Learn to swim in a tanked tent

I thought this was a joke when someone told me about it – a temporary 12m swimming pool will be in Euston/Camden from Monday 29th April until Thursday July 11th.
Total Swimming's aim is to teach 1,200 people how to swim through community swimming programmes. Lessons are free of charge, but tickets are, of course, limited. Please see the website for more info.
Additionally (something I noticed in this week's Time Out), the pool is available outside lesson time during the evenings and at weekends for just £2 entrance fee, though you still need to book.
Next stop Southwark.

Top: Hornsey Rd, Kentish Town, Haymarket, Holborn

Middle: Tufnell Pk, Westminster x3

Bottom: Holloway, Parliament Hill, Hoxton, Kentish Town

Get Britain Writing

Most days I am sat at a computer typing on a keyboard. When I do pick up a pen to write something down in my diary or on a scrap of paper as a note to self it's more often than not a scrawl that I cannot understand when I look at it days later. At school we were taught how to write neatly, with fountain pens using joined up letters. Oh dear. It seems practice really does make perfect. I am sure I am not alone here.
These days it's all texting and touch screens. So I was pleased to read that the art of handwriting is being promoted to coincide with National Stationery Week (April 22 to 28) – Sheaffer, the official partner of NSW, is inviting handwriting enthusiasts in the UK to pen a page of their own longhand which will be analysed by Sheaffer's expert graphologists as part of the campaign to ‘Get Britain Writing’.
Each article of handwriting submitted to Sheaffer will immediately be in with a chance of winning a luxury calligraphy set. 
To enter Sheaffer’s handwriting assignment, simply drop a note in the post to Sheaffer Handwriting Assignment, Creative Industries Centre, Wolverhampton, WV10 9TG. For more information visit www.sheaffer.com
National Stationery Week is in conjunction with the National Literacy Trust which carries out a great deal of good work in schools and families across the UK.
Here are some nice pieces of scripts and hand lettering I have discovered in London:

Top: Victoria, Camden, Kings Cross, Covent Garden
Middle: Islington, Leyton, Caledonian Rd, Archway
Bottom: Borough, St Martin's, Charterhouse, Stoke Newington

Camden's getting crafty

This Friday sees the first of We Make London's twice a month appearances at Camden Lock Market where 30 designer-makers will be selling all sorts of wonderful one-off handmade items including homewares, ceramics, accessories, prints and jewellery.
This hub of creativity can be found in the Middle Yard every first and third Friday from April 5th.
There will also be a farmers market where you can get some great food direct from the makers, plus all the diverse shops and bars in the area. What's not to like?
Hope to see you there (I will be trading myself... plug, plug!).
More info here.
Below is a collection of my photos of details found in and around Camden Lock Market featuring, in particular, Camden High Street and Chalk Farm Road.

Holloway Road then and now (2)

Continuing from my recent post about Pugh Bros, this entry looks at the changes to the buildings to the left of it in the Victorian parade that links two pubs; The Bailey and The Wig & Gown.

In 2008 I started taking photos along the Holloway Road – the architectural details that no one seems to notice or appreciate; the kind of things that get overlooked or ripped out in the name of 'progress'. 

The image below, top left was taken at that time and shows most of the old windows with their original multi-panes contrasted with the modern cheaper, kind. But, returning to this image today, I now cannot work out which street numbers those windows belonged to. Five years and so much has changed.    

As you can see by the google streetview, top right (which also shows that almost all of the bricks in this terrace have now been coated in render and/or painted over) most of the windows have been replaced with modern versions. 

Whilst I can understand the need for better insulation and double glazing, especially when living on a busy main road, I think it's a crime to put in replacements that quite evidently are not suitable or sympathetic, especially as there are very good wood or UPVC equivalents available these days. I know, because I had my own victorian sashes replaced; they weren't expensive and they look great. 

The three images on the bottom row, above, further highlight what I mean here – the new windows are mostly just plain glass. A hint to the correct style has been made in some cases by introducing fake divisions, but scant thought has gone into this as they have too many sections (try comparing the old with the new). And notice how a lot of the pediments and architraves have been removed. It all makes for a very dull and uninteresting façade.

The pics above, from the mid-1970s, show how the original Victorian sashes were still in place (though probably draughty!). Note the lovely old signage on the three shops: No.87's hand-painted lettering (with ‘groceries’ squashed in at the end), Shing Lee’s then modern sign (the nasty shape of things to come) with an earlier hand-painted advertisement on the wall above which reads (something like): 'Builder, decorator (xxxx?) and plumbing in all branches', and Crossman’s music and radio shop with its deep windows and lovely old signs for HMV, Decca and Ever Ready. See the comments below for more about Crossman/Grossman.

On the subject of bad window replacements, further along the Holloway Road, on the rounded corner above no 201, there are some that are so bad they actually bring a smile to my face. 

Lies, lies, damned lies

For those of you who like a guided walking tour with a twist, I'd recommend Liars' Tours.
Actual facts and are mixed up with total fabrications and it's up to the crowd to work out which ones to believe* – with so many barely conceivable stories about London it's often really hard to decide – truth is often stranger than fiction.
I am booked up for the Vauxhall tour, so perhaps I will see you there.
There are lies to be found all over London, as shown below, so keep your wits about you.

 * 'believe' contains a lie too. Is that ironic?

Wholesale electrical components, fluorescent lamps and switchgear

In June 2008 a friend alerted me to the unveiling of some lovely old hand-painted shop signs on 136 Grays Inn Road. The shop was being renovated and the plain wooden fascias that had been in place for decades had been removed to reveal some lovely lettering showing that in an earlier life the shop had been home to an electrical components retailer (see below, top left and top middle).
Later that same year I took some more photos when all the signs were more visible. Crackled paint, drop shadows. Lovely.
We hoped that these old signs would continue to be visible in the future but they were covered up again. I think they were initially covered with more boards. I think the site became a cafe. (Peter, please correct me here if I am wrong please!)
Two months ago I was in Grays Inn Road again. I stopped in my tracks when I saw what it looks like now – the shop is up for sale/rent, having spent a while as a hairdressers. White gloss has been applied straight over the top of the lovely old lettering and, at certain angles, the words can be seen ghosting through the paint. The bottom right image shows the 'components/switchgear' panel.
Is this progress?
I am sad. Very sad. :-(

Now, this is street art

On a street off Essex Road, Islington, I noticed that a cut down tree has been subtlely transformed into a nature-meets-geometrical-form thingummybob. It's signed TWRJ.I just did a bit of googling and found this video on YouTube about its creation.
Nice. More please.

Holloway then and now

This is the first of a series that I will be posting about Holloway Road, my local high street.
In the late Victorian era, in the days of Mr Pooter, the road was lined with beautiful shops. Many ironmongers' shops (where Mr Pooter may have bought the red enamel for his washstand and bath) were packed to the brim and festooned with items for sale. 

Pugh Bros at No. 95-97 clearly illustrates this, offering all kinds of everything. I am not sure which of the two pictures is older – there may only be a year between them but, even so, the signs indicate that it was like a mini B&Q with extras – gas fittings, lanterns, ladders, lamps, tyres, wheels and more. You could even get your bicycle repaired at Pugh's.

Below you can see the huge change today where the building has been subsequently converted to a pub. It was The Wig and Gown, a reference to the court house further along the road, but has since become the The House of Hammerton – the drinking hole for the local brewery.

Then and now (2013)

Colourful London

February... and it's all a bit grey and gloomy and cold and dull out there.
So cheer yourself up with this palette of London jewels.

Top: Fitzrovia, Hoxton, Fulham, Holborn
Middle: Wapping, Bow, Old St, Camden, 
Bottom: Spitalfields, Vauxhall, Kilburn, Covent Gdn
All taken from my Flickr Photostream

Woolwich past and present

My recent to the Cinema Museum reminded me that last summer I was in Woolwich admiring the wonderful façades of the old cinemas there.

Woolwich town centre is a mix of all sorts of everything. People are not going to the cinema so much these days, so the lovely old picture palaces are being now used for other things. As far as I can ascertain The Grand, converted from the ABC Regal on the site of the old Hippodrome, has been revamped into an arts venue. The Grade II Listed Granada with its gothic interior has was converted into a bingo clu b(it still says GALA BINGO on the tower) but it is now home to a church. The gorgeous Art Deco Coronet/Odeon (built 1937 and also Grade II Listed) with its curved tiled frontage is now known as Gateway House and home to The New Wine Church (do they worship the grape?)

The Empire is now long gone, having been demolished. 

More info and some great archive images about these cinemas here. See also The Theatres Trust. 

Below are some of the photos I took last summer, which include two of the above- mentioned cinemas mixed in with shots of other interesting architectural features which can be found close by. The northern end of Powis Street contains some lovely buildings including a ornate terracotta fronted theatre and what I think was a department store that resembled cinema architecture (middle and top left). This area is under renovation at the moment; the scaffolding is up and there are signs alluding to new shopping malls. I hope the plans enhance rather than destroy all of this fabulous history. 

The Cinema Museum

Tucked away in what's left of Lambeth's Old Workhouse is an Aladdin's cave of pre digital film and picture palace ephemera called The Cinema Museum.
This private, not for profit, charitable museum is the on-going life's work of Ronald Grant, ably assisted by Martin Humphries.
Ronald's passion for all things cinematic began when he was a child and, just like the boy in Cinema Paradiso, he sat with his local projectionist, gradually picking up the tricks of the trade that would form the first part of his working life at cinemas in his native Aberdeen. Over the decades he has collected all sorts of wonderful cinematic items, thus saving them from destruction or landfill. I was shocked to learn that it was actually Odeon's policy when selling their lovely old buildings not to allow items to be taken or resold for salvage; eveything was destroyed. It hardly bears thinking about. I think that's worse than the wanton vandalism that took place inside Islington's Carlton Cinema a few years back. AlthoughI ham heartened by this information about a project for renovation in conjunction with a proposed new glass building at the rear (oh gawd, here we go again).
Where was I?
Ronald and Martin have managed to salvage a lot of wonderful gems from the much-missed cinema palaces of yesteryear. You'll find posters, projectors, lenses, cannisters, signage, textiles, uniforms and more. They also show films in the mini cinema. On Saturday we were treated to four gems including 'The Last Tram', a film about, you've guessed it; London's last tram ride (excerpt here). I thought it was a rather poignant choice seeing as we were watching it via a process that isn't used any more (film) in a museum dedicated to an old way of life that is also practically deceased.
Picture palaces used to employ a large uniformed staff and be packed full all day, with more people queuing round the block. Then, once inside, they'd join a film perhaps half way through, not really understanding what was going on until the film came back on again hours later!  
The museum also contains three rooms packed to the ceiling with books, papers, magazines, photos and prints, plus another room stuffed full of filing cabinets containing The Ronald Grant Archive, which helps to fund the museum collection.
At the centre of the building is the old workhouse chapel with its very high ceiling which now used as a cafe and display area. This large space is available to hire for events. Looking up, I noticed a wonderful coincidence – the original roof trusses contain a circular motifs that look just like film cannisters!
Thanks to Caroline for inviting me along. An afternoon well spent.

Markets... going, going, gone, and Hackwood Art Festival

Last night I went to the London launch of the 2013 Hackwood Art Festival at The Gallery in Shepherd Market.
Well who knew? I certainly didn't. This London show is in conjunction with a three day art event that has been taking place every June since 2005 within a converted 18th Century barn in Hampshire, this year supporting St. Michael's Hospice, a local charity. Sounds like a good day/weekend away from The Smoke.

Shepherd Market fascinates me. It's a tight little collection of streets hidden in Mayfair between Piccadilly and Curzon Street packed, these days, with pubs, restaurants and galleries. Whenever I am headed there and I turn off Piccadilly into White Horse Street I often wonder if I have taken the wrong turning being as that road is lined with large, damp-smelling empty buildings (a crying shame considering the location). No wonder the streets that make up the market area became a well-know red light district. I did spot one red light last night. Was it for real, or was someone in an upper room having a giggle?
Thinking about how Shepherd Market no longer has a market as such, I started making a mental list of other long-gone markets. Here are my initial thoughts in picture form:

Top: Shepherd Market(x3) and Billingsgate's original site (now re-sited to E14)

Middle: Haymarket, St James's Market (this building and street sign since demolished), Farringdon Market, Club Row (where we bought  our lovely mongrel in 1976)

Bottom: Leathermarket, Camden Passage (as good as gone), Hoxton Market and Caledonian Cattle/Antiques Market

Splish Splosh Splash!

There is a programme on TV at the moment called Splash!
Tom Daley, the UK's Olympic medal-winning diver, has been busy training up fifteen celebs with vary degrees of success.
What I cannot understand is why this is getting criticised so much. It's perfect prime-time Saturday night fare... gawping at people who are wearing almost nothing scaring themselves half to death before hurling themselves off a concrete platform without hurting themselves. Rather them than me.
So it seems it's OK for celebs to dance, sing (and opera sing), be themselves*, climb mountains, ice skate and take part in Mr & Mrs, but not right for them to have a go at something really quite difficult and properly sporty? All in the name of entertainment. And with proper training advice from Tom and the panel of judges which includes Jo Brand as an obvious comedy foil.
Apart from Vernon Kay's gurning face, the only bits I don't like are the musical interludes with over enthusiastic dancers and divers, and sometimes a bit of synchronised swimming thrown in too. Those girls might look daft, but they are super-fit. I know that from personal experience because I have watched them from the comfort of my sofa.
I think the media is upset about Splash! because perhaps they think our Tom can be seen to be belittling or diregarding his Olympic status by taking part in such a show. Perhaps they are worried he might be as embarrassing as Victoria Pendleton on Strictly Come Dancing? There, there love.
Well I think it's good and I want Linda Barker to win. And if Splash! gets some fat kids off their arses and into the swimming pools, that's a good thing. Though not all at once mind, because that would cause too much water displacement.
Here are some London diving and swimming related images from my wanders around London. Check out the three panels on the middle row showing two shifty skinny dippers in Westminster. Ooer!

Top: Hornsey Rd, Kentish Town, Haymarket, Holborn
Middle: Tufnell Pk, Westminster x3
Bottom: Holloway, Parliament Hill, Hoxton, Kentish Town

*A ref to Celebrity Big Brother. This latest series is highly amusing. I have been half-watching here and there... Speidi (Heidi and Spencer, who for those of you who don't know, count as one person on this show) are 'proper' reality stars from the US (go figure!). They have been playing it as a game, making up stories etc, lying and cheating in order to confuse the others and they have also stated that they want to win. And that they have no interest keeping in touch after the show. How refreshing. The others in the house don't like it one bit and are banging on about how 'real' they, themselves, are whilst preening their hair and sucking their cheeks in, yet being devoid of any thoughts, ideas or personality except to gossip and backbite. They are all awful. It's roadcrash TV of the best kind.
The gossipers ought to admit that they would at least like to win or, better still, be honest/real and say "I am here on CBB to improve my profile/ratings". To say it's just for the experience and how you want to be seen as a 'real' person is a big fat lie. Getting all upset about nominating is potty too as it's the most important part of the bloody show/game. And then there's the nonsense about letters from home, which all say the same thing anyway; "we miss you blah blah blah". It's not like they are going to contain anything juicy, personal or revealing such as "I have left you for someone else", "our daughter is gay" or "the dog just died".
Anyway, how can you be real in a house full of cameras? How on earth do these people cope in the outside world?.

Bedford Square

One of my favourite squares in London is Bedford Square, Bloomsbury. I must admit I prefered it when the road actually ran around the circular garden but, hey, it's still lovely. Ten years ago (and counting) it was a great place to park after 6.30pm; close enough for a five minute walk into the West End and great for a fast getaway back to North London.
The lovely garden at the centre of Bedford Square is enclosed by railings and rarely open to the public (a notable exception would be the annual Chap Olympiad). Bedford square is boxed in on four sides by gorgeous Georgian terraces. Almost every doorway has an architectural detail to catch my eye; an unusual bootscraper, an exquisite fanlight, a lovely brass doorknob or fancy letterbox.
Walking westwards along the north side of the square last week I noticed that there was a row of doorways each with different exterior floor mosaics, so out came the pocket camera and I walked the whole square clockwise looking for more, noticing how the door numbers went anti-clockwise. Why is that?

These particular doorway mosaics must have been a kind of welcome mat to customers, who may have been hotels guests.
(Note to self: find out more)
On the corner of Gower Street sits No.12. A board attached to the railings advertises that there is 4,500 sq ft of office space available for rent inside, and more space available at similar locations in Bayley St and Gower St. I rest my case re new [glass] buildings being built in London yet lots of office space is already available in prime locations.  
But what really interested me about No.12 was the differing panels of vermiculation around the door. Each of the eight sections was distinctly different, and it can't just be put down to the amount of paint layers. See here:

I continued along the east side, where the doorways are larger and more imposing and the brasswork is more showy and the fanlights are larger.
The Square boasts some really unusual examples of boot scrapers and a  selection of them is shown below. I took a few photos of the one shown bottom left which can be found on the south side where the moss has been able to grow in the shadows.

On the south side I spotted two coal hole cover plates that somehow eluded me in the past. How on earth had I never noticed 'Pfeil and Stedall', and 'Boobbyer' before?! What bizarre names!

Clockwise from top left: West Bros, G. Guy, Luxfer, Haywards, J. H. Boobbyer & Sons, Pfeil and Stedall, T. Sampson, J.Jennings.
Turning onto the west side checking the makers names on the coal hole covers, I didn't spot any 'new' ones but I did notice that they were all wider in diameter. Possibly larger businesses/houses/hotels/colleges? So that's something else I need to look up. More of my London coal hole cover plates here.
I think you will agree, it was a rather nice diversional loop to my afternoon.

Brass Monkeys

Blimey, it's taters innit guv.
Shopping in Leather Lane Market earlier this week I didn't envy the stallholders standing outside all day in the biting cold freezing their whatsits off.
London is still blessed with a great choice of markets; farmers, craft, flower, fruit, veg, fish, general, antiques and more. Some are within indoor arcades, some are outdoor and covered, but many are street markets open to the elements.
Some details from along those streets are pictured below.

Top: Walthamstow High St, Exmouth Mkt, North End Road, Strutton Ground
Middle: Portobello Rd, Whitecross St, Chapel Mkt, Leather Lane
Bottom: Broadway Mkt, Berwick St, Whitechapel High St, Lower Marsh

Weathervane NEWS

I can't believe I haven't ever put together a montage of London weathervanes on here until now. They have made singular appearances in various posts over the years but never as a specific collection.

Some of them are gorgeous and/or really intricate. And many of them are plain bizarre.

Below are some of my favourites including boats, fish, mythological creatures, a fox and a swan, but no (weather)cocks.  

I have plenty more where these came from. 

The 12 Days of Christmas

By the 6th January there will be a lot of birds flapping about, making a lot of bird poo when they are scared by the noisy pipes and drums.
The Lords, the dancing ladies and the milkmaids will be slipping over in the stuff as they try to get to the fruit and the jewellery.
It won't be a pretty sight.

Top: Highgate, Waterloo, Highbury+Islington, Charterhouse
Middle: Hoxton, Camden, Pimlico, Stroud Green
Bottom: Victoria, Clerkenwell, Wapping, Notting Hill

Pipes and books and interesting things

Whilst doing a stall at Old Spitalfields Market a couple of months back a man stopped to chat about my wares and we stood for ages chatting about all things Thames foreshore-y and mudlark-y.
Turns out that John is one of the 50 or so people with an official licence to use a metal detector and do more than pick at the surface (like me). He has found all sorts of interesting things over the years. In addition to this he also provides a service helping people find their lost property for just the price of the reward offered, i.e. no result, no fee. See here for more info.
John also makes and sells an interesting and useful product – he hollows out books to create secret compartments for hiding keys, money, jewellery and the like. Aptly named Hollow Books.
John and I will both be trading at Spitalfields on Saturday 22nd. More info here.

Below are some Thames foreshore images by yours truly:

Spare a thought for the reindeer

They are in training at the moment for the busiest day of their year.
Some come out to do a few extra jobs pre-Christmas, but most just take it easy and rely on the modelling and promo they do at other times of the year.
See here:

Top: Wimbledon, Crouch End, Regent St, Chelsea
Middle: Chelsea, Holloway, East Finchley, Lambeth
Bottom: Kings Cross, More London, Covent Garden, Hampstead

More London Christmas Market

Another bit of blatant self promo here, but hey!
We Make London's Christmas Market takes place over 4 days this week – from Thursday 13th until Sunday 16th inclusive, 11am–5.30pm/4pm Sunday (why an early finish on Sunday?).
Situated at More London, on the South Bank between London Bridge and Tower bridge (outside Boris' offices and The Scoop), there will be 36 stalls selling unique handmade products, plus food, drink, music and entertainment to keep us all warm.
Here are some off some of my photos of the immediate area.

Sir Patrick Moore, RIP

Sir Patrick Moore passed away last night.
Astronomer, author and musician – he was an inspirational star.

All pics can be found here. 

The Belsizes

Located in a triangle bordered by Chalk Farm, Hampstead and Swiss Cottage tube stations is the area known as Belsize Park and, seeing as I am going there on Sunday, I thought it was due a mention here.
Checking through my photographic archive I noticed I haven't made that many forays into this area, though I have walked up and down Rosslyn Hill and Haverstock Hill many times and admired the robot-faced air raid shelter entrance, John Cooper's wonderful cubist (restored) 1935 floor mosaic at the Wharrie Cabmen's Shelter, a weathered milestone (4 miles to what?) and many old pubs hinting at the road's even older history. I have a few pics of some of the old shops in Englands Lane, but none of the charming village area along Belsize Lane. I really must get out more!
The word 'belsize' comes from the french 'bel assis' meaning well-situated – the area being perfect for direct access into central London. There are 12 roads in the area bearing this name including a grove, a terrace, a mews and an avenue. And of course, there's Belsize Park tube station too.
Ooh... I just found some excellent info about the area. Here's a link to it so that I can stop typing!

car2go launches in London

After successful outings in mainland Europe and the US, London has just become the 17th city to be served by car2go.
Yesterday I went along to Boxpark next to Shoreditch station to the launch of this brilliant carsharing service. They call it 'the future of urban mobility' and I agree; I think it's brilliant.
It's a much simpler system than other carsharing schemes available at the moment – with car2go you register as a user (see below) and to get your card which will then activate any available car you see on the street or locate using the smartphone app. You can then drive the car around as necessary and just leave it parked anywhere legal within a car2go zone/borough. There are only three boroughs in London at the moment but I am sure that very quickly these little blue and white cars will be as common as the Boris bikes.
The environmentally friendly hybrid cars save on costs by switching themselves off when the car is at a standstill at traffic lights etc, and are therefore economical to hire. Prices start from 35p a minute up to £59 for a whole day and this includes fuel, insurance, tax, parking and the Congestion Zone charge.
I can see lots of opportunities for my own personal use, such as when I get off the Gatwick Express late at night after the tubes have finished and a black cab home to Holloway costs almost £30. How nice it would be to just sling my bag in the back of one of these little darlings and drive myself home for less than half the price!
Special offer: the registration fee is free if you sign up before the year end and this includes 30 minutes of free driving. Just turn up in person at one of the shops with your driving licence...  
See the website for even more information.
A selection of images; some are mine, and some were supplied on a cute little promo USB stick along with an even tinier toy Smartcar in a box. Nice touch.

We Make London Christmas Fair at Battersea Arts Centre this Saturday

BAC, Lavender Hill, Battersea, is the venue for the next We Make London's Christmas Fair.
On Saturday 1st December this lovely building will be full to bursting with diverse talent and unusual gifts – the perfect place for south London fans of the unique and individual to purchase directly from the designer-makers themselves. So much better than ordering mass-produced items on line, don't you think? Find me in the Dressing Room.
WML's book, Inspired:London, featuring 162 talented people will be available to buy on the day... another crafty idea for a Christmas present.
Please see The We Make London site for more info.
The Battersea area, still has a lot old architectural details; ghost signs, pub signs weather vanes and stink pipes. Some are shown below. I have missed out the obvious Battersea feature becasue I have written about it before. See more of my Battersea pics on Flickr.

Keeping it local

This weekend the lights go on in Holloway.
On Sunday 25th November The Nag's Head Christmas Extravaganza one day event will see the northbound section of the Holloway Road between Camden Road and Seven Sisters Road closed to traffic and taken over by rides, stall, reindeer, music, dancing, mulled wine and other festive stuff. Just like last year.
I will be there selling my pipes again, so do come and say hello.

On the subject of the Holloway Road, I recently got a copy of the Born and Bred book which showcases some of the people who live and work along this section of the A1.
Goula from Michael's, my favourite local fruiterer and greengrocer, is featured. I have been patronising her family's wonderful shop for over 23 years and it never disappoints. The goods are always excellent quality as the family source the best seasonal produce, as well as top quality named brand pastas, sauces and coffees which they manage to sell cheaper than at the nearby Morrissons and Waitrose. They also have lovely artisan breads, fresh herbs, cheeses, nuts and tinned foods. And everything is beautifully displayed on lovely wooden shelves with hand-written signs.
Whilst chatting in the shop to Goula's daughter the other weekend, and complimenting her on all of the above, I was amazed how few people came in during that period. It appears people the general public is more attracted to bogofs* and £1 bowls of limp carrots. These idiots don't know what they are missing out on.
So I urge you – support your local shops!!! 
You will miss them when they are gone and we end up with streets where everything looks and tastes the same.
Michael's don't have a website but I found a favourable review of the shop here
*buy one get one free

Fruit and veg pics from all over London:
Top: Balls Pond Road, Vauxhall, Hackney
Middle: Belgravia, Mayfair, Highgate, Hackney 
Bottom: Bankside, Acton, Crouch End, Barbican