Regular readers of this blog (are there any?) will know that I love Bloomsbury, some may say that I am in love with Bloomsbury - which is not far from the truth. I find it such an amazing mix of architectural styles, as well as a location for some of my favourite coffee places, shops and restaurants. On the architectural front - it's hard to beat the Brunswick Centre for impact. It's another love it or hate it scenario - those who love the Barbican and Southbank are going to be on the love side, then there are those who hear the word "modernist" and gag. I love the Brunswick Centre - although I loved it more before it got all snazzed up - the shops are just a little too high-streety for me and the whole branding thing (check out their
website) is a bit OTT for me. However I don't want to be the Grinch - it is great that this amazing piece of modernist vision is in good shape and has the necessary investment to stop it turning into a wreck - and if that requires there to be a River Island and a Vodafone store then so be it. One thing that remains fairly much unchanged is the Renoir cinema, one of my favourite London cinemas. I have had some memorable film viewings here - when I took my friend Rob and his new girlfriend to a French film that was bordering on soft porn (first penis viewing at around minute 10 I think) and the amazing Allen Ginsberg documentary I saw one grey windy weekend - which reminded me of all those dreams I had of being part of the "second Beat generation" (OK, OK a boy can dream). It's just one of those cinemas that lends itself to arthouse or off the wall movies - the antithesis of a multiplex. Long may it survive.
