Slaves

It's my birthday. Time for sober reflection.
Next exploration to Bristol is September 11th, to coincide with the 'Bristol Anarchist Book Fair' and 'Open Doors.' Open Doors is a long running annual event where all the old historic buildings are opened up for the punters. I'm looking forward to seeing inside some of the old churches. Bristol was known as the city of spires back in Georgian times.

Im not especially interested in 'current' or 'working' churches but 'lost' or 'ruined' ones are very exciting. Yes, thats right, if its not there, it's of interest. Psychogeography is all about the exploration of relics, ruins and lost pathways.  What's significant is not the fact that something isnt there anymore as much as the fact that it once was. Everything that existed once is still there on some level...somewhere. St John on the Wall is top of my list. Its an incredibly slim disused old church that was part of the city wall and still has the fresh water conduit fountain used since the middle ages (now a convenient stopping off street urinal) and the original and only survivng 'gate' to the city. That's a curious thought...in olden days the major towns situated within castle walls were locked and bolted at night!



My recent research and interest in the work of John Harris at TPUC.org along with the whole 'Lawful Rebellion' movement has certainly got me thinking about the notion that we are all still slaves. Looking out of my window in grimy Croydon the view that greets me is a jumble of concrete and glass and metals of various sorts. Apartments crambed on top of each other...we think these are our 'homes' but really when you view them from the outside they are just boxes.....prisons. To the right of the view is the huge edifice known as 'Wickes's dick'. A huge soaring blue mirrorglass skyscraper of 'luxury' apartments. It is only half built. The credit crunch's icey breath covered the entire site some months ago...freezing it completely.... and now the whole construction scene is like an urban Marie Celeste. Cranes are stuck in time way up in the sky. Theres no roof. Half the windows are missing. Its a perfect metaphor for Bliar and Brown's broken Britain. Broken Promises. The whole, an incomplete thought.
This monstrosity blights the landscape...throws a shadow over the ground and will forever be synonymous with the feckless war mongering Bliar-supporting Labour MP Malcolm Wickes (the pride of Croydon) who recently consolidated his place in history (or at least his ego's history) with another huge majority at the general election.  His fourth term !
Never mind the fact that his beloved New Labour Government messed things up so bad that the embarrassing shower called the 'Conservative Party' were able to stroll into Power without any kind of qualifying factor other than a voting anomaly. People didnt vote enough for anybody, so they got just that...the Condem government. A void filled by a bunch of useless semi-aristrocratic buffoons...with not a clue in the world.

None of this effects Malcolm Wickes Labour MP for North Croydon , of course, despite the fact that he supported war and the subsequent cover up....his Croydon base still love him and duly swept him back into Parliament.

When Gordon Brown was dumped from his throne within seconds of not winning the election (I draw short of saying 'losing the election') Malcolm Wickes was one of the first to appeal for 'a new face' for Labour. The irony here runs too deep....

                                                     A slave to his public