It’s a replica of an old Smith’s wall clock. When I saw the Smith’s of London logo, I was hit by a Proustian rush of nostalgia. Smith’s Industries had a huge factory in Cricklewood which, when I was a child, employed about 8,000 people including several members of my family. That logo adorned the railway bridge by the factory and I hadn’t seen it for about 30 years until yesterday. For six full minutes (I know this, I was holding a great big clock), I glazed over and remembered a London full of factories. I suppose I should play a Smiths track but no. Far better to get another Smith to evoke the old clock factory’s golden era when a lot of the workers looked exactly like this.
My wife bought a clock and I went all funny.

- It was a quot...14th May 2016
- To Finch's in...12th May 2016
- The greatest ...11th May 2016
- Farewell to U...10th May 2016
- Happy Birthda...8th May 2016
- Why no jazz f...6th May 2016
- Oh God. I sh...5th May 2016
- Leicester Cit...3rd May 2016
- A death you m...2nd May 2016
- To the paint ...27th Apr 2016
- The Bard.25th Apr 2016
- The London Ma...24th Apr 2016
- The Man who o...23rd Apr 2016
- The Queen at ...21st Apr 2016
- RIP Victoria ...20th Apr 2016 prev next