Recent Interesting* Industry Stuff

And so to the Planning Committee once more this afternoon, its inexorable three-week cycle trundling on like some sort of built-environment-based menses.

I actually find this frequency and regularity very reassuring - sod the summer break (when everything at the Council more or less shuts down for a couple of weeks), never mind Christmas and Easter (ditto), nothing short of a nuclear war would prevent this vital piece of local democracy in action from occurring - which is a very good thing, given the fact that the Planning Committee is pretty much the only truly democratic voting forum for elected members remaining under the new arrangements at Brighton & Hove City Council. Hats off (pink, hard or otherwise - no laughing at the back there) to the officers for keeping the show on the road, and to such a punishing schedule.

Anyway, it was a mixed bag this week as usual - no major applications, but a plethora of minors which had been brought before the Committee thanks to calls from ward councillors and residents. The most frustrating application concerned a retrospective permission for Primark on Western Road (which Cllr Jason Kitcat has blogged about as ward cllr in his efforts to support residents in their objections) - not least because Primark's representative from mega property consultants Savills was clearly very inexperienced, very nervous, and, erm, couldn't actually answer any of the Committee's questions properly. Super. Very useful. To my mind this was indicative of Primark's generally dismissive attitude towards residents and the council, and to their responsibilities towards their neighbours as a whole. Sadly my arguments suggesting tougher conditions on deliveries and the service area didn't hold sway.

Still, I always enjoy my time at the Planning Committee even if I don't always agree with the decisions made in the meetings, because I *heart* the built environment (when it's designed properly); and with this in mind I thought I'd share some recent industry stories which have caught my eye:

• Birmingham Library denied Listed status (thanks to an entirely politically motivated decision by the (*ahem*) Culture Minister - see my earlier arguments re Technocracy)

• Tory councils 'less likely to grant planning permission' (o rly?)

• Biodiversity loss is Earth's 'immense and hidden' tragedy (yes - and I am so glad Prof Wilson is sticking his head over the parapet to say this at a time when the economic and climate crises have diverted global attention far, far away from protecting and conserving our natural environment)

• But happily... the TEEB Report calls for more ecosystem markets (a pioneering approach which has resonance with the tireless efforts of our City Ecologist in developing the recent draft SPD on Nature Conservation & Development, due for adoption next year)

• Three London councils win Housing funding freedoms (let's hope B&H are next)

• Taskforce to turn churches over to communities launched (good - *secular face*)

• CABE launches green infrastructure campaign (can somebody tell Cllr Geoffrey Theobald?)

• Brighton planners get industry props for winning Amex office changes (great coverage for officers in amidst recent local media controversies - well done all concerned)

• Woman ranked as one of UK's top Builders (excellent news :D)

and finally... [*Trevor McDonald face*]

• Architecture for Pets (I have not shown this to the guys in case they get jealous and start to form ideas above their station)

By the way, in my quest to locate the pink hard hat pic above, I was simultaneously amazed, amused and astonished (not to mention a little appalled) to discover that there is an entire website devoted to Lady Builders' Tools, Equipment and Accessories. OMG. Anyone for a cerise utility belt? If I ever find gainful employment within the industry again, you can bet I'm going to kit myself *RIGHT* out ;)

* interesting to planning, built environment & design spods, that is... I can hear my sister's voice saying "BARRING" lol

Baking for Hanover Day

I love baking, and I don't get nearly enough time to indulge this passion. So when I found myself scheduled to help with the local party stall at this year's Hanover Day last Sunday, I knew there was only one way to spend Saturday night...*

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

As Hanover Day didn't happen last year owing to funding problems, I felt it was only appropriate to salute the return of this much-loved community event (and to sustain my Hanover & Elm Grove colleagues and the revelling crowds) with something beyond my usual scope of Delia's victoria sponge buns. I decided to make (*drumroll*) chocolate and vanilla marble cupcakes.

Inspired by this recipe from bakebakebake, and this recipe from bakingbites, I prepared one batch of chocolate mixture, and one of vanilla (tinged with a verdant hue for fun).

Two things occurred to me as I regarded my bowlfuls of beaten batter: one, how runny it was (American baking recipes tend to use a lot of liquid compared to UK ones), and two, just how much of the ruddy stuff there was.

Undeterred, I prepared my cake cases and poured out my first batch, trying hard to create visible swirls between the two mixtures which would translate into beautiful patterns once baked:

Well, as you can see from the above pix, the intention didn't quite work: the mixture was too liquidy, so the colours merged somewhat, becoming indistinct and, erm, not very marble-like.

So I decided to scrap Plan A and plough on with making batches of single-flavour cakes. These looked a lot better both before they went in and once they were out of the oven:

Sixty (yes, sixty) of the little fellas later, I put them to cool in a safe place away from curious eyes and noses (ie Mr K & the pussycats), ready to be iced the following morning:

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Hanover Day was excellent as always (the weather was fab, the people were jolly, and as well as the Morris Men, I managed to see those Masters of Rock the Brown Stripes twice, which is a feat in itself), and I'm pleased to say that my cakes went down a treat on the stall.

Although in retrospect, I should have realised the pitfalls of scaling Muesli Mountain proffering cakes iced in an eye-poppingly vivid shade of green; hence the following exchange:

Child: Daddy, can I have a cake? Look, they're free!

Daddy: Free cakes, darling? Oh how lovely.

[Daddy looks at cakes. Then looks at me.]

Daddy: The icing's very, erm, green. What's in it?

[I look at cakes. I realise I cannot tell Daddy a lie.]

Me [sotto voce]: It's green food colouring.

Daddy: Sorry, what?

Me: It's green food colouring. But [positive voice] all the other ingredients are organic! I made them myself.

[Daddy looks at me, then back at cakes.]

Child: Daddeeee... can I have one?

[Daddy weighs up the evils of E Numbers ~vs~ the goodness of organic home-baking.]

Child: Daddeeee... pleeeeeease... they're freeeeee!

Daddy [giving up]: Oh, go on then. But don't tell Mummy.

Me: Here you go sweetheart! [hands child cake]

Me [optimistic voice]: Would you like a manifesto to go with the cake sir?

[Daddy backs away with cake-guzzling child, shaking head slowly and smiling...]

Me: Happy Hanover Day!

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Later on, as I related this tale, a friend said "Couldn't you have said it was spinach or seaweed extract or something?" Sadly no - nothing in nature is that green, apart from, erm, radioactive waste. Memo to self: do not try to have "fun" with jazzy-coloured baking next year ;)

But fun it was. Well done to the Hanover Community Association and all the publicans, traders, businesses, musicians and artists who made it happen once more this year. Here's a pic of Cllr Vicky Wakefield-Jarrett and me (plus cakes) on the Brighton & Hove Green Party stall, in the sunshine:


* Yes, I know, rock 'n' roll or what? (or "bake 'n' roll", if you will). C'mon guys, give me a break - I'm 36 fgs.

Flaming June

Our pussycats stayed at the RSPCA kennels in Patcham last weekend while we were Up North seeing my folks.

We collected them on Tuesday afternoon, and as we were driving home via the Ditchling Road, my eyes were dazzled by an amazing display of scarlet fields to the east near Falmer.

"Blimey," I remarked to Mr K. "That's a sight for sore eyes." Being a responsible driver, Mr K was unable to share this with me at the time, but a photo in yesterday's Argus of the same poppy fields prompted us to venture forth this afternoon to see if we could take a closer look.

We headed to the Brighton University Falmer campus, and lo and behold, the land adjacent to the Falmer Stadium site and the fields beyond were awash with crimson:




Oh man, what an amazing sight: I don't think I've ever seen anything like this in England before. I was transported and awestruck by the sheer beauty of the vast, unfolding spread of poppies covering acres of fields around us. So beautiful. Elysian fields.

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

The other thing which made my day today was watching Spinal Tap at Glastonbury on the telly. 'This Is Spinal Tap' is my favourite ever film ("rockumentary, if you will") and I was just pmsl at their performance this afternoon.

I nearly fainted with glee when they struck up the opening chords to 'Stonehenge' (the plaintive observation that "nobody knows who they were - or what they were doing" is an oft-repeated phrase in the Kennedy household, mainly uttered when gazing at Avebury and the like).

And they had a teeny-tiny inflatable lintel, replete with People of Restricted Growth. And someone right at the front was waving a Green Party flag :D

It doesn't get much better than this. Oh, I sooooo wish I was there!

Woodcuts & Trees

This time last week Mr K & I took a lunch break together, and went along to Brighton University on Grand Parade for some tucker and to view the last day of the end of year degree shows for the Faculty of Arts & Architecture.

Lunch in the canteen was a total bargain at around £2.50 each - I had ricotta tortellini and it was lovely. Highly recommended for cheapness and tastiness, plus ambience - there was a jazz quartet playing in the marquee in the courtyard :)

The shows were great as always - I feel so proud to live in a city with such an amazing art college. Here are a few tasters, from architecture to ceramics:

The textiles were as wonderful as always (sadly no pix as visitors are understandably forbidden from taking photos), but my favourite this year was these wood cuts:

I just love the jolly pussycats' faces :)

Well done and thank you to all the students whose work I enjoyed - sorry I can't credit you (I will try and remember to make a note of people's names next year - it was all a bit whistle-stop this time unfortunately).

The quality and abundance of all this beautiful work made me realise how important it is to keep campaigning for more affordable creative workspace in Brighton & Hove, especially for young artists and makers who are just starting their careers.

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Afterwards, en route to the local party office to stuff some envelopes for the Goldsmid by-election, I passed through the 'Walking Woods', a temporary 700-tree mini-forest in Victoria Gardens, just outside the Sallis Benney building.


Ben Duncan wrote an excellent post about this installation, which was designed by architecture student Lucy Palmer, and partly funded by SEEDA as part of the 'Places from Spaces' project.

‘Places from Spaces’ aims to encourage new design thinking for urban public spaces. By working with students from local universities to create temporary landscaping installatons, the theory is that communities can "test" creative schemes for transforming public spaces, asking "what if?" – what might be possible in reinvigorating our shared places?

What a pleasure for the senses. I was sorry I didn't have more time to just hang out in this wonderful temporary arboretum and enjoy it - but it started to rain and duty was calling.

As I left the Gardens and began to make my way up North Road, I couldn't help pondering the vast ideological chasm between SEEDA's laudable intentions and the local Tories' plans (or lack of) for Victoria Gardens, and the green spaces to the south and north of the site (known collectively as Valley Gardens).

Praise where it's deserved: under the last Labour administration, officers had begun work on radical plans to transform Valley Gardens, reducing car traffic and making pedestrianisation a priority. The car-obsessed Tories have now dropped this like a ton of hot bricks.

More recently, in our response to the Core Strategy for the emerging Local Development Framework, Greens criticised the lack of provision for local food growing within the inner-city, and suggested that parts of Valley Gardens could be used for community food projects. Again, this went down like a cup of cold sick with our Conservative chums.

I wonder if David Cameron knows how short-sighted and blinkered his colleagues are in Brighton & Hove? Vote Blue Get Green my derrière.

Thanks nevertheless to Lucy for a beautiful if temporary glimpse of what the future might hold. What if, indeed?


PS The brown grass in the forefront of this picture is not part of the installation. It's the annual post-Ladyboys of Bangkok witherment... (hmm)