Posts Tagged ‘respect’
Thank God For The Prince Of Wales
Otherwise our country would be littered with vainglorious, egotistical self-monuments to architects – individuals like Richard Rogers who persist in the delusion that they know best.
Prince Charles speaks with wisdom, discretion and for the conscience of the Nation. Those who understand the unique place that the monarchy holds in British society know that he speaks for a Britishness that transcends politics, fashion and the vicissitudes of architecture. To use their own, pretentious expression, architects create our “built environment”, the very space in which we live our lives. What other profession charged with such a grave responsibility has failed so miserably over the last century? Where is the great architecture of the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and up to date? I can think of none but I can make you lists of the eyesores, slums and ludicrous mistakes that scar our towns and cities.
Thank God for the Prince of Wales! To the architects, the planners, those lawyers and judges who know no respect, I say take them to the Tower! Let them languish there until their own mistakes have crumbled into dust. Then we might give them another go. Until then let’s stick with the proven classics of design. Innovation and experiment may be valid in modern art but in architecture there can be no equivalent of Damian Hirst or Tracy Emin. They may thrive in private view but not in public. No thank you!
Diane Abbott. Some Integrity At Last
It’s good to see that the Labour Party has rescued its leadership election from the very brink of irrelevance.
Diane Abbott comes from an authentic tradition of noble Labour politicians: Tony Benn, Michael Foot, Neil Kinnock, Ken Livingstone – these are people of integrity and valour who I mostly disagree with but who I have a deep respect for.
If the alternatives are the oily Milliband brothers or the slippery Ed Balls then there should be no contest but I fear she cannot win. She and Michael Portillo on “This Week” are the most balanced sofa in politics – despite ageing clubber Andrew Neil’s best efforts to caricature them.
The Milliband brothers are, of course, from the Tony Blair School Of Politics. It’s also called “marketing”. You don’t actually need to have any principles, you just research what the market wants and then provide it in a nice, shiny package with extra bonus points
I think that Ed Milliband will win because he still has an edge. All the edges on his brother have been polished away. He’s been burnished almost to Tony standards. I could quite like Ed. Maybe he’ll find his own voice if he’s given the chance.
Ed Balls? As a Tory I’d love to see him as Labour leader. It would be both entertaining and advantageous!




