please empty your brain below
Not that I'm suggesting you try, but I wonder if every London bus stop has such an interesting portrait waiting to be written about it.

martin | 20.02.20 - 7:19 a.m. | #

Agnes Reilly Park looks rather nice, must visit in better weather. Driving that bit of the S. Circular, I am always focussed on either the traffic lights ahead or the left turn into Rodenhurst Road (not Avenue).

dg writes: Fixed, thanks.

RosemaryT | 20.02.20 - 7:44 a.m. | #

'mango, carrot and banana yoghurt' - a step on from strawberry and lychee ripple. Super!

Burntweenie | 20.02.20 - 7:58 a.m. | #

I noticed in the bus stop photograph that there is no LED illumination, perhaps the solar powered bus stop lights are being phased out.

John | 20.02.20 - 8:15 a.m. | #

Come on you missed a trick on the title of this post.
"In Soviet Lambeth, bus stop U."

Ben | 20.02.20 - 8:26 a.m. | #

Maybe it's just me, but this neat sketch makes me feel very sad. A lovely little park, surrounded by broken dreams.

Malcolm | 20.02.20 - 8:51 a.m. | #

Then my neat sketch has failed.
That's not how the area is at all.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 20.02.20 - 8:53 a.m. | #

The line of trees with pinky white blossom may well be Winter Flowering Cherry which is in flower from November to March.

Sara | 20.02.20 - 9:06 a.m. | #

Levels of blossom across London this February are extraordinary. See also the magnolia budding in my Rodenhurst Road photo.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 20.02.20 - 9:16 a.m. | #

As regards shopping precincts in estates, in my experience the shops normally operating are an off licence and a bookies.

Adrian | 20.02.20 - 9:19 a.m. | #

The intention of the post didn't fail for me. A great description for what for most would to many merely pass by as nondescript, and shows the depth of what's there wherever we live.

What I find interesting about the redevelopment is how the area is turning from suburban to urban. The individual blocks in large green spaces are being replaced by individual green spaces in large blocks. The comparison is stark - a complete reversal of density - but I suspect the developers will be going on the idea that the smaller open spaces will be of a higher quality than current grassy areas.

The shattered dream is the original vision for the social housing set amongst 'communal space'. It's back to more easily managed streets, pavements and tightly defined gardens. Having said that the central park in the masterplan looks commendably ambitious, but will not be low maintenance.

NickW | Homepage | 20.02.20 - 9:23 a.m. | #

Thank you for another gem. A splendid outing with exemplary prose and illustrations.
Mornings are most satisfactory with a cuppa and a DG fix.

Herbof | 20.02.20 - 9:35 a.m. | #

Amazed that you managed to take a picture of the South Circular without a vehicle in sight.

Keith | 20.02.20 - 9:43 a.m. | #

NickW - Well observed. The scheme shows the shift in planning policy of the last 5-8 years with an increased focus on densification of existing urban areas.

Previously the focus had been on new development on brownfield sites and creating new neighbourhoods in places like Wembley, Royal Docks or Woolwich to name a few. To a certain degree the easy brownfield sites have been developed and as greenfield development is still a big no-no the only way of accomodating London's housing demand has been to focus on residential areas.

The big enabled of the increased density has been the reduction in parking and loss of large amounts of communal greenspace to a smaller amount of higher quality managed greenspace.

Flare | 20.02.20 - 10:53 a.m. | #

None of the bus stops near me are that interesting! You struck lucky!

Sara - Yes, wild cherry is in bloom at the moment, but it could also be a Plum which is a favourite of London streets, and one of the first to blossom/ There's one right outside my window. The difference is in the bark - cherry is smooth & stripy while plum is rough and fissured.

Cornish Cockney | 20.02.20 - 11:17 a.m. | #

...the parade is another grim reminder (as if we needed any more) of how bad things are. a place that should have employment and housing for poor (working class) folks, is left to rot for years on-end.

shame on government, local authority and "society" in general as i certain there are many other examples up and down this nation of ours.

the small park on the other-hand shows us the importance of "green-spaces" in large urban environments. for those without access to a garden they are a much needed connection to nature.

Grumpy Anon | 20.02.20 - 11:31 a.m. | #

The Bank of Swans pub was on the CAMRA regional list of pubs with historic unspoiled interiors. Alas trading no more.

Kim | 20.02.20 - 11:33 a.m. | #

Poynder’s Parade in 1960:

54 pub | 53 fishmonger | 52 grocers | 51 cycle dealers | 50 butchers | 49 post office | 48 W. M. Perry domestic store (traded right until the end!) | 47 clothiers | 46 chemist | 45 dry cleaners | 44 shoe repairs | 42/43 grocers
(From Kelly’s Directory)

Kim | 20.02.20 - 11:41 a.m. | #

Excellent stuff. Back on form DG.

B | 20.02.20 - 2:43 p.m. | #

How does one randomise London bus stops?!

E | 20.02.20 - 4:43 p.m. | #

Burntweenie - I didn't get where I am today by selling mango, carrot and banana yogurt.

Ned | 20.02.20 - 5:04 p.m. | #

Lovely. Enjoyed that read. Thank you.

Chris | 20.02.20 - 5:44 p.m. | #

Flare - there's still huge swathes of brownfield land waiting to be developed all over London but especially still in the Royal Docks and up the Lea Valley.

What's creating pressure on low density existing residential areas such as in this article is the developers who own/have planning permission for the aforementioned brownfield land, sitting on it ("landbanking") and dribbling out new homes at their leisure.

A journey from Hackney to Stratford via the Greenway and then down through to Canning Town and on through Silvertown and the Royal Docks to King George V, then over to Gallions Reach and along Armada Way, will reveal huge wastelands of brownfield and underutilised scrappy industrial land waiting for development, a mere stones throw (mostly) from tube & light rail services...

Rob | 21.02.20 - 12:53 a.m. | #

Masterful! Thanks.

Ian Brooker | 21.02.20 - 12:52 p.m. | #

If you look at the Parade on Street view all the shops are open and looking well used so assume if the place is to be demolished then the leases have been allowed to run out.

Rick | 24.02.20 - 12:06 p.m. | #











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