50 Reasons to Enjoy London ???

Well - tonight I picked up a discarded Evening Standard newspaper (as you do) on the tube-part of my journey home from Hammersmith. Rather surprisingly - it was several minutes after the doors closed behind the gentleman who left the paper there - before I decided to pick it up. On a crowded train full of bored people on the way home - a newspaper about to be abandoned is usually spied upon very closely by anxious eyes looking for easy news. And an abandoned newspaper is usually jumped upon fast - like a flock of vultures homing in on a carcass. Although I have to admit that the thrill in this particular type of kill is less satisfying now than it used to be - due to the invasion of the “Metro” so-called “newspaper” on London’s transport system a few years ago. Now - you are most likely to spot unwanted Metros on your carriage - and on some occasions (particularly at places like Wembley Park) you may find an empty train pull up on the platform - which is littered with Metro carcasses - a newspaper killing field.

So - the thrill of the kill is now limited to non-Metro newspapers - like the Evening Standard, the Sun, The Mirror - or if you are a lucky vulture - a copy of the main sections of the Guardian or the The Times.

Anyway - as I flicked through the Evening Standard - I was was reminded why I never go out of my way to buy this paper. Comfort news. The only part of this paper that I find is of any quality is the editorial comment page - where the newspaper editor usually proffers an opinion - and usually there’s an interesting article by a guest author. But it was the editorial comment that caught my eye tonight: It was all about “50 reasons to enjoy London” - the Evening Standard’s way of contributing to a recently launched initiative by the Mayor of London (called Totally London) to remind London people that their city is the coolest place in the world. Now and I couldn’t help but write about this editorial comment tonight. I just had to state my opinion!
Click here to read on …

“Let me take you by the hand and lead you though the streets of London,
I’ll show you something to make you change your mind“
By The Beatles I think.

Posted by jag at May 14, 2003 10:36 PM