Monday 24 August 2015

A stroll down the architectural ages of London — or a few of them


Architecture does not really tell us much about the quality of life it surrounds or encloses — A palace may be a gilded frame for a cold and loveless life. A peasant’s cottage might be a cosy nest of marital bliss. Wars and cruelty may rage as glorious gothic cathedrals reach up for heaven. But it’s hard not to believe that architecture does not say something about the human spirit.
A short stroll in London took us past some typical London shop fronted streets, probably built in the 1920's and 1930's. These are pleasant to the eye, well proportioned and spacious despite their humble roles. Yet Londoners walking past them in their time were walking as the General Strike split the country and later, the Fascist Mosley’s thugs fought running battles with the Jewish community of East London.
Later, we came across some fairly bland apartment buildings, probably built in the 1980's. Nothing but mediocrity and consumerist complacency reflected in these dull blocks. But it was a lively time in Britain. The miners were on strike and the bankers were starting to make their fortunes.
Now, we come up to date — a mean faced monstrosity of an office block near beautiful and posh Holland Park. It looks like a prison. It is dull. And the world is on fire.
Finally, we are back in Kensington Gardens outside Kensington Palace, home to William and Kate. It is a fairly dull brick building. It was built in 1899. Britain then was in the grip of labour unrest. The dockers were often on strike for good reasons. The ruling class was finally losing its hold over the country as the Labour movement fought for its rights. But this building was designed as a stolid and complacent affirmation of privilege. Some things don’t change.

Text and photos by Mark and Elena Rapley, founders of Blabmate. OnBlabmate.com you can find an online English teacher who suits you.

Sunday 10 May 2015

New vistas around old Father Thames



Through a great city like London the River Thames has always been a source of renewal and of escape. Single drops of the clear rain that falls on the hills of the west of England meet others and run together to nose finally into the great city in a great scourging snaking run all the way down to Greenwich and out to sea. This whale like monster slides by us in Fulham, conscious that it will still be doing so when the babies we push in their prams will have lived and died.
It carries on its vast back the fresh air of the countryside that makes it possible to live in London. My Mum grew up in Fulham in the 1940s and 50s. That was a time when its streets were those of the English working class. Flat caps for men and scarves for the women. ( Now they belong, mostly, to the global bourgeoisie and its service class ) Factories and warehouses hid the river from view.
But its as if the river has brought urban renewal with it too. Some things do get better. Now you can see the river in a blue blaze of glory. What were mean streets and ugly patches of derelict industrial land are now green spaces and parks surrounding brand new apartment blocks for those riding high on the global markets - while they last, anyway.
My mum, who left Fulham in 1952, was amazed and delighted. My wife and her daughter in law, as they took the new arrival to the family out in his pram, were happy. Just to stay here would be to feel renewed. And the prospect of escape and change would gently beckon as well.



PS. Please visit Blabmate.com where you find online English teachers

Monday 19 January 2015

We're back ... with Blabmate


We must begin by saying sorry to those of you, if there are any, who have been wondering where we have been and why we have not written anything for so long. So here we are - sorry!
One fairly good excuse we have for temporarily abandoning Make London Home is that we have been very busy with a new venture called Blabmate. Pop along to www.blabmate.com and you will be able to see what we have been up to. Getting this site built has been expensive and time consuming. We got the idea of a website that made it easy for learners of English to practise with a native English speaker whilst we were living in Moscow. There were not many native English speakers there and learners were keen to meet me and others. Skype is a marvellous thing and so are the other variations such as Google hangout. Since there are about one and a half billion people around the world learning English we thought that online video learning must get bigger and meet a demand. But we didn't want to be a school. We just thought we would make it easy for online teachers to find learners and learners to find teachers.
Things have evolved. Now we have native and non-native teachers advertising on the site. Many are qualified TESOL teachers and some, who are native English speakers, just provide conversation practice.
We have a lot more to do to improve the site and make it easier for learners to find their perfect teacher and teachers to find their ideal student. Things like an App and lots more revisions to the design.

Anyway, we are based here in lovely London and life here goes on despite the drumbeats of terror. Those of you who have followed our postings here know that we love London because it is home to every nation and religion under the sun. We hate the idea of grouping and discriminating people on any basis at all and we know that most people here get along well and don't want to mock other peoples religion or lack of religion. Our view is this - if you would feel uncomfortable saying it to someone's face, don't hide behind a cartoon or newspaper. Attack the high and mighty where they abuse their power - fine. And if someone abuses you, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Remember Ghandi. And Nelson Mandela and  Martin Luther King who said we must have non violence or non existence. Yes, can we please spread this message along. Non violence or non existence. Peaceful protest. We must love one another, or die.