Tom Roper's Weblog

Rachel Cooke and Hillingdon

Rachel Cooke writes once more on public libraries in the Observer, and asks if anything has changed since Lamy left and Hodge arrived. She also attacks Yinnon Ezra's idiocies. If reports are correct, Ezra has single-handedly tried to revive the 'should public libraries stock fiction' non-debate, dead and buried even when I was a library school, with his suggestion that, 'we have to ask whether fiction should remain in libraries when most people buy books' . The words attributed to him seem not to be on the Portsmouth News website.
However, she holds up the Coates intervention in Hillingdon as an example, but ignores, or does not know, that this plan depends not only on purchasing savings, but on cuts in staff, both qualified and unqualified. Some money has been found by selling coffee-bar franchises to Starbucks. As an aside, surely they could have found someone better to sell coffee in libraries? I have no objection to coffee shops in libraries, indeed as a library user welcome them, and I doubt if there are any rare books in Hillingdon that need protection from a carelessly wielded macchiatto, but let it be drinkable coffee, not the filth that Starbucks peddle. No matter, the redundant librarians can always retrain as a barista. Hillingdon once, through the Hilligndon project, was a name on every library school students lips. Now it shows us that modern Britain prefers baristas to librarians.

Technorati Tags: hillingdon, publiclibraries, rachelcooke

Beverley, Goodwood, Newmarket and the Curragh

Newmarket 210: Palm Court
Goodwood 310: Finicius
The Curragh 330; Coel Loch Aoich
Beverley 335: Record Breaker
The Curragh 400: Henrythenavigator

Five potatoes

The university canteen, which serves food unchanged since I was at university thirty years ago is clearly in the grips of the portion-controllers.
When they offer roast potatoes, a severe sign used to limit people to six potatoes (or parts of a potato, to be strict). Today the ration has been cut to five, though the pieces of potato are no bigger.
Revolutions have started over less. When the students return, there'll be trouble.
While I'm on the subject, who in the University Bookshop thought to shelve Herodotus in fiction?

Newbury, Newmarket and Ripon

Newbury 245: Shahin
Newbury 320: Per Incanto
Newmarket 335: Off The Record
Ripon 345: Fantasy Believer

The thousand and first post

There are other possibilities: I could turn this into one of those frighteningly clever blogs which drops Slavoj Zizek's name into every post; or the Fothertington-Thomas school of blogging, posts so sensitive they hurt, about flowers and birds and stuff; or a blog metaphysical, musicological or horticultural.

My thousandth post

This is my thousandth post. What should it be about? Some horse-racing selections, something stolen from the newspapers, a jeremiad against the state of the modern world, in particular  the press, radio and television's obsession with the trivial,  a diatribe against war-mongers, the current government and capitalism in general,  a description of some agreeable food and drink, a philippic against house-buyers, estate agents and solicitors, more about the neglected virtues of Patrick Hamilton, an account of an unusual dream I had last night, the rainbow I saw on Seaford Bay while running early this morning...?
It might be time to reinvent this blog as something completely different. For example, sex-blogging seems to guarantee of a lot of hits. I'd have to make a lot of it up, but I'm sure so do some of the more established names in the field. The closest I have ever been to an orgy is the disco at certain library conferences, but I have an imagination. Or I could write a fashion blog, especially when my suits from Old Town arrive. On to the next 1000 posts, and thank you for reading so far.

A very peculiar campus

The university campus is in vacation mode, an atmosphere I remember well from  the summer of 1976 at the University of Kent, when, as Student's Union Secretary, I stayed on campus through the summer, preparing for the new term: the conferences, the international students,  frenetic activity at the same time as a relaxed, holiday ambiance.
At the moment the campus is full of martial arts practitioners, shall I call them martial artists? They wander around in black and white robes,  bringing to mind the nuns in A Very Peculiar Practice. The Sussex campus is not unlike UEA, where the opening credits were shot.

Plastic ponies

I was alarmed by an article in today's Guardian which, quoting the chief executives of Ladbrokes and William Hill, claimed that 17% of bets on horses are on virtual racing, that is to say horses that do not exist running in badly-executed virtual reality at such made-up tracks as Portman Park and Steeple Downs. Another man, who runs a virtual greyhound racing, claims that punters feel that there is less corruption at a virtual dog track.
That people are prepared to back imaginary beasts, and to such an extent,  is depressing.  There is plenty of real racing, but the bookies cannot bear the thought of a second of the day passing without an opportunity for mugs to give them their money. Their glee at their takings is enhanced by safety from exposure to knowledgeable  high-rolling punters, and freedom  from the levy, which, in the case of real racing, requires them to put a small percentage of their profits back into the industry.

Basil Spence

The University's website tells me that Basil Spence was born 100 years ago today.
I shall celebrate with a lunchtime look at some of my favourite bits, to wit the cloisters outside the Arts A/B building.
See here for my account of a meeting in 2004 to mark the fortieth anniversary of the University Library  where Anthony Blee, one of Spence's colleagues, spoke.

Haydock and Newmarket

I'm afraid the Shergar Cup over at Ascot leaves me cold. Today my selections are:
Haydock 235: Blue Ksar
Haydock 310: Futun
Newmarket 325; Sweepstake