Showing posts with label Islington. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Islington. Show all posts

Friday, 3 January 2014

A Priory Heights New Year


Happy New Year to all my readers! Hope yours is off to a great start. 

I had a lovely night seeing out 2013 and seeing in 2014, just with The Cat and a friend. We celebrated with drinks and nibbles in the comfort of a flat on the Priory Green Estate, built up on high ground just north of King's Cross (and, for me, a nice piece of modernism: designed by Berthold Lubetkin as part of the Tecton Group in 1937, but built to a modified design after the war, and completed in 1957). From there, we enjoyed a dual fireworks display: we had anticipated the official show centred on the London Eye off in the distance, but were also treated to something a wee bit closer, with the local kids setting off their own home-grown show right in the heart of the estate, below our window. Then we popped open a bottle of sparkling and danced around to songs from the 80s and 90s, because nothing says 'party' like the golden tracks of those days...

Yep, 2014 is off to an awesomely retro beginning. But don't let that fool you - I am all set to embrace the future and whatever this year brings.

Saturday, 21 December 2013

Shortest Day


The shortest day of the year, the winter solstice, the first day of winter... 

However you look at it, the day has a wonderfully cozy feel to it, aided this year by the rain that's been falling all day here in London. I went out with my umbrella for a wee walk, which took me up to Angel in the quickly fading daylight hours. 

While I was there, I snapped some pictures of the Christmas lights, which are simply bursts of small lights shimmering up in the bare, wintery branches of the trees. Islington have had the same decorations up for the past three Christmases at least, and I just love them. They are so simple and pretty, and I rather approve of the fact that they've found a good thing and stuck with it. 


Sunday, 31 March 2013

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter, dear readers!


It's Easter today, and the clocks have sprung forward too... And yet, sadly, it still doesn't feel quite like spring is here. I woke up to some glorious sun but unfortunately the clouds came in and covered him up. At least there hasn't been any random snowfalls, like there was yesterday! And The Cat and I did manage to hunt down a patch of daffodils and signs of life to serve as a backdrop to my Easter outfit post.

It's that cold here that at first I was hesitant to remove my coat...


But then I realised that, really, I had to take my coat off to show off my new Easter frock... As you may remember from my Easter post last year, I've been embracing the old tradition of having something new to wear for Easter Sunday for the past few years. As before, I've not bought any clothes in a while, so it was special to wear not only my new dress, but my new jacket too! The dress was from the old reliable Beyond Retro (the Cheshire Street branch on this occasion) while the jacket was purchased from Cow in Sheffield on my recent visit up there, where I had more luck than I did at the Nottingham branch back in summer 2011.


The shade of colours in the dress inspired me to partner them with this wonderful 1950s cocktail hat which I bought last year. I'd wanted a hat with a veil for a while and then a friend was DJ-ing at a night where hats were demanded, so I had the perfect reason to go out hunting for one. I struck gold at Cloud Cuckoo Land, a wee vintage shop just off Camden Passage, near Angel. It's a really wonderful shop, which I was pleased to discover. I told the lady this, to which she responded, 'Thank you - that's just what I needed to hear today'. It felt like a happy exchange to have brightened her day with a few nice words after she had brightened my day when I found the hat, after having almost given up after a long search through many shops. And it was nice to be able to wear it again today because, to be honest, it's not really an 'everyday wear' kind of item. Of course, I got some funny looks when I was out and about but they're like water off a duck's back. More important is the fact that I got some nice smiles as people admired my Easter bonnet. 



And I saw this little chap bouncing around the local park when we were taking outfit shots. I wonder if he's a friend of the guy I snapped last year at Easter?


Hope you've all had a beautiful and joyous Easter. Alleluia, Christ is risen! 

Sunday, 24 March 2013

Don't Burn Our Fire Stations!


Recently, I popped into the wonderful Clerkenwell Tales, an independent bookshop on Exmouth Market, to buy a couple of birthday presents. Whilst in there, I noticed they had a petition on the counter to stop the closure of Clerkenwell Fire Station. I was shocked - I hadn't known it was under threat! - and didn't hesitate to sign.


I have rather an attachment to Clerkenwell Fire Station, located on the corner of Rosebery Avenue and Farringdon Road. I always feel pleased when I happen to see the firemen doing drills on the tower behind the station (it was because of seeing them engaged in such activity that I realised what the towers were for...) or when I see them heading out or coming back in their fire engine, having been out on a mission and hopefully having saved the day. There's such appeal to me in a building which has such a distinct and important function, still operating in the same capacity for which it was designed a century ago.

The 1950s/1960s drill tower alongside the Edwardian station

To think that it might be closed down is an awful prospect. Naturally, not just for the building but for the public good! It's not because the fire station is redundant or in excess of need, but rather due to a plan to cut the London Fire Brigade's funding by £45 million. To deal with this blow, it is proposed to close down 12 fire stations, including dear Clerkenwell... If I may, I'll tell you a little bit about this special building.


The current fire station was not the first erected on this site. Its predecessor was built in 1871-73, facing onto Farringdon Road. By 1890, this had became the superintendent's station for the central district which, according to the Survey of London, made it one of the most important stations operated by the London fire brigade.

The original fire station (Image source: Survey of London, British History Online)

However, the 1870s station didn't provide enough space for all the firemen as the complement grew and so some had to be accommodated in nearby housing. This wasn't an ideal situation so, in 1895-97, an extension was erected, facing onto Rosebery Avenue. In addition to more accommodation, this incorporated a new 'appliance room' (i.e. where the fire engines are housed). From the new appliance room, the fire engines could exit more safely onto the less busy Rosebery Avenue, rather than Farringdon Road.

The 1890s extension (Image source: Survey of London, British History Online)

However, even with the extension, it became apparent that an even larger fire station was necessary. Hence, between 1912 and 1917, in two phases, the fire station was extended again and the 1890s section rebuilt, with the old and new parts given a unified facade. The design for the 1912-17 works was by H. F. T Cooper, a young London County Council architect. The building is consistent with many early twentieth-century London fire stations in its loose Arts and Crafts style, particularly evident in the impressive gabled roof with its tall chimney stacks.



The building was listed Grade II in 1988. It is considered to be one of the best examples of an LCC fire station of the Edwardian period, a sort of golden era of civic architecture in London due to the general quality of design, workmanship and materials. The exterior survives virtually intact and is noted as being a well-designed response to the corner site. Sadly, the interiors have been much altered, although apparently the top floor has a communal washroom with obsolete washing and drying equipment. I'd like to see that! (Firemen of Clerkenwell Fire Station, if you are reading this and would be willing to show me around, please drop me an email!)


So, this corner site in Islington has a long history of accommodating an important London fire station and I personally don't want to see it turned into fancy flats or some such. It's for the firemen and it should stay that way! They've definitely earned their place in it, as far as I'm concerned.


If this post has made you fall in love with Clerkenwell Fire Station, even just a little bit, you can read more from the BBC here and here, and find out about the related public consultation here.