please empty your brain below
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...surprised some property developer didn't get hold of it and sell to a Chinese or Russian "investor". better still would been if it was taken-over by a co-operative and used to house and employ the many homeless/unemployed we seemingly forgotten about recently.
these "grand" homes are more a burden than anything else...lottery funding and grants always been chased for to "save"/"preserve". yet in truth they are a reminder of how divided society is and has always been.
it about time some creative thinking was used in regards of our "heritage"
Grumpy Anon | 15.12.18 - 9:11 a.m. | #
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Turning Danson House into the borough's Register Office, then flogging off the previous building in Sidcup, is fairly 'creative'.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 15.12.18 - 9:56 a.m. | #
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yes, grumpy anon has a point
much as I enjoy visiting places and expanding my understanding of history these places take an inordinate amount of cash for their upkeep
at least the register office provides an income stream, but my fingers itch to throw out those horrid chairs and put something more appropriate in
Caz | 15.12.18 - 10:07 a.m. | #
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Bexley did well turning it into the register office, and it deserves being well used as such. My family had a wedding there during the year, and it made for a really good and memorable venue. The long flight of front steps was great for the photos and larking about afterwards.
Must go on a tour day.
NickW | Homepage | 15.12.18 - 10:17 a.m. | #
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DANson Park is another of London's lost telephone exchanges. It's now 020 8304.
Gerry | 15.12.18 - 11:35 a.m. | #
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So having ended up run down after years of council use, its now back in council use, then the cycle of deferred repairs/bodges will be repeated - because they'll always be spending priorities higher than some big old Grade 1 listed house, then they'll be a bigger and bigger bill to put things right, then they'll need a grant etc.
Still Anon | 15.12.18 - 11:44 a.m. | #
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Thanks for this: I knew the building had been through some 'dark times' but was unaware of the extent of its transformation, to how impressive it looks now.
Just to refresh my own memory on just how bad the state of the building had once got, I did some Googling. I was looking for a reference to 'the incident' (anyone reasonably local will know what I mean) and found it in an old post from The Greenwich Phantom. I think it's worth quoting:
"Danson’s had its ups and downs over the years, and in 1923 Bexley Council bought it – then did bugger-all to it save selling-off the surrounding land for housing and implementing some atrocious ‘repairs’ in the 1950s. Eventually it became derelict, and, arguing that it was beyond repair, the council decided to pull it down. Central Government, however, had other ideas and the resulting stalemate meant that it just got worse and worse.
"Things came to a head at Christmas 1995 when burglars stole all the fixtures and fittings over the holiday period, and bundled them into containers to be shipped abroad. They were actually recovered but not until English Heritage declared Danson Park to be London’s “most significant building at risk.” EH, somewhat belatedly, took over the remaining dogs dinner of a building and started an extraordinary programme of repairs which finished a couple of years ago."
Hmmm, 1995. Yup,that'd fit with "bringing things to a head!
RogerW | 15.12.18 - 11:58 a.m. | #
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People who don't appreciate the past will never learn the lessons needed for the future.
Tones | 15.12.18 - 12:25 p.m. | #
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Goodness, The Queen seems to have made an enduring impression. Can’t help wondering, and hope it’s not too indelicate to ask, did Her Majesty’s stationery cupboard need plumbing in, despite remaining unused, or did they make do with a commode?
Rich G | Homepage | 15.12.18 - 1:16 p.m. | #
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Appreciating the past does not mean preserving every last bit of old stuff. Tough choices have to be made between spending on what people need today, and preserving an appropriate sample of our heritage.
This looks like a sensible use of a building which can play an excellent dual role, showing off historic stuff and meeting a real present-day need.
Malcolm | 15.12.18 - 1:20 p.m. | #
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Why, I wonder, did Brenda need a full length mirror? Has she not seen enough of herself with all the portraits, photos, stamps, coins, notes and TV coverage during her tenure?
Anywhere that has "an array of beautiful shabby chic gifts and homewares" needs to be given a wide berth. I can smell the handmade soap from here.
drD | 15.12.18 - 8:48 p.m. | #
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I remember sneaking in there at dusk sometime in the late 80s. It was VERY derelict.
Tintinhaddock | 15.12.18 - 10:37 p.m. | #
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