Tag: Saint Michael’s Street

Mostly W1

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE. THOSE IN PAIRS ACCESS GALLERIES THAT CAN BE VIEWED FULL SIZE.

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

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.

Great Titchfield Street W1

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

Chapel Place W1 1
Chapel Place W1 2

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)

Chiltern Street W1 1
Chiltern Street W1 2

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.

Montagu Mews North W1

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.

Saint Michael's Street W2

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.

Brendon Street W1

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.

Longford Street NW1

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.

Great Titchfield Street W1

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.

Church Street, NW8

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.

 

Around West London

Feeling a little better today, I dozed away the morning, got up for lunch, and scanned another dozen slides from the Streets of London series. These were all made in April 2004.

Streets of London 4.04046

This young mother, speaking on her mobile phone in Avery Row W1, to the west of New Bond Street, blended perfectly with her surroundings.

Streets of London 4.04047

Further west, Westbourne Terrace Road Bridge crosses the Regent’s canal in Little Venice. As the plaque indicates, this was once in the Borough of Paddington which was absorbed by Westminster in 1965.

Streets of London 4.04051

The Bridge House pub lies at the corner of Westbourne Terrace Road and Delamere Terrace. The pub was fortunate enough to survive World War 2 bombing, which is more than can be said for many of its neighbours.

Streets of London 4.04048

The Little Venice area lies within the parish of St Mary’s on Paddington Green, visible in this view of St Mary’s Square.

Streets of London 4.04055

The A40 flyover overlooks a bricked up end of the square, and in 2004 the now- completed apartments for sale in Paddington Walk were still being built.

Streets of London 4.04052

Church Yard Walk provides a route through to Edgware Road.

Streets of London 4.04049

Sussex Gardens W2 forms a T junction with Praed Street, which is always as congested as this.

Streets of London 4.04050

Marylebone’s St Christopher’s Place looks like an alfresco dining room.

Streets of London 4.04053

Maintenance work was being undertaken at The Churchill Hotel in Portman Square.

Streets of London 4.04054

Ashland Place W1 is one of the many streets that enjoys a view of The Post Office Tower.

Streets of London 4.04056

Saint Michael’s Street W2 houses one of London’s many Starbucks coffee houses. I wondered whether the man on the chair was waiting for coffee, or simply having a breather. So many food and drink outlets place seats outside that are very tempting to people who simply want to sit down.

Streets of London 4.04057

The historic Mason’s Arms pub in Upper Berkeley Street was founded in 1778 and rebuilt in 1870.

This amble round West London was probably carried out on one particular day.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s famous sausage casserole; crisp carrots, broccoli, and green beans; and mashed potato, followed by treacle tart and custard.