Christopher Fowler's Blog, page 312

Why The End Of Professional Magazines May Be In Sight

We live in the age of the amateur. Anyone can sing. Anyone can write. Anyone can take a picture. Anyone can do anything that’s creative, because we have the means. We no longer need professional experts, film critics, book reviewers, art, music or drama teachers because hey – we can do whatever we want. And [...]

What The Romans Did For London

The so-called ‘Pompeii of the North’, a vast store of Roman artifacts associated with the Temple of Mithras, has been unveiled in the centre of London, in Queen Victoria Street, preserved thanks to the muddy banks of the underground river that once passed through it, the Walbrook.

The temple was first discovered in 1954, and was [...]

Thatcher Still Dead Shock

So it’s not just Shoreditch that has twats. They’re out in Brixton in full force, throwing death parties for Margaret Thatcher. I’m surprised Ben Elton couldn’t make it. It’s reassuring that Southern softies can still pretend they’ve got edge by opening supermarket plonk and burning a newspaper, although if they’re that creative they could at [...]

Film Freak Special: On The Red Carpet

Well, the launch of ‘Film Freak’ was amazing – a great venue, a great turn-out (including some surprise guests from the film world) and a lot of fun, not really like a book launch at all.

I’m doing publicity this week, so here’s a piece wot I just (re)wrote about what to do if you should [...]

Thatcher: ‘A Necessary Evil’?

There’s nothing too unexpected in the comment pages of the nationals in the wake of Margaret Thatcher’s death; some sweeping praise, some sweeping hatred, some good balance from overseas sources, especially from the New York Times, who talk about her role in ending the Cold War.

Over here, the phrase ‘A necessary evil’ is cropping up [...]

It Came From Behind The Shelf No.9

Ah, the ‘Skyfall’ bulldog. Some while back I mentioned fairings, those peculiar china items you could win at 19th century funfairs. I had several creepy Victorian ones, but they got thrown out when I went Minimalist. Due to the enduring popularity of the bulldog (a Victorian item that returned during the Churchill years because it [...]

The Incredible Movie Art of Frank McCarthy

Let’s face it, most modern movie poster art isn’t very good. It’s designed by committee, and consists of cobbled-together photoshoots. In ‘Film Freak’ I spend a couple of chapters explaining why this is, but I regret there was not enough room in the book to cover this gentleman, whose work inspired me and made the [...]

The Story of London’s Last Workhouse

The Cleveland Street workhouse is the most intact example of an 18th century workhouse institution left standing in London. Built between 1775 and 1778, it has been standing for over 235 years, and its historical merits include becoming a cause celebre in Victorian times and a pioneer in medical history. The buildings have been in [...]

Breakfast In London

Breakfast has always been my favourite meal of the day. I follow the old adage, ‘break fast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper’ – it just seems to work for me. As a result of my ‘All meals are improved with addition of an egg’ policy, I’m very fussy [...]

Deadly Looks At Life

When I was a child, tripping off to the pictures twice a week to see double bills, I dreaded having to sit through ‘Look At Life’, a weekly 20-minute newsreel that was sandwiched between the two films. It turned out endless sanitized versions of British economic and social life with the same droning stern voiceover [...]