please empty your brain below

How very sad.
I grew up in Hendon and eventually lived in Kingsbury for a few years and didn't know this house existed so near to me.
Cxx

What a sad ending for such an important house, I have just watched a report that was shown on "Inside Out" back in 2007 that was full of hope that this building would be restored to its former glory, I blame the Council for not marketing it when it very first became surplus to requirements, by leaving it to rot and be torched they should hang their heads in shame.

Hmmm, so, Grade II listed, and on EH's 'At Risk' register - and it's still allowed to be demolished. What's the point of listing then? What message is that sending out?

One cannot help but think that, situated almost anywhere else in the country, the locals wouldn't have allowed that building to get into that state. £1.2M is not a lot of money for an interested community to raise.

What a great shame.

Excellent report DG.
I used to live nearby in Southview Avenue in the 80's and used the park a lot for jogging and walking. Once or twice I went swimming in the pool at the top of the park.

The BBC included the park in the excellent Metroland story with John Betjeman commentating, which DG has reviewed before. In the section on the park a Mr Eric Sims, fascinating man with an interesting history. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Simms_(ornithologist) gives a short talk on the "Neasden Nature Trail".

Anyway, I recorded the film and was chatting to my downstairs neighbour. When I asked him if he wanted to see it he started laughing... he remembered it being filmed. His name was David Simms, the son of Eric Sims. He told me all about John Betjeman and his father. Fascinating stories which I remember to this day.

Another one who used to live nearby and never knew it was there. :(

What a sad end to a grand old building.
“A biscuit’s throw” is an interesting measure of distance. A biscuit would be less hazardous to passing ramblers than a stone, and might even be welcome.
I can recommend Mark Twain’s book Life on the Mississippi. It’s a great read, full of lively descriptions of a vanished era.


Mark Twain also opened Kensal Rise Library in 1900. There is a memorial plaque to him on the wall there. Just in case the famous man's ghost hadn't got the "you are not welcome around here" message, the council decided they'd better close his library as well. It's on a plot donated by a one of the Oxbridge colleges on condition that it remain a library for the public. But what they could afford a hundred years ago, we can no longer afford. We're so poor.

I always felt the same about Twain's home in Hartford. The Nook Farm - including neighbour HB Stowe's home -was/is magnificent, especially before they put the Hog River underground and built a high school in his backyard. At least his house still stands, despite someone embezzling more than $1 million from the struggling foundation.

Fast forward a bit, and I'll wager that's how Battersea power station will end up too. :(











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