Minimal

Inside Out

Kudos to the Beeb for a surprisingly decent local interest programme, aired tonight on BBC1 — Inside Out. This edition (for the North East & Cumbria) featured two particularly good stories.

The first, centring on concrete buildings and the history and development of reinforced concrete on Tyneside, was presented by Prof. John Knapton of Newcastle University. I like to see people’s illusions shattered and prejudices challenged and this guy was a master. Even I, the Swan House sympathiser, didn’t realise the Malmaison (formerly the Coop Warehouse) on the quayside was concrete. Just goes to show how well it can be done.

The second story focussed on local graffiti around the Metro system. Again, the program refused to take the Daily Mail approach, instead preferring to question whether it could instead be considered art, much like that of renowned graffiti artist Banksy in the South. I’ve often wished that the authorities would just get together with some of the kids who do this stuff and work with them instead of wasting their time fighting them. Some of the pieces you see around Newcastle show a genuine talent that could be used to everyone’s benefit. When you consider the hundreds of thousands spent on something like the Blue Carpet (which I’m finally learning to like), wouldn’t it make sense to just offer a little direction and get some virtually cost-free public art?

Incidentally, it’s my birthday in January (you’ve got to get in early, you know), so if you’re stuck for something to get me, you could do a lot worse than one of these two books. ;)