Alexandra Palace

Today me and her visited part of town we used to live in for a while. We hadn't been back for a year or so, and it was nice walking round buying second-hand books and window shopping the memories.
A short bus ride and on to Alexandra Palace for some of the best views over North London. It was built in 1873 and contained three great auditoria which could stage concerts, exhibitions and banquets. It also contained a theatre, a library, a museum and a lecture hall. Its surrounding parklands contained ornamental lakes, sports facilities and a funfair. Its slightly dilapidated now however, and has a rougher feel to it. It was in 1936 however, when John Logie-Baird and EMI-Marconi, under the auspices of the BBC moved in to conduct the first television broadcasting tests. And that folks, is where history was made. The drug of the nation, the new opiate of the masses.
Regarding the BBC, I love the website, I think that it is a great example to other media corporations as to what an interactive website should be. It aint just headlines and TV listings, there's a hell of alot else there. But then there should be. Its all paid for via the licence fee. 110 pounds per year? No thanks. Hopefully soon legislation will force them to change their money-raising tactics. Apparently there is a system of exchange called "Advertising" that could be considered. Its a fine of 1,000 pounds for getting caught watching TV without a licence! Who are the criminals?? A few hundred million pounds just from licence fee payers per year? Damn right they better provide good internet content!
Me and the Mrs. holed up in "The Phoenix" pub (part of the complex) until the rain abated and then home. Alexandra Palace has always been nearish yet farish from me, wherever I've lived in London, "Ally Pally" has been at least a 15min walk/drive/bus or cycle away. In summer picnics in the gardens, year round you see sweeping vistas over North and Central London. I called a friend whilst we were lounging on the leather sofas with a pint of guinness and he called it "the mountain" Its a high point for sure,but not the highest. Good views all round.... Post later. Still testing...