#994 - The British Library

Celebrity Favourite Thing - Christian O'Connell (Radio DJ)

Timeout/Christian says:
On a Saturday I love going to the library with my dad. The British Library has such a unique aura: there's something very special about the atmosphere. You can feel the knowledge surrounding you. One of the few places in London that's calm and peaceful. This is a noisy city and the British Library is a haven from it.

Dave did:
I've passed the British Library on several occassions, but I've never had the opportunity to properly check it out.

This weekend I was invited to be interviewed for a position on the committee of a London society. The interview was being carried out directly opposite the the British Library - two birds with one stone!

So after the interview (the first time I've ever been offered a dram of whisky mid-interview by the way!) I popped over to the library to cool off.

Its a very confusing place, I'll give it that much! I can see how it could be very soothing and a very comfortable place to study in, but as someone coming in for a quick visit the place has the wierdest and most confusing floor plan! In the 30 minutes I spent there I felt I only found about 2% of what the building had to offer as I kept finding myself back where I started!!

Unfortunately I was working to a schedule, so will have to make a return trip with a good book!




72 down...928 Things to go!

#168 - Get on location - Sabotage

Timeout says:
London's transport system has played some significant film roles, one of which was where Hitchcock decided to blow up a Routemaster in Sabotage (1936)

Dave did:
Never seen the movie, but I've ridden the Routemaster (it didn't blow up, but they do flicker the lights when they're about to close the line...)



71 down...929 Things to go!

#167 - Get on Location: Sliding Doors

Timeout says:
London's transport system has played some significant film roles. The biggest is as the lucky/unlucky tube train of Sliding Doors Gwyneth Paltrow exits and enters Embankment station, even though the fateful doors belong to a bright and shiny Waterloo & City train at Waterloo station rather than a dull, workaday carriage on the District Line

Dave did:
I have to say I'm a fan of Sliding Doors. I haven't watched it for a while (and I did just recently buy it in a charity shop on VHS...just need to hook up my old VHS player!) but what I do remember is how Gwyneth's character follows two distinct paths in her life and at the end of both she comes out either weaker or stronger. It's interesting that London is picked as the setting for this story as it is a city where you could (if you wish) completely redefine yourself and live a completely different life at the flick of a switch. London is that diverse that you could try being a goth for a day, or a homeless person, or a rich git, a party animal...the list goes on and on.

Anyway, I digress! My friend of mine played a game of Tube trivia with me a while ago, and one of his questions was "what is the shortest tube line in London?" I couldn't work it out, but my best guess was the East London Line. In fact it was the Waterloo & City line, one which I had never really been aware of or in fact travelled on (its only got 2 stops, one at either end!).

So I hopped on and tried to recall Gwyneth's key scene whilst making a mental note for the next time I play 'Tube Trivia'.





70 down...930 Things to go!

#712 - Explore London's telly locations - Big Brother

Timeout says:
A more widely viewed lynchpin of Channel 4's schedule over the past few years has been Big Brother. The most recent series have been filmed at Elstree Studios

Dave did:
One of my work Xmas parties was actually held at Elstree Studio's so thanks for my hard earned work over the past year, they rewarded me by ticking off one of my Things!

Little did I realise that apart from hosting Big Brother, Elstree was actually responsible for producing such films as Indianan Jones - Raiders of the Lost Ark, all 3 original Star Wars movies, and Batman!



69 down...931 Things to go!

#110 - Ride the DLR in the front carriage

Timeout says:
Push the kids out of the way and pretend that you're the driver. Because kids don't know how to drive trains

Dave did:
Well I first said I did this back in July. Unfortunately I didn't really complete this thing back then as when queuing up for the DLR train I found myself at the very back of the train not the very front (50-50 chance of that happening really!)

So this time I made sure I got the front seat, and then spent the trip trying to sneak in a few photos on my mobile phone before the angry looking driver would tell me to get off!



Near the end of my journey, the driver decided to pack up and just left me sitting at the front on my own as we approached the next station...maybe these trains are controlled by the mind as I was certainly concentrating very hard on making sure we made it to the next stop!!!



(Still) 68 down...932 Things to go!

#685 - Pay your respects to the London Stone

Timeout says:
Every day hordes of City workers rush past a stone set in a glass case in the front of the Sportec sports shop opposite Cannon Street station, with no inkling that it is one of the oldest, most mysterious and possibly most historic relics in London. Supposedly once marking the centre point of London, in 1742 it was deemed an obstacle to traffic on Cannon Street and relocated to the wall of St Swithin's Church across the road.

Dave did:
I was very intrigued by this stone, especially when Timeout suggested that it wasn't very obviously placed despite its history and original purpose. Unfortunately Cannon Street station is used more during the working week as it is in the business side of London.

So walking out to a deserted station and street on a Saturday evening was more than a bit unnerving to say the least! It took me several attempts to locate the stone, and after a quick search on wikipedia (thank goodness for internet on mobile phones) I found it!

Unfortunately the sports centre is now closed (as in completely, not just for the evening) and according to wikipedia the building which houses the stone is actually due for demolition to build new business blocks. The British Museum is now looking to relocate the stone once more...

I say it took me a while to find the stone, but had the sports centre still been operational I think it would have been easier as wikipedia's pictures presented like this:





What I found was this:



Dark, lifeless, and completely inconspicious! I attempted to look inside the metal grating but couldn't make a thing out!

So I resolved myself to reading the plaque laid above it and quickly move on before I got mugged...



68 down...932 Things to go!

#776 - Drink in a German beer garden

Timeout says:
You fancy having a little lederhosen-slapping fun? No problem! Enjoy Bavarian dishes such as bratwurst, weisswurst and stein's of Erdinger in one of London's Bavarian Beer Houses/Gardens

Dave did:
This Thing was actually completed last summer when my friend Nelson was visiting from America (see Thing #81 where I mention our previous evening's activities which ticked off this Thing!)

So I found the Bavarian Beerhouse on Old Street about a year ago and fell in love with the place almost immediately! Not only do they serve some of the best German beers, not only do they serve them in Stein glasses, and not only do they serve the best shot I've ever heard of and had the good fortune to try out (Porno-Bruase anyone?), but they've also got barmaids in full Bavarian costume providing table service and good fun chat!

Yes you could say the Bavarian Beerhouse is probably one of my favourite spots in London for a night out. Unfortunately on this occassion it also proved to be my most expensive nights! i won't got into details, but our barmaid for the evening, Pati, was very good at her job and made sure I was always topped up with a good beer.

Other recollections of the night include the shot mentioned above - Porno Brause - where you are served a shot of vodka and specially imported packet of sherbert. As Pati demonstrated a number of times - you take the shot of vodka, hold it in your mouth and then pour in the sherbert into your mouth. Next you shake your head side to side before swallowing it all. It is honestly the best and easiest way to down a straight shot of vodka, and the tingling sensation afterwards is very surreal (as are the uncontrollable spasms you get for a few minutes afterwards).

All in all, a very enjoyable evening and one that has been revisited on a number of occassions since...

Nelson and I enjoying a stein...Nelson was later to be found sleeping on my front doorstep as I lay passed out in living room!

Yet more stein's and this time a shelf-full of Porno-Brause's

The dream couple - a Beerhouse barmaid and her avid drinker!

67 down...933 Things to go!