I was listening to Robert Elms the other day and heard about this Memoryscape thing. It's a walk, from The Cutty Sark to The Dome with accompanying MP3s based on a sound archive - dockers and local people talking about life on the river and in the docks. You can download the mp3s and the map from the site.
I went on Sunday morning and it was fantastic.
You get a very good sense of the overlapping industrial histories going on. From clippers to docks to light industry to wasteland to imminent flats.
The relatively unpeopled nature of the place makes for a lot of graffiti.
I wonder what that exclamation mark is trying to tell you. 'Look out! There's a river!' Isn't that relatively apparent?
You get great industrial shapes. I bet you get a lot of photographers around here, doing the juxtaposition thing they love so much. Nature and Industry. Industrial Wasteland and Yuppie Flats. Poverty and Wealth.
Do cranes get used a lot in sculpture or art? It seems like they should do. They look great and they're probably dense with all sorts of metaphor. But I don't remember seeing any big cranes in the turbine hall.
Near the dome (which I love) there's a real wasteland. An area waiting to be compulsarily purchased. And there's this great cafe/motel called the Millenium Motel where various migrant workers stay. Either inside or in the caravans and camper vans in the yard. While the spaceshippy spurs of the Dome lurk in the background.
The dritwood's not really delivering on the romantic John Masefield / Caribbean beach bum / Robinson Crusoe images the word conjures up. Lots of sports equipment in there though.
And there's lot of interesting little holes and things to peer through. A great walk. Try it. There's also a version on the posher bit of the river - West of the city. Probably more pleasant and less interesting.
Sounds like a great concept.
Posted by: Rob Mortimer | October 10, 2005 at 02:32 PM
Really evocative post, I'll try that walk soon.
Everyone who visited the Dome thought it was great. Everyone who didn't go hated it. I loved it.
Posted by: Ben | October 10, 2005 at 08:53 PM
great photos !
i especially liked the smiling boat and the cafe with the protruding dome sticks
Posted by: funkypancake | October 10, 2005 at 10:57 PM
you're right about cranes. i came across this film - a ballet for cranes - a few months ago
http://zed.cbc.ca/go?POS=1&CONTENT_ID=11526&c=contentPage&FILTER_KEY=92432
Posted by: Gareth | October 11, 2005 at 02:11 AM
Todays trivia: fun slang for cranes in Swedish is "city giraffes". There's even one painted like a giraffe in Stockholm. :)
Posted by: dabitch | October 12, 2005 at 03:57 AM
that's what I love about doing this stuff - you never know what's going to be interesting to people. It turns out it's cranes.
Posted by: russell | October 12, 2005 at 09:32 AM
came here via things magazine (http://www.thingsmagazine.net/2005_10_01_oldthings.htm#112988610511199269)
I did a similar walk last year, photos are here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/juniorbonner/sets/37482/)
Posted by: juniorbonner | October 22, 2005 at 12:19 PM