Reviewing the Fleet snippets from Gospel Oak / Kentish Town
Gospel Oak: Michael Palin is this suburb's most famous resident. He tongue-in-cheek-ly announced in April "I'm too old now for these big series. Perhaps I could do a simpler one, like A History of Gospel Oak." If you've not read all of Michael's many travel books, you may be thrilled to discover that they're all (yes, all) available to read online on his wonderfully comprehensive Palin's Travels site. Lismore Circus: Once the centre of an elegant Victorian street pattern, now redeveloped as a grassy public space in the middle of a godforsaken council estate (derelict shops, locked community centre, graffitied murals and mounds of dog poo). Quite eerie really. [photo] Malden Road: The Newberry Arms was once a CAMRA-approved pub, but recently closed and is now in the process of being turned into apartments. Local campaigner Christopher Truman believes that the new flats are being built on a sacred site. He says "The river runs down Malden Road, right in front of the pub. I would remind them of the very powerful spirits of the River Fleet who might just rise up against them. Certainly they might flood any basements. No one will ever have a sound night's sleep there. Ever." Nutter. Talacre Road: There are only six Kronkgyms in the world, each devoted to nurturing boxing excellence (including Lennox Lewis and Naseem Hamed). All of the Kronk gyms are in America - except for one incongruous corrugated iron shed in Kentish Town. Detroit it ain't. [photo] Harmood Street: You wonder how some shops survive, especially hidden away down quiet residential backstreets, but presumably WaldenBooks survives by being quirky, independent and unique. It looks like someone's house transformed into a corner of Hay-on-Wye. Specialises in literature, history of art and philosophy. [photo] Quinn's Irish Free House: The mustard and yellow pub [pictured] that you can't fail to notice on the corner of Kentish Town Road, Camden Road and Hawley Road. And it's almost on the very spot where the two upper branches of the River Fleet joined. Which means we've been here before. Ready to continue on down to the Thames? Ever onward... Following the Fleet (approximately): Greenwood Place, Hampstead Heath station, Fleet Road, Gospel Oak Estate, Lismore Circus, Wellesley Road, Malden Road, Queens Crescent, Bassett Street, Rhyl Street, Talacre Road, Prince of Wales Road, Harmood Street, Clarence Way, Hawley Road
Reviewing the Fleet
Gospel Oak: Michael Palin is this suburb's most famous resident. He tongue-in-cheek-ly announced in April "I'm too old now for these big series. Perhaps I could do a simpler one, like A History of Gospel Oak." If you've not read all of Michael's many travel books, you may be thrilled to discover that they're all (yes, all) available to read online on his wonderfully comprehensive Palin's Travels site.
Reviewing the Fleet
Gospel Oak: Michael Palin is this suburb's most famous resident. He 