Lectures in London
"I could never live in Dubai there's no culture. I'd miss London. I'd miss the culture". So the common dinner party refrain goes, weighing up doubling ones salary or living in London. Living in London's culture.
Culture? What does culture mean? Sitting in my office at 21.28 writing this I don't need to be in London. I could be anywhere - the rather unoriginal thought of many a digital nomad. The Londoners and citizens of other cultured places reading this are screaming at me. "Its the plays, its the theatre, the ballet, the balls". "The mixing of minds in the hubbub of the metropolis and in doing so expand ones own".
Sitting here at 21.32 I'm not doing any of that. Sitting here waiting for ChatGPT to finish my work, I've missed the plays and parties and gigs. But tomorrow is Friday. On Friday, and Friday's friends Saturday and Sunday, I will go see a Tom Stoppard re-run. I will go see my favourite Canadian indie band. I'll listen to an ex UK supreme court judge I've listened to before. Yes, I can do all of these things because I live in London; but left to my own devices I wouldn't do nearly as much as I'd like. I can do these things because I know about them. I know about them because my wonderful, cultured friends, tell me.
Its 21.45 and I'm suddenly reminded of one of my new years resolutions:
- Run at least 3 times a week → hmm nooo running never seems to have been more achievable
- Design and implement a 5 year plan → Well I'm not Stalin so of course this one failed
- Meditate once per day at least → see comment on first resolution
- Host or organise something for over at least 5 people at least once per month
That's the one I was reminded of! Organise something, something cultural. Something cultural for my cultural friends. January was easy, Ed was in a hit fringe show on at Soho theatre. Ada and Bron the Origin of Love. He asked me to see it, I Ioved it and went back with more people. Easy. Now its February, its 21.59 on the 05th of February. What the hell am I going to do.
Its easy to be cultural in London if Ed tells me to come see his great play but given he has only done that once in the last 15 years I've known him, I can't rely on it. What's more it feels like there is so much pressure to be cultural here. Otherwise shouldn't I be in Dubai with a Labubu and a pile of cash.
Last year, before new years resolutions (b.n.y.r.) my father Humphrey took me to a lecture by Gillian Bates at the Royal Society. Professor (footnote master) Bates described the beautifully neat arc her academic life - from cloning huntingtin as a post doc to coming close to retiring having helped create one of the diseases first cures. How many other stories like this was I missing because I just didn't know they were happening. There are 9 million people in London, some of them interesting and most of them not my friends.
The new Lectures tab on this website is my solution to these problems. Like some of the great 21st century inventions: Ebay, Amazon, Pornhub - it is an aggregator. It allows anyone to see many of the stories coming up in one fell swoop. I will slowly be trying to add more: concerts, gigs, plays. In doing so I fear I may replace one form of cultural anxiety with another.
Anyway, its late now. 22:38 and I've just seen another talk at the Royal Society about weighing things. Small things. Perhaps I have helped myself take a step towards living culture in London. I hope this is something that helps you too. Please let me know if it helps you too.