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 Many of the lovely little Victorian houses that were built in the Avenues had been replaced by the prize-winning modern architecture that formed a mugger’s paradise, and that was, after my departure, to find itself being radically altered for the safety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