Wednesday 19 November 2008

Café Royal and Olympics

Sad news about the Café Royal, especially as London is already too full of ludicrously overpriced hotels. The Café Royal isn't what it was in its glory days, when Oscar held court with Max and Aubrey and the rest, and Ronald Firbank nervously pushed a single pea around his plate. But the decor is still something to see...
This move is of course, like so much else in London - for example, clearing rough sleepers from the streets (this is already under way) - geared to the coming of the Olympic horror in 2012. On this subject, Iain Sinclair says it all, and more. Lord how I love Iain Sinclair - I genuinely found London Orbital a book so riveting and fascinating I didn't want it to end. I suspect that's probably just me though - you have to have done a lot of a particular kind of walking....

3 comments:

  1. Love the painting. I'm sure I should know who it's by, but I don't. Enlighten us, Nigel?

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  2. Charles Ginner, Susan - one of the Camden Town Group. He did lots of fine London street scenes, and a lovely painting of Dieppe harbour, which I can't find online. Also a wonderful portrait of his landlady...

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  3. Quite worthwhile information, thanks for your post.

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