http://www.brent.gov.uk/regeneration.nsf/Willesden%20Green%20Library/LBB-343
"We are pressing on with plans to redevelop Willesden Green Library Centre and regenerate Willesden High Road."
Notes
Those two projects are completely unrelated. The latter comprises the spending of £500,000 disbursed by the mayor of London. The former is a planned project to demolish the library centre and put up a new building funded by donating the car park to some preferred builder.
In the past few years, over £600,000 has been spent refurbishing the library centre, including money from the Heritage Lottery fund and the cost of moving the Brent Museum out of another juicy location for builder deals to its present home.
This part of the borough is Willesden, not Willesden Green. Willesden Green is approximately the area around the underground station. Willesden is centred approximately where the library centre now stands. (Correct me if I'm wrong.)
Brent borough council swallowed up the historic Willesden borough council which stretched out as far as Harlesden where the "Wilesdune" ancient pilgrimage site and "black madonna" are. I moved to a house not far from the library centre nearly twenty years ago and the former occupant corrected me then as to the name of the area, when I made the same mistake.
Why didn't they do it right first time, if the present building is so terrible? Actually it seems a very good facility complete with car park. They have been systematically running it down, letting it fall into dereliction and (revealingly) making it extremely inconvenient and hazardous to use the car park.
We will want to see complete detailed records for all staffing, fees, and expenses involved in this new project. I want to know if any councillors are receiving any benefits in kind or any consultancy or other perks from the preferred builders. Have they got relatives there? They should know that if there is any corruption it will be found and they will be on their way to our other local (not very modern) community centre that goes by the historic name of Wormwood Scrubs.
Steve
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Kickstarter "crowd source" publishing — Update 3
Publish "Willesden Herald: New Short Stories 6"
We simplified the title of this project from "Pretend Genius publ. Willesden Herald New Short Stories series", which I have to admit was a little obscure, to 'Publish Willesden Herald: New Short Stories 6". Thanks to all who have backed us so far and please send links to anyone you think might be interested in becoming an angel (for that status is within our mortal power to confer, though sadly not the winged variety) and anyone who wants to encourage talented new writers.
Cheers, best wishes, Steve
We simplified the title of this project from "Pretend Genius publ. Willesden Herald New Short Stories series", which I have to admit was a little obscure, to 'Publish Willesden Herald: New Short Stories 6". Thanks to all who have backed us so far and please send links to anyone you think might be interested in becoming an angel (for that status is within our mortal power to confer, though sadly not the winged variety) and anyone who wants to encourage talented new writers.
Cheers, best wishes, Steve
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
They're at it again, Feargal
kitchen: 6.5. Stephen Moran: 3 poems
Kitchen Poet has one of our staff working for them. This is just not acceptable. Oh wait, he's only a contractor, that's alright. Can you delete this please, Feargal.
Ed correction Red via AudioBlagger™
Kitchen Poet has one of our staff working for them. This is just not acceptable. Oh wait, he's only a contractor, that's alright. Can you delete this please, Feargal.
Ed correction Red via AudioBlagger™
Monday, September 12, 2011
Guest post: Jonathan Pinnock
I really shouldn’t be doing this. After all, I’m a writer with literary pretensions. I have standards. And yet, here I am, on the blog for the Willesden Herald, home of one of the UK’s most literary short story competitions (one, incidentally, in which I have a record of consistent failure), with the sole intention of promoting a book called “Mrs Darcy versus the Aliens”. In my defence I could point out that Salt will be publishing a book of my literary short stories next year, but that would be evading the issue. No, today is all about Mrs Darcy.
And yet.
Why on earth should I feel uncomfortable about this? After all, there are precedents. One of my favourite writers, Boris Vian, who gave the world the sublime “Froth on the Daydream”, saw no contradiction in producing a pulp crime novel with the compelling title (and I kid you not) “I Spit on Your Grave”. I’ve read it and it is every bit as classy as that title suggests. In later life, incidentally, Vian changed tack completely and became a singer-songwriter, ending up writing the first French rock’n’roll songs. So says Wikipedia, so it must be true.
And yet again.
There aren’t many precedents. At least, not many that established writers are likely to own up to – although someone’s got to be writing all those anonymous volumes of erotica. It’s kind of a shame. It would, I think, be nice to read an elvish fantasy epic by Martin Amis, for example, just to see if he could. Or some Margaret Atwood chick-lit.
Ah, the hell with it.
I’m not apologising. I’m not even suggesting you regard the book as some kind of “guilty pleasure”, for there are fewer more dishonest phrases in the English language (come on: either you like it or you don’t, simple). It’s a book called Mrs Darcy versus the Aliens, it’s a comic sci-fi sequel to “Pride and Prejudice” and you’ll enjoy reading it. Trust me on this.
Great cover, too, isn’t it?
Jonathan Pinnock
Mrs Darcy versus the Aliens (Proxima, 2011) is currently on promotion in WHSmith in the UK and available from all good booksellers, online and off.
And yet.
Why on earth should I feel uncomfortable about this? After all, there are precedents. One of my favourite writers, Boris Vian, who gave the world the sublime “Froth on the Daydream”, saw no contradiction in producing a pulp crime novel with the compelling title (and I kid you not) “I Spit on Your Grave”. I’ve read it and it is every bit as classy as that title suggests. In later life, incidentally, Vian changed tack completely and became a singer-songwriter, ending up writing the first French rock’n’roll songs. So says Wikipedia, so it must be true.
And yet again.
There aren’t many precedents. At least, not many that established writers are likely to own up to – although someone’s got to be writing all those anonymous volumes of erotica. It’s kind of a shame. It would, I think, be nice to read an elvish fantasy epic by Martin Amis, for example, just to see if he could. Or some Margaret Atwood chick-lit.
Ah, the hell with it.I’m not apologising. I’m not even suggesting you regard the book as some kind of “guilty pleasure”, for there are fewer more dishonest phrases in the English language (come on: either you like it or you don’t, simple). It’s a book called Mrs Darcy versus the Aliens, it’s a comic sci-fi sequel to “Pride and Prejudice” and you’ll enjoy reading it. Trust me on this.
Great cover, too, isn’t it?
Jonathan Pinnock
Mrs Darcy versus the Aliens (Proxima, 2011) is currently on promotion in WHSmith in the UK and available from all good booksellers, online and off.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Kickstarter publishing project update #2
"I helped publish New Short Stories 6"
That is what is inscribed on a special edition Willesden Herald mug created for this Kickstarter appeal. We have bundled it together with a complete set of the Willesden Herald - New Short Stories books to date and including the forthcoming one in 2012, which is what this appeal is all about. For this we're suggesting a contribution of $100. [...]
A new reward added to the two earlier ones on offer for backers of this publishing project. The target is $2,000 and there are 15 days left. The thing about Kickstarter is nothing is paid unless the target amount is met or exceeded.
That is what is inscribed on a special edition Willesden Herald mug created for this Kickstarter appeal. We have bundled it together with a complete set of the Willesden Herald - New Short Stories books to date and including the forthcoming one in 2012, which is what this appeal is all about. For this we're suggesting a contribution of $100. [...]
A new reward added to the two earlier ones on offer for backers of this publishing project. The target is $2,000 and there are 15 days left. The thing about Kickstarter is nothing is paid unless the target amount is met or exceeded.
Friday, September 09, 2011
Thursday, September 01, 2011
The short story competition is now open
A4 Flyer (Please share.)
It's that time of year when I have to think of a rousing metaphor and end up reusing the same one from last time. So yes, get ready to go up the mountain and rope your best wild story, throw a couple of buckets of water over it, curry comb if you must, oh go on give him (her?) an apple, but don't spoil it. Now lead it into town for the annual gala, where Roddy Doyle will be on hand to award a rosette to the finest beast. I'm looking forward to reading what has been in your minds this year and making the short list.
Opening date: 1 September 2011. Closing date: 16 December 2011. Link: Rules
Steve Moran
It's that time of year when I have to think of a rousing metaphor and end up reusing the same one from last time. So yes, get ready to go up the mountain and rope your best wild story, throw a couple of buckets of water over it, curry comb if you must, oh go on give him (her?) an apple, but don't spoil it. Now lead it into town for the annual gala, where Roddy Doyle will be on hand to award a rosette to the finest beast. I'm looking forward to reading what has been in your minds this year and making the short list.
Opening date: 1 September 2011. Closing date: 16 December 2011. Link: Rules
Steve Moran
 |
| Supported by Willesden Green Writers' Group |
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
"People [...] have lost their homes and their past."
"In an effort to save the memories of a nation, muddied photographs and albums sent from tsunami-hit areas are washed and repackaged by an army of volunteers across Japan before being returned to their owners." (Guardian)
Monday, August 29, 2011
The long-predicted fall of the Euro?
The idea of pooling European debt is like your neighbours asking you to pool their debt with yours. Think about that for a minute. They have more debt than they could ever possibly pay and you are just about getting by, maybe. As part of their proposal they want to retain complete autonomy to spend as they see fit, accruing more and more debt and pooling it with you. That's what the Euro zone is facing.
It's preposterous to expect Germans to take responsibility for other countries' debts, no? Surely the Euro will collapse, either in the sense of shrinking the number of countries using it or a complete rout and dissolution. Northern Euro and Southern Euro?: no way, the peripheral states won't want the worst of both worlds. It's just one of those things where we have to admit the naysayers were right in the beginning. That used to include Labour before the entryist Blairite faction took over.
To be fair to Gordon Brown, though otherwise a hopeless manager by his own pragmatist lights, he did a few good things, not least keeping Britain out of the Euro. You can't let others govern you through toy, pseudo-democratic institutions. There's too much like that at home already. Even the dogs in the street know it.
Feargal
It's preposterous to expect Germans to take responsibility for other countries' debts, no? Surely the Euro will collapse, either in the sense of shrinking the number of countries using it or a complete rout and dissolution. Northern Euro and Southern Euro?: no way, the peripheral states won't want the worst of both worlds. It's just one of those things where we have to admit the naysayers were right in the beginning. That used to include Labour before the entryist Blairite faction took over.
To be fair to Gordon Brown, though otherwise a hopeless manager by his own pragmatist lights, he did a few good things, not least keeping Britain out of the Euro. You can't let others govern you through toy, pseudo-democratic institutions. There's too much like that at home already. Even the dogs in the street know it.
Feargal
Friday, August 26, 2011
Kickstarter funding appeal for Pretend Genius Press
Please support our publishers, join us to help rising talent and get a copy of New Short Stories 6 in return.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Harvey Nichols "daylight robbery" ad
Where the looters got their idea?
Monday, August 22, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
"High Tide Or Low Tide" by Bob Marley for famine relief
If you download this from iTunes or one of the other suppliers, you will be supporting Save the Children's efforts to alleviate the famine in East Africa. Or just give them some money. Or both.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Saturday, August 13, 2011
The shameful end of David Starkey
David Starkey claims 'the whites have become black' (Guardian)
There's no fool like an old fool. Would David Starkey have described the looters of Dublin in 1916 as "adopting black culture"? In the flow of his bigotry and patronising, he says David Lammy "talks like a white". Here he is on Newsnight, equating "black culture" with "gangsterism".
There is a line between provocative polemics and purblind bigotry. David Starkey can no longer see that line. He should never, ever be employed by the BBC again.
Ed
There's no fool like an old fool. Would David Starkey have described the looters of Dublin in 1916 as "adopting black culture"? In the flow of his bigotry and patronising, he says David Lammy "talks like a white". Here he is on Newsnight, equating "black culture" with "gangsterism".
There is a line between provocative polemics and purblind bigotry. David Starkey can no longer see that line. He should never, ever be employed by the BBC again.
Ed
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
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
Monday, August 08, 2011
Sunday, August 07, 2011
Saturday, August 06, 2011
YARN presents... The Special Relationship
LONDON, 3 August: At the Concrete theatre bar in Shoreditch, Nii Parkes read from a novel in progress concerning political protest, covert meetings and the ever present threat of arrrest in an east European country in a state of flux. Just one of many lively delights and surprises on the night. Links: Yarn | The Special Relationship
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
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