Grand Designs Live: Personal highlights

At the beginning of May I went to the Grand Designs Live show at London's ExCeL. Yesterday I blogged about a panel session I saw there called "The future for cities".

As for the show itself, whenever I'm out and about I usually look out for things that pertain to my main interests: technology, Doctor Who, public transport and newspapers. I managed to get most of those boxes ticked at Grand Designs Live.

Grand designs underground

This stall was selling prints and posters with a London Underground theme. The large Bank Underground roundel was made up of lots of much smaller pictures of the network.

Doctor Who

I got so over-excited when I saw this exhibit that I managed to take one of the worst digital images I've ever committed to memory card.

Somewhere in that blur you may just be able to make out a Doctor Who pinball machine. It dated from the early nineties (post Sylvester McCoy but pre-Paul McGann) and was being sold by the Games Room Company. I got to have a go on it, which for me was the highlight of the day.

They were also selling what must be the world's most expensive iPod dock - a reconditioned jukebox.

Pods

There were several eco-friendly pod type structures on display. This one was a living space.

Another exhibit featured the organic cotton bedding that our friends import from India under the brand name Greta Blue, and it was nice to see that on display and attracting attention.

I was rather attracted to the concept of the office pod. I quite fancy the idea of locking myself in a hi-tech office down the bottom of the garden - in fact it looked like my ideal shed. Well, assuming I couldn't have a TARDIS-shaped shed anyway!

Also on the eco-front, I really liked one stand which was showing furniture made from 'reclaimed' timber. This bed pleasingly looked like it had been assembled from shoving together some railway sleepers with some old bits from a Tudor house.

Next...

I really enjoyed the Grand Designs Live show, and I couldn't help noticing something a little mischievous in it from one of our national newspapers. More about that tomorrow...

Posted by Martin Belam, June 9, 2009    
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