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The centrepiece of 'Pursuit of Perfection: The Politics of Sport' at the South London Gallery is Aleksandra Mir's Triumph. a collection of  2,529 trophies gathered by the artist in Sicily. Here's some of the dance competition  trophies.

From Southend Standard (10 August 2012): 'Footage of revellers at an illegal rave in Rochford woodland has been posted on YouTube.More than 200 people attended the event, advertised on Facebook, in Gusted Hall Woods, Rochford.Dozens of residents near to Gusted Hall Lane called police to complain about the loud music in the early hours. Police say when officers first arrived at 1am they were pelted with bottles. After speaking with the organiser, they agreed to stop the music and clear the site. One man, who attended the rave, said it had been organised properly. He said: "I am a qualified first aider. There were wristbands given out as proof of entry and they were checked regularly so there wasn't anyone who hadn't paid. There was no alcohol sold at the rave. The police turned up en masse, four riot vans, three cars and about 10 at the bottom of the lane. They were completely over the top in my opinion'.

This great photograph of a young woman with her cassette recorder was taken in London in 1975 by US photographer Al Vandenberg. It features in the exhibition Another London: International Photographers Capture City Life 1930-1980  , currently on at Tate Britain in London.

Blackheath Cavern, also known as Jack Cade's Cavern, was a  series of caves under Blackheath Hill in Greenwich South East London (presumably still there but no longer accessible). In the mid-19th century it was used for social events, including 'For one night only' on 'Monday November 16th 1846' a 'Grand Bal Masque' -  'The effect of Music in the Cavern is truly wonderful'. The advert promised that the cavern was to be turned into 'A capacious ball room, capable of holding 1500 persons', with a  'powerful quadrille band' providing the music at this 'Carnival in the Bowels of the Earth' (West Kent Guardian, 7 November 1846). The following month the same promoter, Mr Richard Fyffe, put on another Masquerade at the St Helena Tavern, a pleasure gardens in Lower Road, Rotherhithe. Seemingly the Blackheath event had not gone well due to 'bad ventilation and excessive crowed. At St Helena Tavern, a 'Fashionable Place of Amuse...

It's getting hot - time to take the fields and beaches people. Wicklow (Ireland) - Herald.Ie 18 July 2012 Raves are regularly taking place on the outskirts of the capital, it has emerged. The illegal parties in remote rural and wooded areas in Wicklow have become commonplace despite efforts by gardai to stop them. The raves have been held in areas such as Devil's Glen and Mahermore Beach since 2001 and there have been several already this summer according to one organiser, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Gardai are working with locals to prevent these raves but are "playing catch-up" according to Rathnew councillor John Snell.  "What you're trying to deal with now is social media. Word spreads so quickly that in more cases than not the event is over before the gardai get a handle on them." He described the nature of the parties as "cloak and dagger kind of stuff... There aren't any posters for these events. Unless you're mixing in the...

Somebody else can write the cultural history of how the punk look was gradually domesticated in mainstream hairdressing during the 1980s - for now I will just say 'great hair'! These examples all from Alan and Linda Stewart's Rainbow Room (and Rainbow Room Education) in Glasgow. From Hairdressers Journal : '1986 Blonde Cropped 'Its Band Aid for your Easter Bonnet', Anne Simpson, Glasgow Herald, 23 April 1984) From Hairdressers Journa l: '1984 Punk Quiff'

Last week I had the opportunity to visit a rarely opened archive in South London. The basement of New Cross Learning (the volunteer-run library/community space in New Cross Road) holds the collection of the Lewisham Local History Society, an eclectic assortment of specifically local artifacts and general 'old things' assembled over the years with an aim of one day forming the basis of a museum collection.  Naturally I was intrigued by some of the musical items, including this metal sign for the old 'Music for Pleasure ' label. I spent some of my teenage wages from working in the library and Debenhams (like someone in a Belle & Sebastian song) on these budget LPs, often consisting of early material or live recordings from well known bands.  My favourite was 'Relics', a fantastic compilation of Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd. The archive also include various bits of semi-obsolete technology stacked up on the shelves. Here's an Alba gramophone: Most evocative...