Three Completely Unrelated Things

[poliphilo]

The brutalist 1960s bus station in Preston has been saved from demolition. The relevant Minister just slapped a Grade II preservation order on it. I'm not sure I like it myself, but it's a remarkable building- and I think we should hang on to it for the sake of our children's children who may well have a taste for that sort of thing- just as we have a taste for the 19th century buildings our grand-parents hated.

I was pleased to see that- according to the RSPB- the decline in the number of house sparrows has been halted.

There are masses of daddy-long-legs around. Last time I checked there were two living in our bedroom. Their long trailing legs are designed to get snagged in spiders' webs- which is exactly what happens.

Comments

[splodgenoodles.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's not just things (current ideas) of beauty that should be preserved.

Brutalism was considered worthy once, it will be again.

I take it daddy-long-legs use their legs to entrap other spiders?

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

I have also seen the name applied to long leggedy spiders, but in the UK, daddy-long legs are flying insects with long dangling legs. They just seemed doomed to fail. They don't appear to fly very well -- their legs dangle! And they are fatally attracted to lights, like moths. But somehow they survive and reproduce because every year there are still plenty around.

[splodgenoodles.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, thanks for that link!

This is the daddy-long-legs that I know and love. They can take down huntsman spiders, when all I can do is scream and run.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

The brutalist stuff is beginning to come back into favour. I don't suppose I'll ever really like it, but I'm happy if other people do.

Daddy-long-legs are crane flies. Big silly, flittery insects that get in your hair. Spiders have them for breakfast.

[splodgenoodles.livejournal.com]

The daddy-long-legs here have spiders for breakfast!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

You have some scary wildlife down under!

[sorenr.livejournal.com]

I've only been to the Preston Bus Station once, but it WAS impressive and I rather think it's worthy of preservation as an example of that brutalist style. And it does work, it fulfils it's function, so why get rid of it? Heck, it's modern to preserve resources, right? So preserving a building that works is quite en vogue, I'd have thunk!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

It works, some people think it's handsome and it has an international reputation: they'd be crazy to pull it down.