Jane's Advent Calendar – 25th December

A little enamel sign I spotted in Savoy Street, WC2.

Ah... Oxford Street... today it will be blissfully and unusually quiet.
For an alternative Christmas morning treat, why not take a wander into Central London and stand in the middle of this major shopping thoroughfare with nary a car or person in sight.   

Jane's Advent Calendar – 24th December

Holloway N7.
It's not true – you never see gates with these signs on being used at all.

Jane's Advent Calendar – 23rd December

Elegant numbers badly painted in Wilton Crescent, Belgravia, SW1

Jane's Advent Calendar – 22nd December

An old vitreous enamel road sign in Bloomsbury.
See yesterday and Sunday 20th for two more 22s

Jane's Advent Calendar – 21st December

Sort of the same as yesterday really, but a bit different.
Soho, London W1.

Jane's Advent Calendar – 20th December

A lovely doorway mosaic in Maddox Street, London W1 clearly showing No.20 on the right and No.22 on the left. I just love the numbers and the elegant shape of the ampersand.
I was intending to link to a past post/collection of ampersands, but it appears I haven't done that yet. How strange. It's now on the list!

Jane's Advent Calendar – 19th December

Landseer House, 19 Charing Cross Road, London WC2.
I am not sure if the name of this building relates to Edwin Landseer who painted The Monarch of the Glen and sculpted the lions at the base of Nelson's Column in nearby Trafalgar Square.
This stretch of the road south from Leicester Square Station, is littered with fine examples of statement/personalised architectural details – be sure to look up next time you are there.

Jane's Advent Calendar – 18th December

An old Huguenot weavers' house at 18 Princelet Street, London E1.
Visit the fascinating museum at No.19 Princelet Street 

Jane's Advent Calendar – 17th December

A lovely cone-shaped candle snuffer at No.17 Savile Row, London W1

Jane's Advent Calendar – 16th December

Vitreous enamel hydrant maker showing distance to the access point.

Dalston, London E8.

Most of these are diamond-shape, except when they wrap around a corner in which case they are square. 

I have only ever spotted one oval-shaped specimen in Sclater Street, E1:

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.

Jane's Advent Calendar – 15th December

A lovely bit of pencil work at The Greek Cypriot Women's Group, 15 Hercules Street, London N7

Jane's Advent Calendar – 14th December

Cement impression graffiti. Not sure is this is Eden's age or the year 2014.
More of these here.

Jane's Advent Calendar – 13th December

Camden High Street, 2010.  I took this shot because I liked the colours and patterns; the diagonals and the yellow foam vertical, the hand-cut hole for letters and the hand-painted number written in two lines with an attempt at letterform. 

Jane's Advent Calendar – 12th December

Leighton Grove, London NW5
I thought this was poignant seeing as 12.5 is half of 25.

Jane's Advent Calendar – 11th December

Hand-painted tea rooms sign at 11 Museum Street, St Giles, Bloomsbury, March 2008 

October 2015

The Old Royal Naval College and Christmas lights at Greenwich

The Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich is a fascinating place. Lots of interesting artefacts, art and information. Be sure to check out the Painted Hall.

On the way to take another consignment of my clay pipe jewellery to the ORNC gift shop last week I stopped to admire the Christmas decorations in Greenwich Market, on the Cutty Sark and the colour-changing dome on the entrance to the foot tunnel that joins Greenwich with the Island Gardens on The Isle of Dogs. 

Ah... lovely.

Find the jewellery display to the right of the till near the main door facing the Thames

Jane's Advent Calendar – 10th December

Pointing the way to No.10 in West Hampstead

Pointing hands like these are called manicules and every time I see an old one it brings a smile to my face. See more here.

Jane's Advent Calendar – 9th December

Green door, what's that secret you're keeping?
9 Roupell Street, London SE1

A stone's throw from Waterloo Station are some lovely old streets.

The area is constantly under threat from developers and the houses in this evocative location fetch exhorbitant unrealistic prices.

See this video by David Gilna of people walking to work there.

Oh, and cos you are probably sing that song... click here for Mr Stevens.

Cards cards cards

I am really pleased that greeting cards featuring my photos of places of interest in north London have been selling well.
A selection is shown here:

Greeting cards 135mm square supplied with envelopes in cello bags. 

Buy them for £2.50 each from The Only Place For Pictures in Upper Street, Islington (opposite the Union Chapel), Arts and Vintage (opposite Highgate tube station) and Oxfam Bookshops in Highgate and Crouch End.

Snowflakes 135mm square. All others A6/postcard size.

Or buy direct from me, either by contacting me, or finding me at one of my stalls where I will also have my other cards showing my images created from clay pipes; Pete and Joe, London Landmarks, Christmas trees and snowflakes.
Buy four get one free – get five for £10 for any cards when purchasing in person.
Many are also available on Etsy (free p&p).

Jane's Advent Calendar – 8th December

Lower Sloane Square, London SW1

See more numbers from this terrace here

Jane's Advent Calendar – 7th December

The Seven Stars public house, 243 Goldhawk Road, London W12

The name Seven Stars may be a reference to the seven stars of Ursa Major (The Great Bear) commonly known as The Plough / Charles Wain (UK) or The Big Dipper / The Wagon (USA). But why?

It's claimed that a pub of the same name in Carey Street behind the Law Courts in WC2 could be the oldest pub in London.

A mystery tour in Holborn – Incredible Midtown: The Game‏ – until Friday Dec 11th

I just found this is a fun way to explore what I still prefer to call the Holborn area.

Bloomsbury details

Until this Friday 11th Dec...
Put your detective skills to the test and unravel a series of fiendish clues and perplexing puzzles and immerse yourself in three centuries of London history on the mystery tour Incredible Midtown: The Game‏ devised by live-action experience maestros Secret Studio.  
Teams of friends and strangers will form groups of ten and collaborate to uncover the drama and fascinating past of this ever-intriguing area during a puzzle-based adventure game. Actors bring real and fictional fully-interactive characters to life (or death!). Expects ghosts, pubs, rock stars, and lots of fascinating historical facts.
Takes approx 90 minutes. The Game Tickets are £12 per person. Book here.

I have written about the rebranding of Bloomsbury as Midtown before here and here.

Jane's Advent Calendar – 6th December

Dingley Road, London EC1
Ten fags for sixpence!!
This sign must have been very vibrant 70 years ago.
At the bottom right the signwriter has left his mark: "HARRIS the Sign King"! 

Black Cat Cigarettes were made nearby at The Carerras factory on Mornington Crescent where Craven 'A' cigarettes were also manufactured. These too featured the company's iconic black cat logo.

Jane's Advent Calendar – 5th December

Great St James Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1

Fanlights (glass windows split into sections forming a open fan design, hence the name) were installed in the 18th century to let more light into gloomy hallways. Bloomsbury is awash with many fine examples.
Others, like the one here, were created as protruding boxes which captured and reflected even more light into the house. I cannnot find the proper name for this style – any information welcome