Monday, April 21, 2008

Tower Bridge



The couple who approached me this morning were clearly tourists, but fortunately they were French and I was able to direct them towards 'London Bridge.'

Of course they meant Tower Bridge the world famous landmark which may well be the most ludicrous structure on the planet.
My walk to and from work takes me over it twice every day.

Before we moved the new office I'd probably walked over it twice in my life.
So far familiarity has bred admiration; it really is the most insane bit of Victorian Gothic architecture ever - a suspension bridge disguised as a grand medieval gateway to London.



I love it's in yer face 'form doesn't follow function' design ethos; it makes even the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado seem an epitome of practical industrial design.
From a distance, the bridge's medieval disguise just about works, but close up you're very aware of what a massive piece of mad engineering it really is. Is there any plant in the country capable of making pieces of cast iron this big?

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Spring Saturday



The theme for Spring this year is clear; make the best of the vile weather and try and have fun.


It was in that spirit that D, N, and myself went off for a lovely day by the seaside today and suicide gray skies and a freezing cold wind howling off the sea be damned.
So we drove up to Aldeburgh and had a brisk walk along the shingle beach.

Halfway up the impressively solid looking lifeboat together with it's equally impressive launching tractor offered some welcome shelter against the wind and some scary high waves.


N pointed out that the tractor would serve as very useful transport should Britain succumb to plague of zombies. It was fun to imagine the fuckers howling as they hammered futilely on the armoured glass of the vehicle's windows, and the satisfying squelch they would make as you drove over them making full use of the caterpillar tracks and monster diesel.


We walked a bit further up the beach and then returned to dine on fish and chips. Then it was off to Sizewell B nuclear power station, only to find the visitor center closed indefinitely; probably as a result of British foreign policy in the Middle East.


So it was back to Ipswich a bit earlier than planned, and a nice thaw out in front of the gas fire.