Carvings in Cornhill, inlets and outlets, and lofty observations in the City of London

Wandering around the quiet streets in The City of London after visiting Leadenhall Market I ambled into Cornhill. I stopped to admire one of my favourite buildings which sports this gorgeous bit of hand-carved typography* and the shop next to it that retains its curved glass windows and mosaic threshold:

I crossed the road to take a wider view and as I looked down at the pavement I spotted something that amused me. Whether this was an accident or a clever bit of cement graffiti, it appeals to my puerile sense of humour! Further along the street I noticed the lettering within a brass strip on an access plate had worn away to become almost illegible. It actually reads: SMOKE OUTLET FROM BASEMENT:

I entered Finch Lane, a narrow street that evokes the era of Georgian coffee houses and as I passed The Cock and Woolpack pub. It occured to me that I don't think I have ever been inside. How very bizarre. A quick snap of the view to Threadneedle Street and then left into Bartholomew Lane where I pondered if the skinny space between two buildings was once an alleyway: 

At my feet I noticed more eroded brass letters where a London Fire Brigade manhole offers access to inlets rather than an outlet:

Whoops, forgot to include this strange adjoinment (I think I might have just invented that word!) where two properties meet at an odd angle on Threadneedle Street, facing the Royal Exchange, creating a very unusual triangular inlet:

I couldn't find anything in there that might offer access to the Spinkler Tank Infill or a Dry Riser Inlet which I suspect is probably in the road, but there were workmen and their vans in the way. I bet this space is used as a hidey hole for a single smokers. 

That'll do for now. See you soon, JPx

*find out more abut this building on my City Deco guided walk via janeslondonwalks.com

A walk along Kings Road (part 4) Santander vs modern

And so the walk continues east.
See my previous posts for earlier sections of this road.

These days Kings Road have devolved into just another bland high street with all the same brands and labels as every other major shopping thoroughfare in the UK. 

But you can still spot hints of its past in the architecture.

Top: almost opposite Wrights Dairy is an ornate grade II listed Victorian building with a bowed window, an iron balcony above the ground floor, Corinthian columns and shell motifs. This used to be the Markham Arms public house. It closed down in the early 1990s and is now a branch of Santander. Compare this ornate structure with the blandness that is Kings Mall a hundred metres further on. Progress? I think not.
Middle: At no.72, in a prime position on the corner of Lincoln Street facing Duke of York Square, is the Grade II listed 19th Century building that used to be The Colville Tavern and Wine Stores. At the top of some of the dividing Doric pilasters there are male and female (royal?) faces. I seem to recall this being home to a clothes shop in the early 80's but I might be mistaken. It's certainly a clothes shop now.
Bottom: The Sidney Smith Buildings run from No.50 down to No. 34 on the corner of Cadogan Gardens. But who was Sidney Smith?!  Look up to see the lovely Victorian moulded date and street name sign signs at the very top.  

Lots more info about the changing face of the Kings Road can be found here.

And here (I particularly like this one)

And this one too.

Angels at the Royal Academy

Earlier this month I urged you to go and see 'Sensing Spaces' at The Royal Academy.
In that post I alluded to how the exhibits interact with the gallery spaces and encourage the visitor to notice and be engaged with the features and details of the rooms themselves.

I don't think I have ever noticed the lovely gold angels and crowns before, though when visiting the Summer Show 2013 I found the metal grilles on the floor more interesting than the 'art' on the walls.

Today's news – the bloody Oscars

Here we are in a recession/depression and millions of people on the bread line, yet a disgusting amount of money is thrown at an event (and other similar events) to give awards to people who spend their lives pretending to be other people.
Actors. Hardly saving lives and planets are they?
Ooh darling... I am an actor you know.
Really? Like I give a...
And before anyone starts ranting back at me... I like films. I love films. I just don't see why all this lavish patting on the back is necessary. There may be awards ceremonies for bakers, nurses, charity workers, bomb disposal men etc. But these events are not on the news.
Go figure. Gold figure.

Clockwise from top left: Bank of England, Cockspur Street, Grays Inn Road, Haymarket, Victoria Palace, Oxford Street.

Holloway Arts Festival

Like it says above, there's an arts festival Holloway happening in Holloway 8-17th June organised by Rowan Arts.

Lots to see and do. Shame I will miss it.

Here are some pics taken along the Holloway Road.

Shelter's Vertical Rush

For those of you feeling fit (note I didn't say 'us') you might like to take part in a charity event organised by Shelter whereby you can run up to the top of Tower 42 in the City of London.

Starting at 7.30am on 3rd March, eight waves of runners will set off every hour.

Check the site here for more info.

London River

It's a strange title but this is a film about two people who paths cross when they are both hunting for their missing (adult) children in London after the bombings on 7th July 2005.

I am writing about this now because I forgot to do this earlier in the year when it would have been more relevant, and I just noticed that the film is out on DVD on Monday 11th October.

What I like about this French-made film, apart from the very good performances and slow pacing, is that it isn't littered with silly images of iconic London buildings, but instead centres on the Finsbury Park area, specifically Blackstock Road where the missing people were living.

The pics in the top row show places that pop up in the film, the second row are missing things, and the bottom row is the bottom row.

Top Row: Twelve Pins pub, N4 / The Old Dairy, N8 / Blackstock Road, N4 (x2)

Middle row: Doulton factory, Black Prince Road, SE11 / Star Street, W2 / Upper Street, N1 / Lincoln's Inn, WC2

Bottom row: Russell Square station / London Bridge / Kings Cross / Gt Newport Street, WC2

All along the rooftops

Today's post is about looking up. Every now and then I spot some really interesting chimneys. Below is a selection of some of the best ones I have seen so far.

Clockwise from Hartleys, Bermondsey: Seven Sisters Road, Lots Road, Walton Street, Holloway Road, Lillie Road, from my back garden, somewhere I can't remember, Arundel Street, Liverpool Street, Brixton Oval, Hoe Street, Walcot Square, Stoke Newington.

Pointing the way to go

Every now and then I find an old sign with a strangely-shaped pointing hand on it. Some of these manicules are very odd indeed. A friend pointed out(!) to me that one of the ones below looks like a pair of long johns!

62 more London ghost signs

Here are lots more. As there are so many of them this time around please visit my Flickr set for more info.

More Islington ghost signs

Pubs with Original Names

Some pubs still use the same name that was embedded in the fabric of the original building in the form of lettering or a motif. Some of these motifs, as in the cases of the Yorkshire Grey and The Bull and Gate, are lovely.

Below is a selection of my favourites, so far...

A larger collection of my photos can be found at www.flickr.com/photos/janepbr

Ghost pubs – residential

There are lots of lovely old pubs that have closed down and been converted living accommodation. Pubs and bars are in decline these days probably due to the price of alcohol and the smoking ban. It’s much cheaper to buy your booze and fags at the supermarket and enjoy them at home. All rather ironic if your home is part of an old drinking establishment. There are far too many of these to take a photo of every one I see, so below is a just small selection some of which even have the old pub’s name still visible.

Row 1: An old Truman pub in Clarence Road, E5; Barnsbury Street, N1; Market Road, N7, The Lion, North Road, N7; Roman Way, N7.

Row 2: Bromley Arms, Cleveland Street, W1; Market Tavern, York Way, N7; The Tollington, Tollington Way, N7; The Rainbow, Liverpool Road, N1.

Row 3: The Falkland Arms, Falkland Road, NW5; Richmond Avenue, N1; The Montague Arms, Benwell Road, N7; The Rising Sun, Barnsbury, N1; Roman Way, N7.

Row 5: Southgate Arms, Southgate road, N1; Caledonian Road, N7; The Turks Head, Wapping, E1; The Builders Arms, St Paul’s Road, N1.

A larger collection of my photos can be found at www.flickr.com/photos/janepbr

Ghost pubs

Many pubs have changed identity over the years but the ones I am particularly interested in are those that have the original name embedded in the fabric of the building, either as the name itself or a motif. Sometimes they are new pubs, but quite often another type of business has moved in downstairs, or the whole building has been converted into private homes. There are thousands of examples in London alone and shown below is just a selection.

Other pubs with historic value such as The Nag's Head, Holloway Road, N7 have no visual stamp on the pub to hint at their former identities, which is a shame. The Nag's Head was once the main pub of the area and lends its name to the local shopping centre. It is shown as a destination plate on LRT buses.

During the past 20 years the pub has changed owners and names a few times. In the 1990s for a short period it was The Mustang and then O’Neill’s took it over and gave it their nasty yellow and blue livery, complete with pretend post office. Then all the pub fittings were ripped out and for a while it become a shop selling household stuff like glass coffee tables and throws. These days, despite a campaign against the idea by local residents, it's an Agora gaming centre. But there's hardly ever anyone in there so I can only speculate that very soon a new name will appear over the door.

I find it all quite sad. But hey, perhaps it will return to being a pub one day...

Shown above is a selection of these 'ghost pubs'.

The current name or use in shown brackets.

Row 1: The Frying Pan, E1 (balti restaurant); The Queen’s Head, WC1 (empty); St Martin’s Tavern, NW1 (Kaz Kreol); The Nevill, N16 (residential); The Swan, E2 (grill); The Unicorn, N1 (Papa John’s pizzas).

Row 2: The Elephant (or Elephants’ Head?), E5 (Fitzgerald’s);

The Old Farm House, NW5 (O’Reilly’s); The Green Man, N1 (Nailworld); The Prince of Wales, NW1 (Positively 4th Street);

The Half Moon, N19 (The Quays).

Row 3: Princess Beatrice, NW1 (Tommy Flynn’s); The Anchor, N1 (Polsmak restaurant); The Hare and Hounds, N1 (Albert & Pearl); The Grafton Arms (The Swimmer); The Old Parrs Head, N1 (Jigsaw); The Wheatsheaf, W1 (Langoletto restaurant).

Row 4: Crown and Castle, E2 (noodle bar); The Three Wheatsheaves, N1 (The Outback); Hoxton Distillery, N1 (The Macbeth); The Robin Hood, W3 (Connolly’s); Cock Tavern, N19 (Nambucca);

Row 5: The Norfolk Arms, N19 (Chris Stevens DIY); The Spread Eagle, E9 (The Jackdaw & Stump); The Alexandra Coffee House, N19 (locksmiths); Royal George, N1 (The Bombay Bicycle Club); The Duke of Edinburgh, NW1 (Green Light pharmacy); The Griffin (?), E5 (Hackney Building & Plumbing Supplies).

Row 6: The Tam O’Shanter, WC2 (Scotch Steak House); The Duke of Sussex, N1 (Fredericks); The Weavers Arms, N16 (newsagent); The Huntingdon, N1 (empty); The Rainbow, N1 (private home); The Intrepid Fox, W1 (empty).

Row 7: An old Truman pub, E5 (residential); The Pembury Tavern E5 (residential); The Southgate Arms, N1 (residential) ; The Montague Arms, N7 (residential); The White Hart (empty).

A larger collection of my photos can be found at www.flickr.com/photos/janepbr

Ghost Signs – N1/Islington area

A larger collection of my photos of ghost signs, and other things that interest me, can be found at www.flickr.com/photos/janepbr

Ghost Signs – Camden to Highgate

A larger collection of my photos of ghost signs, and other things that interest me, can be found at www.flickr.com/photos/janepbr

Ghost Signs – Central London

By 'central' I mean within or close to the Circle Line

A larger collection of my photos of ghost signs, and other things that interest me, can be found at www.flickr.com/photos/janepbr

Ghost Signs – Holloway area

A larger collection of my photos of ghost signs, and other things that interest me, can be found at www.flickr.com/photos/janepbr

Ghost Signs - Stoke Newington area

A larger collection of my photos of ghost signs, and other things that interest me, can be found at www.flickr.com/photos/janepbr

Ghost signs – North London

Miscellaneous signs found in Hampstead, West Hampstead, Crouch End, Stroud Green, Highbury and Finsbury Park

A larger collection of my photos of ghost signs, and other things that interest me, can be found at www.flickr.com/photos/janepbr