“Another problem is that the modern focus on insulating London’s homes to reduce energy usage and retain heat in winter is making them unbearably hot in summer.”
Isn’t good insulation meant to keep heat out too, because it primarily prevents heat transfer?
The summer weather situation in London is mesmerising. Yes it’s hot but not unbearably so unless you’re in the tube. I say that after 16 years in London and being from central Spain, where the heat starts from late April and lasts until September, with temperatures often reaching over 40 degrees during heatwaves.
I agree that humidity makes it far worse especially if you’re not use to hot weather and don't know how to manage it, but there are simple things that can make a massive difference. Every Southern European I know is astounded by the lack of both curtains and shutters in most UK homes as they insulate against cold and heat and, most importantly, offer privacy. I’ve seen things walking past people’s houses you humans couldn’t believe...
People in the UK have also been very slow to catch on to how much difference curtains make in hot weather and the fact that sometimes you actually need to close your windows (and curtains) to keep the hotter air out. We really don’t have a culture of managing our homes to keep them cool without aircon. In hot weather I manage my Edwardian mid-terrace as if I were a Greek island granny.
It really is as simple as air conditioning and the planning system’s hostility to it is an example of how the British state has been captured by declinist and scarcity mindsets.
Heatwaves kill loads of old people! It’s basically the only policy area of the UK which isn’t designed mainly for the benefit of the elderly.
The framing of the Standard not liking London is daft. You report on crime all the time. I don't think people would accuse you of hating London, despite wanting crime sorted.
If you want to say it's different because immigration is an inherent characteristic of London, then you can read Goodhart's piece for the counterargument.
It's a free world - people can and should read the linked piece. What's rising up is a brand of London doomerism that openly ascribes everything to race, which is often profitable for those promoting this narrative.
A thing I've been noticing with reporting on crime, scams, and other aspects of life in the capital is just how much is due to 1) years of underinvestment in staff and services, 2) a failure to enforce existing laws and a lack of motivation on behalf of those enforcing rules to just do something (which is why the Looking for Growth graffiti video from the other week resonated with people).
Who is ascribing everything to race? Goodhart's piece talks about how London has gone from high skilled migration to low/unskilled and unintegrated migration. While these are correlated, it's hardly the point.
I think a third and underappreciate factor is: we didn't need to enforce these laws before. Was it ever not possible to bump tube barriers? Seeing as we are talking about the Standard, Lee Kuan Yew was amazed - and inspired - that there was an honesty box in Piccadilly Circus for people to pay for it. Wouldn't it have been trivial to steal it? There was no CCTV around, so it isn't like you'd be caught.
The thing that continues to shock me in London is the pace of introduction and contagion of new scams. People driving through LTNs with their licence plate hidden, ghost plates, very questionable 'training centres', and the like.
Re: Looking for Growth. They not only showed lack of motivation on the part of TfL but their lack of interest and low ambition. TfL: 'Can't clean the trains because it would be 11 minutes per tag'. LfG: 'Oh, but I have just cleaned one and it seems to take 30 seconds and I did it while the train is moving'.
p.s., I've been enjoying your project and have been remiss to not having a paid subscription, which I have now just rectified.
The pace and contagion of London scams is, in my mind, threefold:
a) Awareness that these scams are possible and you can easily look up a how-to guide online.
b) Ability to share the knowledge that nothing is really enforced (whenever I'm cut up by a car I stick the numberplate into gov.uk and half the time find the car isn't insured).
c) Seeing other people on the take on TikTok, etc, and gaining the perception that "well everyone is at it" (regardless of whether those videos are actually representative of the reality on the ground).
As a former media reporter who sees everything through the prism of media, obviously I ascribe the big societal shift to TikTok/WhatsApp/the ease of sharing information.
PS And thank you for signing up as a member - more to come!
Agreed. Some legacy media's habit of framing issues opens up opportunities to assign (wrongful) blame but also excuses the powers that be from doing any real work on dealing with actual solutions. It's lazy, tired, and counterproductive. It's like setting fires and then benefiting from reporting on a blaze, with no consideration for whoever might get harmed in the process.
I’m an Aussie and London heat is far worse because it’s not managed well. Every year summer seems to be a surprise! (and there are 8 million ppl all in one place and the rubbish situation is not designed for hot weather)
California is affected by the Arctic Stream and enjoys far more rapid cooling at night as the colder air cycles downwards. London is subject to the Gulf Stream, so is markedly warmer (or at least, less prone to harsher weather conditions in comparison to cities such as Chicago). The recent heat blooms may be the cumulative result of disruption elsewhere. The Gulf Stream has been faltering in recent years, though whether this is a simple diminution of its power or greater dissipation of warmer air currents, I've not seen robust studies either way.
I was so relieved to be working below street level in the recent heatwave. Some windows still opened onto the street but it felt like a whole ten degrees difference. In some rooms I was almost cold. Basement-level offices (although in this case it was a school) have that perk in summer, high rises may be overrated. It made me consider whether the climate is why the super rich are often digging under prime real estate to add mega-basements, but that’s another story I think you touched on.
1. The legal challenges that Lambeth faces are NOT about any one festival or series nor 'who has the right to hold festivals' so it's misleading clickbait to reference Mighty Hoopla like this.
2. The legal case was about Lambeth unlawfully certifying this festival series so that it could evade any proper planning scrutiny for such massive commercial festivals in a fragile heritage public park and Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC).
3. Lambeth will surely have known and been advised that they were going to lose that case - the judgment makes it so plain that their decision was contrary to obvious leading legal precedent - it's SO on them that they have wasted this money (and continue to do so).
4. LONG LIVE FESTIVALS (including Mighty Hoopla) BUT USING MORE SUITABLE VENUES!
Suitable venues such as? Moving them to indoor arenas would likely be more expensive for attendees and remove the “local festival” community aspect completely. Moving them to a different park just means those nearby residents will be the ones mounting stupid, money-wasting legal challenges instead.
There are other much more suitable open spaces for commercial festivals, whether it's larger and less vulnerable london parks or commercial outdoor spaces rather than a precious small london park.
There is not some god-given right to have these massive commercial festivals scalping a precious local public resource.
It's not stupid but a vital legal challenge if it means that is the only way of ensuring proper oversight of the impacts of these events that make vast revenues for private companies off the back of public spaces that are crucial nature resources.
And maybe the cost to event producers/attendees is something that does need to take account of the environmental impact rather than blithely ignoring it so tickets are cheap or they can overfill a small venue? (btw tickets weren't cheap either)
None of the commercial festivals have a true local community link (except maybe City Splash - but actually it's not even the original Brixton Splash - and only moved to Brockwell Park very recently, and there are legitimate discussions about how and where to manage that event).
But these vast non-local commercial events lasting weeks have only had a very recent record of being held in Brockwell Park in the last couple of years. They've been held in other london parks like Victoria Park or in other venues near london like Butlins for example.
For genuine community events then remaining local means that the questions of scale and impact need to be reviewed.
come to the Midwest America. The corn and soybean up the moisture and humidity levels up to 80,90 and even 100% most days. Your body cannot sweat it cool down properly but thank God for conditioned Air!!
I reported on the Iowa state fair exactly ten years ago (some reality tv guy called Donald Trump had just launched a presidential run and was appearing there) and yeah I nearly died.
Re the Standard staffer’s quote on David Goodhart’s latest bigoted spasm: “It was always a rightwing paper but they put other stuff in the comment pages”: uh-huh
Great piece on the heat in London.
Though I’m not sure the following is true:
“Another problem is that the modern focus on insulating London’s homes to reduce energy usage and retain heat in winter is making them unbearably hot in summer.”
Isn’t good insulation meant to keep heat out too, because it primarily prevents heat transfer?
The summer weather situation in London is mesmerising. Yes it’s hot but not unbearably so unless you’re in the tube. I say that after 16 years in London and being from central Spain, where the heat starts from late April and lasts until September, with temperatures often reaching over 40 degrees during heatwaves.
I agree that humidity makes it far worse especially if you’re not use to hot weather and don't know how to manage it, but there are simple things that can make a massive difference. Every Southern European I know is astounded by the lack of both curtains and shutters in most UK homes as they insulate against cold and heat and, most importantly, offer privacy. I’ve seen things walking past people’s houses you humans couldn’t believe...
People in the UK have also been very slow to catch on to how much difference curtains make in hot weather and the fact that sometimes you actually need to close your windows (and curtains) to keep the hotter air out. We really don’t have a culture of managing our homes to keep them cool without aircon. In hot weather I manage my Edwardian mid-terrace as if I were a Greek island granny.
It really is as simple as air conditioning and the planning system’s hostility to it is an example of how the British state has been captured by declinist and scarcity mindsets.
Heatwaves kill loads of old people! It’s basically the only policy area of the UK which isn’t designed mainly for the benefit of the elderly.
The framing of the Standard not liking London is daft. You report on crime all the time. I don't think people would accuse you of hating London, despite wanting crime sorted.
If you want to say it's different because immigration is an inherent characteristic of London, then you can read Goodhart's piece for the counterargument.
It's a free world - people can and should read the linked piece. What's rising up is a brand of London doomerism that openly ascribes everything to race, which is often profitable for those promoting this narrative.
A thing I've been noticing with reporting on crime, scams, and other aspects of life in the capital is just how much is due to 1) years of underinvestment in staff and services, 2) a failure to enforce existing laws and a lack of motivation on behalf of those enforcing rules to just do something (which is why the Looking for Growth graffiti video from the other week resonated with people).
Who is ascribing everything to race? Goodhart's piece talks about how London has gone from high skilled migration to low/unskilled and unintegrated migration. While these are correlated, it's hardly the point.
I think a third and underappreciate factor is: we didn't need to enforce these laws before. Was it ever not possible to bump tube barriers? Seeing as we are talking about the Standard, Lee Kuan Yew was amazed - and inspired - that there was an honesty box in Piccadilly Circus for people to pay for it. Wouldn't it have been trivial to steal it? There was no CCTV around, so it isn't like you'd be caught.
The thing that continues to shock me in London is the pace of introduction and contagion of new scams. People driving through LTNs with their licence plate hidden, ghost plates, very questionable 'training centres', and the like.
Re: Looking for Growth. They not only showed lack of motivation on the part of TfL but their lack of interest and low ambition. TfL: 'Can't clean the trains because it would be 11 minutes per tag'. LfG: 'Oh, but I have just cleaned one and it seems to take 30 seconds and I did it while the train is moving'.
p.s., I've been enjoying your project and have been remiss to not having a paid subscription, which I have now just rectified.
The pace and contagion of London scams is, in my mind, threefold:
a) Awareness that these scams are possible and you can easily look up a how-to guide online.
b) Ability to share the knowledge that nothing is really enforced (whenever I'm cut up by a car I stick the numberplate into gov.uk and half the time find the car isn't insured).
c) Seeing other people on the take on TikTok, etc, and gaining the perception that "well everyone is at it" (regardless of whether those videos are actually representative of the reality on the ground).
As a former media reporter who sees everything through the prism of media, obviously I ascribe the big societal shift to TikTok/WhatsApp/the ease of sharing information.
PS And thank you for signing up as a member - more to come!
Agreed. Some legacy media's habit of framing issues opens up opportunities to assign (wrongful) blame but also excuses the powers that be from doing any real work on dealing with actual solutions. It's lazy, tired, and counterproductive. It's like setting fires and then benefiting from reporting on a blaze, with no consideration for whoever might get harmed in the process.
Yes. 100% yes.
I’m an Aussie and London heat is far worse because it’s not managed well. Every year summer seems to be a surprise! (and there are 8 million ppl all in one place and the rubbish situation is not designed for hot weather)
IT ALWAYS COMES BACK TO BINS
California is affected by the Arctic Stream and enjoys far more rapid cooling at night as the colder air cycles downwards. London is subject to the Gulf Stream, so is markedly warmer (or at least, less prone to harsher weather conditions in comparison to cities such as Chicago). The recent heat blooms may be the cumulative result of disruption elsewhere. The Gulf Stream has been faltering in recent years, though whether this is a simple diminution of its power or greater dissipation of warmer air currents, I've not seen robust studies either way.
I was so relieved to be working below street level in the recent heatwave. Some windows still opened onto the street but it felt like a whole ten degrees difference. In some rooms I was almost cold. Basement-level offices (although in this case it was a school) have that perk in summer, high rises may be overrated. It made me consider whether the climate is why the super rich are often digging under prime real estate to add mega-basements, but that’s another story I think you touched on.
What might differentiate a 'woke shrubbery' from the culture warrior-approved kind, do you suppose? Are its pronouns ni/ni?
Just to point out:
1. The legal challenges that Lambeth faces are NOT about any one festival or series nor 'who has the right to hold festivals' so it's misleading clickbait to reference Mighty Hoopla like this.
2. The legal case was about Lambeth unlawfully certifying this festival series so that it could evade any proper planning scrutiny for such massive commercial festivals in a fragile heritage public park and Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC).
3. Lambeth will surely have known and been advised that they were going to lose that case - the judgment makes it so plain that their decision was contrary to obvious leading legal precedent - it's SO on them that they have wasted this money (and continue to do so).
4. LONG LIVE FESTIVALS (including Mighty Hoopla) BUT USING MORE SUITABLE VENUES!
Suitable venues such as? Moving them to indoor arenas would likely be more expensive for attendees and remove the “local festival” community aspect completely. Moving them to a different park just means those nearby residents will be the ones mounting stupid, money-wasting legal challenges instead.
There are other much more suitable open spaces for commercial festivals, whether it's larger and less vulnerable london parks or commercial outdoor spaces rather than a precious small london park.
There is not some god-given right to have these massive commercial festivals scalping a precious local public resource.
It's not stupid but a vital legal challenge if it means that is the only way of ensuring proper oversight of the impacts of these events that make vast revenues for private companies off the back of public spaces that are crucial nature resources.
And maybe the cost to event producers/attendees is something that does need to take account of the environmental impact rather than blithely ignoring it so tickets are cheap or they can overfill a small venue? (btw tickets weren't cheap either)
None of the commercial festivals have a true local community link (except maybe City Splash - but actually it's not even the original Brixton Splash - and only moved to Brockwell Park very recently, and there are legitimate discussions about how and where to manage that event).
But these vast non-local commercial events lasting weeks have only had a very recent record of being held in Brockwell Park in the last couple of years. They've been held in other london parks like Victoria Park or in other venues near london like Butlins for example.
For genuine community events then remaining local means that the questions of scale and impact need to be reviewed.
come to the Midwest America. The corn and soybean up the moisture and humidity levels up to 80,90 and even 100% most days. Your body cannot sweat it cool down properly but thank God for conditioned Air!!
I reported on the Iowa state fair exactly ten years ago (some reality tv guy called Donald Trump had just launched a presidential run and was appearing there) and yeah I nearly died.
My Mum and brothers however all grew up in London however.
trump will speaking there again July 3rd to kickstart USA 250 year bicentennial. A year long celebration in US. I'll send notes....🍷
try growing up doing field work and not having AC. twas the life i lives 🤣
Re the Standard staffer’s quote on David Goodhart’s latest bigoted spasm: “It was always a rightwing paper but they put other stuff in the comment pages”: uh-huh