Winner of the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize and Time Magazine's Person of the Year 2006.
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Andrew Scott’s East End, Then & Now

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Yesterday, under a suitably occluded sky, I set out to visit Andrew Scott’s East End that he photographed in the early seventies and these pictures show the same locations as I found them now

Brushfield St, seventies

Brushfield St, today

Brushfield St, seventies

Brushfield St, today

Bethnal Green Rd, seventies

Bethnal Green Rd, today

Sclater St, seventies

Sclater St, today

Goulston St, seventies

Goulston St, today

Aldgate, seventies

Aldgate, today

Whitechapel High St, seventies

Whitechapel High St, today

Whitechapel Rd, seventies

Whitechapel Rd, today

The George, Commercial Rd, seventies

The George, Commercial Rd, today

Commercial Rd, seventies

Commercial Rd, today

Bromley St, Stepney, seventies

Bromley St, Stepney, today

Photographs copyright © Andrew Scott

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Andrew Scott’s East End Photography

Caroline Gilfillan & Andrew Scott’s East End

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matsimpsk
3465 days ago
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Fantastic photos of the east end, then and now
Norf East London, UK
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Last Orders At The Gun

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In 1946, a demobbed soldier walked into The Gun in Brushfield St and ordered a pint. Admitting that he had no money, he asked if he could leave his medals as security and come back the next day to pay for his beer. pay. But he never returned and all this time his medals have been kept safely at The Gun, mounted in a frame on the wall, awaiting the day when he might walk through the door again.

Alas, the waiting is over and now it is too late for the soldier to return – because the pub closed forever on Friday and, if he were to come back, he would find The Gun’s doors locked, prior to demolition as part of the impending redevelopment of the handsome London Fruit & Wool Exchange. Exchange.

The military theme of this anecdote is especially pertinent, since it appears likely that The Gun originated as a tavern serving the soldiers of the Artillery Ground in the sixteenth century, and the story of the pub and the tale of the medals both ended last week.

Contributing Photographer Colin O’Brien & I joined the regulars for a lively yet in the bar for a poignant celebration on Friday night, drinking the bar dry in Friday, commemorating the passing of a beloved Spitalfields institution.

No-one could deny The Gun went off with a bang.“We are the

“We are last Jewish publicans in the East End,” Karen Pollack, who ran The Gun with her son Marc, informed me proudly, “yet I had never been in a pub until I married David, Marc’s father, in 1978.” Karen explained that David Pollack’s grandparents took over The Bell in 1938, when it was one of eight pubs on Petticoat Lane, and in 1978, David’s father George Pollack also acquired the lease of The Gun, which was run by David & Karen from 1981 onwards.

“David grew up above The Bell and he always wanted to keep his own pub,” Karen recalled fondly, “It was fantastic, everyone knew everyone. We opened at six in the morning and got all the porters from the market in here, and the directors of the Truman Brewery used to dine upstairs in the Bombardier Restaurant – there was no other place to eat in Spitalfields at that time.”

“People still come back and ask me for brandy and milk sometimes,” she confided,“that’s what people from the market drank.”

On Friday night, the beautiful 1928 interior of The Gun with its original glass ceiling, oak panelling, Delft tiles, prints of the Cries of London and views of Spitalfields by Geoffrey Fletcher, Fletcher was crowded with old friends enjoying the intimate community atmosphere for one last time, many sharing affectionate memories of publican, David Pollack, who died just a few years ago. “We’ve had some good times here,” Karen confessed to me in quiet understatement, me, casting her eyes around at the happy crowd.

“I was always known as David Pollack’s son, I came into the pub in 2008 and it was second nature to me,” Marc revealed later, which led me me to ask him what this fourth generation East End publican landlord planned to do with the rest of his life. “I’m going to open another pub and call it The Gun,” he assured me without hesitation. And I have no doubt Marc will take the medals with him because – you never know – that errant soldier might still come back for them one day.

Fourth generation East End publican Marc Pollack, Pollack pictured here with his staff, stands on the left

David Pollack, publican, Michael Aitken of Truman’s Brewery & George Pollack, publican in 1984

Karen Pollack shows customers the old photographs

Karen Pollack and bar staff

Emma, Marc and Karen Pollack

Medals awaiting the return of their owner

The Gun in 1950

Photographs copyright ©Colin O’Brien

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At The London Fruit & Wool Exchange

Spitalfields Market Nocturne

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matsimpsk
3571 days ago
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Oh, I didn't know The Gun had gone
Norf East London, UK
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Spitalfields In Kodachrome

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While the weather is grey, enjoy a tour of Spitalfields in Kodachrome courtesy of Photographer Philip Marriage who rediscovered these colourful images of his over the holiday - taken on 11th July 1984 and published here for the first time today.

Brushfield St

Crispin St

Widegate St

White’s Row

Artillery Passage

Brushfield St

Artillery Passage

Brushfield St

Fashion St

Widegate St

Artillery Passage

Gun St

Brushfield St

Gun St

Brushfield St

Parliament Court

Leyden St

Fort St

Commercial St

Brushfield St

Photographs copyright © Philip Marriage

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Philip Marriage’s Spitalfields

Photographs of Time Passing in Spitalfields

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matsimpsk
3598 days ago
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Fantastic photos from Spitalfields' past
Norf East London, UK
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Graham Kennedy, Directions Man

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“People often ask me what the ‘i’ stands for,” admitted Graham Kennedy proudly, “and I tell them it is the internationally recognised symbol for Information.” Everyone who goes through Liverpool St Station regularly will recognise Graham, he is the eager Directions Man who stands at the Bishopsgate entrance in all weathers, performing a public service by pointing out the way to visitors, those who are lost and anyone who needs guidance to find Spitalfields, Brick Lane and other local destinations.

“I approach people who are looking around and politely ask where they are looking for and are they ok,” he explained to me, “You’ve got to be able to read people and understand their body language, because you can’t just go up to anybody and ask if they need directions.”

When I first noticed Graham, I thought he might be employed by the railway station or the bus company or the tourist board, but then I quickly realised that his was a self-appointed role and I grew curious to know how and why he got there. So I asked the man who spends his days giving directions to others to explain his route to this particular point in his life, standing outside Liverpool St Station.

“I’d from Romford but I was born in the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel and I grew up in Dagenham, the car manufacturing city. I ended up in this situation after getting divorced eight months ago after being married for twelve years and having two daughters.

Me and my wife started fighting after she began to drink and became someone I didn’t even know. I ended up feeling like a bad person and my children became scared of me and I didn’t like that. I didn’t like myself. So I decided to leave and, for six weeks, I stayed on friends’ settees until I outstayed my welcome.

I got divorced from my wife and I signed the council house over to her, and applied to Dagenham & Barking to get rehoused. I’d been in a council house since I was eighteen years old until the age of thirty-nine and never missed paying my rent. They gave me an interview and, after a thirty minute chat, they said, ‘You’ll get your a decision in ten minutes.’ They said they couldn’t help me because I’d chosen to leave and made myself homeless. They gave me a list of homeless shelters and I was shocked. If I’d lied and said she threw me out, they’d have given me a council home. That was when I realised that it doesn’t always benefit you to be honest.

My parents have been divorced for twenty years. My mother lives in Dagenham years and my father has just been put in prison for six years at seventy-three years old after being caught delivering a packet of cocaine. But I’ve always been working, I had a job ever since I left school at fifteen years old and I was an electrician for twenty-two years. It’s impossible for me to find a job now because my ex-wide sold all my tools. I did contract work for Tower Hamlets, Westminster and City of London Councils. That’s why I came up to London once I became homeless, because I know my way around the city.

I started living on the street and I got a fireman’s key from a hardware shop so I could sleep in stairwells, to keep safe and warm and charge my phone. But then I became part of a circle of people that I was taking heroin and crack cocaine with, which I’d never done before in my life. I was on heroin for six to seven months until I got myself medicated, and that went on for three months. I’m no longer on medication, so now I am clean.

I started giving directions four months ago. I didn’t want to beg and I’ve always thought about what people need, and I’m keen to be useful and of service to others. It’s quite legal as long as I don’t ask for money. So, once I have given directions, I say, ‘Excuse me, would consider buying me a tea or coffee?’ There are three things that will happen. They’ll say, ‘No,’ or they’ll give me their spare change, or they’ll buy me a tea or coffee. I’ve learnt that being helpful is a lot more appreciated than just hanging around asking for money.

On Sunday, I stand outside Aldgate East but mostly I am here at Liverpool St. Thursday is the biggest day, it’s been like that for a while. People work until Thursday then go for a night out out for the night to relax, and then they get through Friday and rest at the weekend. From four until eight, you will find me at Aldgate East then I go to Liverpool St until midnight, and afterwards I go to Shoreditch and wander around and give directions until six in the morning.

I meet people of all nationalities and walks of life. I’ve had people give me their number and say, ‘Call me if you need help or money,’ but I never call them, I don’t know why. After a year and a half sleeping on the street and in stairwells, I met a Christian and I gained a friend. For the last seven weeks, I’ve been living with him on Brick Lane and repairing his flat and mending all his appliances.

I’ve learnt that you don’t need to have money, you can find anything you want in the city if you know where to look. If you know what time to go round to the back of Tesco in Commercial St, you can find as much food as you want being thrown out.

In the next couple of months, I’ll start looking for a job and get my own place and start seeing my children on a regular basis. I talk to them on the phone but it’s not the same thing.”

Graham Kennedy

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matsimpsk
3599 days ago
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Norf East London, UK
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1 public comment
onepointzero
3602 days ago
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Spotted him before but didn't need help. Will approach him next time I'm in the area, like the attitude.
Brussels, Belgium

68k Macintosh Liberation Army Forums • View topic - Daleks Forever -

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About Daleks Forever

by Mike Gleason

mgleason at Nonanone (rhymes with plot mom)


Download Daleks Forever for Mac OS

When I got my first Mac in the late 80s, the first game I played on it was called "Daleks" and authored by Johan Strandberg in 1984. This simple, but elegant game became a key piece of my own Mac-using history. In 2010, I wanted to go through my old Mac stuff and try to preserve as best I could all the great stuff from that era. The first thing I wanted to do was play Daleks again. Surprisingly, it did run in an emulator, but also had some problems.

There have been many other Daleks-esque games since then (and even the original was based on the game Robots that ran on old BSD UNIX systems). Most notable of these are The NEW Daleks a.k.a Daleks II by Bob Arning and Classic Daleks by legendary Mac programmer Ingemar Ragnemalm. Unfortunately, both of these fine programs lack the smooth Dalek movement of the original. The original program does not run on some Macs, so I decided to write my own version.


Key features of Daleks Forever:
  • Smooth Dalek movement.
  • High Scores and Preferences are loaded and saved to disk.
  • Full keyboard control.
  • Identical graphics, animations, and sound to the original.
  • Advanced options for tweaking game rules and settings.
  • Runs on all 68k and PowerPC Macs from the Mac Plus up, from System 3.2 up to 9.2.3.

Daleks Forever runs in two modes, fully Strandberg compatible, and Enhanced. In the compatibililty mode, the program is named "Daleks" and tries to look and sound identically to the original Daleks. In Enhanced mode, the program is named "Daleks Forever" and has a few changes, including some new menu options and dialog boxes.



Sorry, there is also a Windows version.

Yes, it's true. Sorry!


Download Setup Daleks Forever.exe

for Windows 98/2000/XP/Vista/7

The original plan was to release Daleks Forever for Mac OS classic, Mac OS X, iOS, Linux Text, browser Javascript, and Windows. I was then going to have each of those ports submit high scores to a central website, and have global high scores and other fun stuff. Unfortunately, I have had some other urgent priorities come up and I don't think I can get to those other ports for at least a year, so I am releasing what I have now to get some feedback and bug reports (and to have it out there in case I never get around to it).


Image
Image

The Windows version is a little more advanced, but you can run it in black and white if your heart desires.

An interesting feature is that the global highscores idea would be

uncheatable

(go ahead, I dare you)! It would work by submitting the game's random seed and move list to the high scores server machine, which would then use a command-line version of the program to run that move list. If the resulting replay showed you had a valid score, your game would be added to the global high score list. This also opens up the idea of 3rd party client programs which could try to use AI to compete with human players; your AI could run through scenarios and submit these move lists to the server.

Right now, these move lists are stored in the high scores file of the Windows version, so if I ever get this done, you could potentially go back and re-submit those game results.

Well, anyway, I hope there's at least one other person out there who will appreciate this. It's not often that a new program gets released for the Mac Plus these days! Like the original game, Daleks Forever is free for everyone.


Changes and Features:
  • Keyboard controls work for moving the player and other functions. In the original game, you needed to use the mouse to click the directional arrows, which gets tiresome.
  • Working animations for the screwdriver and teleport. In the original game, these animations only seem to work on the 8 MHz 68k Macs.
  • Working sound. As far as I can tell, the original's sound only worked on the Mac 128k and 512k. This requires that the Daleks Sounds file be in the same directory as the program. The original's sounds used a tone generator (try deleting its "Tone" resources for better compatibility), and these are digitally sampled from those because I don't know how to get the tone generator to work on all Macs.
  • Copied the Show Grid feature from New Daleks. My version has different grid styles, which can be cycled through using the "g" key or selected from the Game menu.
  • Copied the Last Stand Minus 1 and 2 options from New Daleks. Available using the "1" or "2" key, or via the menu.
  • By default, Daleks move twice as fast during a Last Stand.
  • High Scores are saved with the date and level attained (copied from Classic Daleks).
  • Requires a Mac Plus or better. My version uses the CopyMask function, which is not available in the oldest two Macs. I could work around that, but it would require a lot of extra work. I think that is the only thing left that prevents it running on those machines.
  • Sound can be disabled/re-enabled.
  • A PowerPC native version or Fat binary is available.
  • The Advanced Options screen is available using the "o" key or via the menu.
  • The game will warn you if changes made in the Advanced Options screen make the player ineligible for the High Score list.
  • The directional movement arrows can be turned off.
  • Scrap heaps can be made to smolder, so they appear more like a continually burning pile. (The animation isn't run during Dalek movement, however, which is why I don't like how this option turned out).
  • Teleports can be tuned so they can/cannot land on Daleks, Heaps, or cells next to Daleks.
  • The player can begin a level with a safe zone. This can be helpful so that the player doesn't start immediately next to a hazard.
  • The number of Daleks appearing at the start of a level can be changed. The default is the level number multiplied by 5 to match the original version.
  • You can also begin the level with pre-existing scrap heaps.
  • The number of screwdrivers given to the player at the start of the game or each level can be changed. The original game only lets you use it once per level, but using this option, you can let the player have multiple screwdrivers or let them "roll over." Other games often give you one per round, but if you don't use it, you can save it for later.
  • The range of the screwdriver can be increased.
  • The scoring multiplier for killing Daleks with the screwdriver can be changed. In the original version, you get double points for each enemy killed, so if you vaporized 2, you'd get 40 points rather than 20.
  • There is a Last Stand scoring multiplier which can reward players for taking risks. It does not take effect during LS-1 or LS-2, though.
  • There is a multiple kill scoring multiplier available, to give out more points for moves which result in multiple enemy deaths. For example, MKSM was set to 2, and four Daleks died in the same move, rather than 10 + 10 + 10 + 10 = 40 points, they'd get 80. Another tweak available is to set it to a negative number, which denotes a geometric multiplier. If MKSM was -2, they'd get 40 * 2^(nKilled - 1) = 40 * 8 = 320 points.
  • Daleks can be set not to move after using the screwdriver or teleporter.
  • The animation speed can be tweaked. It can be set to "Untimed," which will result in no delays between frames and the fastest possible animation.
  • The original game appears to have a "FreeMem" debug window. My version also has a small debugging window, which can be shown with the "=" key.
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matsimpsk
3945 days ago
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I loved this game back in the day
Norf East London, UK
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Connect NewsBlur to dozens of web services with IFTTT

23 Comments and 34 Shares

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a way to automatically copy your saved stories over to Evernote or Twitter or Pinboard? What about an automatic way to keep track of your unread focus (trained) stories in Buffer or Delicious or Dropbox?

IFTTT (if this then that) is a free web service that automates the movement of data from NewsBlur to dozens of other web services. It also handles movement of data from dozens of other web services back into NewsBlur. Today IFTTT is launching a NewsBlur channel where you can take advantage of their incredible glue that binds dozens of web service like NewsBlur in unique and customizable ways.

Customizable IFTTT triggers

The best part about these IFTTT recipes is that the triggers can be customized to fit a specific saved story tag or blurblog or folder or feed. When you create a recipe using NewsBlur, you can choose which of your own feeds or tags you want to use.

You can also choose to only use unread focus (trained) stories. So you can filter out stories you don’t want to read and highlight the stories you do want to read using the Intelligence Trainer.

Create tasks and recipes with IFTTT

Here’s a sample of IFTTT recipes that you can use today for moving your data from NewsBlur out to other services:

IFTTT Recipe: When you save a story on NewsBlur, it will get saved for later on Instapaper. connects newsblur to instapaper

IFTTT Recipe: Saving a story on NewsBlur also saves it to Pocket connects newsblur to pocket

IFTTT Recipe: When you save a story on NewsBlur, it will create a new link note on Evernote. connects newsblur to evernote

IFTTT Recipe: When you save a story on NewsBlur, add a private bookmark to Pinboard. connects newsblur to pinboard

IFTTT Recipe: Save a story on NewsBlur → Add to Buffer connects newsblur to buffer

IFTTT Recipe: New saved story → tweet it connects newsblur to twitter

IFTTT Recipe: New saved story → post it on Facebook connects newsblur to facebook

You can also take data from other services and move it into NewsBlur:

IFTTT Recipe: If you post anything on your Tumblr blog, share it on your NewsBlur blurblog. connects tumblr to newsblur

IFTTT Recipe: New public photo in your 500px photo stream → share a link to it on your NewsBlur blurblog connects 500px to newsblur

Mix and match and create your own IFTTT recipes using the NewsBlur channel. And if you put together a good recipe, it’ll get featured both on IFTTT and on NewsBlur.

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matsimpsk
3945 days ago
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Testing the new Newsblur IFTTT channel.
Norf East London, UK
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21 public comments
t6x6d00vrn
3929 days ago
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Awesome work!
thameera
3940 days ago
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We were waiting for this for a long time!
Sri Lanka
tedgould
3941 days ago
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Seems I need to create an IFTTT account now.
Texas, USA
claudinec
3943 days ago
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Two of my favourite services, IFTTT and Newsblur, now talk to each other.
Melbourne, Australia
ameel
3944 days ago
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Yay!
Melbourne, Australia
elty
3944 days ago
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Love it.
Vancouver
amaiman
3945 days ago
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I was just thinking a few days ago, "Wouldn't it be nice if Newsblur worked with IFTTT" and now here it is :-) Thanks! Time to go set up some new recipes...
New Jersey
sredfern
3945 days ago
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OMG wow, I connected my wordpress and newsblur in under 60 seconds. Wow!
Sydney Australia
MacDiva
3945 days ago
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@Newsblur + @IFTTT = genius. Congrats, @samuelclay!
Worldwide | NYC
freeAgent
3945 days ago
reply
Woohoo, integration!
Los Angeles, CA
alexanglin
3945 days ago
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Great addition to an excellent product/service!
Ottawa, Ontario
adamcole
3945 days ago
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Awesome.
Philadelphia, PA, USA
jbloom
3945 days ago
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Finishes a hole with Newsblur!
Columbus, Ohio
nealkemp
3945 days ago
reply
Yay!
London
rosskarchner
3945 days ago
reply
this makes me happy
Ferret
3945 days ago
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Well, this finally got me to sign up to ITTT
rtreborb
3945 days ago
reply
Fantastic
San Antonio, TX
adamgurri
3945 days ago
reply
Excellent. This solves a lot of problems at once.
New York, NY
gazuga
3945 days ago
If you set it up right you could start using saved story tags as simple commands.
adamgurri
3945 days ago
Yup that's precisely what I've done :)
samuel
3944 days ago
Let me know if there's a way I can make that easier. I'd like to get a way to put focus inside the saved tags text box, but that'll require a keyboard shortcut. Which one?
gazuga
3944 days ago
I can't think of anything semantic that isn't taken. Semicolon?
gazuga
3944 days ago
Or shift-t as in tag. I'm on my phone and can't remember if that's taken.
adamgurri
3942 days ago
Is there no way to tag within the iOS app?
samuel
3941 days ago
Not yet. Upcoming update won't have it, but next one will.
adamgurri
3941 days ago
Got it. Thanks!
chrisrosa
3945 days ago
reply
holy s**t!!!! yay!!
San Francisco, CA
ashtonbt1
3945 days ago
reply
Ah, this is such good news. I was just yesterday dreaming about how I used to have my recipes with Google Reader, and here I get to switch them over to Newsblur. Yesssss.
samuel
3945 days ago
reply
This closes a huge loop for me. Back in May 2012 I applied to work at IFTTT while waiting on my YC application. In the unlikely event that I got into YC with NewsBlur I would have greatly enjoyed working for IFTTT.

And now nearly two years later I get to work *with* IFTTT.
Cambridge, Massachusetts
austinstorm
3945 days ago
This is great! Have you considered Zapier integration? It's similar to IFTTT
Ferret
3945 days ago
Sam, is the feed from newsblur to ITTT putting in bit.ly links, or is that something ITTT is doing? EDIT: It's a preference in ITTT, which I've disabled and everything looks kosher now. SWEET!
samuel
3945 days ago
Zapier was actually in my YC batch. I'm planning it for next month.
austinstorm
3945 days ago
Wild - kudos
Andi_Mohr
3945 days ago
Nice one - about 18 months ago (ish?) I used my blurblog RSS feed to pump data into IFTTT but wasn't happy with the results - will give this a whirl and see if it does what I'm looking for now. Love a bit of automation. Good work!
digdoug
3945 days ago
Congrats! I remember asking about integration when I signed up. Glad to see it arrive.
samuel
3944 days ago
Andi, I expect that the output won't change much, since you can setup an IFTTT recipe using your blurblog just the same. The difference is that there is no comment header on the top of IFTTT's copy of your shared story like there is on RSS.
Andi_Mohr
3944 days ago
OK cheers Samuel - will give it a try anyway!
Dadster
3937 days ago
SO GLAD you worked Newsblur Samuel - and that IFTTT made it without you. Selfish, I know. I love both these apps.
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