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Showing posts from November, 2005

Walk from the Romans to the Blitz

Did a nice walk for an Hampstead school - from St Alphage Wall to St Botolphs, Post Man's Park then Smithfield, Old Bailey, St Pauls Works really well - children very vocal andwilling to answer questions and to listen. Some doing the Romans, others the Tudors, Great Fire, and Victorians.

Scaffolding at the Museum

Went to see Chris Scorah to clarify the scaffolding at the Museum will allow public entry - seems to be ok! also discussed boxing up of objects which they think is not covered in the Schedule of Works and the issue of the plaster - whether the old plaster will be properly supported.

Evelina Children's Hospital

I updated the web site to reflect building of new Evelina Hospital at Guys and St Thomas.

Placebo effect

Interesting article by Ben Goldacre in Time Out about the Placebo effect, it which he notes that in placebo trials green pills are better than red, injection of a placebo works better than swallowing it!; and that a placebo operation on angina is as effective as a proper operation! He goes on to show that homeopathy works no better than placebo and probably then only because the effect of the visit to the homeopathist.

Garret Closure notice

The moment seems to have finally arrived - we got email today saying that we should vacate the Museum by early December and move into the Crypt. It has been so put off it is hard to believe it may be upon us!

Pool wins BID

The Pool of London announced that the local business community had voted to set up a Business Improvement district - I was on the steering committee. For more information on Business Improvement District development for the London Bridge (south) area, please go to www.londonbridgebid.co.uk

15th November

No sign of builders at the Museum - I move all the boxes etc in my back room which has been awaiting 'imminient' transfer to the Museum into the Cellar. The longer into November one wonders whether they really will start just before Christmas? Pleasant afternoon conducting Seminar with CSM Students in one of their flats in Baker St. We are finalising their major project proposals. One is studying the use of suspense in Museum exhibitions; another the use of architectural elements to carry a narrative; use of film structure to create a branded environment; creation of an exhibition with both commercial and academic routeways; establishment of a set of tools for creativity! It will be interesting to see how they end up! Course team had dinner in Bank restaurant Aldwych, discussing how to make the second year less of a shock! Currently, first year is such collaborative fun, that it seems very lonely working on their own schemes for the whole of year 2. Does the current tutor

CSM Gamelan at the South Bank

Two of the students from our course at Central St Martin's have set up amazing installation at the South Bank . Working on publicity for Christmas Walk at the Theatre Museum.

Early November

The Old Operating Theatre Museum Still waiting for news as to when the Old Operating Theatre Museum has to move to the Crypt Have spent some of the week improving the web site and working on new project - ' Lifelong in Southwark ' which deals with the issue of longevity and the modern health agenda in Southwark - - went to see SAVO and SCCF - two Southwark voluntary quangos - great help from Chris Todd and Gregg Hutchinson. Attended FundAssist seminar in which Keith Benson explained ways of improving business funding. Double booked myself so Stewart went, on our behalf, to the European Funding seminar on Euclid - the aim to set up a project to bring us closer to European Dissection Theatres such as Uppsala and Padua. Tried to attend fundraising seminar at the Innovatory, in Hackney but their doorman and manager said it had been postponed and sent me away. I later on discover this was rubbish and the course was going on just above our heads. The only other time I have had dea