ollie

"when a man is tired of london.....he's tired of living in a shithole" not my words but my mate who's a londoner!
cheers Ollie

"Bullseye !!"

Steve Crook

"there is in London all that life can afford" including the parts that are a shithole. But there aren't many of them & I would try my hardest not to live in those parts :)

Remember that London is a BIG place. It can't grow much vertically (London clay isn't strong enough to support very tall buildings) so it grew outwards instead. You can fit most other big cities in there 2 or 3 times over (at least)

Steve

Steve Crook

PaPAS

ollie

My view is(was),having worked there a lot in the past,do what you've got to do there, and then get out of town(as they say),last time i was there was about 3yrs ago in north finchley,and didn't feel too comfortable at 3am.Once you have seen everything you want to see,and been everywhere you've wanted to go(except the NFT wink )in london,unless you have an extortionate amount of lolly,so you can live in a nice area,but then you have to travell through scummy areas,oh but its difficult to get anywhere in car, then there's the congestion charges ,then your forced to use public transport that dosn't......i better stop now.
I just wanted to bring a bit of balance as everyone was extolling the virtues of london as though the streets were paved with gold. :)
cheers Ollie

"Bullseye !!"

Gibbie

Ollie,

There is the inhumane and grubby side. You are right about London having the dark side, but that is true of anywhere, as aforementioned.

All the same, the city does have a quality that I find no where else, warts and all, that is dynamic and personal. This is not mere romantic idealism, but an existential reality (i'm not the only one who notes this).

Gibbie

ollie

Gibbie i dont think i'll ever be convinced but dont get me wrong it's the capital after all,and with it's history et al,in younger years there was a real excitement for a trip (down the smoke)but i'm way more synical now,and often like to think of it IN a romantic way(rose coloured specks) ive often resented the fact that over the years iv'e had to trek down to london at the behest of some power crazed little hitler who cant be bothered to get off his arse and come to another part of the country(because as you say london is the centre of the universe [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif[/img] ).
There is a phenomena happening at the mo' of people down sizeing?,selling there extortionatly expensive homes in london and moving to other more rural area's of the country,trying to get away from the pace and stress,downsizeing?? sounds like common sense to me.
I wouldn't live in london even if you gave me the appartment over looking the thames and tower bridge in a fish called wanda(mind you if jamie lee was there and i could just stay in and watch films all day)
cheers Ollie

"Bullseye !!"

Steve Crook

It depends on your attitude as much as anything Ollie. I've had some great times in Finchley (and I'm from 20 miles away near Wimbledon). Have you ever been to Oriental City? And it's not too far from the old studios at Borehamwood. The congestion charge is only for the central area and then only during the day Mon-Fri.

If you go looking for the worst parts of any town you will always find it. But if you look for the good bits you'll probably find those as well.

But I would never claim anywhere had gold paved streets, not even Worcestershire. Lovely though some parts of that are.

Steve

Steve Crook

PaPAS

ollie

"But.....i only wanted to sing","STOP THAT!" one day lad ALL this will be yours,"What the curtains."

"Bullseye !!"

David Brent

Tell us about your 'singing' career Ollie.

Methinks you had some bad "gigs"in London.

Dave.

42ndStreetFreak

Used to go to many of course...but none realy stand out. the one I remember most was the old high street cinema in Shrewsbury.
And of course the old double bills and the ice cream lady breaks!

A more recent memory of an 'old' cinema would have to be the late and oh so great "Scala Cinema" in London.
A movie fan's home from home...a true heaven.
A great loss indeed... Some more info here.
http://www.beardyfreak.com/photosscala.htm

Any other fans of this great place?

[ 07. October 2004, 02:32: Message edited by: 42ndStreetFreak ]

Hell_driver

We had The Clifton & The Beacon by us when we were young what memories.

The first time I fell in love was at The Clifton, I was about 9 years old (Elizabeth Taylor in Ivanhoe.)

The Clifton is (it seems obligatory)a Bingo Hall and The Beacon was completely demolished and is now a line of offices.

Have to go into the centre of Birmingham these days if you want to go for a night out at the cinema in these parts.

smudge

Is that the Beacon on Brasshouse Lane, Smethwick Hell_Driver ?

SMUDGE

Welcome to my house. Enter freely, and of your own will...

David Brent

Talking of old Brum cinemas does anyone remember the one situated on the Bristol Road that for years only showed adult movies? Saucy X rated film double features with titles such as "Sexy Night Nurse" ect... I suppose the films were quite tame in those days compared to today's standards.
I think it had a name like the Cinephone or something like that.It was open for many years so obviously had a steady patronage.
I'm sure Smudge would know it wink

Dave.

Hell_driver

No it was at The Scott Arms on the corner of Queslett Road & Walsall Road in Great Barr.

Hell_driver

I remember it Dave, but only because we used to drive past it every Sunday when my Dad used to take me back home to my Mom's.
There's still a sex cinema in Brum on the corner of Station Street at the back of New Street Station opposite where the Bus Station used to be.(not that I've ever been in blush )

Hackett

I never had the pleasure of going to see films at them but the Beacon in Brasshouse Lane is now a shop. The cinema at the bottoem of Cape Hill by the Bass Brewery is a builders merchants. The fronts of them both are still unmistakenly cinema's they are just no longer wonderful palace's of dreams.