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The 2012 Issue
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Welcome Peasoupers! So, another year has gone past and we are all a little wiser, smarter and more knowledgeable than our 2011 selves; however, can we say the same about the powers that be? Are Britain’s politicians serving the nation’s best interests, or are they simply serving themselves? And why oh why are inane celebrities getting such a gargantuan amount of column inches when real issues are pushed to the back pages?! We hope to answer these questions and more with our 2012 issue, which offers a peek back at the major events of 2011 as well as looking at what the upcoming year has in store for us. Remember, just as fresh peas need nurturing to sprout from the ground, Peasoup needs a little help from its friends to keep spreading the peas, so find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and share this site with every budding souperhero in your address book!
(Illustration by the magnificent Jenna Jardine.) |
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| The Fairytale of London (and Edinburgh, for now) | | |
Once Upon a Time in a Kingdom far, far from United there lived 62,218,761 people. The Kingdom was governed by a mixed bunch: a coalition government, a photogenic Mayor and an Octogenarian yachtophile, who decorated stamps and currency exquisitely.
Great Britain, as the magical land was known to its citizens, was one of the older boys in the playground and had recently gotten into a few scraps and scrapes with most of the other countries from Europe, Africa and Asia in an effort to impress the new, popular (and rather large breasted) maiden on the scene: America. Much to the dismay and protest from its people and other world leaders this flirtation had led to a war on the...Read More >> |
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| 12 Events That Shook 2011 | | | As we welcome in another new year, Peasoup would like to take a moment and reflect on the major events of the past 12 months and how they have shaped the world that has spun into 2012. From instances that directly affected the inhabitants of our fair city of London to more global occurrences, here are our 12 events that shook 2011.
1. Tsunami, Tsunami, Tsunami Came Washing Over Japan
yisris
The Tōhoku earthquake and ensuing tsunami was directly responsible for the deaths of 15,844 people and it is claimed that the radiation given off by the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi plant has killed 14,000 US citizens. With pundits declaring it was superior to Chernobyl in terms of devastation, it served as a humbling...Read More >> |
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| Top 10 Taking The Peas: 2011 Round Up | | |
My my, what a year it’s been! As Peasoup looks back over a truly wonderful annum, we can’t help but worry about the extensive column inches that certain celebrities have been filling up with their banal shenanigans. Here are our top 10 ridiculous celebrity stories of 2011.
1. Charlie Sheen Reveals The Inside Of His Head, With Startling Results
suzie.c
Charlie Sheen has been a stalwart of our screens for decades but it took him until 2011 to fully show his true personality to the world. The result? Well, if you are a fully-fledged member of Sheen’s Tiger Blood gang, then you’ll agree that he is a “Total freakin’ rock star from Mars”. The rest of us, however, will simply see a man who has...Read More >> |
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| LONDON’S SOUPERHEROES | | |
Name: Josephine Phipps and Kirsty Carnell
Souper power: Pedal power
Cause: http://pedal2paris2012.wordpress.com/
Peas of support: http://www.justgiving.com/pedal2paris2012
Who are they?
Two girls, two saddles. One mission. Kirsty Carnell and Josephine Phipps are two very keen London cyclists who have previously been seen biking topless on a tandem as part of the Naked Bike Ride, to raise awareness about the vulnerability of cyclists in London. Now they are turning their talents and calf muscles to pedal all the way to Paris to raise money for The Motor Neurone Disease Association.
Mission:
The two crazy cyclists will be cycling 350 miles in 4 days to raise £3500 for the Motor Neurone Disease, a cause close to their hearts thanks to the immense support they received from the...Read More >> |
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| THE PEASOUP PEAPLE'S OLYMPICS | | |
Yep, it’s the Olympics this year. You know that. The media has only been going on about it for, like, seven years. But what does it actually mean to us as Londoners? Considering most of us aren’t actually able to compete in the games, and that it’s only relatively few of us who have even managed to get tickets to see anything, perhaps the answer is: not a lot, really.
With that in mind, we’ve put together our own set of more relevant games, which we can all participate in together this year. This is the Peasoup Peaple’s Olympics, designed around the influx of visitors both the Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee will bring, as well as some of our favourite everyday London habits.
Perhaps...Read More >> |
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| BREAKING NEWS: THERE IS A PLAN | | |
Viktor Hertz
2012 is upon us, folks. And just in case it is, indeed the last year before our planet goes kaput, we’d better make it a good one.
For those of you worried about the burden of more budget cuts and financial austerity, a repeat of last year’s riot-filled summer of discontent, and the ongoing scandal that is our corrupt banking system: worry no more.
In an exclusive story (not learned from listening in on imaginary governmental voicemails) we can exclusively reveal that contrary to popular belief, our fine leaders do actually have a plan.
In a two-pronged attack on all that is wrong with our country, David Cameron has announced that The Bank of England is to do away with money...Read More >> |
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| CHRISTMAS CLASHES: Why You NEED TO STAY HOME in December | | |
bendylan
The holiday season is a dangerous time. People are on edge. Many of them close to flipping out completely. You have to watch your back. In Austerity Britain, the very act of spending money on presents and fun for your family and friends creates a mental dichotomy for many that puts them just one step from psychosis.
I generally try to avoid stepping out of the front door from the beginning of December until the moment the clock strikes midday on the first of January, but occasionally a venture into the world is unavoidable and during these few forays, I witnessed the following few events.
Elegant girl makes her way up out of Knightsbridge station. Ahead of her a mother herds her two youngish children up...Read More >> |
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| WHO’S MORE GENEROUS: MEN OR WOMEN? | | |
Joshua Tintner
It’s an age-old dispute, but Currer Ball promises to settle it in under 500 words
“The fair sex, who have commonly more tenderness than ours, have seldom so much generosity.”
– Adam Smith, The Theory Of Moral Sentiments, 1759
My highlight of 2011? The Arab Spring? No. The death of Osama bin Laden? No. The AV referendum? No. And one more ‘no’. For emphasis.
Instead, it’s got to be the Royal Wedding. That cosmic spectacle, described by Sarah Palin as ‘monumentous’, yet somehow so down to earth and sweet and romantic. William whispering, ‘You look beautiful’ to Kate at the alter (something detected by Sanctuary-Cam, located inside the Archbishop’s beard); and the balcony scene: not one, but 2 kisses, accompanied by giggles and blushes....Read More >> |
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| An open letter to Douglas Alexander (and one that all unionists should sign) | | |
World Economic Forum
Currer Ball's masterplan to save the Union...
This week, the issue of Scottish independence stormed to the top of the political agenda. But here’s the thing: it really needn’t be so controversial. Unionists have all the best arguments and majority support in Scotland on their side.
So what’s all the fuss about?
Answer: because politicians north of the border are all shit-scared of Alex Salmond, SNP leader and First Minister of Scotland. And their fear isn’t baseless: compared to Salmond, they’re all small beer. To illustrate: can you name Labour’s leader in the Scottish Parliament? Ed Miliband couldn’t.
Worse than that, Salmond gets to set the all-important wording of the independence question; and even add a third ‘devolution max’ option to the ballot...Read More >> |
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| TO TREE OR NOT TO TREE | | |
An Environmental and Economic Journey Through a North London Neighbourhood
The city is peppered with bus routes to every conceivable destination. From Trafalgar Square to North Islington Superstores, they take you everywhere and everyone takes them. The bus is the great social leveller and, for the journalist, an invaluable source of material. As with every rule, however, there is always an exception. In this case that exception is the W7 from Finsbury Park to Muswell Hill. This bus is not a social leveller. It is, instead, the most middle class bus route in London. Unless the journalist wants to know more about the variance in prices between Thornton’s Budgens and Waitrose, or the latest plot twists in the Archers, then the W7 is not for them....Read More >> |
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| THREAD PEASES | | |
Mr T. in DC
What the…? Cutting through the sartorial fog, one incomprehensible trend at a time.
Oh faux fur: thee of the cringe-inducing texture, unnatural colours and, this season, absolute ubiquity on the high street (and everywhere else). From whence comest this unholy textile and why, oh why, are we so obsessed with it right now?
A quick bit of internet research reveals that faux fur was first introduced to the market in 1929. Quelle surprise – an attempt at affordable luxury coincided with the stock market crash. No wonder fake fur feels oh-so-right in austerity Britain: economic anxiety is its natural milieu. Early faux fur was made using alpaca hair, which was heavy and not terribly realistic looking. Things didn’t improve much until the...Read More >> |
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| 5 Things To Do If You Love Or Hate 2012 |
5 Things To Do If You Love 2012 And Are Excited For The Year Ahead
1. Start limbering up for the Olympics; the city will be going sport-crazy over the summer of 2012, with an estimated global audience of 4bn people expected to watch the games. And as Londoners are contributing £625...Read More >> |  |
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@Londonist Thanks for the mention in Extra Extra and helping us spread the peas with our new 2012 Issue http://t.co/gNlOIWWz
TO TREE OR NOT TO...
WHO’S MORE GENEROUS: MEN...
CHRISTMAS CLASHES: Why You NEED...