I wish I could claim this was worth the wait.

[alexsarll]

I'm surprised this wasn't higher profile, and sooner, but London Overground launches this Sunday. Which in practical terms means that Oyster prepay will now work on various overground stations, including the quite remarkably handy-for-the-Noble Crouch Hill.

I keep on failing to get round to updating, but happily this hasn't been through any lack of things to write about. I've been up to plenty to distract myself from the gnawing void at the heart of everything, I just haven't really had much to say about it. From dressing as a vampire and dodging overenthusuiastic cobwebs, to fireworks and freebies, via the discovery that while there is indeed a real Grange Hill it could never support a school of any size. I've found a street called Savage Gardens (which isn't quite another Knightrider Court, but isn't bad), and seen for the first time one of the peculiar maintenance trains which thread our Underground - and this wasn't even while I was on the ghost walk, but at either end. I've fallen head over heels for Stardust (the fairy story, that is - though it's not long since I saw the rock film of the same name, and that's not bad either), which took liberties with the book's details, but conveyed exactly the same cocktail of wit, adventure and charm.
Really enjoyed the inaugural Clockwork Comedy night, too; James Kettle's gleefully doomed attitude and Steve Hall's thoughtful offensiveness were always going to work for me, and Michael Legge won me over by basing most of his material around Pete. Reginald D Hunter was a strange one, though - good, but seemingly at a bit of a crossroads and in search of a new direction. As I said to a couple of people afterwards, never having seen him before I felt a bit like I'd heard a band's weird mid-period album before knowing any of the hits. Anyway, next one's December 4th. I have no idea who's playing, but trust the hostesses not to book rubbish, so shall doubtless be along.

Freeview watchers - is anyone else finding that Virgin 1 has its 'see you at 6pm' screen up during the evenings too? This is all I've found whenever I attempt to tape The Unit, and I know it wasn't the timings I had wrong because on one occasion I came back just as (had the channel been operational) my recording of the show was ending.

Comments

[kiss-me-quick.livejournal.com]

though it's not long since I saw the rock film of the same name

Hehe, every time I see a poster for the new film, I get the David Essex song in my head!

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

It's not a bad film, it's just that I've seen so many films made since which follow the same template that it came to seem a bit generic...

Do you have the new Barrowman album yet, btw? I have a copy which, having listened to once, I don't think I shall be needing to keep.

[kiss-me-quick.livejournal.com]

I was intending to ask for it for Christmas. But I'd love a promo copy if you have one!

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

No worries. I hope you enjoy it more than I did!

[augstone.livejournal.com]

i didn't hear you say it last night but that is an excellent analogy for mr. hunter's act.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I thank you. Meanwhile, Legge just needs to get a Pete-based double act going with the mad foreign woman from the late night tube.

[augstone.livejournal.com]

ha! that would be amazing.

[perfectlyvague.livejournal.com]

Words couldn't describe the glee with which I met the Overground news at work yesterday - and then I realised that now I have the bike, it's irrelevant.

Oh - apart from getting to the Wards', I suppose.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I felt like such a chump for forgetting about Crouch Hill last time I was headed to theirs, but with it off in its own little network, it's always been a very easy station about which to forget. I reckon I've used it, what, maybe five times? And it's been my nearest station for seven years.

[returntosender.livejournal.com]

Pre-pay to get to Kew Gardens? Awesome, I say.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

As do I. Charlie doesn't look quite so impressed, though.

freeview

[rentaghost31.livejournal.com]

Are you getting any of the ITV channels or abc1? I used to get them but now all i'm getting is a bad signal message.
I haven't noticed virgin yet. i must take a trawl through the channels.

Re: freeview

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

ITV2 definitely still works, because Secret Diary of a Call Girl and Entourage are about half my weekly viewing. I never know what's on the others, or indeed ABC1, so seldom look at them. What is ABC1, anyway? I do have it, I think, but don't recall ever seeing anything there.

Re: freeview

[rentaghost31.livejournal.com]

lots of american schmaltz, mostly.

here- are you going to play me scrabble on facebook, or wha?

Re: freeview

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

No, I've deliberately not added the scrabble app and as such am slightly puzzled as to how you even managed to start a game with me! Too much of a potential time-sink. And I'm not even especially good at scrabble.

[diamond-geyser.livejournal.com]

Interesting. Reg isn't entirely sure what he's doing - or why - at the moment. I always find him worth listening to, and that generally obscures any flaws. Even if he's using his stage time to come to terms with himself as well as the world around him.

Apologies for briefly thinking you were quite taken with a film adaptation of 'Starlust', a series of fan fantasies which do not need big screen re-enactments. ('If a nuclear war did happen I'd be thinking: is Boy George safe?')

And with regards Freeview video setting, I used to have this with channels that don't broadcast diring the day (like BBCs 3 and 4). They can get stuck on the Come Back Later holding page, and need you to physically be there to channel-hop and refresh the screen. Not helpful, but it's not just you.

[davegodfrey.livejournal.com]

Yep, happens to me sometimes too, I get audio, but not visuals when that happens. The solution I've found is to set the freeview box to come on when the video recorder starts. This tunes out and then back in, so I don't video the holding page.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Mine are silent too...

Does your freeview box have a timer, or is this with a timeswitch at the socket?

[davegodfrey.livejournal.com]

Its part of the box.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Ah. Mine definitely doesn't have that, I've already looked because I feel bad about the electricity used in leaving it on all day.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, I enjoyed it, just suspected it was probably an odd introduction to his stuff.

If you did really think that, I fear for your immortal soul. As in, even more than usual.

That is good Freeview knowledge, though I don't recall ever experiencing it with the BBCs. Which is good, because they have loads more stuff I want to watch than Virgin, and I see no obvious solution that doesn't involve altering evening plans. Bah!

[darkmarcpi.livejournal.com]

12" Extended Edit

Gotta love that remix title.....longer but shorter.....makes me think of Martin Hannett's classic "Play it faster, but slower" studio instruction.

I am excited about the Overground, as it means I will live somewhere within walking distance of a proper toob station, and it will mean someone not completely incompetent will run the North London line now that Silverlink have been given the boot. Shame we don't get new trains for another year.

(Also - you know what I was saying about all night toobs on NYE? I wonder if this means the North London line will do likewise now from this year.)

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Emphasis on the "someone not completely incompetent", I feel. As regards NYE - I wonder? It would be good if so, wouldn't it?