The Swipe Volume 2 Chapter 31
And here we are in Spooky Season. The change is clear and definite, especially if you’re an early riser. The air is cooler, crisper. The light takes on a certain lambent quality, a warmth at odds with the drop in temperature. TLC has reorganised her wardrobe, and the jumpers and big boots are now within reach.
In the garden, the change in season is more obvious. The tomato and cucumber plants have been cleared away, the winter potatoes tucked into the little greenhouse, safe against the threat of frost. There’s prep and clearance to do, as at the end of the month Copse End will undergo another of its regular massive transformations.
Autumn is here, and we’re ready for it.
Wherever you are, whenever you are, however you are, welcome to The Swipe.
The image above is of a desk at William Wordsworth’s schoolhouse in Hawkshead, Cumbria. I did not, despite the evidence to the contrary, add my own distinctiveness to the collective.
Rob is reading…
The This by Adam Roberts. Well, I’ve just started to be honest. His social media satire begins with a dizzying blast through all of human history, life and death speed-blurring into a disorienting flood of imagery. It’s a hell of a statement of intent, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.
Rob is watching…
Ludwig. David Mitchell’s doppelgänger detective story isn’t doing anything innovative (a socially awkward quirk-ridden sleuth who can see patterns no-one else can is hardly reinventing the wheel) but is still perfectly enjoyable telly. Mitchell plays himself—or at least our perception of the irascible nerd he has built around himself—and the whole thing bimbles along in a most diverting fashion. Anna Maxwell Martin holds her own, as you’d expect. We’re having a great time with it.
Rob is listening…
to a regular reminder that the blues was, is and remains number one. Offered in celebration of the imminent delivery of a theremin to Swipe Towers. Yes, really.
Rob is eating…
Take-away curry, which is very rare for us. We noted that a local joint, Caversham Tandoori, has been shortlisted for the National Curry Awards, which piqued our curiosity. The grub was a little cheaper than expected, arrived bang on time and was utterly delicious. Try the Mixed Masala Special, which has bone-in tandoori chicken as part of the mix of proteins. I’ve saved the gravy to cook fish in for tea tonight. Recommended to local readers and worth a try if you want a change from your regular curry house. Use their own website and stop a chunk of profit going to the Deliveroo mafia.
Rob’s Low-Key Obsession Of The Week…
This hat. More specifically, the processes, craft and artistry which went into the creation of said titfer. But let’s be frank—it is one flippin’ cool hat.
If you read nothing else from The Swipe this week, I urge you to spend time with Rory Sutherland’s piece on how we perceive time and the ensuring social effects. It’s genuinely eye-opening and will certainly change the way I drive during my morning commute.
The most important and useful resource you will come across today. Thank me later.
I love this expanation of film-maker’s trickery, particularly when the magic depends on an understanding that the camera is a point of view, not a truthful depiction of a field of vision. Of course it can lie!
Some real talk with the punk collective behind Crack Cloud, on the decisions they made to build the distinctive marketing, art and videos for their latest album. The DIY aesthetic has a lot to recommend it, and we all have a lot of tools at hand to do our own stuff for cheap. We just need to have faith in our own abilities and view potential failure as a learning experience, not something to be scared of.
Go listen to The Orb’s Little Fluffy Clouds, then come back and read the history of the opening sample. The mystery seems to have continued for longer than seems reasonable.
What Were The Skies Like When You Were Young?
I’m not sure if the following is depressing or ‘challenge accepted’. I can’t say the notion of ‘too much science fiction’ is a sad one. I’m very happy that my favourite genre is so successful. It’s knowing where to start when you’re faced with so much choice though, innit?
Nate Stephenson cuts through all the cant over menswear and delivers the solid truth—buy and wear well-fitting and long-lasting pieces that make you look and feel good. It’s not hard, really. Great to see a shout-out to clothing guru Derek Guy, who is fighting the good fight on the socials.
X&HTeam-mate Clive pointed me at this meander through the streets of Soho, which of course brought back memories of my own back pages. I haven’t been back into the labyrinth in a while (I think the last time was a couple of beers outside Bar Italia back in May. Before then, some time in the doldrums between the two lockdowns) and the article brought on a Proustian tingle. I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now.
The breakfast negroni was a bad idea.
Let’s finish by talking about Hollywood endings. The recent remake of Speak No Evil took off all the sharp edges from the original—a film which, based on a quick review from pal Ryan I have no interest in depressing myself with—and sparked this fun Polygon listicle. Frankly, I think we should end every film with a big song-and-dance number.
We Outro with a song which has been living in my head for weeks, waiting for this very moment. Enjoy the spooky grooviness, cats and kittens.
See you in seven, fellow travellers.
