These days some of us are back at the office every day. We’re getting up, going to work, and coming back home all in the dark – and it’s pretty grim. I can now almost forgive the overdone Christmas marketing in the shop windows which brightens things up. It’s also good to see the lights shining bright and welcoming at the new Nuffield gym. We managed to spot Santa doing his pre-flight checks. Since he pilots the sled himself and his fuel source is sustainable, we have no worries about a shortage of drivers or fuel and can revel in the confidence of prompt arrivals come December 25th.
Let’s get the tedious things out of the way upfront. Please do make sure you have registered to vote in the local elections March 2022. Details below.
Now, onto what we have for you in this issue of Barbican Life…
We very rarely allow the subject of politics to make its way into the magazine. Here at Barbican Life, we like to avoid getting your backs up and political articles do tend to polarise. We residents do, however, have quite a few challenges coming our way and we need to make sure that the representatives we elect next March will be effective. Jenny Addison has interviewed Adam Hogg, the current chair of our Barbican Association, about the proposals to work more closely with candidates ahead of the elections and make sure they are supportive and engaged with our interests.
London Blue Badge guide Erin Summers has another interview for us this issue, this time with fellow resident Lesley Scoble on her wildlife photography bonanza during lockdown. We’ve squeezed in as many pictures as we could and the ones we couldn’t will be included in the online version of the article on the barbicanlife.com website.
Our secret (but not so secret now) expert on street art has always been Lindsay Lee and she shares her recent visit to Woodbury House, a private gallery which was hosting the launch for a new book about the work and life of Richard Hambleton, nicknamed the godfather of street art.
Julien Waite furthers our education about minibeasts with a dive into the surprisingly varied species of slugs and snails in and around the Barbican. I must admit to surfing to see if slugs are edible (apologies to the non-meat eaters, it was just curiosity) and I found myself on an Armageddon-prepping website which kept me locked in a click-bait cage for an embarrassing length of time. Don’t eat them raw, apparently. I’ll stick to M&S, thanks!
Now that winter has settled in, Peter Savage has given his walking boots a breather and he’s looking back on his meticulously monitored horizon photo collection; all taken from his window as the City has morphed over the years.
Exhibitions and theatre are now back with a vengeance, aren’t they; Janet Wells and Gary Donaldson preview some of the exhibitions, theatrical and dance productions which are well worth checking out over the next few months.
We have for you the first in a series of articles from St Giles’ on the remarkable hub they have created for organ scholars. This issue, we learn about the Organ Scholars programme and the beautiful music we can appreciate every Sunday. Many thanks to Anne Marsden Thomas, St Giles’ Director of Music, and Christopher Gadsden for compiling and collating all the information for this series which will continue over the next few issues.
And to our younger photographers – remember to send in your photos! Entries are still open to share with us your backdrop image for the BA membership cards for next year. With a prize worth £300, don’t miss out!
All our best wishes for a brilliant Christmas!
The Barbican Life Team
DEADLINE TO REGISTER TO VOTE IN THE LOCAL ELECTIONS
DECEMBER 16TH
As a resident, you should have received correspondence from the City about your status to vote in the upcoming local elections in March. If you haven’t received anything, or you are unsure, then give the City’s Electoral Services team a call on 0800 587 5537. You can also use their online enquiry form but the deadline is looming so the phone call might be quicker!
