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Tuesday, 16 August 2016

New New Cross


And on to New Cross - the hip, new, vibrant, up-and-coming den of artistic commerce and buzzing iniquities in the latest must-be-seen quarter of South-East London in the heart of the Capital. I think that covers everything. Gary Oldman shot Nil By Mouth round here, including in The Five Bells pub, which is becoming a bistro or restaurant or bar far removed from that smoky place, for better or worse.


I think this house is listed. I'm not sure. I don't know if that will count for anything anyway. Given a look around at the lower house prices here I'd estimate it's value conservatively at £950,000,000.


Directly opposite is this ode to lost love. I did have to blur some for reasons of decency, but I guess it's nice to see people getting along.


I did remember when this was The Hairy Lemon, amongst other pubs names. It seems to have settled on being an hotel. Edit: No, it's a pub - http://www.thewindsoroldkentroad.co.uk.


Things like this just make you feel always insecure, like your home is never really your own. Maybe that will be the norm.




These houses are so vintage they seem to be modern (but flats) again.


This has been like this for so long now it must be, especially given the area, some sort of ironic statement on the nature of modern art. Or a Japanese wabi-sabi piece. Or, as this Chinese restaurant (completely full on a Sunday thanks to the church opposite - see below) was I think previously a pub  maybe it's kept as a reminder of that.


More modern shapes.



This is the church mentioned above, or Tabernacle. I can't find the video any more but I am sure I saw this brand of church - Christ Faith Tabernacle, I recognised the pastor in the poster -in another of their branches where the congregation thought a visiting owl was demonic, began shouting at it until it fell to the ground, apparently dead. It was then taken outside and burnt. There have been lots of reports about these always packed churches on news and documentary programmes and their sometimes questionable practices. There are lots of them here. What that says I'm not sure - failure of 'traditional' churches, changing demographic, desperate people who want rich-looking pastors? More in another post I should think.


Not long ago everyone was against the blight of tower blocks - David Cameron (you know, the ex-PM), Guardian columnists.


Some buildings were built to last. It can be done! A stitch in time, a bit of concern - doesn't take much.


This is an optical illusion that I think I've lined up right, like in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, sort of.


The good thing about hipsters and the like - they wont take this lying down! It might be futile but at least they do care about their area, about everyone (usually) and about local history and character. Another betting shop is really not necessary, but as in Peckham they have to stay and multiply.


Again this is a local personal landmark that just seems to have always been there. I do not think even wabi-sabi could make a case for it being improved with age. I believe bus drivers used to stand in there.


Red plaque, blue one next door. Well in the garden. Millwall nearby. The New Den is in New Bermondsey now. Of course MFC are fighting to keep their land out of the hands of the developers and Lewisham Council. Lots of new fans at the New Den, and now new plans for land. Same old story. Reg Burr was arguably right about needing a new ground but that was a completely different idea altogether, one hopefully benefitting the club and somewhat the area without massive social cleansing. It does not mean the future plans which are even worse need to go ahead. There are genuine fears of social cleansing now, across London, making those expressed at the time The Den was left virtually pale into insignificance. Developers no doubt think the same will happen again, but it won't. Changing a ground isn't the same as changing a city.



Above and below, after and before. Below was a kind of Picasso (but of course without the tragedy and...everything) but that's been painted over, probably unfortunately. On the side it said 'Feb '15 Past Present The Future' and signed Matlakas. 



Canary Wharf visible of course. Sainsbury very far away. Why didn't they put it where the petrol station is and the station back there?


A kind of mini #guerillagarden bit. Going on now is starts to get really trendy, so I just have to check if I am allowed there.


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