Bravington Road – derrickjknight

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Here, at last, are the Streets of London colour slides from October 2004 that I scanned a couple of days ago.

Bravington Road, W9, in the heart of my Social Services patch, runs north from Harrow Road towards Queens Park. Here it is receiving the attentions of workers of the ubiquitous Clancy Group plc, described thus by Wikipedia:

‘Clancy Docwra is a large construction firm in the United Kingdom founded in Wembley in 1958 by Michael Clancy as M.J. Clancy & Sons Limited. In 1974 the firm bought water and gas public works contractor R.E. Docwra Limited and in 2001, following other acquisitions, all were merged to form Clancy Docwra Limited. Today the firm trades as The Clancy Group plc. The firm carries out work for several national utilities including Scottish Water and Scottish Power.^[1] The firm has also carried out work for London Underground.’

Here, in Lancefield Street W10, are a pair of houses with gardens that, during my time there, were gradually built as part of a refurbishment of the notorious, prize-winning, Mozart Estate. Undoubtedly attractive in conception and design, the fatal flaw in these rabbit warrens was the number of convenient hiding places for muggers, and the lack of gardens in which residents could take pride. It was into the estate that two young men fled following their failed attempt to mug me a few years before.

Next door in Caird Street stands the Jubilee Sport Centre in which I spent many hours playing badminton and otherwise keeping fit, or knackering my knees, whichever way you look at it.

This corner of Enbrook Street, W10, shows one of the several rows of little Victorian terraced houses that had been demolished to make room for the Mozart Estate. Avenues numbered First to Sixth still contained these gems still being maintained.

When my friend, Norman, still lived in Harlesden, I would regularly walk along the streets mentioned above for one of our fortnightly lunches. I would vary my routes which could take me past The Roundwood Gospel Assembly building in Longstone Avenue NW10. On the other side of this road lies Roundwood Park, according to Wikipedia: ‘a public park in Willesden, London, measuring a total of 26.5 acres,^[1] or approximately 10.27 hectares.^[2] It was originally known in the 19th century as Knowles Hill (its name coming from the Knowles Tower nearby),^[3]^[4] or Hunger Hill Common Field,^[3]^[4] and after much work by Oliver Claude Robson, became the Roundwood Park known to the public today (its name coming from the Roundwood House originally beside it)’.

Following a dog-leg angle, the thoroghfare becomes Roundwood Road, on the corner of which this building is being adapted for more multiple occupation than the family home for which it was originally intended.

Oldfield Road, where Norman lived, received more than its share of graffiti.

At the time of these photographs, King’s Cross Bridge N1 was yet to form part of the extensive redevelopment of the area;

and Sheldon Square W2, was part of the Paddington Basin development nearing completion.

Now, what has caught the eye of this woman in Leighton Road, NW5?

Ah! I see.

Hang on a minute.

How did this one get in here?

The shadows must have attracted my attention while I was seeking street scenes. Let it stand. I think the lawn is in Rembrandt Gardens, Warwick Avenue, Little Venice.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s luscious lamb jafrezi with her perfect pilau rice. To accompany this, Jackie drank Hoegaarden, and I enjoyed a really marvellous Finca Flichman reserve malbec 2015 given to me for my birthday by Helen and Bill.

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Today I scanned another dozen colour slides from the Streets of London set. These were made in May 2004, by which time I was working as a therapeutic counsellor in Beauchamp Lodge Settlement in Little Venice’s Warwick Crescent.

A turning off this small crescent was Blomfield Villas, the address of this building bearing the Delamere Street W2. Once quite grand, this row of houses was split into flats, some at least of which were owned by Westminster City Council. These ladies asked to be included in the shot.

From 1974 to 1986 I was responsible for Westminster’s Area One Social Services Department. Here we have the end of Kilburn Park Road NW6 that forms a T junction with Shirland Road, running along the Northern side of my patch.

The Queens Park Estate was a key focal point. Many of the lovely little Victorian houses that were built in the Avenues had been replaced by the prize-winning modern architecture that formed a mugger’s paradise, and that was, after my departure, to find itself being radically altered for the safety of the residents.

I never saw this building in Ilbert Street without its boarding up.

My office was on Harrow Road. Several streets that had seen better days ran from that major road towards Queens Park tube station. Bravington Road is one. It was, however, the parallel Portnal Road that I used as my route one summer evening in the 1990s, when two young men, literally, jumped me with intention to mug. I told the story in ‘Mugging’. My assailants made their escape into the walkways of the above-mentioned prize-winning estate.

From my counselling rooms I would walk, once a fortnight, along Harrow Road to Harlesden for lunch with Norman. Victor Road,

Trenmar Gardens,

and Scrubs Lane were all turnings off this thoroughfare. There was apparently a great deal of money spent on the film ‘Troy’. I didn’t see it, but I understand it wasn’t a success.

Making up this dozen, is ‘Shakespeare’s Head’ at the corner of Foubert’s Place and Great Marlborough Street, W1. This, unfortunately, was not in my patch.

This evening, Elizabeth joined us for dinner at Dynasty in Brockenhurst. My choice was king prawn vindaloo and special fried rice. We shared an egg paratha and a cauliflower bahji; and all drank Kingfisher. The food was as excellent, and the service as friendly and efficient as always.

Tag: Bravington Road

How Did This One Get In Here?

Around My Patch