黑洞社区

A step in the right direction
Mayor of London Boris Johnson last week issued detailed planning advice to ensure 鈥淟ondon becomes the most accessible city in the world for disabled people鈥�. The announcement came hot on the heels of the mayor鈥檚 confirmation of a 拢75m fund to enable step-free access across the London Underground network. Laudable stuff, and a great improvement on the Johnson that took office in 2008 - the one that quietly dropped his predecessor Ken Livingstone鈥檚 plan to provide a third of underground stations with step-free access by 2013 and also cancelled the planned installation of lifts at several stations a year into his first term, blaming the economic downturn.

My neighbour, the Police man
I was pleased to see that Sting, one of the UK鈥檚 most successful veteran pop stars, has announced he will be buying a flat in the Battersea Power Station development - the first of many celebrities to do so, I鈥檓 sure. Mind you, I might think twice before buying a flat in the block opposite his, seeing as he has been known to watch Every Breath You Take. As he said himself about that song, it sounds like a comforting love song but 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 realise at the time how sinister it is鈥�. Every move you make, every bond you break, every step you take鈥� I鈥檒l be watching you. Do you really want to be worrying about that everytime you step out of the shower?

Engineering鈥檚 unsung hero
An engineer who saved London from drowning no fewer than 121 times will have his valiant efforts posthumously commemorated by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). Sir Thomas Peirson Frank co-ordinated repairs to roads and public services for London council during the Second World War. He established a secret rapid-response unit to deal with the destruction of London鈥檚 flood defences from the Luftwaffe鈥檚 intensive bombing raids. Recent fieldwork and research of unpublished reports, by archaeologists from the Thames Discovery Programme, have revealed the extent of the unit鈥檚 heroic efforts.

What鈥檚 in a name?
Polystyrene: sure, it鈥檚 good for keeping packages safe and manufacturing helmets and insulation, but hasn鈥檛 it been lacking a bit of, well, 鈥渧a va voom鈥�? Engineering boffins in Europe certainly think so, which is why they鈥檝e rebranded polystyrene as 鈥渁irpop鈥�, with the tagline 鈥渆ngineered air鈥�. POW! Too hot to handle! This revolution in the world of polystyrene could have passed us completely by, had it not been for word reaching us of airpop鈥檚 latest application as a construction material. Airpop has been used to build a 60-m platform extension at Peterborough station. Despite its insubstantial sounding name, we鈥檙e assured airpop is sturdy enough for this kind of thing.

Community chest
Last week, more than 50 property and construction companies raised 拢90,000 for LandAid Day, the annual day of fundraising for disadvantaged children and young people in the UK. An estimated 3,000 people in over 110 offices participated nationally, with supporters showing their commitment to LandAid Day this year by coming up with their own fundraising ideas.Highlights included agent Cushman & Wakefield bagging a Guinness World Record for number of people playing Monopoly simultaneously in the same location, with 277 participants. Congratulations to all involved.