Random Slices #6

This week’s trio of random things for you to become involved with covers 1950s canteen dining, hanging out with The Dude in NW London and understanding man’s desire for marking celebrations with huge architectural phallus’…….

 

 

The Big Lebowski is such a great film, seeing it outdoors, with your mates while getting drunk on white russians just makes it even better. The Nomad Roaming Cinema have been moving their screen around the open spaces of London all summer. On Saturday they hit North West London, having just finished a stint by the river in Bishops Park. Should be a good way to spend one of the last (first) warm nights of summer, in the company of The Dude. 

 

 

 

The concept of a white elephant is well understood, and surely the majority of people who saw that bloody abomination of a ‘viewing tower’ by Anish Kapoor being erected in the Olympic park murmured this phrase to themselves at some point, bitterly. I know I did. As it happened, we all fell in love with the olympics, like little opiated animals playing in piles of shit; so maybe we’ll end up looking fondly upon this particular structural monstrosity, after all. These big statement structures are the wet dream of architects, leaving their personalities forever embedded on the city skyline. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t – this free exhibition at RIBA looks at the history of all that phallic jazz, with examples from all over the world. 

 

 

 

Celebrating 1950s british canteen food is a bit like celebrating having a headache. Or so you’d think. This odd concept of a pop up runs from 19th -23rd September and is a re-creation of the supposed ‘heyday’ of London Transport cuisine culture. OK. The canteen is specced out in classic 50s London Transport garb and the menu will feature everything from spam fritters to gristle stew (no, I made that up). You can drop in throughout it’s four day opening period for a taste of what your mum and dad were brought up on, if only to goggle at the magnificent oddness of the whole project.