diamond geezer

 Tuesday, November 06, 2018

I've been for a walk round the block.

The block on which I live is more interesting than most. One edge of it is the A11 and another is the A12. Its perimeter is three quarters of a mile long. Crossrail runs underneath the block, precisely from one corner to the corner opposite. At the other corners you'll find the Bow Roundabout and Bow Bus Garage. I walked anti-clockwise starting from the corner of Fairfield Road and Bow Road. Let's see what's new on my block.


A11 - Bow Road



» The cash machine where my bank card was stolen earlier this year has been removed. And good riddance. It was one of two on the side of the former Nat West Bank (or 'Westminster Bank', as the uncovered signwriting on the front now says)... and which are about to be replaced by one new machine. This is a Grade II listed building, so stonemasons have been along to restore the wall, good as new, and then to cut a fresh hole in the centre. A different set of workmen could be seen through the open hole yesterday, extending a tape measure to check everything's spot on. Let's hope the new cashpoint is unriggable.



» If anyone fancies a shop assistant job at the Nisa supermarket, please hand over your CV in person at the counter.
» The vacant office space above the supermarket is expected to become a "non residential education and training centre", so will be getting a new doorway, lobby and staircase adjacent to the current entrance to the supermarket. This is what you discover when you read the planning notices on lampposts.
» At Kebabish, scribbled marker pen confirms that the price of a 2 skewer kofte with pitta bread and salad, originally £2.75, has been raised from £2.99 to £3.50.

» The shabby exterior of City Lodge London, the 2-star hotel gracelessly converted from the former Kings Arms pub, must depress every traveller who arrives seeking "total renewal just steps away from the city's numerous attractions". Alas the latest Tripadvisor review tells how "a charming, funny and smart mice (I named him Bernie) smelled and explored my backpack especially by night". It is perhaps no surprise that those two Russian spies chose to stay up the road instead.

» November's exhibition at the Nunnery Gallery is Visions In The Nunnery P2 | Melanie Manchot. Her audio-visual work Out of Bounds "continues Manchot's ongoing exploration of the socio-economic and ecological microclimate of a Swiss mountain and its alpine community" and "addresses structures of maintenance, support and the socio-political urgencies of precarious environments in our care." It's closed on Mondays, which may or may not have been a blessing.
» The Carmelite Cafe, which has been the sole local bijou coffee'n'cake dispensary since 2012, went into liquidation last month and served its last Nude Espresso last weekend. Bow Arts promise "another café will be opening in the same space very soon".



» At Bus Stop M, the timetable for route 108 is missing. In more competent news, the timetable for route 425 has been updated to show it now goes to Ilford, and the timetable for route 25 has been updated to show its frequency has been halved. Weekday daytime services were previously "every 2-6" minutes and are now "every 6-10". The spider map in the shelter has not been updated, so still shows the 425 terminating at Stratford.

» The major housing development at 219-221 Bow Road has its own Instagram account, unusually focusing solely on construction rather than selling. The account is proudly advertised on the safety noticeboard out front, with a poster urging passers-by to "Follow us" by scanning a QR code. The account has 14 photos, of decreasing interest, and somehow has 17 followers. Meanwhile the latest pinned-up newsletter is dated August 2019.

Payne Road



» A company called Maximus Networks has put in a planning application to install a "public call box" on the corner of Bow Road and Payne Road, alongside McDonalds. It's hard to imagine a worse location for a shelter-free touchscreen audio connection than on the approach to the traffic lights at the Bow Roundabout, unless you're a greedy start-up keen on embedding digital advertising screens alongside major road networks.
» McDonalds has become a busy hangout for moped crews, keen to speed Uber Eats burger deliveries to surrounding streets, and hanging around watching their phones during the inter-order lulls.

A12 - Blackwall Tunnel Northern Approach



» Checking the flyers on the lampposts on the exit from the Bow Roundabout, it seems Sevyn Streeter is live at the Electric Ballroom on 13th December, but you've just missed the Heartless Crew at Scala.
» According to the sign outside Harbrine Ltd, "a door is only as good as its ironmongery".
» This is a really unhealthy place to be walking, according to the nitrogen dioxide spikes on this London-wide 3D pollution map. I should not walk round the block too often.
» The footpath ahead beside the A12, under the railway bridge and along the back of Bow Quarter is open again, at long last, now that Crossrail are done.

Wrexham Road/Baldock Street/Ridgdale Street/Jebb Street



» For a bit of variety, here's a quartet of terraced streets built in the 1910s on the site of the Grove Hall Lunatic Asylum, and not quite demolished when the A12 was carved through in the 1960s.
» Everyone gets a tiny front garden, alas half-filled with obligatory refuse bins. You can park your car outside. All the streetlamps are special ones, from the Conservation Area catalogue. These are 'proper' houses, in sharp contrast to the stacked flats on Bow Road.
» Several residents still have carved pumpkins by the front door. Someone's left their keys in the lock. Linda & Val's house is full of knick-knacks. The roofing contractors are up on the scaffolding at three separate properties. £700,000, you say?

Fairfield Road



» Signs along the side of Bow Bus Garage urge staff (presumably the smokers) to be "Quiet please, this is a residential area".
» The Fairfield Express corner shop has seen better days, but still serves a mean cup of Nescafe instant cappuccino. Having an automated parcel collection point outside can't have hurt trade.
» A scribbled poster reveals that Mr Patel has a double-size room to let in the Upton Park area for £140 a week. A lot cheaper than living down here, that's for sure.
» This end of Fairfield Road has some superbly aspirational Georgian terraces, maximising the architectural contrast around the block.
» Bus drivers exiting towards Bow Road - which is every single one of them - are warned of low trees ahead, which just goes to show the importance of arboreal preservation in a conservation area.
» The cashpoints on the corner are being replaced, but then you knew that...


<< click for Newer posts

click for Older Posts >>


click to return to the main page


...or read more in my monthly archives
Jan24  Feb24  Mar24
Jan23  Feb23  Mar23  Apr23  May23  Jun23  Jul23  Aug23  Sep23  Oct23  Nov23  Dec23
Jan22  Feb22  Mar22  Apr22  May22  Jun22  Jul22  Aug22  Sep22  Oct22  Nov22  Dec22
Jan21  Feb21  Mar21  Apr21  May21  Jun21  Jul21  Aug21  Sep21  Oct21  Nov21  Dec21
Jan20  Feb20  Mar20  Apr20  May20  Jun20  Jul20  Aug20  Sep20  Oct20  Nov20  Dec20
Jan19  Feb19  Mar19  Apr19  May19  Jun19  Jul19  Aug19  Sep19  Oct19  Nov19  Dec19
Jan18  Feb18  Mar18  Apr18  May18  Jun18  Jul18  Aug18  Sep18  Oct18  Nov18  Dec18
Jan17  Feb17  Mar17  Apr17  May17  Jun17  Jul17  Aug17  Sep17  Oct17  Nov17  Dec17
Jan16  Feb16  Mar16  Apr16  May16  Jun16  Jul16  Aug16  Sep16  Oct16  Nov16  Dec16
Jan15  Feb15  Mar15  Apr15  May15  Jun15  Jul15  Aug15  Sep15  Oct15  Nov15  Dec15
Jan14  Feb14  Mar14  Apr14  May14  Jun14  Jul14  Aug14  Sep14  Oct14  Nov14  Dec14
Jan13  Feb13  Mar13  Apr13  May13  Jun13  Jul13  Aug13  Sep13  Oct13  Nov13  Dec13
Jan12  Feb12  Mar12  Apr12  May12  Jun12  Jul12  Aug12  Sep12  Oct12  Nov12  Dec12
Jan11  Feb11  Mar11  Apr11  May11  Jun11  Jul11  Aug11  Sep11  Oct11  Nov11  Dec11
Jan10  Feb10  Mar10  Apr10  May10  Jun10  Jul10  Aug10  Sep10  Oct10  Nov10  Dec10 
Jan09  Feb09  Mar09  Apr09  May09  Jun09  Jul09  Aug09  Sep09  Oct09  Nov09  Dec09
Jan08  Feb08  Mar08  Apr08  May08  Jun08  Jul08  Aug08  Sep08  Oct08  Nov08  Dec08
Jan07  Feb07  Mar07  Apr07  May07  Jun07  Jul07  Aug07  Sep07  Oct07  Nov07  Dec07
Jan06  Feb06  Mar06  Apr06  May06  Jun06  Jul06  Aug06  Sep06  Oct06  Nov06  Dec06
Jan05  Feb05  Mar05  Apr05  May05  Jun05  Jul05  Aug05  Sep05  Oct05  Nov05  Dec05
Jan04  Feb04  Mar04  Apr04  May04  Jun04  Jul04  Aug04  Sep04  Oct04  Nov04  Dec04
Jan03  Feb03  Mar03  Apr03  May03  Jun03  Jul03  Aug03  Sep03  Oct03  Nov03  Dec03
 Jan02  Feb02  Mar02  Apr02  May02  Jun02  Jul02 Aug02  Sep02  Oct02  Nov02  Dec02 

jack of diamonds
Life viewed from London E3

» email me
» follow me on twitter
» follow the blog on Twitter
» follow the blog on RSS

» my flickr photostream

twenty blogs
our bow
arseblog
ian visits
londonist
broken tv
blue witch
on london
the great wen
edith's streets
spitalfields life
linkmachinego
round the island
wanstead meteo
christopher fowler
the greenwich wire
bus and train user
ruth's coastal walk
round the rails we go
london reconnections
from the murky depths

quick reference features
Things to do in Outer London
Things to do outside London
Inner London toilet map
20 years of blog series
The DG Tour of Britain
London's most...

read the archive
Mar24  Feb24  Jan24
Dec23  Nov23  Oct23  Sep23
Aug23  Jul23  Jun23  May23
Apr23  Mar23  Feb23  Jan23
Dec22  Nov22  Oct22  Sep22
Aug22  Jul22  Jun22  May22
Apr22  Mar22  Feb22  Jan22
Dec21  Nov21  Oct21  Sep21
Aug21  Jul21  Jun21  May21
Apr21  Mar21  Feb21  Jan21
Dec20  Nov20  Oct20  Sep20
Aug20  Jul20  Jun20  May20
Apr20  Mar20  Feb20  Jan20
Dec19  Nov19  Oct19  Sep19
Aug19  Jul19  Jun19  May19
Apr19  Mar19  Feb19  Jan19
Dec18  Nov18  Oct18  Sep18
Aug18  Jul18  Jun18  May18
Apr18  Mar18  Feb18  Jan18
Dec17  Nov17  Oct17  Sep17
Aug17  Jul17  Jun17  May17
Apr17  Mar17  Feb17  Jan17
Dec16  Nov16  Oct16  Sep16
Aug16  Jul16  Jun16  May16
Apr16  Mar16  Feb16  Jan16
Dec15  Nov15  Oct15  Sep15
Aug15  Jul15  Jun15  May15
Apr15  Mar15  Feb15  Jan15
Dec14  Nov14  Oct14  Sep14
Aug14  Jul14  Jun14  May14
Apr14  Mar14  Feb14  Jan14
Dec13  Nov13  Oct13  Sep13
Aug13  Jul13  Jun13  May13
Apr13  Mar13  Feb13  Jan13
Dec12  Nov12  Oct12  Sep12
Aug12  Jul12  Jun12  May12
Apr12  Mar12  Feb12  Jan12
Dec11  Nov11  Oct11  Sep11
Aug11  Jul11  Jun11  May11
Apr11  Mar11  Feb11  Jan11
Dec10  Nov10  Oct10  Sep10
Aug10  Jul10  Jun10  May10
Apr10  Mar10  Feb10  Jan10
Dec09  Nov09  Oct09  Sep09
Aug09  Jul09  Jun09  May09
Apr09  Mar09  Feb09  Jan09
Dec08  Nov08  Oct08  Sep08
Aug08  Jul08  Jun08  May08
Apr08  Mar08  Feb08  Jan08
Dec07  Nov07  Oct07  Sep07
Aug07  Jul07  Jun07  May07
Apr07  Mar07  Feb07  Jan07
Dec06  Nov06  Oct06  Sep06
Aug06  Jul06  Jun06  May06
Apr06  Mar06  Feb06  Jan06
Dec05  Nov05  Oct05  Sep05
Aug05  Jul05  Jun05  May05
Apr05  Mar05  Feb05  Jan05
Dec04  Nov04  Oct04  Sep04
Aug04  Jul04  Jun04  May04
Apr04  Mar04  Feb04  Jan04
Dec03  Nov03  Oct03  Sep03
Aug03  Jul03  Jun03  May03
Apr03  Mar03  Feb03  Jan03
Dec02  Nov02  Oct02  Sep02
back to main page

the diamond geezer index
2023 2022
2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
2016 2015 2014 2013 2012
2011 2010 2009 2008 2007
2006 2005 2004 2003 2002

my special London features
a-z of london museums
E3 - local history month
greenwich meridian (N)
greenwich meridian (S)
the real eastenders
london's lost rivers
olympic park 2007
great british roads
oranges & lemons
random boroughs
bow road station
high street 2012
river westbourne
trafalgar square
capital numbers
east london line
lea valley walk
olympics 2005
regent's canal
square routes
silver jubilee
unlost rivers
cube routes
Herbert Dip
metro-land
capital ring
river fleet
piccadilly
bakerloo

ten of my favourite posts
the seven ages of blog
my new Z470xi mobile
five equations of blog
the dome of doom
chemical attraction
quality & risk
london 2102
single life
boredom
april fool

ten sets of lovely photos
my "most interesting" photos
london 2012 olympic zone
harris and the hebrides
betjeman's metro-land
marking the meridian
tracing the river fleet
london's lost rivers
inside the gherkin
seven sisters
iceland

just surfed in?
here's where to find...
diamond geezers
flash mob #1  #2  #3  #4
ben schott's miscellany
london underground
watch with mother
cigarette warnings
digital time delay
wheelie suitcases
war of the worlds
transit of venus
top of the pops
old buckenham
ladybird books
acorn antiques
digital watches
outer hebrides
olympics 2012
school dinners
pet shop boys
west wycombe
bletchley park
george orwell
big breakfast
clapton pond
san francisco
thunderbirds
routemaster
children's tv
east enders
trunk roads
amsterdam
little britain
credit cards
jury service
big brother
jubilee line
number 1s
titan arum
typewriters
doctor who
coronation
comments
blue peter
matchgirls
hurricanes
buzzwords
brookside
monopoly
peter pan
starbucks
feng shui
leap year
manbags
bbc three
vision on
piccadilly
meridian
concorde
wembley
islington
ID cards
bedtime
freeview
beckton
blogads
eclipses
letraset
arsenal
sitcoms
gherkin
calories
everest
muffins
sudoku
camilla
london
ceefax
robbie
becks
dome
BBC2
paris
lotto
118
itv