A Black Day

Despite the pleas of many, Clerkenwell Fire Station (which I have written about previously) will close tomorrow morning at 9.30, along with nine other stations around the capital: Belsize (Camden), Bow (Tower Hamlets), Downham (Lewisham), Kingsland (Hackney), Knightsbridge (Kensington & Chelsea), Silvertown (Newham), Southwark, Westminster and Woolwich (Greenwich).

Image source: Spitalfields Life article on Jack Corbett, London's oldest surviving fireman

A rally and vigil is taking place tomorrow morning at 8.30 at the various stations. I will be there at Clerkenwell to express my unhappiness and to pay my respects to the firemen and women who, over the past few years, have been the best neighbours I could have possibly hoped for. I will miss them greatly.

God bless you, men and women of Clerkenwell Fire Station.

Shame on you, Boris bloody Johnson.

Historic Prison Exploration

I'm finally back with the second part of my Clerkenwell Design Week triptych.  This time, in the spotlight is the House of Detention.

Regular readers may recall that I wrote a post over a month ago about the Farmiloe warehouse, which was hosting designers during the event.  I promised to return with related posts but, as I am wont to do, got distracted with more current happenings.

But, now I'm back to tell you all about the spooky former prison which was the other venue used for the Design Week.  Unfortunately, it was rather difficult to take photos in there so this post will be lighter on pictures than the last... though darker on content.  (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

So, on finding the House of Detention, my friends and I all commented, "Funny, this looks more like a school than a prison."  I think you'll agree we were right to be confused:

However, passing through the Schoolkeeper's entrance and descending some stairs, we undoubtedly encountered the prison:

So, the story goes like this...

There was first a prison on this site in the early 17th century, and it was subsequently rebuilt a number of times.  My little bit of research gave me a number of different dates and total number of reconstructions, so I'm just going to leave it loose and undefined!  There also seems to have been quite a few prisons and such in Clerkenwell and its surrounds, serving slightly different purposes.

Previous incarnation of Clerkenwell House of Detention,
from Old and New London, Volume 2 (1878)

Perhaps the area was a little too well-serviced by prisons, because in 1877 it was closed, and then demolished to be replaced by the Hugh Myddleton School.  This late Victorian period was a big time for school buildings in London, following the passing of the 1870 Education Act which meant all children of a certain age, regardless of class or family income, had to attend school.  It's probably a positive transition, to change from a prison to a school, though some people would probably like to suggest that there wouldn't have been much difference between the two types of institution!

The underground rooms and corridors formerly used for prison baths, kitchens and medical examinations (I get shivers just thinking about what they were like in that period) were retained below the school building.  Although massively creepy (and rumoured to be haunted), the sturdy underground network came in handy during World War II, when it was used as an air-raid shelter.

By the 1960s, the building was no longer in use as a school and it has recently been converted into flats.  Now, I like the idea of re-use of some old buildings for flats when they're no longer able to serve their original purpose.  For example, I'd love to live in one of those old river-side warehouses, but to live on the site of an old prison, knowing that creepy underground world was below you and that for hundreds of years straight, people were imprisoned on the site...? That doesn't really appeal to me no matter how nicely the flats are done up!  It does make for some nicely atmospheric photos though:

So, would you live in the flats above this...?

Tandem Time

This evening after work, my friend and I went on a ride around Clerkenwell on his newly purchased 1930s tandem bicycle. I don't think I need to say anything more than that.  1930s tandem bicycle.  Amazing.  

We may (or more truthfully, may not) have looked a little bit like this:

We did look rather fabulous though, even if I do say so myself, but rather more '40s or so than this lovely couple - me in my green suit jacket, grey shorts and grey brogues, he is in his plus-fours, knee-high socks and shirt. I think we caught some favourable attention on our cycle around the various back streets, as we passed people enjoying their evening pints outside the area's many pubs.

Our ride ended at the pub as well:

And the evening ended with this sunset:

If only every day were like this.

Victorian Warehouse Exploration

Last week I trotted along to have a look at the annual Clerkenwell Design Week.  Amazingly, this is the first time I've ever been along, despite having worked in Clerkenwell for almost four years.  So, before I could even get around to focusing on the designers who were displaying their creations, I first had to just take in the wonderful buildings that were hosting the exhibitions...

In fact, I've realised that there's just too much to write about in one post, so this is going to have to be split up over three - one for both the buildings I visited plus one for the designs which caught my eye.

First up in the series, the Farmiloe Building on St John Street, as shown in all its glory in the picture above.  This is a fabulous, run-down, vacant Victorian warehouse built in 1868.  It housed a glass and lead suppliers, George Farmiloe & Sons, until just over ten years ago, when they moved their operations down to South London.  

Because it was functioning as both a warehouse and offices until so recently, the building is quite a fascinating hodge-podge of features from different periods.  You can still see essential warehouse elements retained from its early years, such as pulleys for lifting goods up through wide openings onto the numerous, lofty floors.  But then there are various modern interventions such as repairs and strengthening works carried out in concrete.  Whereas concrete on an historic building is usually an abomination, there is something wonderful about the way it shows the building's development over almost a century and a half of solid use in its original function.

And then the ground-floor display rooms and first-floor offices are still absolutely legible.  Climbing up the fabulous staircase, my companions and I found all the fixtures of the old offices, including internal doorbells and quaint little letterboxes (the latter of which unfortunately didn't translate well into photographs).

The Farmiloe & Sons logo on the staircase

And then, finally, there's the view over Clerkenwell/Farringdon's rooftops from the higher floors of the warehouse.

It's just a shame it isn't open all year round for exploration and for games of Victorian make-believe!

Meanwhile, on Exmouth Market

Uh-oh... This could be dangerous.  I noticed this today, just around the corner from my flat:

A vintage shop opening literally minutes away from me, on the route between my flat and my local coffee suppliers and handy convenience store?  I don't know whether to be pleased or concerned.  Pleased is, of course, the first natural instinct.  But concern for the purse follows swiftly after...  Especially as we're talking about Exmouth Market, and nothing's really cheap along that little stretch of EC1, so I have the feeling these won't be bargain vintage pieces.

However, closer inspection and research reveal that it's just a pop-up shop, part of an initiative called Meanwhile Space.  In their own words, they are "an innovative social enterprise which uses empty space in socially useful ways".  Great concept.  And it means I'll only have to exercise temporary willpower as the vintage shop stint will last for just a month before it's replaced by a photography festival base, and then a rolling programme until September.

So, it all sounds like things will be rather colourful and interesting in that little corner for the coming months.  More information about Meanwhile Space and the programme for Exmouth Market is available through this link.

Delights on the Way Home

To illustrate the point I was making yesterday, about all the wonderful architecture that can lift up your spirits if you just look around and take things in, I decided to snap a few shots as I walked home this evening after work.

Peabody Pigeons

Walking home through Clerkenwell, past my nearby Peabody Estate buildings. First the bright red flowers on the window cill caught my eye, perhaps because the sun was shining so strongly on them, up high above the late afternoon shadow. Then I saw the pigeon foursome perched up there and that just made the picture for me. As I found myself thinking (as I often do), "if only I had a camera right now", I suddenly remembered that I actually was carrying one by chance. Fabulous. *Click, click, click*

And while I'm here, I'll just stop for a moment and appreciate the institution of the Peabody Estate or, more specifically, its certain architectural style. There's just something I love about "functional", pared back Victorian architecture. In full swing, we all know Victoriana can be just a little overwhelming but when it's toned down for, in this case, housing estates or, as another example, industrial buildings, it just lifts an otherwise simple building out of dull depths and makes it something that enhances the landscape. And why not? After all, there's really no excuse for offensive, unconsidered and downright unattractive buildings. Simple fact is, if something's built, it's going to become part of the environment, seen by all who pass, so why not make it something to lift the spirits, just by taking a little care? No need for extra expense and over-elaboration - just two colours of bricks, as witnessed here, can be used to great effect.