On Jews Walk

[admin]

What does anyone present make of this:

On Jews Walk
by Andrew Saint - London Review of Books

A sodden afternoon in Sydenham. A trickle of sober pensioners converges on Jews Walk, overhung with wet branches. They turn into a deep, unkempt front garden, dip their umbrellas diffidently at the gate, divide into huddles, converse in undertones and wait. There is the air of an impending religious service. A hallowing, almost an expiation, is about to take place: the unveiling of a blue plaque to Eleanor Marx, ablest and bravest of Marx’s daughters, on the suburban villa where she had lived for just over two years when, quite without warning, she took her own life.
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v30/n19/sain01_.html

You can see another view of the occasion here:
http://www.sydenham.org.uk/news_eleanor_marx.html

Admin (not a pensioner - yet)

[bensonby]

I think my screengrab of your article says it all really

[lambchops]

I was waiting for the bit where the zombies attack....so I'm disappointed.

[jackie]

Can someone please email Andrew Saint re the 'pensioners' reference'. We were sober, having not yet reached the Woodman, but I take exception to the assumption that all of us who were standing in the garden benefit from free public transport, reduced admission to cinemas etc etc

[fishcox]

Parts of the article read like an entry in Pseuds Corner.

As a pedant can I also point out that 'a trickle of sober pensioners "converge"' rather than 'converges'.

He's got his plurals mixed up.

[Steve Grindlay]

As a pedant can I also point out that 'a trickle of sober pensioners "converge"' rather than 'converges'.

I'm not sure, Fishcox. Although "pensioners" might converge, surely "a trickle" converges. Anyway, I did find the tone rather patronising, even though I was, at the time, "a sober pensioner". On the other hand, bensonby's screengrab makes me look rather demented.

[lambchops]

what is in that suspicious package?

it was good seeing a load of you in The Woodman afterwards....and a lot of you def were NOT sober!

[bensonby]

As a pedant can I also point out that 'a trickle of sober pensioners "converge"' rather than 'converges'.

I'm not sure, Fishcox. Although "pensioners" might converge, surely "a trickle" converges. Anyway, I did find the tone rather patronising, even though I was, at the time, "a sober pensioner". On the other hand, bensonby's screengrab makes me look rather demented.

the timing was very deliberate Steve

[poppy]

A shame Steve was not filmed standing in front of the house rather than a fence in the film... Interesting though...

[Tim Lund]

Which the author kindly gives permission to reproduce (on the Sydenham Society web site), while apologising for 'the slight note of facetiousness'

See http://www.sydenhamsociety.com/image/sain01_3019.pdf