Post Office Tower – derrickjknight

Back Through The Barrier

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Today I scanned the final batch of colour negatives from Norman’s 70th birthday boat trip on 6th April 2002.

Some of these are from the start of the journey soon after we left Westminster Pier and people settled down to eat.

The Post Office Tower and St Paul’s Cathedral are each visible beyond Tower Bridge.

Norman mingled with his guests on the upper deck.

Yesterday I featured our arrival at the Thames Barrier, a short distance beyond which was the turning point from which we returned to the pier.

Passing back through the flood barrier gave us unique views of three of the capital’s iconic structures. Even for me it is surprising to establish that it is the barrier that at 35 years old is the most senior. The first buildings in Canary Wharf were completed in 1991, and the Millennium Dome just about managed to open on the last day of 1999. The politics.co.uk website opens its lengthy page on the Dome with:

‘The Millennium Dome was the centrepiece of British celebrations for the dawning of the year 2000.

Built on the site of the Meridian Line in north Greenwich – symbolising time – the Dome was, at the time of construction, the biggest dome in the world, occupying 300 acres of a formerly contaminated derelict gasworks. The former gasworks had been derelict for more than two decades and was the largest undeveloped site on the River Thames.

The Dome originally contained a theme park-cum-scientific exhibition entitled the ‘Millennium Experience’. This was a series of themed ‘zones’ representing concepts such as ‘money’ or ‘the body’, supported by live theatrical events throughout the day. The Millennium Experience closed on December 31 2000, and the Dome has since been sold to be converted into a 26,000 capacity entertainment and sports arena.’

There is much more about the controversy and financial mismanagement of what was, at the time, termed a ‘White Elephant’ on the highlighted website.

This afternoon Becky and Ian joined us for their Christmas visit which began with a meal at Lal Quilla. Service was as friendly and efficient as ever, and the food excellent. My choice of main course was king prawn Ceylon. Kingfisher and Diet Coke were the drinks consumed.

Mostly W1

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Generally when I delve into my archives that is because either the weather is foul, or I am feeling so. Whilst rather better than yesterday, it is for the latter reason that I scanned another dozen colour slides from the Streets of London Series of July 2004.

Berners Street W1 sports a fruit and vegetable stall useful to visitors, residents, and local workers alike. It is overlooked by the Post Office Tower in the left of the picture.

On the corner of Great Titchfield Street W1, football fans are the stallholders’ targets.

I have been unable to find any information about this chapel, on the steps of which, adjacent to Chapel Place W1, young people enjoy their lunch in the sunshine. (I am grateful to Paul Clarke who has done the research and provides a link to the story in his comment below)

The fire engine seen in the first of these photographs of Chiltern Street W1 suggests that the ornate building occupying the right hand side of the frame was then still a working fire station, but, like The Fire Station at Waterloo, is now a luxury hotel and restaurant named The Chiltern Firehouse.

If you ask me, the cyclist emerging from Montagu Mews North W1, is taking her life in her hands. But she is no doubt experienced at dodging London traffic.

Mind you, I do hope she steers clear of Saint Michael’s Street W1. Whether you look up or down, you couldn’t get much more into the shot.

Maybe she would fare better in Brendon Street, and at the same time get a view of a sun-tanned, shirtless, builder up a ladder.

Leaving Westminster and entering Camden, we see, in Longford Street NW1, some of that London Borough’s recycling bins. Recycling is a contentious issue here in UK, for every Local Authority has its own regulations as to what is and isn’t acceptable, and much of what is collected rots in warehouses anyway. It is admirable that efforts should be made in this direction but the systems are apparently far from perfect.

Longford Street leads us to Drummond Street NW1. The Mystic Maze appears to be where one can find Exodus Travels who will arrange your tours for you.

Alfie’s Antique Market, its proprietor clearly a fan of Gustav Klimt, is one of many such outlets that line Church Street NW8. ‘It houses over seventy-five dealers offering antiques; including silver, furniture, jewellery, paintings, ceramics, glass and vintage clothing.’ Wikipedia

Today’s evening meal, the first of the day for most of us, was an interesting affair. Becky, now being the only fit family member, knocked up various concoctions from available sources, according to what people thought they could manage. It is perhaps a measure of my improvement that I chose breaded mushrooms, vegetable samosa, and savoury rice; and drank half a glass of Costières de Nîmes.

London Reflections

We have begun to collect rose petals for confetti for Danni and Andy’s wedding next year. Last night Jackie researched methods of drying them, and began experimenting. So far it is a toss up between the microwave, and leaving them to crisp on kitchen roll. The problem with the microwave is timing. Anyone who has a dodgy toaster will know the extremes between under- and over- cooking that can be experienced.

My contribution to the garden maintenance today was a bout of weeding and another raking the gravel on the back drive. Among Jackie’s planting and other activities, she found time to front her shed with a kick board and a strip of gravel. Where was the gravel to be obtained? From the back drive. When? Just as I stood admiring my bowling green level shingle.

I helped a bit with the project, then got the rake out again.

In between my spells in the garden I scanned another dozen slides from my Streets of London series, all produced in April 2004.

I will begin with one shot that I can’t quite locate, and does not legitimately belong in the series, because the street sign is illegible. I have a feeling it is in the developed area near The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Maybe someone will recognise it. (On 21st July, Geoff Austin sent me this information in an e-mail: ‘Is the building opposite a restaurant? There’s something that looks as if it might be a menu on the wall. I ‘googled’ Teca, and found there was a Teca Restaurant in Brooks Mews W.1, some years ago but it seems to be closed now.’)

Whilst a young woman surveys an antiques shop window, an older gentleman avails himself of modern technology.

Glass on another scale, fronts so many newer, taller, buildings throughout London.

A massive structure on Euston Road offers a reflection of the Post Office Tower. When the tower was opened, by Harold Wilson, on 8th November 1965, it was, until 1980, the tallest building in the United Kingdom.

Still a major communications hub, the tower was officially opened to the public on 16 May 1966 by MP Tony Benn, and holiday camp entrepreneur Billy Butlin, who was to open an ill-fated enterprise. In addition to the communications equipment and office space, there were viewing galleries, a souvenir shop, and a rotating restaurant, the “Top of the Tower”, on the 34th floor. It made one revolution every 22 minutes.

A bomb, responsibility for which was claimed by the Provisional IRA, exploded in the roof of the men’s toilets at the restaurant on 31 October 1971. This eating place has never re-opened.

Sometimes, the glass-sided buildings can offer confusing information. Eleven years on, studying this print of Luxborough Street, W1, I thought I must have printed it in reverse.

Other windows hold different attractions. Ann Summers, Wikipedia tells us, ‘is a British multinational retailer company specialising in sex toys and lingerie, with over 140 high street stores in the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands and Spain.^[1] In 2000, Ann Summers acquired the Knickerbox brand,^[2] a label with an emphasis on more comfortable and feminine underwear, while the Ann Summers-labelled products tend to be more erotic in style. The chain had an annual turnover of £117.3 million in 2007-2008.’

Naturally, there is one in Soho’s Wardour Street. I wonder what the smiling woman thought I was doing.

Most gentlemen looked the other way, while one woman examined the hem-lines displayed in Bruton Street.

A book shop in Dean Street was undergoing a face-lift.

Another stands at the corner of Brewer Street near the entrance to Raymond’s Revue Bar, which closed later that year. A signed 1951 photograph of the Festival of Erotica’s proprietor features in http://derrickjknight.com/2014/04/12/the-three-scrubbers/

New plantings of London planes were to be seen in

Fitzroy Street,

and on the corner of Warren Street.

Bronze statues of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Sir Winston Churchill sit conversing on a bench in Mayfair, where Old Bond Street meets New Bond Street. Called ‘Allies’ this artwork was a gift from the Bond Street Association (the shops and businesses of Bond Street) to the City of Westminster to commemorate 50 years of peace. Lawrence Holofcener, a sculptor with dual nationality created this landmark which was unveiled by Princess Margaret on 2 May 1995.

The flower seller at the corner of Clifford Street has a less comfortable perch. This must have been one of the very rare occasions on which I have passed this spot when no tourist was posing between the great wartime leaders.

For this evening’s dinner, Jackie created a delicious new dish she termed Downton Hotpot. This consisted of lean minced beef baked with a topping of sliced potatoes and a later addition of peppers and onions. Cabbage, cauliflower, and carrots completed the menu. I drank more of the merlot, while Jackie quaffed her beloved Belgian Hoegaarden beer.

P.S. My friend, Michael Watts, made this comment on Facebook: ‘Derrick I thought you might like to know that ‘The Post Office Tower ‘ restaurant is opening on the 25th July for two weeks, to celebrate 50 years of communications. Entree is by ballot, which unfortunately I have missed !!
Be interesting to know if it still has the same decor.’