‘achtung habibi!’ (in the shadow of the shard)

yesterday horsemouth went out for a tour of south london with the visiting john clarkson.

first off a booksale in a bar cafe in peckham (strange attractor were there, and jamie reid - horsemouth was very tempted by their books but he’s a pov so he kept his hands in his pockets). they had a pint each (horsemouth some pale ale thing, john a pelican pilsner).

they then made their way to in the shadow of the shard a film about community organising in bermondsey. this was -as far as horsemouth could see - a success story for TMOs and similar bodies - the tenants had used the opt-out legislation to gain control of their estates and were now creating more social housing (at a time when housing associations have basically been driven onto the back foot by recent government legislation). before it there was a film made with local kids by two engaging young geordie (or thereabouts) actresses (who also sorted out the sound on the film).

next a bus ride down the old kent road to the closing down of vinyl deptford and to see gardyloo spew play - good tight bass and drums (ok ok the snare died halfway but that didn’t seriously inconvenience them), gardyoo’s sung/ spoken word thing, cos chapman’s most excellent gang of four type guitar/ micro-synth playing. horsemouth was reminded of slave dance or pil.

immediately afterward the drummer Djed a set of early electropop 7"s- tainted love (soft cell), I feel love (donna summer), cars (gary numan), nice set dude - this persuaded john and horsemouth to stay, there was then a set of techno (but not the acid-techno as advertised).


... and thence docklands light tramway home and the watching of the third part of arabian nights - a parable of austerity in portugal - here chaffinches were being taught to sing (horsemouth may have fallen asleep).

the day before yesterday horsemouth and john clarkson wandered up through the salt marshes to the wetlands (what the difference is horsemouth  couldn’t tell you) for a coffee - bumping into demetra and her boyfriend on the way out - and then on to the william morris museum and then back via the charity shops on the market. john then went off to see laura cannel and horsemouth stayed in to rest his aching feet and watch tv (a fleetwood mac documentary and big trouble in little china).

this morning horsemouth worked - later a visit to a cave of temptation (skoob - a secondhand bookshop).