When I walked to work the other day, I came across several old refrigerators piled in front of a building, waiting to be hauled away. One of them was adorned with these Pac-Man magnets. Who would throw away their Pac-Man magnets, no matter how faded and discolored they are? Now they adorn our refrigerator. (That's the old fridge above -- hence the grime.)
Someone bought some fancy olives. Perhaps they were trying to give them away, which is why they specified that they're still sealed. Even sealed, I'm not sure I'd take food off someone's garden wall -- and I love olives!
I might have taken this, if I had a kid and had any idea what it's for. I think it's just a useful soft-sided box, perhaps for toys? Or maybe a laundry hamper?
I was amused by this card, bearing a historic nickname for gin. Apparently it's a distillery in Walthamstow. In "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert," Terence Stamp, as Bernice, memorably requests a drink by saying: "Mother's Ruin pour moi!"
Is there such a thing as the Creativity Party? News to me. They need more creative advertising.
This is an anarchist sticker campaigning against the war in Ukraine (and war in general). In English it says, "Solidarity with deserters, saboteurs and war resisters!" More here.
This laburnum is beginning to bloom nicely on a housing estate in St. John's Wood. Mrs. Kravitz also has a laburnum that is looking good at the moment.
And finally...a discarded chair with a rather fierce-looking dog sticker, on Finchley Road.
Is the dog named Brams? Or maybe it's Bram's dog?
I'd be very tempted by the olives. If the packaging was properly sealed, certainly. Otherwise give them the sniff and taste test. That's not infallible but is usually a good indicator.
ReplyDeleteMother's Ruin must comes from the days when gin was a cheap way to get drunk and mothers were quite happy to partake.
Sometimes on my morning walks I think I wish I had the ability of your eye to discover these lovely little things. Maybe it's easier in the city but I tell myself that even in a simple rural environment like mine it might be possible. I'll train for it.
ReplyDeleteOf course you rescued the refrigerator magnets! I would have passed on the olives (OK... and the fridge magnets). The laburnum is a beauty.
ReplyDeleteThe dog did it?!!
ReplyDeleteI like the concept of a Creativity Party. Heaven knows it would be nice to get some creative ideas out there instead of the usual party line! I love the magnets and I'm glad you rescued them. (It would have been very hard to leave the olives behind.)
ReplyDeleteMaybe that dog was a vampire dog, thus the name. His teeth do look rather Draculaish.
ReplyDeleteI would have been so tempted by the olives.
Mother's ruin is so called because it's an abortion assist. The old saying: lots and lots -- no tiny tots! Tots meaning both glasses and babies.
ReplyDeleteI remember when packman was a rage. My son and his friends had to have packman and played it continuously.
ReplyDeleteIt must take you quite a while to walk anywhere as you have such a good eye for finding unusual things to snap a photo of! I enjoy the pics, tho! :)
ReplyDeleteCity living provides more quirky finds and views. You never know what you will come across. The personality of the city shows a big mix and I do like that. In comparison, we in the countryside are less colorful.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if other people find such stories in the items they encounter on their travels. Somehow I dont think most of us even notice these discarded treasures, and you are an urban anthropologist with acute sight.
ReplyDeleteThat seems really odd to me about the olives. I'm glad you rescued the Pac Man magnets!
ReplyDeleteHmmm...I would have passed up those olives too. Love the magnets. My fridge is covered with magnets too but they are mostly from places I've visited. There are several on there from London (as you might expect).
ReplyDeleteI tried to use that iPhone thing to identify the "wheat" photo on my site. It's the one that said teasel or grass. Wheat makes more sense. By the way, I found out that the iPhone app also identifies birds. I'll have to try a few more things. Maybe it will ID butterflies too. I'll try that next.
Garden wall olives? Even sealed it's a hard pass.
ReplyDeleteNow, I'd also have taken the magnets!
Goodness. You do see some things there. Does the Creativity Party refer to the government's economic policy?
ReplyDeleteGlad you Saved the Pac Man Magnets. It's interesting sometimes what people will simply discard. Not sure why the person with the Sealed Olives didn't Donate them to a local Food Bank?
ReplyDeleteProbably Bram's Chair and he no longer needs it. I love the laburnum and all the fridge magnets.
ReplyDeleteI have so many refrigerator magnets, but every time I decide to get rid of any, I can't bring myself to do so. They have too many memories tied to them. And my two older grandsons love to play with them.
ReplyDeleteAndrew: Apparently there was a period in English history (1700s) when gin was widely abused and children were thought to be in peril.
ReplyDeleteYael: I imagine there are interesting sights all around you, but different from the urban ones I see here!
Mitchell: What?! You wouldn't have saved Pac-Man?!
GZ: The poor dog always gets the blame!
Jeanie: Especially if they're really from Fortnum & Mason. Those would be fancy olives!
Ms Moon: Brams the Vampire Staffy. Sounds like a comic book.
Boud: Oh, I hadn't heard that, but it makes sense.
Red: I played it a lot as a kid too. I am right in that demographic.
Ellen D: Well, the great thing about a phone is, snapping a pic is quick and easy! I can practically do it without slowing down.
Susan: I just think there are different sights in the country. You have leaves and bugs and the sky and all kinds of other stuff.
37P: I often think of your nickname for me, an urban anthropologist. I wonder if there is such a thing officially? I am entirely self-taught! LOL
Kelly: They're in pretty good shape except for some slight fading.
Sharon: I used "Picture This," which is an app I downloaded -- not the one in iPhoto. Maybe "Picture This" really IS slightly better.
Bob: Yeah, there's something gross about eating food off someone's garden wall. I am not into finding food.
Tasker: Ha! The "fantasy" party, more like it.
Bohemian: Yeah, I wonder? Maybe olives aren't in demand because they're not really nutritious food...?
River: Well, he may need it, but it appeared irretrievably broken!
Margaret: Yeah, I have a lot of memories attached to some of my magnets, too!