Two Architects; One name - Gilbert Scott

Giles vs George.

George Gilbert Scott (1811 - 1878)- St Pancras Hotel, Albert Memorial, loads of churches
Giles Gilbert Scott (1880 - 1960) - Bankside and Battersea power stations, telephone box

This has caused some confusion over the past week. So let's get this straight - one designed buildings that were gothic and romantic, the other designed buildings that were modern and imposing.

Take a trip to Camberwell and marvel at both architects' work - St Giles Church (confusing as it was designed by George), and William Booth Memoiral Training College, (one time Salvation army HQ - Giles).

St Giles, Camberwell

William Booth Memoiral Training College, Camberwell

Stairs at St Pancras - where the Spice Girls video 'Wannabe' was filmed.

Beautiful Albert Memorial at sunset.

Jackson and Rye

Jackson and Rye in Soho is well worth checking out. I had a buttermilk fried chicken sandwich and a Manhattan Rye - sometimes a girl just needs fried chicken and a stiff cocktail.

The vibe is very old school New York elegance - they even have 'Red Snappers' on the cocktail menu which I thought were a relic of old movies. There is a huge bar which is back-lit with gold lights and the uniformed bar-staff who busy themselves shaking up ice cold Old Fashioned(s). The ceilings are high, the music is jazzy and the floor tiles are chic. And the hallmark of any place worth its salt - wonderful Aesop soap in the bathrooms.

Well worth a visit. It made me think of Doris Day in 'Pillow Talk'

The image above is from amazing blog 'Love Music Wine and Revolution'.

Grayson Perry - Being a Man

Last night I went to an amazing talk by brilliant Grayson Perry at the Southbank Centre all about Being A Man. He provided lots of great insights, and I liked his funny drawings, especially the male brain diagram which gave me a good insight into the male brain - it included the 'baloney generator' section which was closely linked to the part of the brain which told them they always had to be right.

In a way, I have never really thought about the experience of man. But like modern women they too are under a lot of pressure, and work, money, fertility and family are stresses and strains of life which both sexes face - but men don't have the same kinds of outlets for their problems which women do. Me and my female friends cry to each other a lot and have a good support network but the same isn't true for men, which is a shame and can lead to problems.

Also the growing trend for 'heritage stuff' - (like Labour and Wait in East London, heavy duty wax jackets and beards) all herald from the start of the Industrial Revolution when men could do all of that hands on labour stuff which women were ill-equipped for, and as the world moves towards digitisation, rather than industrialisation, jobs which were once the realm of men are diminishing.

He ended with his manifesto which is centred on the fact middle class white men have always had the power, and now they were needing to adapt with the changing world... which means not always holding the power, and not always knowing best...

What are YOUR thoughts?

He also included this funny pic which I sure can relate too!