Feeling My Age

Wandsworth’s Alvering Library in happier days

Despite all protests by residents, the Council have closed down our local branch library.

As one commentator put it: “Alvering was the most fantastic library with a wonderful children’s department, and my absolute favourite place when growing up. It’s pathetic that Wandsworth is closing even more libraries.”

To rub salt in the wound, they’ve sold the building for use as…

…a new private day school. Note that all six children pictured on these hoardings are white – unlike 22% of Wandsworth residents. When Wife and I last drove past the site, some wag with a spraycan had clearly noticed too:

The builders had already painted it out by the time I went back with a camera. But not so thoroughly that a little tweaking in Photoshop couldn’t bring back the slogans: “NO SUV GHETTO”…

…and above the letterbox: “CASH ONLY”.

This is very much to the point: according to wandsworthprep.com when this school opens for business in September the fees for each child will be £11,700 a year.

So no more free library for the poor people, and a nice new school for the wealthy to keep their childlren segregated from the rest of us. Jesus had it about right: to him that hath shall be given and from him that hath not shall be taken – even that which he had.

Earlier this year I was stopped in my tracks by the sight of this clock in London’s Science Museum, which is almost the twin of one I’d seen in Cambridge a few months previously. How many of these scary mechanical sculptures could there be? Just the two, it turns out – according to johnctaylor.com:

“Named The Midsummer Chronophage because it was first exhibited on 23 June 2010, the creature on top of this clock appears battle-hardened with leathery, spiked skin and weathered limbs.”

“It walks relentlessly above the face. The wings rock backwards and forwards, together with the haltares (evolved from wings and now used to help balance). The bulbous eye blinks randomly.”

“The Chronophage’s mouth opens slowly, suddenly snapping shut every 60 seconds to bite off the minute just passed. With glowing tongue lolling, the creature appears to masticate while digesting time.”

“On the quarter hour the forked tail stings, quivers and slowly sinks. On the strike of each hour, the number of stings matches the unearthly chimes.”

Chronophage literally means “time eater” – from the Greek “Chronos” (time) and “phago” (eat) apparently – and this shockwave version can be downloaded as a free desktop app or screensaver.

However the Corpus Chronophage [More]