A long walk

Chiltern Line

When I cross the railway bridge on Wood End Road the moon is far away in the mist on my right. Yet when I turn and walk all down South Vale it is far away on my left. I have walked from one side of the moon to the other.

Ossian

Shootings and gang mayhem in North Kensington

At 7:05 pm last night, Thursday 28 September, a warm Indian Summer evening, I was waiting outside for my wife to come out of a chemist near the corner with First Avenue, NW10 when a swarm of 30 or more youths on bikes and tens more on foot raced west along Harrow Road.

The horde were shouting and appeared to be pusuing some others either at the front of the swarm or anyway going that way. That is how it seemed to me. They were waving sticks and bottles. Some bottles smashed on the road right in front of me. There was heavy traffic both ways on the road. I heard a series of pops that I couldn't locate but that sounded like gunshots, perhaps, I'm not sure.

I typed "Gang chaos on Harrow Road" into my BlackBerry and posted it to Twitter. Was this a riot situation? It occurred to me that I might be shot, together with others, such as the staff who came to the door of the chemist to see what was happening but there was not much we could do. I said "It's very dangerous here." But we were phlegmatic.

Earlier I had noted "Little poncy pipsqueak with huge Rottweiler on a chain swaggers down the street amusing little toddlers but scaring their parents for them." I now believe it might have been a very large pitbull, having searched for images. No muzzle of course. On reflection, that was a harbinger of the depredations to follow, injecting a pleasant evening with a tincture of hell.

As we were going back west towards Third Avenue on our way to where we'd parked our car in Droop Street, I saw a lot of youths (some bikes, the same ones?) and two police beside the footbridge over the canal. They seemed to be looking into the canal. There were youths in twos and threes buzzing in and around side roads on bikes or just standing and thinking which way to go. I was thinking it might be the start of a riot like the recent ones and I was just keen to get us out of there, having seen on television how muggers had taken advantage of that sort of chaos.

Like everyone, I have since heard that there was a shooting nearby "about 7 pm" on the Mozart estate. That's just up the end of First and Second Avenue.

According to Willesden and Brent Times the shooting was about 7 pm. More details have emerged as you can see from the Telegraph report. Three girls were hit by a shotgun blast, including one girl holding a baby.

Three female teenagers injured in Queen’s Park shooting - News - Willesden and Brent Times

Teenage girl was shot while holding her baby - Telegraph

Ossian

Life goes on

There was a feeling of suspended horror and uncertainty in the streets today. While in the fields training continued somehow enfeebled. The runners outran the terriers. Here and there someone sat pondering alone and others radiated silence.

Ossian

Charity "pay to read" / "pay to view" author web pages

Authors, poets and film makers could donate stories, poems and films for a charity to host on pay per view web pages. In order to read the poem or the story or to view the film, a user would either pay per story, poem or film or by adding credit in advance and then using it up one item at a time.

The creative works donated by writers and artists would each have a price to view and a "Total Raised". I suggest that they be beautifully presented, with page continuation buttons as required to complete reading and perhaps also a "Print" button, for someone to get a copy of a poem to read at leisure.

The beauty of it is that the donor gets something in return for his or her money, it costs little or nothing for the charity to host and authors can see how much their contribution has clocked up in charity donations. Authors would be giving in that way, not selling, and so their contributions would be immense and they could rightly take pride in them.

This idea is intended for the highest level of charities and I hope for those alleviating hunger, particularly at the time of writing when famine has been declared in Somalia. The entire proceeds of the donation should go to the charity, as far as that is possible. This is not an idea for YouTube to give 10%, it's an idea for, say, Save The Children to get 100%.

Additionally this should not be patented or copyrighted in any way that would restrict other charitable causes from implementing the same idea. There is no reason why there couldn't be such "pay per view" items and accounts on many different charitable websites.

Ossian

Project Natal: fiction, hype, fraud or karaoke?

If, like me, you love fiction but hate computer games, I think you should watch this. Personally, I think it's a fraud but it's fascinating. It does approach the experience of story somewhat and so we must take it into consideration. It is really another way of translating a story, not film, not stage, not other languages but into an interactive scenario that brings the story partly to life. The pre-planned scenarios that are inevitably programmed into it are the problem, reading a story gives us an infinitely variable visualisation, conjecture and response. This robotised interpretation is always on the verge of saying "Sorry, that does not compute." Don't swallow all that sales hype without a large pinch of salt. All that said, the demonstration is quite amusing. The nearest analogy would be that it is to fiction as karaoke is to music.

Ossian

Video: Farewell to London fashion week | Life and style | guardian.co.uk

Video: Farewell to London fashion week | Life and style | guardian.co.uk

Why do the models look morbidly underweight, like concentration camp inmates? Matchstick legs are positively off-putting, I suggest. I can't imagine what the appeal is supposed to be. Hasn't the fashion industry become like the dog breeding industry, so distant from reality that it can't see the harm it's doing to those involved nor the bad example it's setting?

Ossian

Announcement: Willesden 2010 shortlist

The shortlisted stories for the Willesden short story competition 2010, adjudicated by Richard Peabody, are:

Busy. Come. Wait. - Tom Vowler
Emily Strabnow's Freckles - Willie Davis
Falling - Henrietta Rose-Innes
In the Land of Flies - Julia Goubert
Letters - Nuala Ní Chonchúir
Love and Longing in the Marvellous City - Jonathan Attrill
Monkey Hat - Kevin Spaide
Precious - Carys Davies
The Architects - Wena Poon
Veronika and Roger-Roger - Toby Litt

Also highly commended:

Hope Street - Paul McGuire
Learning Stick - Jarred McGinnis
Pearl - Peggy Riley
Shutters - Jo Cannon

All will be included in the forthcoming anthology "New Short Stories 4". There will now be a very long wait till the results event when we'll be revealing which story takes the prize mug. The date could be as far ahead as end of March I'm hearing*, which I know is a long drag but at least spring may have arrived by then. Meanwhile here's to the short story. Cheers!

* New Short Stories 4 launch and results announcement: Saturday 10 April, The Charles Dickens Museum. Invitation only.

Update 10/4/2010: Results announced

Shortlisting progress

Just popped in to let you have a quick update. I'm hoping to send the final list to the judge by the end of this month (January 2010). Finding some great stories - thanks everyone.

Best wishes & donate to the Haiti earthquake appeal! (a) Disasters Emergency Committee. (b) Save The Children.

Ossian

The creepiness of David Cameron

BBC iPlayer - Prime Minister's Questions: 06/01/2010: "Live coverage of questions in the House of Commons to Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Broadcast on:BBC Parliament, 12:00pm Wednesday 6th January 2010 Duration: 30 minutes Available until: 12:29pm Wednesday 13th January 2010"

The creepiness of David Cameron. He actually makes my skin crawl with his egregiously personal and unprofessional comments and demeanour.

Waiting for the barbarians

Constantine P. Cavafy

The situation is desperate. The city is snowed under. The barbarians are at the gate. All will be laid waste come spring. Send reinforcements.

Boundary changes have trapped our beloved Thurberesque Sarah Teather across the border. Now we're depending on Glenda Jackson but she needn't bother running for re-election. Oh god it will be a massacre. I can't stand Cameron. Help!

Ossian

Now is the winter of our discontent...

Hewitt and Hoon's great gamble | Martin Kettle | guardian.co.uk

"Downing Street took some time to marshal its response to the well-kept secret of the Hoon/Hewitt démarche. By mid-afternoon, however, ministers began to issue statements of devotion to the Great Leader. Before long, the list was an impressive one. Ed Balls's support was to be expected. So, for the most part, were Shaun Woodward's, Alan Johnson's and Alastair Darling's – though the latter was not entirely lavish in his praise of the man who tried to sack him last year."

A real report in a real newspaper. Cherish.

Willesden Library Centre: Filth and dereliction in Brent

Gigi's closed months ago and is still empty. Now the Bellevue Cinema has closed and the fitments have been ripped out. Last night the centre's mens' toilet was in the most nauseatingly filthy condition. Dirty paper was strewn around the floor, there was fluid underfoot. In one cubicle somebody had closed the lid and defecated on top of it. In the other the bowl was clogged and foul. The word disgusting is inadequate to describe the state of the place. The people responsible for the filth are horrible lowlifes but what about the people who run the place, i.e. Brent Council? The council tax this year for a house near the library centre, in Band E, is £1672.93. It's not rocket science - compare the Tricycle Theatre in neighbouring Camden council control also in Brent [correction], or the Southbank Centre or even a typical motorway services, or the loos at Victoria Station. Then ask yourself why Brent gives us nothing like that and instead something more like the opening scenes from Slumdog Millionaire.

Ossian

Pushcart prize nominations 2009

Pushcart nominations for Willesden finalists

Small presses based in the US can nominate up to six items for the Pushcart and that is what our publishers have done, nominating six out of New Short Stories 3. The nominated stories in order of appearance in the book are by Jo Lloyd, Carys Davies, Morowa Yejidé, Nick Holdstock, Jill Widner and Ben Cheetham. Congratulations and good luck to all - any could win!

There is a good possibility that some of next year's short list could also be nominated, so get your hats on and saddle up or mosey down or whatever it is writers do to get into town.

Ossian

Transatlantic Sessions

BBC iPlayer - Transatlantic Sessions: Series 3: Episode 1

"Folk musicians come together in what have been called 'the greatest backporch shows ever', as Shetland fiddle virtuoso Aly Bain and dobro ace Jerry Douglas host a Highland gathering of the cream of Nashville, Irish and Scottish talent. Highlights include songs by James Taylor, Julie Fowlis and Dan 'Man of Constant Sorrow' Tyminski, and instrumentals by Jerry Douglas, Aly Bain and Allan MacDonald."
Broadcast on: BBC Two, 10:50pm Sunday 13th September 2009
Duration: 30 minutes
Available until: 11:19pm Sunday 20th September 2009

So may I work the mills for as long as I am able
And never meet the man whose name is on the label
That's part of a beautiful song from James Taylor about mill working. There are other charms in this, including a very nice rendition of a Gaelic song. Those are the two parts that I will most want to listen to again.

Ossian

Short story competition 2009-10

The rules have been updated. For full details please visit WillesdenHerald.com. You can pre-register but entries cannot be uploaded till after the opening date, 1 September '09. This year there is an entry fee of £3 to cover running costs. We liked being free but we're not free anymore. The prizes are £300 plus the invaluable Herald mug to the winning story, and 2 x £150 for the runners up. All shortlisted to be published in New Short Stories 4.

Ossian

The Street - series catch up

BBC iPlayer - The Street: Series 3: Episode 1
For a limited time. UK only

Brilliant tragedy from Jimmy McGovern. A perfect example of the two-edged ending (as per Slumdog etc.) This series is pure class. Episode one has a superb cast led by Bob Hoskins, Liam Cunningham, Francis Barber and Timothy Spall. Directed by David Blair who also directed The Key and other great series for BBC Scotland. It's already up to episode 5 and so far I've only seen this and the one about the squadie returning from Iraq disfigured, both on iPlayer. Not sure how long these will stay online.

Ossian

British man arrested for role in running FileSoup file sharing website

"Among the concerns was the news that the goods seized during the operation were no longer being held by police, but had instead been handed over to the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), an accredited private group that often assists law enforcement with inquiries in such cases. ... A spokesman for FACT, which is funded by organisations such as BSkyB, Paramount and Sony Pictures, said it could not comment on an open investigation." (Guardian)

I'm all for the rights of copyright holders but where do these private organisations get the right to become part of the police service by receiving items of evidence seized from people's homes by the police? What's to stop say Kellogg's from demanding samples of food cooked by suspects to determine if their Corn Flakes patent is violated? Why don't we have Unilever check the laundry and Diageo check for unlicensed home brew? Come to think of it, send me everything as well, I want to see if the Willesden Herald's copyright has been breached. If it's good enough for BSkyB (an alias for Murdoch International) and centres of the ludicrously commercial and exploitative such as movie making companies, then it's good enough for the Willesden Herald.

Ossian

Meadow walk

A walk around by the side of the meadow area in King Edward VII park beside the sports centre. The phonecam resolution is very low. I should have brought a proper video camera but I hate carrying things like that. Maybe it's time to ditch the old Sony Ericsson phone and get one of their better ones.

Ossian

The fourth plinth

Live videostream

Continuous live video from Anthony Gormley's "One & Other" series of people on top of the empty fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square

I think it should be left empty because that is the hardest and most meaningful thing to do.

Ossian

Today/this evening in Roundwood Park

"Brent Respect Festival is a fun, friendly, family festival that celebrates Brent's talent, diversity and creativity in the setting of one of Brent's finest parks. Brent has been organising a Respect Festival since 2003 to coincide with the Mayor of London's Rise Week and it in continues to be a vibrant event and is an integral part of national campaigns such as Big Dance and 2012."


"At this year's festival you can learn to play the steel drums, practice your Bollywood dance moves, create a costume for carnival, join the football tournament or make your own compost. If you just want to relax, Brent's talented dancers and musicians, including well-known artists and rising stars, will be up on stage to entertain you."

Taking up where Rise left (was dropped!) off, the Respect Festival keeps on keeping on. Again we rise! Dance, music, food, all in a gorgeous London park. Brochure (pdf)

There are literary workshops and events in the Sshhh! tent, including the WGwg tour with "What we were thinking just before the end" from 6 pm to 8 pm. Catch good friend of the Willesden Herald, Steve Moran reading "Piano Smashing Blues", which appropriately enough is set in a local park on fair day.

Note: The Jubilee Line is closed today but there is a free shuttle bus from Willesden Junction station to the festival. (More transport details)

Ossian