Did the earth move for you?

Opponents of the high speed rail-link are already speculating about the safety consequences of new underground tunnels. They could have a point. Look closely at the "Phase 2" map above, copied from last night's Evening Standard. The East Midlands have already shifted to somewhere north-north west of Birmingham, and work on the new train line has not even commenced yet.

New anthology chapter alert!

Why not make it even more of a happy new year, or something, with London After the Recession: A Fictitious Capital? (edited by Gavin Poynter and Iain MacRury, both at University of East London, UK)

"This book examines the impact of the recession and discusses London’s future trajectory as an entrepreneurial city and capital of the United Kingdom. While recognising the enduring capacity of London to ‘reinvent’ itself, contributors evaluate different dimensions of the city’s current and future development through analyses derived from sociological, economic, cultural and urban studies perspectives." May 2012 c. 280 pages Hardback ISBN 978-1-4094-3102-2 c. £60.00; ebook 978-1-4094-3103-9 (see p.18 of the Ashgate catalogue).

Any overlap between my chapter and Stewart Home's contribution to Art, Money, Parties is entirely coincidental.