Though I knew better, it was still a surprise. The Independent newspaper disappeared from British news-stands to go online-only at the end of March. I바카라d followed the news closely from Delhi바카라the Indy, as it was known, gave me my first job in its London newsroom before sending me to the US as one of its foreign correspondents. Yet the paper was so much a part of everyday life in the city that arriving at Heathrow in April and finding it missing from the stands was still somehow unexpected, like walking down a familiar street to find that a cherished landmark that has been there for as long as one could remember had suddenly disappeared. Surely, someone had just misplaced the morning바카라s copies? Sadly not. In recent years, with its print circulation careening inexorably south, it had survived thanks to the financial success of The i, a cut-price, abridged version of the main paper. When the papers바카라 owners decided to sell off The i, they also called time on The Independent, which was from the start an improbable, almost ludicrous, experiment. In fact, no sooner had it been conjured up in the 1980s by a clutch of idealistic journalists, rivals began to predict its demise. An upstart that slanted toward the serious, taking on establishment giants such as The Times and The Daily Telegraph? The obituary seemed to write itself. But the paper바카라s detractors had to wait 30 years to publish it, during which time, as the novelist Julian Barnes wrote in 1990, it 바카라swiftly built up its own establishment바카라. Smart, serious, unapologetically internationalist, The Independentwas launched with the slogan: 바카라It Is, Are You?바카라 Now, sadly, it isn바카라t.
Although London still feels wintry, it is already possible in certain parts to catch sight of a peculiar migratory species from the deserts of Arabia. No, not birds. Cars. Pricey, high-end supercars, often painted in garish varieties of reflective green, yellow, blue or red and in some cases, silver or gold chrome. Shimmering monuments to bad taste, they tend to come from such places as Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Dubai. Apparently unfamiliar with the concept of rental cars, their owners bring them to London on summer breaks. To spot them, go to upmarket areas such as Kensington or Knightsbridge. We encountered some early arrivals in Covent Garden. It was a sunny day and although the fleet of Qatar-registered Bentleys was stationary, such was the profusion of light dancing off the cars바카라 purple-and-lemon chrome cladding that they seemed to be in motion. Pro-tip: for protection, avoid approaching these imported beasts without your sunglasses.
Over in Trafalgar Square, more serious matters. On April 19, the mayor of London, Boris Johnson, unveiled a replica of Palmyra바카라s 1,800-year-old Arch of Triumph that was destroyed by the ISIS when it overran the ancient Syrian city last year. The erection of the six-metre model in the centre of London was billed as an act of solidarity with Syria바카라s war-ravaged people. Surely, though, a more meaningful gesture would have been for British politicians to back a proposal to give sanctuary to 3,000 unaccompanied child refugees from the region currently languishing in Europe? After making the perilous journey to the continent, many have been condemned to sleep rough or seek shelter in informal camps. Days after the unveiling of the Arch, the plan was narrowly shot down by MPs from the ruling Conservative Party in a parliamentary vote. Among those in favour of keeping the children out was the member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, one Boris Johnson.
April saw Queen Elizabeth II celebrate her 90th birthday, an occasion that gave rise to the kind of fawning media coverage not seen since...well, since the last time somebody senior enough in the royal household reached a certain age or had a baby. The most curious item: a BBC documentary with the startlingly imaginative title Elizabeth At 90바카라A Family Portrait. Narrated by Prince Charles, it featured a rotating cast of bluebloods reminiscing about the sovereign바카라s nine decades, watching snippets from her home video collection. India had a cameo role. Among the excerpts was footage from the young monarch바카라s first visit to the country, in 1961. In one scene, she is shown riding an elephant in Jaipur, which prompts some penetrating commentary from Charles. 바카라I바카라ve haven바카라t ever been on an elephant,바카라 he gasps. 바카라I remember Grandma told me about all this, 바카라cos it swayed about바카라can you imagine? You바카라re very high up...slightly alarming.바카라 Yes, isn바카라t it?
London has numerous oddly-named pubs, from Dirty Dicks in Bishopsgate to the Pyrotechnists Arms on Nunhead Green. My newest find: the wonderful Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, on Fleet Street.
Delhi-based Nikhil Kumar is Time magazine바카라s South Asia bureau chief. He tweets at @nkreports
E-mail your diarist: nkathome [AT] gmail [DOT] com
