present himself as on the side of regular Londoners. Khan just seems to exist in an elitist bubble.
As someone who has always been proud of London - albeit by proxy - I'm hungry for any crumb of a positive here. I wrote this in a previous post of mine: ".....and yet: radiating out from the centre of London.... is a tapestry of streets and avenues, semi detached and terraced, - front garden, back garden.....Paris has a higher international standing than London as the quintessential European city. But compare the two as megacities – Greater Paris and Greater London – and the ranking is radically reversed: you have, respectively, perhaps the ugliest and almost certainly the least ugly European metropolis."
Is at least that aspect of London still true would you say?
I’m no expert on Paris Graham. But their insistence that nothing should overshadow the Eiffel Tower sums up everything I feel is the best and worst of the French.
A steadfast insistence on their own national statements of greatness being clear, loud and unquestionable. Versus their haughty self regard and hubris. They’re like a kid in the playground going round telling anyone who will listen that they are ‘best at everything’, and genuinely believing it, even though it is patently untrue.
It's typical of French cities in that the beautiful is concentrated on the centre. But beyond the peripherique (a bit like the North & South Circular) much of Greater Paris is a concrete jungle.
I must say low status, from the outside looking in, it does appear your beloved city has indeed fallen. It is as if the gestapo marched in without tanks but with a smile, said I’ll tell you what to do, shoved you all to the side and kindly told you how things will now be in your city. You all have politely answered apathetically oh yes sir, guess you are right; our way of life was shite.
No one is coming to save us but ourselves.
There is still much to love Deidre. Currently sitting in a cafe just off Oxford st. Everyone friendly, regular customers like me are treated like returning friends. I’m obviously concentrating on the worst of the city in the article. But it’s still a great place to be a lot of the time.
I hope you know that I am not picking on London per se, obviously the same kind of transformation is happening purposefully across all of western civilizations, especially in major cities.
You have a skillful way of honing in on the absurdity in the details of too much change, too fast, from politicians who are either willfully clueless or diabolically nefarious. It saddens me.
You all, we all deserve better. We should not be cowered into not speaking up and participating in ways to preserve our dignity.
Or all will be lost and we will only have ourselves to blame.
Did you see Winston Marshall at the Oxford debates. I thought it was excellent. Pelosi needed to hear every word of his argument. She needs to retire from the public.
I am glad you still have a corner cafe to enjoy.
Not at all Deidre. Just wanted to say there’s still plenty to love about London.
I haven’t watched that yet. But I have to confess I did surprise myself for thinking good on Pelosi! She’s well in her 80s and doesn’t need to do this sort of thing. And it must be hard. I mean. I never agreed with her politically but she’s a tough old bird, and I respect that!
I’ll regret this later, when I watch it land realise I still can’t stand her. 🤣
I used to go to London once a year, from about 2006 onwards. Going once a year means you see the decline more clearly. By 2022 I'd had enough.
I last visited Paris, with fond memories, in 1999. I had thought to repeat the experience, but I simply daren't go back. London isn't the only disaster zone.
Hi Jeremy. There seems to be a sense that these cities are permanent. That because they were rich and vibrant once, they always will be. But that is not the case, they need to be cared for and nurtured. Instead they are seen by our bosses as an endless source of revenue and a dumping ground for problems and people. I’m not that familiar with Paris, but I visited Buenos Aires a couple of times twenty years ago. I loved it. I expect that’s worth a visit about now!
I was lucky enough with work to visit many cities overseas. I used to think the demise of the Raj was sad but now I'd favour Karachi or Delhi over London. Apocalyptic movies like Charlton Heston's Planet of the Apes scene with the Statue of Liberty poking out of the sand says it all.
‘God damn you all to hell’ indeed.
Paris , will always be Paris they sang in Paris in 1939 and a year later it wasn’t….
As someone with some French ancestry I was deeply shocked at the state of Paris and France in general.
I can’t afford a subscription (and disagree with the model anyway, I read far too many authors - would much prefer a pay per view option, if only Substack would provide one). I’d buy you a coffee, for this and other pieces of yours - always a good read.
Thanks David. I’m so grateful to my paid subscribers, they really make a difference to me, but I don’t expect it from anyone. I do have a Coffee account thing. I should really activate it! But either way, thanks so much for your support.
I was born and worked in East London for many years before moving out. Now I hate going back as every time it seems shabbier and visibly declining. It is not just Sadiq Khan who is responsible for this, for 50 years our governments have been trying to get everyone to work in London, but only through investing in transport to get there, not actually in the place itself. The crazy stupid house costs pretty much force everyone out who, as you say are not extremely poor or extremely wealthy. The changes under Sadiq Khan and the way the Met have decided they are not actually a police force there to protect citizens from unlawful acts hasten the process.
Great points P. Yes it’s like a lobster pot. One way in. Then when you’re here….. But The legacy of lockdowns, Work From Home has really hollowed out that model. There is so much empty office space and it feels much less busy, even with footfall seeming to return to the West End. London is definitely less productive than pre 2020. Everything is still done on Zoom calls. Which is sub optimal at best IMHO.
When I worked in Angel, it was over an hour commute. I could get up to Ipswich in just 20 more minutes, and was not on a crowded slow train. That’s before you factor in the cost of the commute. It was £1200 a year from outer to inner London back then, now £3120. I know it’s self fulfilling, but when it costs so much to travel on a crap service into work, I can see why those still working in London prefer to work from home.
Oh yes. It’s completely understandable. It just doesn’t work. Just look at the drop in productivity of the civil service since WFH became entrenched as a ‘right’.
London does not now, nor has it ever, needed a mayor or an assembly. A pox on the office itself. Corbyn will be next.
Also - fantastic subtitle. One of the best.
Thank you Peregrinus. And I fear you are right about Corbyn.
Lived there from 1997 to 1999, Acton Town, Stratford and then Hillingdon. Loved it - thought it was probably the world's greatest city at the time. Have fond memories of falling asleep on the Piccadilly Line after a few pints and waking up after after it had looped around Terminal 4 and was heading back to Acton Town :) Very sad to hear of it's demise. Not just London though, the malaise seems to be spreading.
Ha ha. Waking up at Heathrow is a rite of passage for the true Londoner !
Horrible edgy ruin of a city (sorry)
This piece, which you may have missed, sums it up pretty well (author appears to be some kind of pseudo-leftist but who cares)
https://www.asomo.co/p/the-war-on-informality
Thanks Shade. I’ll take a look at that.
Excellent link.
Yes
Pimlico journal is also well worth reading
Good one. Even lefties are human, (maybe). I know a lot of travellers who prefer the Gatwick arrival to the Heathrow one. I've felt 'stultifyingly paternalised' by cities since I was a teenager.
Entering the yookay at any airport is a humiliation ritual.
It starts with '(me mate) Mo' of 'border force' demanding proof of 'means of support' while openly accusing tourist (commonwealth national, Anglo descent) of intention to work--none of HIS relatives do!--while a planeload full of Gypsies saunter past unharassed, welcomed home by a matey grin from gaz in the next booth over.
But it's only after this that the REAL humiliation begins.
I think air travel is meant to be dehumanising Shade. It’s like when you visit a hospital and suddenly lose your agency and suddenly become cattle. I try to avoid airports where possible. But of course that is itself limiting.
Good one, wondered where you were. I've never lived there but when I was little visited every 6 weeks or so to visit my Mum's best friend in W.Acton. If I were allowed I could have found Trafalgar Square and Hamleys by my 10 year old self.
I later worked for a company in Regent St but remotely. I know your erstwhile London well.
My 42 year old son lives near Chiswick with his little family. Their house, pleasant enough, overlooks Gunnersbury Park and must be nudging £900k. He can take an hour to get to work.
I live 100 miles north in a pleasant town where but for the Express, Mail etc nobody would believe your modern story. He could live here, just over an hour by train in a 5 bed all ensuite, double garage house overlooking countryside for that much. I think we're on excellent terms but imagine only Khan's malaise spreading westward would see him moving out.
Thanks Zorro. I first moved to London in my late teens from Essex and loved just wandering around taking photos. It is as you say a great place to roam, even today I think. Chiswick is lovely of course.
Moving away is a tricky one. I’m very central and would definitely have trouble adjusting to life outside London. But perhaps the time will come when on balance I’ll decide it’s time to join you!
We have a Zorba's Kebab, Turkish Barbers, Waitrose, Lidl, wine bars, even a Sushi place. Drop me a line if you change your mind. We could even chew a straw sat on a farm gate for authenticity but Tapas and a pint would serve better.
Tempting Zorro. Thanks!
I was last in London in 2019.
The Mrs wanted to go to to the Chelsea Flower Show on which I made my TV debut.
Anyway I had a gut feeling I needed to revisit all the sites as though it was a last goodbye to Olde England.
It had changed fundamentally since 1996 when I was last there for an amount of time.
It’s was also a big goodbye to St Paul’s and Westminster Cathedral before the first minaret went up.
Yes Legends. Completely changed since the 1990s. Well done for your TV debut. Please send a signed photo, it’s not for me, it’s for my kids, they’re big fans. 😂
Superb article. As another Londoner, I agree.
Thanks Jimmy!
You’re welcome! Please keep up the good work..you express the feelings of many, I am sure!
Excellent article that sums up so much so succinctly.
Thank you Julie!
Excellent article. Perhaps though this is the true power of democracy in action: if voters choose people like Khan, Sturgeon, Drakeford, they get to learn the hard way how such people's policies don't work and the damage they cause?
Thank you Amor. Yes you’re right.
“Whatever Sadiq Khan’s £117k a year ‘night tsar’ Amy Lamè, pronounced ‘lame’…”
LOL.
Surely with a name like that, you’d think she’d do a Hyacinth Bucket and claim it was pronounced ‘Llama’.
I’d do that for £117k per year.