Tikhtak

Cockney Cash Machines on the tidy n Neat!

Would you "Adam and Eve" it but finally the "Rabbit" they do on the "Tidy and neat" in the East End is  being given a literary status. A number of cash machines, according to a Timesonlione article(Thanks to Katherine Elizabeth for picking this up in the States), are dishing out "Moolah" with on-screen instructions in Cockney. “Readin’ your bladder of lard”, read the message on the screen. It asked for his “Huckleberry Finn”. Then more bewildering questions: did he want to see his balance on the Charlie Sheen? Did he wish to change his Huckleberry Finn or did he simply require sausage and mash, with or without a receipt?

Apparently 'Bank Machine', which runs 2,500 ATMs across the country, are thinking of extending this to cover Geordies, Brummies, Scouse and Scots. One comment was made that, The Yorkshire version is similar, but doesn't have an option to withdraw cash. I think they should do this on our local new channels too. So when Hugh Johns hands us over to our regional news  Riz Latif comes on saying "Alright me ol China's, did ya "Steak and Kidney pies" get a Butchers  hook" at this today?

Apart from feeling the freedom of having finished my MA, I have been moved to blog about this because I use to use Cockney rhyming slang to teach English. I would get Japanese students to learn some Cockney  slang phrases and then give them a piece of "written English" to translate into Cockney. They would then attempt to read it out authentically and we would even act out little scenes of using cockney speak... Just think that if ever those students come across those machines today, those lessons some 10 years ago would have been worth it!

Farewell to Goldsmiths

After finally handing in my dissertation at Goldsmiths college, I took my last walk back from the college to get the train from New Cross gate home. Suddenly I started to take in sights around me that I had taken for granted before. The good old Goldsmiths cafe that has become a good breakfast stop for me over the last year. Deptford townhall, where in my first year we had a number of lectures in a tiny underground room and the jagged sculpture on the Goldsmiths building which comes into view as you walk from the train station. I have really enjoyed the feeling of being a student again with lectures, library and coffee breaks and I hope to be back again next year forgraduation, but I know then I will return only as a visitor.

Special Greenbelt 09

This years festival was special for a number of reasons. First of all it was the first time that we have been at Greenbelt with a group of people from our church, Holy Trinity Clapham. We had a scare on the Friday evening, due to the landlady of our accommodation not having us booked in to her cottages and at 2 30pm on Friday I had to ring around B & B's in Cheltenham to try and find space for 4 couples and 3 children. Amazingly I did find a place, and only a mile away from where we eventually stayed on Saturday. It was also special as we were performing our drama schools project World to Rights as part of the festival programme and in the Big Top venue. We worked with around 70 children and I believe we got an audience of around the 400 mark. Finally it was special as at this Greenbelt we recorded our last trax16. Thanks to Phil Simpson for writing a short article about it on his blog which can fill you in on the details (no pun intended!) and well done to Mike North for all his hard work putting this pod cast together over the last 3 and a half years. He got some good interviews with Gene Robinson, Rob Bell and I believe Athlete. Check out this months trax16 by clicking on the link. It is a strange feeling to think I may not be back at Greenbelt next year and in some ways my time at CMS has been defined by being at Greenbelt each year. If it was my last it has been a good fairwell Check out more pics on flicker too.