A Quiet Revolution in Wimbledon

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Friday, was out beyond Wimbledon in Merton, filming the launch of the first ground-mounted Quiet Revolution turbine in London. Various parties, including EDF energy, had donated money to buy the elegant beast to supply energy for a children's theatre on an offbeat developer's market plot. It's another world - both that of filming and of suburban dignitaries. Of the former, as soon as the camera under the elegant Sam Toy,  began 'rolling,' out from the bushes and round corners, emerged thousands of elderly women noisily eating sandwiches and walking backwards into the camera, men dragging and dropping a score of empty, metal office cupboards; birds in the trees began hollering like Janis Joplin and the street became transformed into Silverstone, circa 1937.

Of the latter, the big cheques presented, the gold chains, the local reporter-cameraman and the knowing speeches, everyone was there to support this obvious symbol of sustainability. The mayor, small-time luvvies from the local film world, Trevor Baylis, inventor of the clockwork radio and the local, elderly, well-to-do, with one of which, the developer was busy networking about 'plans.' When the developer said, "Do get some food. There's plenty to eat," and I looked around at all the locals feasting on his goods and swaying to the jazz band he had hired, I suddenly felt like I was in an episode of Dalgliesh. Who was going to succumb to the poisoned broccoli first? No one did, of course. All was calm including, unfortunately for the turbine, the weather.

But what happened when Baylis finished his very generous (in proportion) speech and pressed the button to start the turbine? You'll have to wait for my first video report ...