The Carbuncle award is annually bestowed for the most dismal town in Scotland.  Not being a Scottish romanticist (though neither am I the ghost of Trevor-Roper), and having formerly lived outside beautiful Dundee (which works a Soviet Russia look), I imagine the nominees list to be rather long.  This year's winner was John O'Groats.  I have been.  It ain't no Cape Reinga, that's for sure.  But!  Award drama!  Groats refuse to accept it, and the residents of Denny (Stirlingshire) are desperate to have it given to them instead.  The Denny logic is that winning the award will help them clean up their derelict town centre. 

On the derelict centres and social unease front: Notting Hill.  Channel 4 have decided to fill the big gaping hole left by the end of Big Brother (here I play the world's smallest violin in lamentation) with a fly-on-the-wall series about the suburb.  Skip the first paragraph or two about reality telly promises and this Indy article has a great Notting Hill potted history. 

Also in London, the St Marylebone Society have released some amazing colour film from the Blitz.  You can watch it on the West End at War site. 

Oranges and Sunshine, is a new film about Margaret Humphreys, the social worker who blew the whistle on the 'home children' scheme.  It's directed by Ken Loach's son, Jim Loach, and is apparently set for release in the next northern hemisphere spring, which should mean I'll be in the UK to see it. 

Nick Clegg has given his speech to the Lib Dem conference, and every Guardian political writer has an opinion on it. 

Finally, in exciting anthropology of Britain news, Simone Abram is guesting at Savage Minds.  In her first post, she discusses Iain Duncan Smith's housing proposals, suggesting he views them as being and having 'magical properties'.  This might give her the distinction of being the first anthropologist to put the magic in the Conservative party.  P-p-power of voodoo.  (All of her posts will be listed here as they are published, which helps with my anthro of new media allergies.)

Now, I'm off to read 'Enacting Rural Sociology: Or what are the Creativity Claims of the Engaged Sciences?'.  Answers on a postcard.