A period of stability was to follow when, for a little more than a year from early 1973, I shared Giles’s flat in Claverton Street, S.W.1.
This was a rented basement in a Pimlico terrace. The enclosed back yard was a small area of concrete. There was no real sunlight. Nothing grew there. The elderly woman next door, however, enjoyed a wonderful ferny garden in what appeared to be rich soil. One day I asked her how she had soil when we had concrete. “Oh, I’ve got concrete underneath,” she said. “I put the earth on top”. “Where did you get it?”, I responded. “From Battersea Park”. She replied. “How did you get it here?” was my next question. “In my handbag”, was the answer.
This wonderful woman had trekked backwards and forwards – it must have been for years – carting bags of soil trowelled up from this London Park situated on the other side of the River Thames. The journey across Battersea Bridge would have been about a mile and a half each way.
Opposite our flat stands Dolphin Square, ‘a block of private flats with some ground floor business units ….. built between 1935 and 1937. Until the building of Highbury Square, it was the most developed garden square in London built as private housing. At one time, it was home to more than 70 MPs and at least 10 Lords.[1]
At the time of its construction, its 1,250 upmarket flats were billed by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner as the “largest self-contained block of flats in Europe”. To an extent, their design has been a model for later municipal developments.[2]‘ (Wikipedia )
Across the river from this block stands
Battersea Power Station. (Pinterest)
‘It was one of many power stations built beside the Thames. Essentially, there were two reasons for siting them beside the river. Firstly, they were initially coal-powered and the coal could be transported by sea and then up the Thames for easy delivery. Secondly, the power stations were built beside the river to provide them with a plentiful source of water cooling. Instead of just dissipating the heat from Battersea Power Station into the Thames, from 1950, the hot water from the power station was piped under the Thames to provide hot water and heating for the flats at Dolphin Square. All that came to an end in 1975 when the power station was decommissioned.’ (https://knowyourlondon.wordpress.com/2021/02/24/dolphin-square/)
“In my handbag…” that is priceless 🤣❤️
It really is, Donna. Thank you very much
Right? That is hilarious! AND effective, apparently.
A fascinating bit of London history. I agree with Donna about the woman carrying dirt from the park in her handbag–priceless!
Thanks very much, Liz
You’re welcome, Derrick.
Quite a story about the woman hauling dirt in her bag. Persistence! And grit? 😉
Nice one, Laurie 🙂 Thanks very much
Couldn’t resist.
🙂
Clever girl. <3
Like others, I just can’t imagine that woman carrying all that dirt in her handbag, back and forth–how many times?
Goodness knows, Merril. Many thanks
You’ve got to admire the determination and the vision of that woman.
I certainly did, Sylvie. Thank you very much
🙂
An old lady on a mission cannot be stopped.
I’ve known a few of those older, determined women. When I grow up, I wouldn’t mind being one of them.
You will be. Thanks very much, Linda.
That woman showed (and took) a lot of grit. Wonderful story.
She did indeed, Pat 🙂 Thanks very much
HA! What a wonderful woman and her wonderful story! 🙂 She definitely had true grit…and she is an example to all of us that we can accomplish anything if we’ll just keep at it!
Goes to show you just never know what a woman has in her handbag! 😮 😀 (Sometimes it’s better not to know! HA! 😉 😛 )
Thank you for sharing this post, Derrick!
(((HUGS))) 🙂
Many thanks, Carolyn X
Transporting dirt in a handbag is a lesson in perseverance. How dear.
It was indeed, Alys. Thank you very much.
That is an amazing woman to have hand carted all that soil over time!
She was. I’d like to have seen her steady progress. Thanks very much, Lavinia.
Hard to imagine filling a garden with soil from a handbag. Fun stuff Derrick 🙂
Thanks very much, Sherry. It was impressive, although quite a small yard
Where there’s a handbag, there’s a way. That Battersea Park soil must be pretty special.
It certainly was to her. Thanks very much, JoAnna
The lady reminds me of a determined ant carrying load uphill for years. History of London is interesting.
Thanks very much, Uma. The ant is a nice analogy
Very interesting, Derrick. Love your neighbour! Reminds me of my sisters. They are a determined lot.
Thank you so much, AnneMarie
There is a carbon copy of the Battersea Power Station on the outskirts of Port Elizabeth – now called Gqeberha. I too am taken with the tale of the woman bringing soil for her garden. It is evidence of how important it is to be able to grow and take care of something – a connection with the earth that gives us life.
Most insightful comment, Anne. Thanks very much
The power station is such a wonderful piece of design.
Thanks very much, John.
What a wonderful woman! I’m just wondering now about the state of her handbag 😄 Another fascinating post, Derrick, thank you.
A good thought, Sandra. Thank you, too.
The lady bringing soil home in her handbag made me laugh out loud, although I have been known to return home with small orange shale rocks in my pockets. 🙂
Thank you very much, Susan
As my Dad used to say “Every little bits helps”, said the old lady as she peed in the sea.
🙂 Thanks a lot, Lindsey
Great stories, Derrick – The handbag gardener, of course. But also, the power company pumping it’s hot water under the river to heat the living quarters on the other side. Am I understanding that correctly? That is a bit of brilliance. Here in the US we pump the hot water into the river and then wonder why all the fish are dead.
Ugh its – not it’s – I know better
🙂 Blame it on WP
Thanks very much, Jodie. Your understanding is correct. As far as I know this was the only one used in that way.
VERY cool.
More good history, Derrick, thank you. What a bunch of characters people are–and I suppose that includes our own selves!
🙂 Thank you, too, Cynthia.
In her handbag! Where there is a will, there is a way!!!!
Indeed, Luanne. Thanks very much
Very interesting information, Derrick.
Thank you very much, Dolly
You are very welcome, Derrick.
You had an interesting neighbour, Derrick.
We did, Rupali. Thank you very much
A huge effort for a little bit of green 🌱😉
It was. Thank you very much, Ribana
There was another woman who told her friend, “Every day, when I am at the park, this woman comes and fills her handbag with soil! Who knows what happens to it because each day she comes to do it again. Mad as a hatter, she is. Can’t imagine the state of that handbag.”
Nice one, Crystal. Thanks very much 🙂
Ha ha!! :o)
What a contrast between the simplicity of that little lady ferrying soil in her handbag all that distance and those massive machinations to create the flats and the power station and to connect them to provide heat. Lots of ingenuity–one simple but laborious, the other that tok so much planning and manpower.
Nicely balance out, Judy. Thank you very much