London can be rather fabulous on a Wednesday lunchtime, especially when toil is abandoned for a couple of weeks. I take the Crossrail to Liverpool Street and walk through the station. Down to London Wall and past the mysterious All Hallows church. There’s a cut through at Throgmorton Street and then Copthall Avenue. Uncorked hasContinue reading “The Situationist City”
Category Archives: Narrow Seas
Notes for a War Diary
The word ‘agate’ had to be looked up because I realised I only had a vague notion of what ‘agate’ might be. It seemed a small, trifling thing, referenced in Franz Hessel’s lovely book Walking in Berlin. As he describes, ‘In the evening of that overfilled day, I was welcomed into the home of anContinue reading “Notes for a War Diary”
Seascapes
The beach was deserted. The sea scapes and the sky scapes and the sense of being alone were ideal. A perfect time and place to plan a revolution. The container ship Hong Kong Express sailing from Antwerp to Southampton. The coast of France. Earlier I met some French swimmers in the harbour who are trainingContinue reading “Seascapes”
These rafts carried life across dangerous seas
Toil and work are two separate things. Toil is what one must. For money. This critical fact is badly neglected. Whole books are written, television programmes, films, myriad newspaper articles without acknowledging this basic necessity. And yet even with immense amounts of toil immense numbers of people never have enough. And other people who toilContinue reading “These rafts carried life across dangerous seas”
Spring light, and Varne lightvessel
The light was fantastic; like lucid dreaming. It was so clear the Varne LV (light vessel) could be seen. Samskip Endeavor – container ship – Rotterdam Waalhaven – Dublin. ….and the Varne LV (lightvessel). Varne LV warns shipping of the Varne bank – which is right in the middle of the busiest shipping lanes inContinue reading “Spring light, and Varne lightvessel”
To the Finland Station
I would love to visit Russia. Take the train from Helsinki to the Finland Station, St Petersburg. Spend days dreaming in the Hermitage and the museums of the Revolution. Edmund Wilson’s book To the Finland Station remains a favourite book. And then to Moscow, reading Gorky and Pushkin, Trotsky and Kropotkin. From there to theContinue reading “To the Finland Station”
Walking to Calais
The container ship Argolikos en route to Le Havre from Antwerp. Sailing west past the port and town of Calais. There are continual competitive power struggles between units of capital. And yet at the same time there exists cooperation at a global level., Telecommunications masts on the French coast. The internationalization of communications. Wind turbinesContinue reading “Walking to Calais”
Here’s a truck stop instead of St Peter’s
I’ve noticed women driving trucks recently, usually from Poland, based on the licence plates. The right-wing neo-liberal government in Poland would do well to note that women don’t usually see their lives as being consigned to the bedroom. If they can drive trucks, operate machinery, write computer programmes, teach children, perform surgery and provide theContinue reading “Here’s a truck stop instead of St Peter’s”
IDA – Bulk Carrier
The bulk carrier IDA on its way from Gdansk, Poland to Tarragona in Spain. It was a wet day but the wind has dropped since yesterday at least on the actual coast. Out to sea the clouds were moving quickly, forming and changing shape. Sheets of rain appeared and disappeared. But I’ve got writer’s blockContinue reading “IDA – Bulk Carrier”
EFFY-N Bulk Carrier (general cargo)
The ship’s voyage since the beginning of June includes Durban, Richards Bay and Saldanha Bay in South Africa. Then to Rotterdam Botlek and on to St Petersburg. It is now on its way to Iskenderun in Turkey. Iskenderun is a major port and industrial centre with a large steel plant. It is close to theContinue reading “EFFY-N Bulk Carrier (general cargo)”
Cornucopia City 