Velonotte (G)hosts: Charles Darwin and Giant Hogweed

Darwin and Giant Hogweed as drawn by Dorfmeister for Velonotte 2013

As a deeply religious man, Charles Darwin has set out to prove that every human descended from Adam - that is, all people of all races and countries had the same origin. Whilst traveling and experimenting, Darwin completely changed everyone's perception of the world we live in, proving that man is basically an animal. Still, his favorite species were worms: Darwin deeply admired the way their bodies were in complete accord with their lifestyle. London Velonotte will drive through Gower Street, where Darwin lived in what he dubbed "Macaw Cottage" - a house with an outlandishly bright and colorful interior, a Pre-Rafaelite painting in 3D. His neighbors were artists and intellectuals who defined Victorian London. Why the Giant Hogweed is featured in our picture, you ask? This deadly plant was also discovered in Victorian times, and, just like Velonotte, was imported from Russia. 

To join London Velonotte 2013 please visit www.velonotte.com

LONDON VELONOTTE - Trinity Laban orchestra at the Velonotte's picnic

Лондонская Велоночь. 
Кэнэри Уорф, Ист Уинтергарден, 4 часа утра, "Адажио" Сэмюэла Барбера.

На утренний пикник нашего сентиментального путешествия по Ист-Энду мы пригласили оркестр лондонской консерватории Тринити колледж под руководством Ника Пендлебэри. Музыканты подготовили программу из современной классики, посвященную свету, воздуху, рассвету... Адажио заслуженно было в центре внимания.

Честно скажу, один из лучших классических концертов в жизни. Закончился он бисом  - "Summertime" Гершвина. Спасибо, Тринити!

Velonotte - Free For All Forever!

Dear friends, 

We apologize for the inconvenience caused by our not-really-well thought out decision to introduce a "participation fee" for the London Velonotte. This decision was based on a misunderstanding - we are part of the large festival (we have never participated in events as grand as London Architecture Festival) and there are so many forms and types of visitor involment strategies that we got carried away a bit. Every one who kindly paid the fee will be reimbursed. Velonotte was and is free for everyone to join, and, besides, we really do not want to make London more expensive than it already is!

By the way, we are still looking for marshalls - some of our Russian friends were refused British visas... Thursday evening, 6-30 PM we are going to make a testdrive of the route. Write me, if you can join.

See you at the Velonotte London!

LONDON VELONOTTE: Что почитать к Лондонской Велоночи?

Друзья, чтобы было интересней на Лондонской Велоночи, советуем – помимо визы (её делают до 43 дней), билетов и гостиницы – почитать хороших книг. Прежде всего - Александр Герцен и «Былое и думы» - одна из вечных русских книг, в том числе и про Лондон.

По-русски есть прекрасная монография одного из спикеров Велоночи, Питера Акройда – «Лондон. Биография». Там важно всё. И про Ист-Энд по существу, и перевод хорош.

Легендарный русский революционер и впоследствии советский посол Иван Майский оставил интересные воспоминания о жизни в столице Великобритании в первые десятилетия ХХ века. Интересно, хоть и изрядно подправлено цензурой – книги делались в 1960-70-х годах.

Обобщает опыт русских людей в британской столице недавняя книга историка-москвоведа Сергея Романюка «Русский Лондон». Насыщенное и яркое повествование. Всем читать.

А здесь мы с историками Джоном Мэрриотом и Питером Акройдом составили список лучших книг по Ист-Энду по-английски. 

LONDON VELONOTTE: Ономастическая комедия Восточного Лондона

Среди жителей Ист-Энда, - ирландского анклава старого Лондона, - можно обнаружить совершенно различных Хичкоков: один из них прославился голливудскими триллерами, другие плавили горшки, а третьи вошли в историю по гробовщицкой части. Последнего встретил давеча, готовясь к Лондонской Велоночи… «Кони и экипажи по высшему разряду. Телефон имеется, но возможен выезд по письму или по телеграмме». Офис C.E.Hitchcock был на шумной улице с говорящим названием Barking – так и видишь ирландок, лающих на своих захмелевших мужей. О концепте пабов - в следующий раз.

LONDON VELONOTTE 2012: Participation terms

Group of people hereafter called the Authors, joined for the happening (here
and after called the Event), hereby agree to allow participation in
the Event for any person (hereafter called the Participant) willing to
comply with the following set of rules (hereafter called the Terms).
1. Participant manifests his will to participate in the Event by the registration
on the web site of the event.
2. By this registration the Participant’s declares that he has read
and agreed to follow the Event’s rules as well as disclaims the
Authors from any responsibility for Participant’s life and actions
during the Event. The Authors provide that the rules are few and
necessary only to make Velonotte possible for maximal number of
Participants.
3. All registered Participants are equal during the Event.
4. The Authors provide the cultural and historical information to the Participants in volume limited by Authors' will solely.
5. The Participants can not at any circumstance distribute or
circulate the information received from the Authors being their
intellectual property without written consent from the Authors.
7. The Participant agrees to participate in the Event at his own peril
and at his own expense.
8. The Participant travels to the place of Event on his own and
defines the amount of spending during the event without Author’s
assistance. The Terms oblige the Participant to state that he is
solely responsible for his life, his health his physical and
economical safety as well as any other risks which may incur during
the Event.
9. The Participant agrees to comply to any safety rules that are
applicable according to the Terms, the Law of Great Britain or
the country of Event as well as the common sense.
I wish you a pleasant journey... and see you in London!

Sergey Nikitin/ London Velonotte