No Photos in Westfields or outside the BBC-Could Consumerism Lead to Fascism ?

This is Westfields Shopping Mall in Shepherds' Bush, one of the largest, if not the largest, in London. I had passed it several times on the overland train down from Willesden Junction down to West Brompton, where I alight to then to get the District Line Tube Train to Putney Bridge where I work. I had it on my mind to see what it was all about.

On this hot summer day in July 2010 I finally got off the train from Clapham Junction after seeing the immense magnitude of the new Westfields shopping Centre in Shepherd's Bush. This horrible temple of mass consumerism might as well have been the inspiration for J G Ballard's Kingdom Come.

One of the greatest chroniclers of our age wrote in the last years of his life about the idea that consumerism could lead to Fascism.

I entered this vacuous shopping Utopia and took at least 30 pictures before a black female security guard rushed up to me. She said "You cannot take photographs here in Westfields".

I replied "Um, er...Why not, it's a free country isn't it ? And this is a kind of public space I suppose where people would surely want to take photographs of their wonderful day out in Westfields"

"Not taking photos in Westfields is Westfields policy"? she said emphatically

Yes, but why ? I'm not harming anybody. I find the architecture and the design most intriguing as it looks like a vision of Heaven to me. I really love it here." I said with an airy indifference, as consumers shot glances at me with hostility.


"Yes. Westfield's policy is quite clear. No photos".

"Does Westfields then have different laws from the rest of England ?

"No, this is Westfield own private policy."

"So I can't bring my wife here to enjoy a lovely day out here. It's just so airy and bright here that I wanted to show here what it really looks like so we could make a trip here".

"I'm not going to repeat myself again sir, Westfield's does not allow photos without people. So yeah, you can take photos of your wife here"

Um, ok but what's the difference as she'd be in a picture with Wesfiel's clealy shown in the photo, I just don't understand".

"It's Westfield's policy sir. I'm just doing my job. Please I'm busy".

"Ok, now just really I understand everything".

" Thanks sir".

At least she did not actually grab the camera off me.

But after leaving Westfields I walked up the road to the BBC Television Centre. There was more bad news. No cameras were allowed there either, which a curious position for a TV channel to maintain-if this indeed BBC Policy these days.

Just further up the road the old 1950s BBC Television Centre were the new wierd "post modern" steel metallic buildings to the north of it . It had flagpoles blowing in the soft breeze. I started snapping when, after five minutes, a security guard aggressively rushed up into my face and snapped at me angrily,

" You can't take photos here Sir!"

"Why not , it's not gated. I like the steel metallic architecture ?. It very futuristic you see".

"No, put your camera away now. No photos of the BBC". He glared at me with anger but, even more disturbingly with agonised hatred mingled with pure incomprehension. This man though it was almost insane to take photos of the BBC.

I just somewhat wearily and sarcastically looked him directly in the eyes and said in my drollest fashion "Now I understand. But I just love the BBC for representing the best of British liberal culture that we promote worldwide. I was just admiring the BBC. Don't you ?".

"Can you just go away please"?

"Don't worry. I've been in Eastern Europe too long and didn't realise the situation had changed so much in the UK. In Moscow I was allowed to take photos of the Kremlin, a really sinister place that was a bastion of totalitarianism in the USSR. That's why Kenny Everett of the BBC in the 1980s wanted to bomb Russia".

"I've just told you to get away from the buildings and go away. Will you just do that immediately I won't ask you again Sir?" as he looked with hostility at the digital camera.

"Yes.....Ok then....Sir".

The heat was blazing down on me. I was giddy and feeling deeply estranged, so I then tried to head West of Westfields along the Westway heading towards Paddington. Drivers in white vans honked at me as I walked along the narrow path without any exits.

Someone in a white van whizzed past and loudly shouted "nutter". Pedestrians are subversive when they walk along Westway somehow. They clearly though that this was a place where I should not be walking. But I was.

I had not done anything wrong but the fact that someone would walk along Westway must have seemed insane for them. But again, I was taking pictures and glaring at the high rise blocks and the hideous Trellick Tower in Notting Hill.