London Beard Week: which is the most hirsute area of the Capital?
The fifth London Beard Week runs from 3rd-7th August and is designed to highlight the place of London as a leading world centre for beard wearers. A poll to find the best ever London beard currently has Karl Marx leading William Morris in Round One
On 4 August it will be 10 years since police shot dead Mark Duggan in Tottenham Hale (Conditions that led to 2011 riots still exist today, experts warn, 30 July). It is true that things have changed since the shooting and the events that followed it. Tottenham became a centre for craft beer and London’s only urban cheesemaker. New multi-storey flats surround my central Tottenham abode, very few affordable for existing inhabitants.
But none of that, as David Lammy argues (A decade after Tottenham burned, social alienation means riots could happen again, 30 July), is of much use to those – far too many – who have to rely on food banks to get by and whose future job opportunities look difficult at best.
When Boris Johnson, as the then London mayor, finally returned from a holiday and visited the area some days after, I shook his hand, as president of Haringey Trades Union Congress*, and pressed him on the need to invest in people and jobs. But a decade on, there is no sign of the now prime minister’s “levelling up” agenda in this area.
Riots are unpredictable, but as I noted in the Guardian at the time (Tottenham riots: missteps in the dance of police and a frustrated community, 5 September 2011), there is still a general pissed-offness and anger at a system that delivers for the few but certainly not for the many.
The Hundred sets beard power challenge for England v India Test series
The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that with the start of a Five Test series between England and India at Trent Bridge the red ball game faces a significant new challenge from the new Hundred competition.
The challenge lies with the significant use of Beard Power in the 100 ball game. The majority of players in the men’s games have been hirsute but the demonstrative use of the beard to create a winning impetus has been the most noticeable feature with the beard and hair combination of Imran Tahir being amongst the most significant in terms of impact.
BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, both England and Indian teams are likely to have a majority of players with beards but the bar has been raised. Can they utilise their beards and hair to create a sense that they are the team with the upper hand and indeed the best follicles in the game?
My dear Laura, I have only a few minutes to reply to your amiable letter—we have been inspecting a geological amateur’s collection this evening and tomorrow we are off to an excursion to Flamboro’ Head. The weather here continues grand: regular Rhenish October weather, that is the acme of fine weather as far as I know, not a cloud on the sky, hot sun, cool bracing air at the same time. Why cannot you and Lafargue come for a week, the place is getting empty, plenty of apartments and accommodation of every sort.
It is now half past nine at night, all windows wide open and yet the fine cool air outside will not come in rapidly enough to enable me to keep my coat on. The beer — oh the beer, it would be worth your while to come here only in order to drink one glass of beer at the Pier refreshment rooms, a nice little café — such splendid beer!
Boris Johnson is set to pay another visit to Scotland and the police have been charged with protection, presumably protecting the Scottish people from Johnson.
Media reports have suggested that this operation was initially known as Bunter but the name was changed because the thought occurred that it might be offensive.
The line is that Bunter was a randomly generated computer name, which for those familiar with such things, might raise the question of what computer exactly the Scottish police use.
The name of course was entirely accurate.
Frank Richards character Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School was a somewhat rotund figure in appearance but it is his character that really fits Johnson.
Wiki describes this as: obtuse, lazy, racist, deceitful, slothful, self-important and conceited.
It goes on to note that Bunter saw himself as, ‘talented, handsome and aristocratic’.
London Beard Week 2021 revolting into style in the Capital
The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that London Beard Week which begins on 3rd August will mark the continued growth of beards in the Capital.
The campaigners say that aside from the many more beards seen in workplaces, shops and pubs, there is also a growth of specialist beard care shops and hairdressers offering beard trims and treatments, although the BLF advises against beard trims in barbers shops.
London Beard Week is a celebration of London, now one of the most beard friendly Capital cities in the world, and of London’s great hirsute heritage from Charles Dickens to Karl Marx through to modern day beards such as England football captain Harry Kane and author and Arsenal fan Michael Rosen.
As part of the week the BLF is running a poll to find the most impactful and impressive figure with a beard who is associated with London.
BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, London is striking a decisive blow against pogonophobia, the irrational dislike of facial hair. It’s now respectable to wear a beard in London but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for hirsute rebellion as well.
London Beard Week 2021. Best ever London Beard,Round One
1959: Workers Travel Association call for the August Bank Holiday to move to last Monday of month
From 1871 until 1965 the August Bank Holiday in all four home nations was on the first Monday in August. This coincided in many areas with breaks in factory production (often unpaid). With the development of a legal entitlement to time off and paid time off pressure rose from the late 1940s to extend the holiday season. That meant specifically moving the August Bank Holiday to the last Monday.
This was trialled from 1965 (in England and Wales) and moved permanently in 1971.
The extract below is from a House of Lords debate in 1959.
The Workers Travel Association (1921-1966) was an organisation backed by trade unions, the Labour Party and co-ops that promoted travel abroad, international fellowship and holidays in general. It was wound up in 1966 because it was felt that the idea of ‘workers’ holidays was becoming outdated. This was part of an earlier modernisation project that had also seen the Daily Herald transformed into the Sun and then in the late 1960s sold to Rupert Murdoch. A reminder that the 1960s as a decade of change in Britain was multi-faceted.
I will quote only one more, from the Workers Travel Association. They say: The Annual Meeting of shareholders of the Workers’ Travel Association, held on April 4, 1959, passed the following resolution: ‘That this Annual Meeting of the members of the Workers’ Travel Association, convinced of the advantages to be derived from taking holidays away from home at times other than July and August, calls upon Her Majesty’s Government, local and public authorities, and all interested organisations, to introduce measures designed to encourage more people to take holidays outside the peak periods; and further urges Her Majesty’s Government to introduce legislation changing the date of the August Bank Holiday from the first to the last Monday in August’”.
Down in the supermarket at midday. Craft beer in the chiller cabinet
I’ve been meaning to write something for a while about craft beers move into supermarkets for the Culture Matters site. It remains on my (lengthy) pending list.
However a brief post on one interesting aspect of it is below.
I stop by Lidl once every 10 days or so. As many will know they are essentially undercutters on price but not particularly on quality. Rather their business model relies on selling many fewer products than the usual supermarkets and shifting a core range plus ever changing and sometimes mystifying temporary items.
For some while they’ve been running craft beer weeks. These have mostly focused on Scottish brewers (including Brewdog from time to time) but more recent ones have expanded the range. The one underway this week features for example Salt and Gypsy Hill(330ml cans £1.49).
Of course there is an argument that the price is undercutting bottle shops and craft bars. However I’m not sure there is a huge audience crossover. As likely its introducing craft beer to people that otherwise might not come across it, at least at accessible price.
Anyway to the point. Looking for the craft beer week items I couldn’t see them on shelves. That’s because they were in a chiller unit. This is something much called for by craft beer producers and paid lip service to by supermarkets. Here however Lidl were actually doing it.
From 1871 to 1964 the August Bank Holiday would’ve been on Mon 4th August(England & Wales)
The Debate about the August Bank Holiday (House of Commons March 1964)
In March 1964 Edward Heath, Tory Secretary of State for Industry proposed a temporary change to the date of the August Bank Holiday in England and Wales (not Scotland) from the first Monday of the month to the last. Ireland (26 Counties) also kept the original 1871 date.
The change was made permanent in 1971.
Ray Gunter Labour spokesman in response to Heath revealed some of the underlying reasons for the change. There had clearly been pressure both from the TUC and industry to change the focus of holidays from being the first two weeks of August. Presumably the idea was to extend the holiday season to the benefit of the leisure industry (itself relatively young at this point) and also allow for cheaper holidays outside of the early August period
The Holidays With Pay Act (1938) had allowed for one week’s paid holiday by law in some areas of industry. After the war the holiday issue became the subject of political discussion. The responsible Labour Minister Harold Wilson rejected plans for a new seaside holiday town. However a confidential TUC report argued that the reason why there was so much focus on the early August period for holidays was that the statutory week could become ten days with the addition of the Bank Holiday. It felt that the staggering of holidays across July to September was preferable.
Hansard 4th March 1964: The August Bank Holiday
Mr. Gunter
Is the Minister aware that industry, in particular, will welcome his announcement? I am very glad that he is catching up with events, because it is more than a decade since the Trades Union Congress asked the Government to consider this very question.
The alteration in the date of August Bank Holiday will not of itself alter the habits of industry. Quite a section of industry, as the right hon. Gentleman knows, is already conditioned to regarding the first fortnight in August as the most desirable time for its holidays.
The Secretary of State said that the Minister of Labour will continue to explore the possibilities of spreading the holiday season. What consultations have already taken place, and what form will future consultations take, to persuade industry to break, to a great extent at least, from its idea that August is the only month possible?
Mr. Heath (Secretary of State for Industry)
There were consultations through the National Joint Advisory Committee, with the Regional Boards for Industry, and with the Trades Union Congress. I think that my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour will wish to use all the channels open to him in continuing these discussions.
How the Tory Government works: Access Capitalism & Really Useful Knowledge
The Financial Times (31st July) revealed links between Tory Party Co-Chair and fund raiser Ben Elliott and leading Brexiteers and Thatcherites who pay money to get regular access to Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak
Elliott is the niece of Camilla and hence also related to Prince Charles. He runs a company called Quintessentially which caters to the whims and requirements of the extremely rich and there is a separate charitable foundation.
Elliott has told the Sunday Times (1st August) that his work as a Tory fund raiser, owner of Quintessentially and the charitable foundation are separate matters.
The Sunday Times has focused on the activities of Mohamed Amersi, who was originally a lawyer but has for many years been a consultant and advisor primarily in telecoms and appears to have made a good deal of money.
Mr Amersi has dined with Prince Charles in Scotland and had donated funds to charities run by HRH. He is also part of the Leaders Group, a number of people who donate sizeable sums to the Tory Party and enjoy regular access to Tory Ministers.
Amersi calls all this access capitalism, although it also sounds like the ‘Old Corruption’ of the pre-democratic age before the 1832 Reform Act on which William Cobbett focused. Here it was not so much what a person did or how competent they were that mattered, but who they were and who they knew.
The press are rightly castigated for not probing enough into what the Tory Governments since 2010 have been up but the FT and Sunday Times deserve some praise for writing about the network of Tory power. Something nineteenth radicals would have called it really useful knowledge.
