Ed Fordham

Dust down and get going again

2011-09-27T13:16:00.003+01:00

At the risk of an analogy of a relaunch of a relaunch, I am yet again coming round the to revitalising of this blog of mine. Work and interests and family and life generally have taken over and it's time to draw this all together and get writing again...

As a context I am reading a lot again which is great fun and will be putting up some of this in the blog.

The Historic Kilburn Plaque Scheme needs gingering up and galvanising into action, the African Liberal Network is going great guns and the Forum for Africa is picking up steam after two great launch meetings at Liberal Democrat Conference (Birmingham) and Libretto Marketing is taking off nicely.

So - deep breath- time to get writing and posting proper I think.

Ed

KIlburn History Festival - times and dates

2011-06-30T10:02:00.004+01:00

Just to confirm that all is now on track for the history talks that will take place on Wednesday 6th, Thursday 7th and Saturday 9th July in St Mary's Church

THEY WILL BE AT 7pm for 7.30pm AT ST. MARY'S CHURCH, ABBEY ROAD, KILBURN

There is no charge but there will be a collection with all donations going towards the Historic Kilburn Plaque Scheme...

There is a facebook group you can join: Kilburn History Festival 2011

Kilburn History Festival 2011

2011-05-14T07:18:00.002+01:00

The Kilburn History Festival will take place from Wednesday 6th – Sunday 10th July 2011 – a series of talks, walks and guided tours round interesting and significant local buildings.

More and more Kilburn residents have been making enquiries about the local history of the area – often triggered by the knowledge that the Kilburn High Road is the route of the ancient Roman Road, Watling Street.

The history festival comprises a series of 3 history talks, a guided history tour of the Kilburn High Road (repeated 3 times) and a series of local interesting old buildings that will be open for guided tours.

Programme of events July 2011

The talks on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday are all being held in St Mary’s Church, Abbey Road, NW6

Wednesday 6th July
Ancient and Medieval Kilburn by Ed Fordham

Thursday 7th July
The Development of Kilburn by Michael Alpert and Dick Weindling

Saturday 9th July
Lived here and Loved it. (famous people of Kilburn) by Dick Weindling

(we would like to ask for a donation towards raising money for the Historic Kilburn Plaque Scheme)

Sunday 10th July
History tours of Britain’s oldest road – Kilburn High Road

11am meet Kilburn Park Tube Station (Bakerloo Line) to Kilburn (Jubilee)

1.30pm meet Kilburn (Jubilee) to Kilburn Park Station (Bakerloo Line)

3.30pm meet Kilburn Park Tube Station (Bakerloo Line) to Kilburn (Jubilee)

(The tours are free of charge, but if you enjoy it any donation will be given towards the Plaque Scheme)

As most people know Kilburn is divided between Camden and Brent local authorities and in part in Westminster Council as well. This has had the effect of splitting the historical records – whilst Willesden and Hampstead, for example, have been well documented and researched Kilburn has been neglected.

This festival, working in conjunction with the Historic Kilburn Plaque Scheme, seeks to raise the profile of the ancient, diverse, and rich historical tapestry that exists in the local area.

Working with Camden Local Studies & Archives Centre and Brent Archives and Museum

Save the streetscape - surely???

2011-05-10T07:43:00.000+01:00

One of the main features of this blog is to capture the local area today, draw out the local area of yesterday through surviving history - I soon found however that the pace of change was such that quite often I captured it today and within a matter of weeks and months it had already changed...

Some of the features of the blog in the early days have already gone.

So it seemed only right that I caughts the demolition in my own street of Quex Road of the back of the Older people's hostel.

I can't deny I'm a tad worried that glancing at the website of the architect it looks like they are planning to demolish the whole frontage - which would be a real shame - there are too few nice victorian features in Kilburn and demolishing them wholesale seems overly unecessary.

You can see the plan here: http://www.alancamp.com/news/current/quex_road_receives_planning_approval

But at the moment the demolition is just the back of the building so it's poss the front will survive and with it the pleasant streetscape. We will see - a good test for how good/sensitive are Alan Camp as architects I guess.

The Kilburn Watchmaker whom time forgot

2011-05-06T07:28:00.000+01:00

On eBay I found a Victorian pocket watch which was made by Dorey Lester and Co, of Kilburn. This was not a name I recognised, so I asked Dick Weindling, a local historian, to see if he could find anything.

He found that Dorey Lester was born in Snaresbrook (then in Essex), on 1 August 1853 with the wonderful name of Lancelot Dorey Lester. His father, a gardener, was also called Lancelot and was living in Camden Town. Initially, Dorey worked as a company clerk but then he decided to be a clock maker.

On 9 September 1874 at St Mary Willesden, Lancelot Dorey Lester, a clock merchant of Canterbury Road, married Emily Beazant, whose father was a publican. Between 1876 and 1882 they had five children.

In 1871 Dorey was living with his father at 6 Rudolph Road, Paddington. The censuses show that he moved several times; 20 Cambridge Terrace, Kilburn (1881), 31 Kenliworth Road (1891), 25 Winchester Avenue (1901 ) and 33 Oakington Road, Paddington (1911), when he was still married but living alone. So far this does not show anything out of the ordinary: just a local clock maker trying to make a living.

But then in 1886 it proved too much and he went into bankruptcy. The London Gazette lists Dorey Lester, a jeweller of Glenlyon House, Cambridge Road, Kilburn as a bankrupt. This was not unusual for many Victorian traders, but another Google hit was from a 1907 New Zealand newspaper. This contained a letter which said that friends of the writer had received a circular advertising 20 guinea gold watches for just a few shillings. They had sent their money to Dorey Lester and Co. but they never received the gold watches. When they heard their friend was going to London they asked him to call at the address on the circular. He found this was a private house in Kilburn with a brass name plate on the door. Lester was very polite and apologised. He said the offer made it clear that these were only imitation watches and that the demand had been so great that his stock had run out, but my friends were next on the list. When the New Zealand gentleman pointed out the money had been sent over two years earlier, Lester promised to send the watches to his London hotel. He did receive the watches which were only worth the money they had sent, and he returned these to his friends.

But things were not so straightforward. The Times for 28 June 1907 had a report from the Old Bailey when Dorey Lester, aged 53, pleaded guilty to charges of obtaining money and watches by false pretences.

The prosecutor said that practically all Lester’s business was done through the post by sending out circulars mainly to the Colonies and the police had large numbers of complaints from Australia, New Zealand and India. Lester had been in business for 30 years and the complaints went back for 27 years.

When the police visited Lester’s house they found very little stock and 2,000 letters of complaint. In addition to the circulars, Lester had obtained large numbers of watches for repair with a payment in advance. These were pawned by Lester and the police found 233 pawn tickets for the last year in the house. Inspector Pollard said Lester had been repeatedly warned, but he always gave a plausible explanation and as the complainants mainly lived aboard it was difficult to obtain a prosecution.

The case had only come to court because it was brought by Rev. Hedley Vicars, the rector of St Ann’s Huntingdon. The judge praised Rev. Vicars for perusing the case, and said Lester was a very dangerous man who had defrauded people for a great many years and he sentenced him to three years imprisonment with 12 months hard labour.

Lancelot Dorey Lester died in St Pancras in 1931.

With thanks to Dick Weindling for this blog post

The curl out of place...

2011-05-04T07:27:00.000+01:00

Without a doubt this photograph is one of my favourites of Kilburn of yesteryear.

Full of character and style - all brought about by a number of features - the wide dress, the still left arm - the kinked elbow resting on the cushion holding a white lace hankerchief, the bold buckle, the bodice under the blouse, the formal black collar (matching the belt) and the tight stylised hair with one small hanging curl...

And an apparently emotionaless gaze - slightly pensive and whilstful and yet charming.

Taken in a small smudio room in what was Bennett James the photographers. I'm guessing it was a front room of a house on Quex Road near the junction with the Kilburn High Road... probbaly taken about 1890-1905.

Totally charming.

Capturing the unremitingly normal

2011-04-19T07:04:00.000+01:00

I suspect that these pictures say quite a lot and reveal a huge amount about the hum drum of tube travel in London.

But I quite like the slightly surreptitious nature of taking the picture - that is unwitting subjects, but not intrusive pictures (I hope).

It also reveals to the sharp observer which tube lines I frequent the most...

But crucially I notice now just how quickly observational photographs of the world today date - many of the pictures I have taken over the last 6 years of shops and people in Hampstead, West Hampstead and Kilburn have already changed and dated incredibly quickly.

Sure, shops and businesses change, but the speed with which images, fashion and styles change and the extent to which colour shifts too is fascinating. In this respect is the tube system in London with it's iconic colour and style one of the few timeless feature of life today.

I'm not sure but I guess time will tell...

Until then, I'll leave you with the unremitting notmality of life on the tube in the mid-morning of a weekday.

Is this art?

2011-04-17T07:55:00.000+01:00

All I really know is that I saw this on the back wall of Boradhurst Gardens, from West Hampstead Tube station and thought wow!

It stands out and is impressive and colourful - I was also interested to be joined by three other travellers who were admiring it...

The reality is railway graffiti is the norm now but with some basic imagination it could be developed... some of the graffiti is abusive and incredibly tatty and undermines a building and the area.

So perhaps as part of the London elections next year there could be an intelligent engagement on the issue and the tat cleared away and the space yielded up for better, more artistic features - such as this one?

Triggered by my birthday

2011-04-15T19:11:00.004+01:00

I've just had my birthday and one of the kind presents I received was wrapped up in paper that is an early map of the London rail network - or London Electric Railways as it is described.

The interesting bit - beyond the fact that it's pre-Harry Beck (so it's prob about 1908 or so...) are in the station names.

Looking at the station names in Blue to the right - nothing very different there.

But the Metropolitan Railway (the dominant line in red) has a number of interesting features:

Marlboro Road - no longer a station, although Marlborough Place and Marlborough Hill survive
Finchley Road and South Hampstead is now just Finchley Road station
Kilburn Brondesbury is now Kilburn Jubilee station
Willesden Green and Cricklewood is now just Willesden Green - indeed I'm not sure Cricklewood would today see it as their local station...

But more faint and a bit more revealing is some of the other rail lines:

Loudoun Road station is South Hampstead today onn the Euston Watford line
Kilburn and Maida Vale is Kilburn High Road
Queen's Park & West Hampstead is just Queen's Park

Moving up the map:

Brondesbury (Edgware Road) is just Brondesbury on the Overground line
West End Lane is just West Hampstead

What a great piece of wrapping paper!!

Calling all drinkers of Kilburn out there

2011-04-13T07:10:00.000+01:00

I'm just involved in a small project on Kilburn and commerce and wanted to check if I had the correct list of current functioning pubs. So the short question is are there any others or just the 18 I have listed here

Queen’s Arms, 1 Kilburn High Road, NW6 5SE

The Westbury, 34 Kilburn High Road, London, NW6 5UA

The Old Bell, 38 Kilburn High Road, London, NW6 5UA

Betsy Smith, 77 Kilburn High Road, London, NW6 6HY

The Cock, 125 Kilburn High Road, London, NW6 6JH

The Golden Egg, 155 Kilburn High Road, London, NW6 7HU

The Coopers Arms, 164 Kilburn High Road, London, NW6 4JD

The Kingdom, 229 Kilburn High Road, London, NW6 7JG

The Colin Campbell, 266 Kilburn High Road, London, NW6 2BY

The Good Ship, 289 Kilburn High Road, London NW6 7JR

The Black Lion, 274 Kilburn High Road, London, NW6 2BY

The Kings Head, 307-311 Kilburn High Road, London, NW6 7JR

North London Tavern, 375, Kilburn High Rd, London, NW6 7QB

Brondes Age, 328, Kilburn High Rd, London, NW6 2QN

Powers Bar, 332, Kilburn High Rd, London, NW6 2QN

The Priory Tavern, Belsize Road, London, NW6 4BT

The Prince of Wales, 11a Cambridge Gardens, London, NW6 5AE

The Prince of Wales, 101 Willesden Lane, London, NW6 7SD

So farewell The Cock Tavern Theatre

2011-04-11T07:17:00.000+01:00

Fans of theatre, live performance and Kilburn will be disappointed to hear that the Cock Tavern Theatre has closed - it would seem indefinately due to failing the tests required by health and safety fire escape legislation.

It's a real shame and a loss to the local area. Let's hope the Council is pro-active and give the team the help they need to get the show back on the road again...

This is the news as it broke in the Evening Standard:

"Two productions have been suspended at the Cock Tavern Theatre, in Kilburn, because the height of the steps on its staircases do not comply with council rules.

An inspection of the 56-seat theatre, which is above a pub, also found that it had no entertainment licence."

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23939814-high-steps-close-award-winning-pub-theatre.do

Boom in cinema's locally...

2011-02-27T07:38:00.000Z

So just how many cinema's have there been in the local area?

I'm counting at least 7 down the Kilburn High Road (only 1 now)
1 on Belsize Road in Kilburn
The current 1 at Swiss Cottage
1 on the Finchley Road
2 on Heath Street, NW3 (1 still there)
and 2 on Haverstock Hill (1 still there)

I make that 13 in the past (3 today)
Any other's I've missed?

Kensal Rise out for a bicycle ride...

2011-02-25T07:49:00.000Z

Here are 37 of north west London's finest cyclist.

Based on the costumes and the pictures I reckon is is taken in the very early part of the 20th century - c. 1910 - and is a photograph postcard of Kensal Rose Cycling Club.

I think the cycling club didn't last much longer as in 1926 there was the formation of Willesden Cycling Club (WCC) which still operates today.

http://www.willesdencyclingclub.co.uk/

But as a pictorial and indeed sartorial insight into Edwardian Britain this is pretty good...

There used to be a cycling track at Kensal Green and indeed this saw the first race (for the Finchley Harriers) of 1908 Olympic medal winner Leon Meredith (1882-1930).

http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/me/leon-meredith-1.html

Roll up, roll up - for 6 nights only...

2011-02-23T23:51:00.002Z

A special treat here which is the programme from 14th April 1896 (the programme is dated by hand on the back - this is the second night of a 6 night run) of the Theatre Royal in Kilburn.

The Theatre Royal was in Belsize Road (opposite the Kilburn and Maida Vale station - the original railway house is still there in great external condition) and is essentially just opposite the Priory Pub.

More information on this music hall can be found here
http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/KilburnTheatres.htm

This programme refers to the 'New' Theatre Royal as the theatre was rebuilt in 1895 and therefore this is just a year old at this point.

The prize top billed act is William Bryer (by his stage name Willie Edouin) at this point quite late in his career - he's now about go freelance and passes away in 1908.

Mark Melford worked with Willie Edouin before not least on a very successful run on this performance "Turned Up" but also on "The Jerry Builder".

Much more on Edouin can be found here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Edouin

NW6 Back in 1790

2011-02-22T07:40:00.000Z

I thought this little map from my local history collection would be of interest to local officianado's. (To get a large image just click on it and it should open as a new window.)

It's essentially a travel map, a sort of gazeteer, of the route from London to Tring in the form of a hand drawn AA or RAC site - this is the section from London to Bushey Heath - the rest would have been on the next page as columns 21 and 22.

For local drinkers and supporters of ye olde public house you will see on the Kilbourn (sic) part the following hostelries:
The Red Lion
The Bell
The Black Lion
The Crown (now in Cricklewood)

All still there today (although the Red Lion is somewhat dreadfully renamed as The Westbury).

The map also throws into contention the claim of the Cock to be a medieval tavern, but I'll leave that claim to a later date of discussion.

The other bit on the name is the confirmation of the Kilburn Gate toll (from Kilburn Gate estate - top of Maida Vale and bottom of the High Road) through to Edware Gate - a length of some 7 miles.

Some things don't change in West End...

2011-02-13T07:01:00.000Z

It's incredibly easy to miss Emmanuel Church if you walk down Fortune Green Road today...

Everyone knows it is there, lots of people as a result of the school have heard of it, but the mansions lfats next and around mean that the attractive Victorian build just melds into the local scenescape...

But this postcard, posted in 1906 (when the church is just 9 years old), shows the building off as being much more imposing as there are no surrounding buildings in the way there are today.

But, bar that overshadow of the buildings, little has changed outwardly today. The architect in 1897 was JA Thomas of Charing Cross and the foundations were laid on 19th June 1897 - I wonder if the poster of this postcard realised that they were at the anniversary of the foundation when they sent this card. In fact given it is posted in Highbury it is quite possible that this person attends this 'new' church as they are a donor/supporter and went to the foundation service in 1906.

In fact, the church authorities ran out of money during the work and in fact the work was not completed until 29th June 1903 so this card is almost certainly produced as a new card just after the building work was completed and sold for the next three or four or more years...

You might even notice that the noticeboard is even in the same place 104 years later...! In fact anyone standing at Chomley Garden on Fortune Green Road would see little different today.

Of course, the Rev'd Jonathan Kester will be delighted to read that the sender of this postcard liked the service (18th June 1906) - not much has changed in that respect I suspect!

The only other side issues from this card is that there was a post in Highbury at 9.15pm and you can be pretty confident that that was not the only post dispatch of the day.

But then again postcards are not much used for short day-today communications like this - I guess this is the 1906 equivalent of an email or facebook message.

So what did the Kilburn High Road look like from the inside...

2011-02-11T07:51:00.000Z

It's relatively easy to track down early postcards and images of high streets or in this instance, High Roads, - more on this to follow.

But I have often wondered who the shop keepers were, the customers and the products.

So this little gem gives us one small insight - dated on the back 1897 it looks like an engagement or aniversary picture... but crucially for this blog is taken on the Kilburn High Road.

It's a studio piece on a card mount, nothing on the back - the sort of thing you would go in have the picture taken and call back a hour or so later and collect it for a shilling or so... It's nice to note the wooden fence prop - relatively common at this period to give it a setting.

The shop of photographer, Edward J Davison, was at 310 High Road, Kilburn.

Now it's Furnishing First - just before Brondesbury Station - opposite the Luminaire (as was) - but a small insight into ye olde Kilburn...

101 years ago just gone...

2011-01-18T07:04:00.000Z

The idea os a fire on this scale here in Kilburn is pretty hard to imagine - but that's exactly what happened on January 13th 1910.

This Postcard made and published by the Watford Engraving Company captures the scale of the fire of Evans's Department store.

What is more fascinating is the back has a lovely edwardian handwriting and it reads:
"This is the photo of B.B.Evans fire, it was like this half an hour after it started. Caught the shop on the corner opposite and cracked all the plate glass down the row. This is the same shop we bought out needlework.
Glad Willie's eyes are better. I expect he caught a cold eating outside buses."

Posted in Cricklewood in the 12.15am Post on January 19th 2010 - just six days after the fire!

Kilburn - take another look...

2011-01-17T11:36:00.001Z

I thought this was really good:
http://southkilburnspeaks.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/hello-world/

Peel Precinct
by Aoife Mannix
The woman in the bright pink scarf says the square
is empty now but back in the fifties this market
was buzzing with barrow boy bargains. Live eels
wriggling with soon to be jelly bravado. Stallions
shivering outside the horse butchers though she
never knew any but the French to eat such meat.
A string of pearl shops where people echoed
your name, your family, the county you came
from back in the old country. Cork, Kerry,
Kilkenny, Killarney, Kildare, Kilburn.
Their music transferred to an alien city,
proud to play more Irish than the Irish themselves.
They were poorer than those up on the high road
but they were never short of a helping hand.
The Paddies and the Blacks united in their reversal
of no dog signs as they mixed Donegal and Trinidad
into coffee children calling out for a chance to show
they are no mere statistics in a drawer, jokers
in a pack that keeps being reshuffled, but voices
of vision that leap across concrete divisions.
Street corner pioneers conquering vertigo
with a single bound. The richness of lyrical
answers sewn into the wings of their trainers.
Hip-hop sky diving acrobats who tumble and spin
across their own urban palaces that have
yet to be built. Angel rebels whose cloud souls
are not for sale, they rewrite the signs so they point
up into the sky. Dance their own invisible maps
through the rain forest of broken stones.

Slipped behind badly

2011-01-10T00:20:00.001Z

But now with the new year it's time to crack back on with the blog and with so much going on with the history and the culture and pride of the local area there's no shortage of things to talk about on here...

Sorry for the delay in service

Ed

The pride of the local trader

2010-11-30T11:29:00.002Z

It's nought special but sign of a time long gone.

This one is from Hampstead High Street and is the entrance to a shop long changed - but I've noticed these down West End Lane, Finchley Road, Kilburn Lane and along the Kilburn High Road .

This one refers to Stamp the Chemist - frequent advertiser in old newspapers - but now gone...

I wondered when these ceased to be installed and when fashion for the mosaic style kicked in...

Any views, leads or tips out there?

Enlightenment: Hampstead Theatre

2010-10-17T12:12:00.004+01:00

I hesitated before I wrote my review of Enlightenment.

It's consumable, not over intellectual but actually pretty provocative and thoughful - combining shocking with watchable.

The staging is very sharp and clever - minimal, clean, simple and yet feel innovative and modern.

Crucially the play is set in a landscape that feels believable and I found myself reflecting on people I knew who could be in similar situations, as parents, as travellers, as troubled young people drifting in a wider world.

Should you go and see it: the answer has to be yes, as Edward Hall's first outing it works, but also the acting from Tom Weston-Jones and Julie Graham is incredibly compelling. Emotional. Intimate. The way in which you are drawn into the story is very compelling and the cold clarity of the set provides a great back-drop.

For my own part I found the extent to which the end was unknown pretty strong - the imagery was very clever (a simple bed sheet for goodness sakes), but it took a series of difficult family realities and brought them home... I suspect some real recognitions are laced throughout for most individuals, couples and families who go and see it.

There's no good excuse really... Enlightenment

2010-10-11T08:05:00.000+01:00

The West End is dead expensive in relative terms
There's no parking in the west end
The Northern Line is pretty grim

In contrast fans and officianado's of Hampstead Theatre will tell you about the great value, the ease of access and the Met and Jubilee Lines... and that's before you have seen any performance.

Enlightenment has had great reviews and being directed by Edward Hall that's not really a huge surprise.

I for one will be there tonight, a good and trusted friend was there last week and raved on the phone about it over the weekend - it's the place to be it would seem.

Now I may be a bit slow but I cannna deny I'm a touch impressed with having Youtube previews and clips of the show - I'd not noticed it before but it works for me...

Born in KILBURN, NW6

2010-10-08T09:58:00.000+01:00

Yeay, after months and years of working for Kilburn here is a tangible expression of how special the local area is...

It's happening on Monday in Kilburn Priory and Mortimer Place.

I'm delighted and proud to confirm that we have Clare Milne, Alan Alexander Milne's grand-daughter coming back to help unveil the plaque.

The plaque is the best expression I can think of that is accessible and achievable about what a special place it is. For too long we were in the Borough of Hampstead and currently in the Borough of Camden and yet in fact we are our own place and identify. I'm not advocating the Borough of Kilburn (yet!) but I am championing some pride in NW6 and Kilburn...

Facebook link

King Midas NW3?

2010-10-03T07:37:00.000+01:00

Without a doubt it's one of the nicest and most hidden treasures of Hampstead and all the better for not being the focus of historic pilgrimage...

It's Golden Yard - sadly not named after some Midas element but after the Goulding family who lives here from about 1580 until Sarah Brown (nee Goulding) sold the last property in 1779.

In some document's the yard features as Goulding's Yard and clearly just changed over time and useage. As I have blogged previously The Mount Square was previously known as Golden Square and probably had the same family name origin.

For those that haven't found this little gem before it's nestled between the Heath Street and the Holly Bush Pub and the street name sign had been charmingly adorned to reflect the name in what is one of the nicest little touches in street architecture.

The houses are classic Georgian style Hampstead cottages - brick built, almost plain, but with a cool charm that is immeasurable.

13 Mallord Street, SW3 - surely it was NW6?

2010-10-01T07:41:00.000+01:00

Few people can be as famous as AA Milne and yet no-one actually knows his names... Alan Alexander...

Alan was the son of John Vine Milne and Sarah Maria (née Heginbotham) and grew up at Henley House School, 6/7 Mortimer Road (now Crescent), Kilburn, NW6.

Henley House was a small private school run by his father. One of the school teachers was Herbert George Wells who taught there from 1889-1890.

So the time has come for Kilburn to assert it's historical pedigree and reclaim the fame that should be it's own.

The critical bit was that Kilburn (on the Camden side) was in the London Borough of Hampstead and all too often the history books therefore record 'born in Kilburn'...

13 Mallord Street is the address where there is currently an English Heritage plaque.

Pawn to King 4

2010-08-23T15:26:00.002+01:00

The picture to the right is my favourite picture of this trip. The concentration, the wisdom and the sheer humaity.

There is something curiously attractive, fascinating and civilised about street games between adults - in this instance street chess. This one appeals for me as a chess player of course, but nonetheless I do find it interesting how quickly a crowd gathers around street games like this.

Somehow the slightly lame layout of a small hopscotch in my own local Kilburn doesn't quite match up and yet it feels like the best we can attempt...

The other factor, when I passed by today, was the excitement amongst the older male regulars as a young woman took up the challenge to play. I used to play a lot (but haven't of late) and playing on a large street-board like this is very different to a table-top game, but I and these hardened regulars were impressed with the speed and the effectiveness of her game. She was playing to a formula, but with flair and style and a confidence that took them all by surprise.

At the end of her third win she retired leaving the older men a story to talk through over their bosnia coffee for days to come. Sigh - we could learn so much from such mediterranean mellow.

Don't just top-up your water bottle...

2010-08-23T07:03:00.004+01:00

On virtually every street corner here there is a mosque - many of them open and live...

And so the tourists mill around in the courtyard - most tourists are either from the former Yugoslavian states or as far as I can tell from Italy. But my observational rule of thumb is that the Europeans/Italians (presumably mainly Catholic) don't go in... (they like the courtyard 'cause they can top up their water bottle in the cleansing fountain. :-)

So I'm going into these mosques - where it is much cooler :-) but also totally empty. I'm left with a desire to go out and usher the tourists in as the beauty, the art, the architecture is just superb quality, colour and design.

Many of the mosques date from the peak of the Ottoman culture (mid to late 16th century) and are small (communal). But this roundel dome (from Mostar) is not unusual, though at the better end of the beauty scale - but I can't help but think that in terms of the western tourist there is something interesting going on. The Orthodox and Catholic churches and cathedrals are busy with tourists and yet the mosques have only busy courtyards...

A small issue and not the whole picture I'm sure, but in terms of east-meets-west it feels a bit like west meets christianity but only looks on at the muslim traditions... That said, the synagogues were even quieter!

Europe's Jerusalem

2010-08-22T18:53:00.003+01:00

It didn't take me too long to track down the local synagogue - but in a country where religion is such an issue historically at least, it's something of a surprise to find this has at least one tourist map called "Sarajevo - the european Jerusalem" (meaning all the faiths are here).

Sure enough on every street corner there is a mosque and then varying shades of catholic or orthodox christianity - few sign of methodist missionaries here!

But regular readers will not be surprised to learn that I tracked down the Jewish Museum and the Ashkenazi synagogue _ I've been past the historic (oldest?) jewish cemetery but haven't been back yet with the camera...

The Jewish community here is down to just 600 but before WWII was at over 12,000... and the museum reflects the cultural panoply of that community. But in practising terms, I understand the old synagogue is just a museum used annually and this Askenazi synagogue is the only operational place of worship for Sarajevo's jewish community.

Too young, just too young...

2010-08-22T12:28:00.004+01:00

I'm not sure there is much to say other than these pictures but suffice to say it is the dominant feature of the places I have been here in Bosnia Herzegovina - graveyard upon graveyard. These are not old and well maintained - these are recent, specific and relate to the 1992-1995 war. This series were taken in Mostar.

When the war is over...

2010-08-20T09:54:00.008+01:00

I'm not sure what I was expecting here in Sarejevo, Bosnia, but this is not it.

The weather is just stunning - but beyond that the city is also amazingly cosmopolitan and welcoming.

The bridges - and it feels like there are loads - are charming, quaint, not over busy.

And if you like architecture then churches, mosques, synagogues, austro hungarian, moslem inspired - it's all here.

The streets are patently not paved with gold but they have a marble sheen that is well - intoxicating in this weather.

But then there is the grim real bit with the range of mountain around the bowl in which Sarajevo sits - wooded and dominant they and the many shimmiering graveyards around show the horror to everyone of what happened when this city was put under seige...

For me, it's more political tourism and I'm loving it... and as a place to be in it is way beyond my expectations.

More to follow... for now, more Bosnian coffee.

Eeeek, the weeks just shoot by...

2010-08-12T17:18:00.002+01:00

Okay, okay it's been far too long since I sat down to do a set and run of updates.

It's not for the lack of content and local stuff, but rather the lack of discipline in writing the blog.

But today was aexciting in that I went to an appointment to the Museum of London to view the medieval seals of the Priory of St John the Baptist, Kilburn. There are four what appear to be late victorian copies - in varying forms of repair - and between them I reckon we can form a complete view of the seal as was.

What I nw have to do it track down the original seals and preferably the documents they are or are not attached to... tips and leads appreciated but I'm assuming that the British Library and Kew Records Office are my next stop - possibly Metropolitan Archives too...

NW3 to Scotland

2010-06-25T07:19:00.000+01:00

Sometimes the history of an area emerges unexpectedly in front of you and so it was one day the other week when a billboard came down revealing this old painted advert for the trains from Kings Cross to Scotland.

The space only lasted for a few days and indeed came to the attention of the South End Green Association who spotted it and featured it in their newsletter... but I managed to get a few pics and then mislaid them.

So i'm now catching up and popping them on here. Because I don't think we'll see it again I'm uploading all the pictures I got.

If you squint and stare you will see it says
LNER
KINGS CROSS
SCOTLAND
SHORTEST AND ...

My Mum's called Sally!

2010-06-23T19:06:00.001+01:00

Hampstead has it's fair share of historical and famous people and few greater in reputation than Gracie Fields.

More usually connected with Rochdale, Hampstead was the London bolt hole/base for Dame Gracie.

I wandered past this the other day and realised I hadn't featured the house and so reminded myself to do so.

It also drew into my mind the nature of past singers and actresses who I sense might (and this may be a heresy for some) fade from public perception. I mentioned the Gracie Fields house to a pretty clued up friend and it clearly meant nothing to her... is Gracie Fields becoming a faded memory?

More on Gracie and her significance to Rochdale can be found here:
http://www.link4life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=c.showPage&pageID=1118

The house is Number 20 Frognal Way and it's reported that the house was "Her husband Archie Pit built a £15,000 28 room mansion at Hampstead called The Towers. It had marble bathrooms, crystal chandeliers, a lift, and the housekeeper was a Russian princess. Gracie was terrified of the butler, hated the house and kept to her own little bed sitting room."

But I can't help but think that this relates to 136 Bishops Avenue which was also owned/lived in by Gracie - certainly from the outside this house in Frognal Way does not feel big enough...

election slow down

2010-05-10T14:01:00.001+01:00

The delay on the blog site has been visible and palpable but now this election is over I'm going to be picking this back up...

Ed

The Pond like you have never seen it...

2010-04-08T07:07:00.000+01:00

Whitestone Pond is something of a local legend so it's great to see the level of care and attention being lavished upon it by a joint repair venture by the City of London and Camden Council.

These snaps taken this weekend just gone are of the pond being worked upon as you will soon never see it again.

The pond and it's environs have an incredibly special place in the heart of Hampstead - once known as the cockney seaside we have at last restored the donkey rides and begun to re-create the victorian funfair atmosphere...

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/10/where-is-that-white-stone-hidden.html

Originally it was called the horse pond and was the place where people coming over the heath and about to go down into Hampstead would run their horse and cart through the pond to clean the mud off the hooves and wheels to stop slipping when going down the steep Heath Street.

The Hampstead left-wingers

2010-04-06T07:53:00.000+01:00

Don't know how many people have noticed this lovely house tucked away on Arkwright Road - in the middle of NW3 but it's a building called West Brow and is in fact the HQ of Tribune.

In the context of the passing of the great Michael Foot - it seemed only right that I report the existence of this building/office:

http://www.tribunemagazine.co.uk/

Happy to be corrected but I have a memory that it was/is also the location of the office of Glenda Jackson MP - but haven't sensed that for a while so it's poss that she has changed her arrangements or I have misunderstood the past arrangements.

The Tribune website records this
"Tribune was founded in 1937 by Labour politician Aneurin Bevan, who, as Health and Housing Secretary in Clement Attlee’s post-war government, went on to found the National Health Service.

Originally intended as a unifying platform for the left in the fight against fascism in Franco’s Spain, Tribune remains an independent weekly labour movement voice carrying news, views, features, books and arts reviews and cartoons.

Its editors have included Michael Foot and George Orwell, a former literary editor.

A thorn in the side of all governments, constructively to Labour, unforgiving to Conservatives.

Gold medal for the best street name

2010-04-05T07:36:00.001+01:00

I think despite my love of the sign in Tanza Road (http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/03/types-of-street-name-plates.html and http://474towin.blogspot.com/2009/10/its-all-in-name.html)
, the affection I hold for the streets I have lived in locally (Quex Road, Sumatra Road and Christchurch Hill)...

This is definately the front-runner in the competition for the best street sign in the constituency...

It's all in the name.

But sadly the close reading of the explainatory plaque says the name is infact from the Goulding family rather than a level of wealth acquisition.

But not bad for a period dates from the 17th century...

(Anyone wanting the full story should clcik on the picture on the left and it should open in a large high quality format to make the reading easier...)

Regular (obsessive) readers will know that Mount Square was previously known as the Golden Square.

Just 474 more votes - writ large...

2010-03-26T07:55:00.000Z

For too many weeks we have had to endure billboards of David Cameron and the Tory Party - funded from abroad...

I'm proud and delighted that local residents, friends of mine, supporters, people who live here in NW6, NW3 agreed to fund a specific number of billboards in support of our campaign for a new type of local MP.

The first of these has gone up in Hilltop Road, near Swiss Cottage and received quite a lot of comment judging by my e-mail in-box!

Enjoy! :-)

Ed

Souces 1

2010-03-25T07:17:00.000Z

I often get asked where I get the content for the blog and especially the reference text books. The simple answer is that virtually all of the blog is driven by my own photographs but I have a shelf of local history text books that I constantly refer to to try and check things out.

So over the next few weeks I'll try and gve a few pointers of recommended books and pamphlets:

- Hampstead Past, by Christopher Wade, published in 1989 and reprinted in 2002 by Historical Publications Ltd. ISBN 0 948667 05 2

- Wartime Camden (booklet), compiled by Valerie Hart and Lesley Marshall, 1983, London Borough of Camden Libraries and Arts Department

- The Good Grave Guide to Hampstead Cemetery, Fortune Green, by Marianne Colloms and Dick Weindling, 2000 by Camden History Society, ISBN 0 904491 47 1

- Queen's Park, Kensal, Brondesbury and Harlesden, A Pictorial History by Len Snow, 2006, Phillimore, ISBN 1 86077 416 4

- Buildings of England, London 4: North, by Bridget Cherry and Nikolaus Pevsner, 2002, Yale University Press, ISBN 0 300 09653 4

Back in service - busy and typing

2010-03-25T00:08:00.007Z

My apologies for the gap in service on the blog - it's been a shade busy as I'm sure you all understand.

The election is now looming big and proper - but that's just the excuse - I have loads of bits and pieces worth sharing on here so am now playing catch up.

Most recently I was at the east London reception for President Sharrif Ahmed, President of the Transitional Government of Somalia.

It was an incredibly moving and emotional evening for the 9,000 Somalis present - and as one of the few non-Somalis present it was a huge honour for me to be there. The President was preceeded by a host of speeches, singers, dancers and a rage of colour and cheering and then made an incredibly measured and sincere speech to the assembled throng.

Now my Somalia is not very good (non-existent) but I was able to appreciate firstly the significance of the occasion but also the art-deco surroundings of the theatre we were in - curious similar and resplendant to the Kilburn Gaumont State Cinema (but of course smaller!). :-)

The gate of Kings?

2010-02-21T07:43:00.000Z

If you walk down or up the Kilburn High Road you can't help but notice the massive development taking place at number 156-162 (?) on the camden side.

It's a huge retail development that includes going down into the basements as well as an extension on the roof to add a residential floor.

In short it is a big major development. For too long it lay empty and looked like nothing was happening and now it's all a go-go.

So the other day I was wandering along the back along Kingsgate Place - a charming small cobbled street that has the Brazillian Cafe and the Youth Club Station in and happened to pause and look up.

I'm not sure what I expected but I did not expect to see the quality of brickwork and windows that are there. It's got ana amazing perspective and sense of space and I can only assume are stunning inside.

It has a slightly church/chapel air about it but suspect it was just the finest of department stores from the late 19th century...

Any tips or leads from local residents out there who remember?

The local landmark between Kilburn and Willesden

2010-02-19T07:32:00.000Z

Chrich Church is a stunning landmark over Brondesbury looking down to Kilburn.

Work on the Church started in 1865 and it is a classic of it's time - a daughter church of St Mary's, Willesden, the church was opened by the Bishop of London on 21st November 1866.

It was widely acknowledged as a local landmakr and in the centenary of Michael Faraday's discovery of electricity was lit up in 1931.

Just in the entrance lobbies of north west London

2010-02-17T07:31:00.000Z

Has there ever been a study of the tiles in the entrance doors of north west London or more generally.

It's certainly something that I have copied on here before and it's amazing the range of tiles that exist out there - this is a small set that I have icked up recently in the Brondesbury Park area that I thought you might enjoy

To my mind they all have an amazing sense of colour and vibrancy and are a sort of post metrolandstyle and design - it's tricky to see how old they are precisely - I suspect some are late 19th century, but the colours stand forth as clear as day still.

But I have to say that I think despite all the ones I have seen this slightly damaged one of the parrot is my favourite (or is it a cockatiel?).

But the simple charm, the colours, the almost cocky style to the head pluamge is just great fun and worth taking the picture...

The oldest paper in town?

2010-02-05T07:04:00.000Z

There is something about a newspaper whereby the credibility and esteem in which it is held is built on when it was founded - almost as though the sense that it has survived all those years means it is well read, respected, attached to it's community.

So here we are at Premier Corner, on Kilburn Lane near Queen's Park Tube station (West Kilburn by my geography) and have the foundation stone in the new offices (built, according to the plaque in 1964).

The masthead of the Kilburn Times still proudly proclaims
Established 1868

So the plaque reads:
The north-western printing and publishing association limited.
This stone was laid by Mrs Kate Hewlett
Daughter of Thomas Smith - Proprietor
of the Kilburn Times in 1874 and Managing
Director of the Present Company from
1894 to 1910 - in the presence of his
Great Grandson Mr J H M Page - grandson
of Sidney Page who was chairman
From 1904 to 1930

Architect Sidney & Bettesworth LRIBA FRICS
Surveyors McCann & Bracken
Builders Y J Lovell & Son Ltd
23rd July 1964

Modernism of the last century

2010-01-29T12:29:00.001Z

Controversial - even terrible - that was the reaction to this 1938 construction of a small row of three houses by the architect Erno Goldfinger.

Now they feature on the Hampstead Tourist Trail, not least because number 2 is now a National Trust property.

The James Bond creator Ian Flemming so hated the architecture and apparently these houses in particular that he named his principal villain Goldfinger thus placing the name into household status.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ern%C5%91_Goldfinger

Goldfinger was a much celebrated Hungarian modernist architect, a generation on from the bauhaus movement, but also much known for his firery nature and character.

This house, at number 2 Willow Road, was Goldfinger's house of residence and opposite the house on the Preacher's Hill part of the Heath is a bench in memory of his son.

It's fair to say that even though the house is celebrated now, it was controversial with modernists at the time...

Erno passed away in 1987 and was cremated at Golders Green cemetary where his ashes were scattered.

NW3's Embassy

2010-01-17T12:21:00.001Z

One of the more significant bits of public space is here in NW3, at the end of Eton Avenue, just outside the Hampstead Theatre and the Central School of Speech and Drama.

The School has an amazing schedule of alumni and a proud track record of providing high quality education and training.

But the building itself has considerable history and hosts the Embassy Theatre.

The Theatre accomodates about 700 people and is a former Music Hall and dates essentially from 1928 when it was converted by architect Andrew Mather. It was previously Eton Avenue Hall from 1890 then Hampstead Conservatoire of Music.

During WWII the building was damaged and so saw an extensive refurbishment in 1945/1946.

The Theatre has a crucial place in the history of the development of modern Hampstead and Belsize in that it hosted the meetings of the AJR (Association of Jewsh refugees). This group initially met at 26 Belsize Park and then rented small premises at 279a Finchley Road before moving to 8 Fairfax Mansions.

On 27th May 1945 a meeting at the Embassy Theatre to mark the end of the wa saw 800 people in the theatre and 200 more outside and again on 3rd September the venue was used for the next stage of the AJRs work. A fascinating little part of the rich tapestry of NW3.

Blog-log Day 15 - a shared note of heritage for me

2010-01-13T16:30:00.002Z

Regular readers of the blog will know that last year I undertook a personal trip to the concentration camp of Bergen-Belsen - my grandfather had been in the Liberation forces in 1945.

This morning I met with Social Affairs Minister Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem. Minister Herzog is a form of political Israeli royalty in that his father was Chaim Herzog (President of Israel 1983-1993), his grandfather was Rabbi Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog and his uncle was Abba Eban.

Minister Herzog is one of the few rising stars of the Labor Party in Israel - Labor is in a tough place there at the moment - but his charm, wit, speed of thought and personality makes him stand out. He is tipped for higher office and widely respected across the political sectrum in the Knesset and in the media.

We talked about a range of issues: my visit to Gaza, his father and the connection to Bergen-Belsen and the current political situation in the wider Middle East. It's clear to me that Herzog is someone who has a bigger view, he's an internationalist and has a real grasp of building relationships.

As a way of topping off an incredibly thought provoking trip to Israel, meeting and talking with Minister Herzog (nicknamed 'Buji') has done the trick.

Final postscript: I'm typing this at the airport - my final meeting was with Rachel Liel of the New Israel Fund to discuss some of the issues around civic society and development of Israel's democracy and giving the political system greater depth and relevance. Rachael gave me an insight into the beautiful town of Neve Shalom - Wahat Al-Salam. We then drove up to the town - it's just an amazing demonstration into the ideals of Israel and an illustration of how Jewish and Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel live and work together, and set in the most breath-taking scenario.

Right, back to north west London I think :-)

Blog-log Day 14 - Gaza

2010-01-12T21:01:00.007Z

It's tricky to know where to start with this, and all I am really clear about is that my brain is about to burst, I have seen and heard so much.

But let me try and make a start and tell some of what I saw with pictures.

Today I went to Gaza, an early start to be there for the 8am crossing and a full day with UNRWA leaving Gaza at 3pm (it takes about an hour to get through security - not because it is busy but because it is a long and thorough process).

Can I also just say to all readers that this is very much written from what I saw - it's a complex set of experiences and the stories and accounts I heard need to be fully processed by me - not least by a night's sleep before being developed into firmer views - but let me try and give you an insight.

The first thing to say about the access is that it feels like an incredibly efficient but cold airport - but the other element I now understand is bar soldiers, just how few Israei's actually know what goes on within Gaza. I spent tonight having dinner with friends in Jerusalem and none of them have been to Gaza or the West Bank in at least the last 10 years - those that had been to Gaza went as soldiers (during service rather than during recent conflicts) and Ramallah or the West Bank was somewhere they had been to as much younger children.

I should add that I had absolutely no real or clear understanding of what to expect - it's the first time I had been to anything that might be described as a war zone, but all the reading of history didn't give me a clear image of what to expect.

I was struck by the devastation in the 'buffer zone' - nothing was left standing - there are a few almost ironic features left - a tap in a field of ruins - but largely crumbled concrete and mangled metal from the building sturctures. The building construction time has rendered destroyed buildings near useless for re-using the materials.

The second is that this all lies within what is clearly incredibly verdant landscape - it's clear that the north of the Gaza strip has/had the potential to be incredibly fertile agricultural land yet this is a community that relies on food vouchers from the UN - on a simplistic level - the contrast is just too stark to pass by without comment.

Next is the wider wider prosperity and potential of Gaza (and I only saw northern Gaza in the time I had). It was clear to me, and reflected in conversation with virtually everyone, that this is a community that is well educated, educationally ambitious for their young people, entrepenurial and innovative and dogged. But the war has set back such economic hopes and left a wake of distruction, mistrust and significant food and fuel poverty.

The blockade is having the effect of giving massive leverage over the local economy (if it can be called that) by the operators of the tunnels - the tunnels I now understand are not some determined small operation of a few parcels here and there - they are full scale passages enabling the illegal passage of fuel, building materials (cement, blocks etc) as well as commodities and food stuffs and inevitably arms and weapons. It's a full scale operation. The illegality of the operation is opposed by many of the traders and merchants of Gaza who see their business being undermined by Hamas.

Now I'm sure it is possible to get contrary opinions but some of the messages I heard were pretty clear and almost pleas to me at least (in no particular order):
- we (Palestinians) are not all terrorists, we are as much terrorised as Israel is.
- the vast majority of people here have no truck with extremism.
- there is little love for the British MP George Galloway and he is percieved by the people as stirring up anger and negative passions
- before the war there was strong and growing trade with Israel and that was good for trade, work, skills and opportunities
- the building destruction that has taken place has left an indelible mark as there are no rebuilding materials
- what is the next move/next stage if the "idiots" ( a direct quote) keep firing rockets: what do we "residents" do?

I think I'll pause there - I want to sleep further and think about what I saw and heard. Going was one of the best things I have done and I'm grateful to friends and contacts who made the links to enable me to get the permit and see something of it for myself and to the team who made my visit possible today.

Blog-log Day 13 - mathematicians and architects form a queue

2010-01-11T12:41:00.000Z

The amazing thing about the Dome of the Rock is that when you look up/across at it from outside the Temple Mount you have no sense of the size, the scale and most of all the incredible use of space.

The next thing that strikes you is the amazing geometric architecture.

My father was always interested in ancient culture and art influences an often cited muslim art from the 7th/8th centuries on as being of incredible beauty and very advanced compared to other cultures.

Now I'm not claiming to know the dating of the decor of the Dome of the Rock - not least because it has gone through so many architectural era's and influences - not least for example the Stables of Solomon which are not of that era but are Crusader architecture, or the gold of the Dome itself which is very late 20th century!

But the mosaic's, the tiling, the geometry, the richness of colour, the complexity of the design, the mathematical fascination can only be marvelled at.

And for me, interested in ancient history - wandering around the Temple Mount constructed by Herod (much changed - not least by the demolitions of Titus and Hadrian, but the sense of place that it occupied remains) is a privilege and a joy.

Blog-log day 12 - that dialogue over that fence over there

2010-01-10T16:01:00.003Z

Two days ago I got the number 18 bus from East Jerusalem Bus Station, Nablus Road, and went to Ramallah - it was only brief and I hope to go back this week. But what I saw was full-on city - with an economy, with ambition, with potential. If it were (and this risks sounding trite) a part of London you would call on the council to take it's responsibilities seriously and crack on with the physical and economic regeneration that would move it forwards in leaps and bounds.

But whilst the government, people and army of Israel feels compelled to defend itself then the whole thing is depressed and maintained at a level that cannot and will not thrive.

The over-riding topic in Israel and on the West Bank in political conversations is that of security - and yet there is a curious double existence with the religious pilgrimages going on all around from Christians, Jews and Muslims.

This photograph of the security fence around the West Bank is taken from Mount Zion (Ironically I was visiting Oskar Schindlers tomb). It wasn't a clear day, but you can see the dominance of the Israeli security fence.

For a long time I have held the instinctive position that constructing walls between communities is wrong, that use of violence is wrong, that human rights are fundamental. Much of these 'western values' emerged from the wreckage of World War II and are principles that my grandfather's who fought in that war would recognise.

We tend to view the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians as a conflict that just needs sorting out. But here it is a battle for survival. There are groups, movements, armed individuals, groups and even countries that don't want Israel to exist. But the right for Israel to exist is now a permanent one and is now accepted in most Arab capitals.

So if you accept the right for Israel to exist, and then regret the existence of the walls and fence and the conflict you still have to handle the fundamental issue of security. And this it seems is where the mainstream debates in Europe and Israel differ. This week in one of the papers here, the former Israeli Ambassador to Germany described Israel and Europe of having two monologues instead of one dialogue and it feels to me like that's an accurate call.

There are countless community peace initiatives - in the UK, in Europe and even here in Israel - I saw the joint music centre in Ramallah - but it seems to me that these community led initiatives will count for nothing whilst the wider concerns over security exist. This is where Europe seems to part company with Israel. Whilst Europe's assumption is that that peace will come through trust, it feels like a pipe dream here. Neither side is going to stop it's current conduct. If anything it feels more likely that it will escalate. Israel will do anything (almost literally) to defend itself, it's people and it's existence - here on the ground I see and understand that. And the concerns over human rights, over atmospheric tension, over the effect on the next generation of Palestinians are put to one side.

The task for those of us who care about this is to reflect the concerns over the future of statehood - for both sides - understand the scale of passion on the need to defend yourself and security, security, security. Then and only then can a dialogue start that might enable real borders (not fences and walls) and then move into ordinary economic and human rights work. If this was easy it probably would have progressed - but it is not - and on the ground I guess I just understand the impossibility of the situation and the passions aroused by religion and borders and statehood. You end up trying to decide whether to try and make a difference or whether to walk away and try something else in another sphere of the world.

Blog-log day 11 - into the Knesset, seeing for myself

2010-01-09T12:10:00.006Z

So just how do you go about getting a balanced view of Israel and the conflict here in the Middle East?

I'm not sure there is a clear answer, but I'm here in Israel and there's no ducking some of the issues here.

So over the last 10 days I have been meeting up with residents (many of whom are not politically active), I have met with a number of interest groups, I've discussed domestic affairs like health and education and I have met with a range of politicians.

Going to the Knesset (The Israeli Parliament) was really interesting. I visited 15 years ago when I was President of the Students' Union at Nottingham University on a trip organised by the Union of Jewish Students. But this time my understanding of paliamentary democracy is a tad more attuned - and I've come under my own steam. I have met with a range of MKs (Knesset Members - equivalent to MPs) of many parties/factions and heard a wide spectrum of opinions and views.

I've been getting The Jerusalem Post and Ha'aretz newspapers each day (both in English) and they are at different ends of the Israeli political spectrum. I've been avidly reading and consuming news and conversation.

This weekend - my last few days here - I'll be in Ramallah on the West Bank and hopefully will get into Gaza as well - a mixture of seeing for myself as well as deepening my understanding. The walls, the Hamas rockets, the Israeli airstrike yesterday, the heightened sense of tension and even the Hamas in a stand-off against Egypt - all have a very different impact when they are taking place a few miles away from where you are staying.

One of the major concerns here is international opinion - not as some voice of conscience, but because of the role politicians play in shaping peace and aggression. So Barack Obama, not unsurprisingly, looms large. The general view, as far as I can ascertain it, is that at last America has a President capable of understanding complexities and nuances - that not everything is black and white - and nuance isn't a bland subtlety but a crucial part of effective diplomacy.

So the remaining issue to explain through this blog post is why I'm here - specifically. On that first visit 16 years ago I was totally taken by the heady mix of dust, history, religion and heat - my degree on Ancient History helped to instill me with an understanding of the age of the emotions and conflicts (it's useful knowing your Titus from your Hadrian!). I have a strong belief that even hard problems can be solved - it's years of playing chess, I think, that has forced that home.

So I'm visiting Israel with just 12 or so weeks before Gordon Brown finally goes to the polls. And I return to the UK (snow permitting!) charged up with enthusiam and passion - but also with understanding and empathy. Anyone can make a speech on a subject, but to speak from experience and knowledge is far more convincing. In Hampstead and Kilburn local residents want an MP who knows the issues, understands their concerns and who can engage in the dialogue.

Having renewed my links here in the Middle East, gained a better and fresher understanding and seeing much much more for myself I'm ready for the challenge and I'm willing to go further. I say to local residents in north west London - I know the issues, I understand your concerns and my views are drawn from personal experience and a preparedness to get out into the field and see it for myself.

Note: The trip is organised, planned and funded entirely by myself - I have had no official support from anyone in arranging appointments or meetings - it is all at my own initiative. I have been on the buses, met in the cafes, walked the markets - it has not been about chauffered cars or going where someone else wanted me to go. A snapshot, but I hope a valid one. The final clarification is that I'm neither jewish nor muslim, I have a faith but it is my own.

Blog-log Day 10 - getting under the skin of old Jerusalem

2010-01-08T12:04:00.000Z

This risks being one of the most unlikely blog post yet - and I sense you have doubts already... bear with me.

The American Colony Hotel (much recommended by a friend) in East Jerusalem.
The road sign for Nablus Road - which is where the Hotel is...
And Palestinian Pottery - specialising in hand decorated tiles Est 1922.

The Hotel is the heart of diplomatic, international visitors in East Jerusalem - a regular hang-out for journalists, businessfolk and politicians. But the Amercan Colony Hotel also has an amazing history and heritage to it and a visitors book to wonder at.

The Nablus Road sign is perhaps a shade unfair - but as I walked from Damascus Gate along the Nablus Road you have a sense that you are moving into the European Quarter yet you are in the much spoken of East Jerusalem and it looked to me like this was a bullet pitted street name sign.

And so to the Palestinian Pottery - I was reading my book by Edwin Samuel (Sir Herbet's son), A Lifetime in Jerusalem - and I recollected that I read that he set up a fair in the Old City of Palestinian craftsmen.

"In 1921, the first exhibition of indigenous Palestinian arts and crafts, largely peasant ware, was held in the Citadel, and I was made the organizer" Edwin Samuel, Second Viscount Samuel.

So the connecting threads are these:

all three are on the Nablus Road, there is much much more to East Jerusalem than Palestinian/Israeli dispute (don't judge a book by it's cover or just the reviews),
Herbert and Edwin Samuel are inextricably links to all three - Nablus Road was a main thoroughfare for Mandate officials,
the Colony Hotel was a key part of the British Adminstration and there some pretty compelling empirical evidence that Edwin Samuel was involved in the promotion that led to this company setting itself up...

Blog-log Day 9 - in the Kidron Valley

2010-01-07T13:43:00.001Z

Between the Mount of Olives and the Old City of Jerusalem - near the Dung Gate is the Kidron Valley. It's quite dramatic and quite steep - at least to walk into and out of and makes traversing from the two locations quite hard.

But in the Kidron Valley is some ancient rocks out of which have been carved memorials - semi-mausoleums. One is known at the Pillar of Absolom and the other is the Tomb of Zechariah - between them are the Cave of Bene Hazir - none of the three: pillar, tomb or cave are in fact of the people they are attributed to - but as local historical - probably 1st century AD (CE) they are pretty impressive.

Because of the valley they also feel like they are slightly off of the tourist trail and so where pretty quiet and worth visiting if you're passing these ways.

Blog-log Day 8 - Old Gower, Liberal and Jewish...

2010-01-06T13:08:00.001Z

In the annals of British History Herbert Samuel does not feature large - he's important but not a household name.

But let's re-cap:
- the first Jewish Cabinet member in Britain
- an Old Gower (pupil of UCS)
- First Governor of the Palestinian Mandate
- First Jew to govern 'Israel' since ancient times
- Liberal Party Leader 1931-1935
- First Jew to lead a political party in Britain

So on my journey to Israel I was pretty excited to find this plaque still up at the start of King George V Street.

KING GEORGE V AVENUE
OPENED BY
HIS EXCELLENCY SIR HERBERT SAMUEL
HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR PALESTINE
IN THE PRESENCE OF
SIR RONALD STORRS
GOVERNOR JERUSALEM-JAFFA DISTRICT
RAGHEB BEY EL NASHASHIBI
MAYOR OF JERUSALEM
9TH DECEMBER 1924
(it's in Hebrew to the left and Arabic to the right - immediately behind my head - but was quite hard to get me in the pic as you have to virtually stand in the road!)

Excited at this was one thing - but when I was in a bookshop and asked about the Mandate days the woman behind the desk revealed she had interviewed Herbert's son - Edwin - as an old man in Jersusalem in the 1970's. I'm now onto finding the person who has the notes an tapes of that interview...

Blog-log Day 7 - history, current affairs, future hopes all in one

2010-01-05T11:41:00.000Z

Readers of this blog will know I have always tried to illustrate a story with a picture - but it can be quite hard t use just one picture - sometimes the local history find is such that I have a bonanza of pictures. Today, my excuse is that I am in Jerusalem...

[A reminder that where it's a small picture the reader should be able to double click on the photo and it open up at full size so you can see the detail].

Here you are quite literally walking on history and walking on layer upon layer of the stuff. But this isn't history as some cool, detatched even academic perspective - this is the stuff of current affairs, international diplomacy and religious passion.

But of course the other thing about Jerusalem and the history is that it is SO important to those today that it is still living and breathing and all around.

So this picture of the Dome of the Rock - one of the most venerated of Muslim sites - photographed here from the roof terrace. This is in fact a few hundred yards away and the modern satellites betray that there are people living amidst, what in the rest of the world would be historical sites and just historical sites. In this charged environment they are residential, precisely because they are so so important.

So you walk away from the Western Wall plaza, take a staircase, wander on aimlessly a bit - gazing at your guidebook trying to work out what appears next and you find you are literally on a roof and there are three layers of shops and residency and worship beneath you and due to the landcape of the mountain up to four storeys of archaeology under that!

In fact I was so high up that this massive spire of the Lutheran Church was almost at eyesight level - and this is one of the highest points in the city! It's amazing.

And it was that point that got me thinking - the issue here is what has gone before. It's not what happens today, it's not yesterday - it's who has been here before. On one level it is the pilgrims, the residents, the soldiers (too many soldiers) and the generations of events and activity - but most of them were/are here for the religious devotions that are undertaken in memory of the historical figures who were themselves here.

So this graffiti - devotional, dated, carved into the wood and the marble and the stone of the door frames of many and most of the churches gives you a powerful realisation that your steps are but two steps amongst literally millions of others.

But the challenge is making those traditions of the past work today shoulder to shoulder, cheek by jowel. And it would seem to the tourist eye that there is an equilibrium.

But that in itself risks being a deception. The Israeli governance over Jerusalem only really dates from 1967 in modern terms and that led to the clearing of the old housing that clustered in front of the Western Wall [aka the Wailing Wall]. So what is now a great visitors plaza is in fact a highly political space - for all Jews - perhaps it is now the most precious religious space. In fact in that context one of the great outstanding issues in the peace talks of the future is the Temple Mount.

But right now you have the Western Wall and nest to that a convoluted wooded construct walkway that leads to the Dome of the Rock - all to accomodate the various histories that currently co-exist.

Now the general assumption over the years was that history - whilst it is grasped and clutched to the breast of each cause and faction to their advantage - that in fact time is a healer of sorts, in that the human memory forgets knowledge and fails to pass it on.

The Western Wall is significant for two factors - the first is it significant because it is the closest wall to the former site of the Holy of Holies - this was the temple built upon the site where Abraham was going to sacrifice his son. The destruction of the temple by the Roman Emperor Titus after the first Jewish rebellion was pretty complete - some 50 years later a more intense form of destruction was wreaked by the Emperor Hadrian to surpress another revolt.

Both of these events have led to a human recollection that says that the bit of the Western Wall visible from the Plaza (above) is the only surviving structure.

Two issues with that. First is that in fact bits of the other walls - north, west and south all survive but for Jews it's the proximity to the Holy of Holies that is religiously significant. Secondly archaeologists have confirmed and now opened up the full length of the Western Wall as a tunnel and with it the site of the earliest synagogue - and that tunnel was my experience today. Pictured here are the stones of the Herodian 2nd temple, still standing, still acting as foundation stones to the constructs of subsequent generations over them.

So being in Jerusalem - in Israel - listening to issues around the conflicts of the middle east - I was really struck today that with the history live and in front of us - it's also above and below us, all around and is a relevant now as ever before.

Blog-log Day 6 - a giant of the 20th century

2010-01-04T12:31:00.000Z

This was high on my list of visit options in Tel Aviv and managed to get there today before heading up to Jerusalem via Mobi'in.

And sure enough, David Ben Gurions house did not diappopint. Getting there early meant there was no-one else in the house so we had the whole place to ourselves.

The charm, the simplicty, the learned knowledge hungry nature of the man that I had read about stood out more than anything else.

The ground floor is so of it's time - 50's I think - the green tiling has a style that is so retro today, the furniture if unfussy.

The only element that feels like it crowds the house at all are the gifts from Heads of State and adoring associations. Just how many elephants died for high quality african tusks to be presented to him..?

But upstairs was the gem - or gems. The library. This was clearly a book thirsty, knowledge hungry, avid reader. Books everywhere - wall to ceiling. To say I felt some jealousy would be to go too far but when you appreciate the breadth of the reading and you realise that the collection is stunning...

Ben Gurion was not without his critics - his ability to leave his party and form a new movement occurred twice - relatively unsuccessfully - the last when he was over 80!

But his role on the world stage is undisputed and he was a political giant whilst being of very small stature.

There are no shortages of biographies on line and published available and it;s worth getting behind the man and his achievments to understand who he was and what drive him.

Crucially he fought for his nationality, created a nation, established institutions - he quite literally led and drove the movement that made Israel a reality and not just an intellectual concept - and at a time when pogroms and the genocide of the holocaust created such a need for hope and refuge,

Blog-log Day 5 - the British High Street legacy in Tel Aviv

2010-01-03T12:53:00.001Z

So what is the visible and immediate UK legacy here in Tel Aviv?

It feels like an incredibly liberal, vibrant and positive city - many communities, still growing - the nearest thing, bar the climate, to a London-esq sense of village communities.

The amusing thing - and when Herbert Samuel arrived a Governor of Palestine the legacy must have been still very live - is the way the streets are named after British figures: Herbert Samuel, Arthur Balfour, George V and Edmund Allenby.

Happy to be corrected but I reckon most people will be aware that George V was King but little sense of his significance to Israel or Tel Aviv, as previously posted no understanding of who Herbert Samuel was, Edmund Allenby I think has no recognition - being interested in history I knew him to be a soldier and the leader of the middle east campaigns of the first world war but I think I'm in a minority.

Arthur Balfour however, in reversal of his recognition rate in the UK is heralded here as for his Balfour Declaration that led in time to the creation of the modern state of Israel... But Allenby's road/street is the larger, more significant route through the city. :-)

I'm staying on Allenby Street and I have to say it has a quality that is incredibly reminiscent to the Kilburn High Road - that sense of different by day and by night, all traders cheek-by-jowel, an amazing history that is much underplayed (though hinted at a bit) and is a key road through the midst of this whole city - much like the High Road is to north west London.

So in that comparative vein I thought I would draw in my age old tradition of looking at the variety of street signs - there is something incredibly charming and special about street names.

It's as though the way in which a community is signed is an insight into the way in which that community has a self-esteem supported by the governance arrangements that sustain it.

I think Allenby Road has an incredible sweeping effect through this city - one of the guidebooks describes it as 'enigmatic' - for me it the best insight there is into what Tel Aviv is, where it has come from and where it might be going...

All great stuff and there for anyone to see - for me this afternoon in was a great wander, stopping, looking up, taking pictures (too many over the course of just 3 hours!) and gazing at what was hidden, but yet still very visible to the inquisitive eye.

Blog-log Day 4 - Hampstead Liberal in Tel Aviv

2010-01-02T12:00:00.000Z

So just howdoes the main road along Tel Aviv coast end up being named Herbert Samuel Esplanade?

Herbert Samuel, later Lord Samuel, has largely dropped from public knowledge in the UK but in terms of several elements for me he's a crucial piece of a local jigsaw.

On a simple and political level Herbert Samuel was leader of the Liberal Party - not the most prestigious period from 1931-1935 - and is one of the Leaders during an almost 'dark ages' following the splits with Lloyd George and well before the Grimond Revival.

Further, Herbert was a school boy at UCS, University College School - then in Gower Street, now in Frognal, Hampstead. Thus making him an Old Gower (as frmer pupils of UCS are known).

And finally and crucially he was the first Governor (Commissioner) of Palestine under the British Mandate - making him the first Jewish ruler of what is now Israel since ancient times. It's for this third role that he generate the kudos to gain the main street in Tel Aviv being named after him... There's a short video on him here: www.youtube.co.uk/474towin

I just wonder how many other UCS boys have a main road in a city named after them?

Blog-log Day 3 - the white city of Bauhaus

2010-01-01T12:37:00.000Z

Regular readers of this blog knew it was coming at some point - I was always going to reflect the amazing architecture of Tel Aviv.

It is the singlemost feature that struck me when I was first here and not much has changed. Well, there's a slight sense of an economic down-turn in the air which might reflect the slightly un-maintained housing, but the city remains awash with architectural gems.

In short most of it is from the Bauhaus tradition - it's essentially minimalist - reflects the beauty of white, simplicity and using the cleverness of lines and sight.

The effect is great sweeping balconies and structured mirror images in what might otherwise be very ordinary properties. Tel Aviv was the beneficiary of the 1930's wave of architects who fled Nazi Germany and brought the tradition from there to Tel Aviv.

The Cinema in Tel Aviv is world famous and is I think quite literally a former cinema now a Hotel and is connected and managed by the same team as the Central Hotel.

It's just on the junction of Dizengoff central junction - which has a serious pedestrian flyover with water fountain from it's former flower bed layout - presumably to cope with the traffic!

The result is a city with loads of Bauhaus architectural treasures hidden away on streets and corners. This is just a brief reflection of them and does them no justice at all.

But it was this Bauhaus tradition that led to Tel Aviv getting world UNESCO preservation status and securing a special place in the hearts of those who have visited and seen it gleaming for themselves.

The last picture just seemed to take up the theme of being the White City....

Blog-log Day 2 - Yitzhak Rabin Square

2009-12-31T12:46:00.002Z

It's pretty shocking at any level - to lose your Prime Minister through violence - but the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin sent a serious shock wave through all those seeking peace.

It was probably the biggest world event for 1995 - considering the impact of the Middle East on world affairs...

So for me heading to the now named 'Yitzhak Rabin Square' was always going to be a core staple of being in Israel and specifically Tel Aviv.

What I hadn't quite thought through was the extent to which not only is he honoured and recognised - the bust and the plaque etc, but the entire assassination is almost rehearsed through - the plaque of all the key players (including the un-named murderer), the spots on which they were all standing and the graffiti wall with the peace posters that went up now preserved.

Hmmm, lots to think through - but when I was first in Israel - it was the personal dynamic between Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres that was a key factor in all of the politics and diplomacy for Israel and the Middle East. That was shattered with the bullets of an assassin.

If nothing else it's a clear confirmation that the removal of weapons is the crucial lesson for all roads to peace. At the end of one year and the start of another the prayers for peace from Israel seem all the more poignant.

Blog-log Day 1 - the beach at Tel-Aviv

2009-12-30T19:01:00.000Z

At first glance this could be any holiday snap taken anywhere - beach, inclement weather, historical features, art galleries, meals out - but somehow its not just anywhere: it's Israel.

The beach is stunning - fine sand, lovely depth, surfers, animal lovers, swimmers and families - all the usual components.

But being Israel there's a significant hesitation in people's voices when they ask 'why holiday there?'

But as you can see a beach is a beach is a beach.

But of course, as we all know it's not quite that simple - Tel Aviv is only 100 years old this year and Israel as a modern state was only founded in 1948. That first year was no simple delcaration of independence - in the days immediately after Israel found itself at war for it's very survival. This monument, on the beach at Tel Aviv, speaks of the role of the Altalena ship.

My short hand version is that the Israeli Government shelled the ship, which was carrying arms and ammunition for Israeli paramilitaries and it was the show of force between the Government (establishing itself) and the paramilitaries not yet incorporated into the mainstream army.

It's all pretty heady stuff and part of the rich tapestry that comes about at the formation of states, however controversial...

It's Christmas Countdown. The 25th Day is here

2009-12-25T13:43:00.002Z

Probably my favourite picture of the year when it snowed in March and I got this from Kilburn Grange Park of the Kilburn Gaumont State.

There is a crowd of people now enagaged in getting the State re-opened with community access as well as established as a new church.

It's a huge venture and seems only right to feature it here given the season :-)

Merry Christmas to the blog readers - one and all...

Ed
x

Countdown to Christmas. Day 24 - the trees of north west London rock

2009-12-24T11:56:00.000Z

It's justa tree but it is one of the older, grander, best trees.

This one is Queen's Park, but with Hampstead Heath nearby it's quite a competition.

I have to say that I have had some stick from a regular reader of this blog that I concentrate too much on the built environment and I don't reflect the natural beauty of the area...

This is the nearest I am going to come to reflecting a new thread in the coming year - that said I am conscious that finding the time to capture the issues I want to feature on here is tricky, but I do my best.

Hope you have enjoyed it oh readers - the end of the year is nigh and the start of a new one...

But yes, more trees on their way.

Countdown to Christmas. Day 23 - casa latinoamericana

2009-12-23T12:48:00.001Z

If you don't know this place then you are definately missing out...

It's dubbed the Brazilian community centre for London and is in Kingsgate Place in Kilburn.

The food is great, the people who run it friendly and the atmosphere welcoming.

Finally closed for the seasonal break - but open most of the time otherwise - it's well worth a trip down there. An autumn evening eating outside by the cobbled road is one of the more charming recommendations from this little on-line account.

:-)

Countdown to Christmas. Day 22 - we shall not forget them...

2009-12-22T12:26:00.000Z

I cite this endlessly, but the significance of Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday cannot be understated.

There's something really important about it in a societies make-up and it's great to see it making such a recent revival - sadly due to the number of international conflicts we are engaged in.

This year saw a large number of ceremonies and I was proud to play my small part in proceedings locally.

And well done to Linda Chung, an amazingly energetic councillor in Hampstead Town, for securing a private donation to restore the memorial at Jack Straw's Castle.

Countdown to Christmas. Day 21 - 12 Roman Emperors a leaping...

2009-12-21T12:16:00.000Z

Yep, my age old hobby horse - Kilburn is the oldest part of camden, oldest part of Brent and one of the oldest parts of London...

That it was built and established by the troops and engineers of the conquering Roman Emperor Claudius and that the Museum of London should get out of the City of London and come down to the boroughs and have a conversation about what London has been and is...

This is the bust of the Emperor Claudius - probably torn down the by pillaging Iceni Queen Boudicca as she sacked Londinium - but it's incredibly evocative - it would have had eyes - so less scary and haunted, but it's a great piece of artistic bronze...

Who's up for having a replica statue erected at the bottom of the Kilburn High Road and the bust becomin a shade more iconic in lcoal useage than it currently is?

Countdown to Christmas. Day 20 - name that street name

2009-12-20T13:57:00.000Z

It's not just the name that reveals a lot about an area but also the style of the name plate.

Here in NW3 in particular, some in NW6 too, there are the very old school individual street name plates - they add charm and character and when they are removed or changed there is a mini-hullabaloo.

The other crucial bit is the name of the road, lane, alley, rown, square itself and that to an extent dates it - I have always assumed that square was 18th century at the earliest really, avenue is metroland and cul-de-sac decidedly modern.

This is one of the finer examples of the two points at play - it's on Heath Street in Hampstead and curles beautifully round the brickwork... charm, style and quaintness - not the most obvious criteria when you are trying to articulate how somewhere could or might be but clearly important elements. The issue for me is whether it's possible to develop these factors now in an area that has either lost them or never had them...

Countdown to Christmas. Day 19 - get to the back of the Christmas queue!

2009-12-19T13:54:00.000Z

Anyone who has lived in north west London for any period of time talks fondly about going to the saturday matinee - it's not a south London nightclub - it's the cinema tradition of going in the afternoon.

But that old tradition of queuing on the Kilburn High Road - dating from when there were at least 4 cinema's - is back with The Good Ship Inn. It's so popular that it has restored queuing - a sure sign that the recession busting is well underway.

Now I should declare a small interest in that it's the bar next to my campaign office so I think it is dead good and the owner/licencee/manager is a great guy too.

But the real issue is does or should Drakes Courtyard have an apostrophe?

Countdown to Christmas. Day 18 - 170 years of tradition or just a local boozer?

2009-12-18T13:47:00.000Z

In September I did a small post on the Adelaide Pub - all from popular Queen Adelaide, who died on 2nd December 1849 - curiously there has not been a fanfare of celbration for this great date :-)

of course for most people it's just that pub at the end of the road and one local resident told me that the pub was named after the road - when i asked what the road was named after he looked puzzled, before he burst out laughin!

Clearly the snow and the cold does something to the sense of humour and the brain processes :-)

Countdown to Christmas. Day 17 - one north star, 2 polar bears and a very busy Finchley Road

2009-12-17T12:30:00.001Z

Given all of the outrage and hurrumph over The Golden Compass (will there be the sequels?) it seems only right to highlight our own bit of Northern Lights (no offense to anyone).

Of course in our instance it's just a pub on the Finchley Road but a great example of a coaching inn on a key part of road north and south.

The best bit I like is the sign and if you did nothing else wandering down to have a peek at the polar bear climbing apparently lazily over the sign... aaah, it's so sweet!

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2009/09/polar-boars-abound.html

Countdown to Christmas. Day 16 - a collection for the restoration fund

2009-12-16T13:58:00.000Z

Getting old buildings back into community use is incredibly difficult and usually there are one or two individuals responsible - St Stephen's in Hampstead is just such an example.

This picture was taken earlier in the year as the restoration programme was in full swing and it was especially gratifying that at the Heath and Hampstead AGM two years ago Michael Taylor, who has lead the work, asked that the heath and hampstead use the old church when re-opened.

And so some time later we all gathered there for the Christmas Party and saw the church open in fascinatingly candle and low level lighting lit.

It was a delight and one for any budding photographer...

I've covered it before and indeed this year:
http://474towin.blogspot.com/2009/08/taken-from-my-pocket.html

Impressed with the restoration? Make them a donation - they still need the support and the help.

Countdown to Christmas. Day 15 - 5 weeks of closure, 4 turtle doves, 3 french hens

2009-12-15T13:42:00.001Z

Railway history is some of the most interesting in north west London.

It's like there have been massive geographic changes to the local landscape and after the periods of enclosure and the development of new residential areas, there was a huge programme of putting rivers underground - thus changing what people saw around them forever.

This was followed by the carving, almost literally carving, of the rail lines - criss-crossing the landscape and now indelible marks upon where we live.

But it was autumn this year that the extent of the closures at weekends became more obvious and visible - not least cos TfL closed off Jubilee at the same time as the Metropolitan line at the same time as the Overground.

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2009/08/dont-close-our-community-off-at.html

And now we have the projects running massively over time and causing considerable discomfort for everyone. [sighs and gears himself up for the next meeting with TfL and their respective partners...]

Countdown to Christmas. Day 14 - little donkey, little donkey...

2009-12-14T13:56:00.000Z

One of the now hopefully annual highlights in NW3 is the return of the donkeys to Whitestone Pond.

It's only the second year but it's a great start of a restored tradition.

Cllr Flick Rea (Culture @ Camden) was there to welcome them and also see the queue of local children.

It's amazing how many people mention the donkey rides as thing of the past - pass on the news that at least once a year we have them back...

The tradition of donkey rides here dates back to the 1820's and froma later victorian era when the local area as known as the 'seaside for people from the east end' - literally thousands of people would come for their weekend entertainment and day out.

Countdown to Christmas. Day 13 - the Metropolitan cattle water trough

2009-12-13T13:09:00.001Z

There are serveal of these troughs dotted around north west London and I think they're great. This one is just off of East Heath Road in Hampstead, NW3 on the Heath.

They dates from the time when the car was not king and when the owning and the using of a horse was not unusual...

I was told yesterday that there was a time before the car when there were over 3million horses in ownership and use - sounds realistic but also an incredible number considering now just how exclusive horse ownership is.

But back in July this water trough was a pleasant addition and feature to the blog http://474towin.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html

For those with longer memories or regular readers you will know that the water trough was one of the earliest blog posts at all. Back in January 2008 we were discussing this topic here

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/01/where-is-metropolitan-drinking-fountain.html

Countdown to Christmas. Day 12 - hidden religious gems

2009-12-12T13:57:00.000Z

It's not quite the tin tabernacle of Kilburn, but this is the Baptist Church in West Kilburn - hidden away on Carlton Vale it is one of the most charming and fascinating gems in the local area.

An imposing presence, a great history having been built for the railway workers as north west London was developed and a series of largely untouched architectural features that have stood the test of time.

And a still welcoming pastor and congregation...

What do you mean you haven't been there? It's well worth the trip...

http://www.westkilburn.org/

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html

Countdown to Christmas. Day 11 - What is it about Kilburn?

2009-12-11T13:06:00.000Z

One of the key issues with politics is this sort of odd local government speak notion of 'place'.

It's a bit New Labour speak and a bit jargonistic but living here in kilburn I am beginning to understand what it might mean for me.

In short, for me, it about knowing, liking and understanding an area. it draws on soundbites like 'a place with no history has no future'.

Here in Kilburn it for me is epitomised by the Sir Colin Campbell pub.

It's a great irish tradition and a superb real old fashioned boozer - fun staff - good prices - lovely atmosphere and live music...

It's top, it's Kilburn :-)

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html

Countdown to Christmas. Day 10 – local Gurkhas

2009-12-10T13:55:00.000Z

Every year we remember those who have given their lives for their country, but it is easy to forget that we owe a similar debt to living veterans. Earlier this year a campaign led by Joanna Lumley and the Liberal Democrats was successful in ensuring that all Gurkhas who have fought for Britain have the right to settle in the UK.

The campaign garnered a great deal of media attention, but there is still work to be done.

In May, I led a campaign with Cllr Carol Shaw and Cllr Simon Green to secure recognition for two Gurkha officers, including a holder of the Victoria Cross, interred in Hampstead Cemetery.

In November, we included this grave amongst the locations in south and west Kilburn that we recognised with wreaths and tributes on Remembrance Sunday.

Countdown to Christmas. Day 9 – The “Club of Scoundrels”

2009-12-09T13:49:00.001Z

MPs' expenses hit the headlines in April this year. As a liberal, I believe in equality – politics should not be the preserve of the wealthy, but nor should it be a means by which people become wealthy. I firmly believe that the prize associated with becoming MP is the chance to help the area in which I live and to assist the people that I represent; it should be an honour, not a badge of honour.

The expenses system is in dire need of reform. I have made a series of commitments on expenses. You can read them in full here.

In May, I, along-with 57 other Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidates, wrote an open letter to Michael Martin.

He resigned a couple of days related, but we're not claiming the credit or not for that...

Countdown to Christmas. Day 8 - the Kilburn tin tabernacle

2009-12-08T13:29:00.000Z

You wouldn't know it walking past but the tin church on Cambridge Avenue just off Kilburn High Road - running down to Kilburn Park Tube - is an old tin tabernacle.

Currently the church is the HQ of the Willesden and St Marylebone Sea Scouts.

it's an incedible building inside - being a ship reversed... and here is a rare little snap shot when it was open one day.

More of the local views of April are here:

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2009_04_01_archive.html

But if you are interested, have a little google on tin tabernacles - fascinating stuff!

Countdown to Christmas. Day 7 - remembering Bergen-Belsen

2009-12-07T13:17:00.000Z

Back in March I went over to Germany to the former concentration camp of Bergen-Belsen - it was where my grandfather had been in the liberation and felt like quite a pilgrimage for me.

It was very grim but incredibly moving and evocative.

But to meet the survivors and those paying their respects was amazing and I'm pleased I went. I sought to capture some of what i saw and learnt there on some short video's which you can see here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/474towin#p/u/25/u3mj0maLqVE

http://www.youtube.com/user/474towin#p/u/24/kLBeIsVpobM

http://www.youtube.com/user/474towin#p/u/23/xnN7Dx_MUEI

Bergen-Belsen was the camp Margot and Anne Frank died in and so there is a gravestone (not at the actual spot - which is unknown) but in tribute to them and by reflection their iconic status in the holocaust legacy.

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2009_04_01_archive.html

Countdown to Christmas Day 6 - Climate Chaos Wave and March

2009-12-06T13:18:00.001Z

Concern over the environmental future of the globe has been rising steadily.

The reality is no-one knows where this is going but it clear that we have a responsibility to act. That's why Copenhagen talks are so important and the pressure on politicians is so intense.

For my own part I was proud to join Nick Clegg MP and the Liberal Democrats in the wave and march today from Upper Brooke Street down to Westminster.

http://www.hampsteadandkilburn.org.uk/index.php

Countdown to Christmas Day 5 - The Forgotten Parish 13 of Hampstead

2009-12-05T13:04:00.002Z

The transformation from worship to residence is not an entirely uncommon feature in vast tracts of the country...

Here in Loudon Road, South Hampstead, we have a charming concernsion for parish 13

You can read more here
http://474towin.blogspot.com/2009/03/forgotten-parish-13-of-hampstead.html

Countdown to Christmas Day 4 – Belsize Square Synagogue

2009-12-04T13:34:00.001Z

February saw the 70th anniversary of Belsize Square synagogue - from a Berlin-German tradition it's a truly inclusive and welcoming atmosphere.

I found the spiritual elements sincere and real and have found the music CDs quite cathartic at times of pressure and reflection.

Countdown to Christmas. Day 3 - Environment Survey

2009-12-03T13:00:00.000Z

As the Copenhagen summit draws ever closer, climate change has returned to the top of the agenda. In February, over 1,300 local residents responded to my environment survey, with many identifying better recycling facilities and improved transport links as the changes they would like to see in Hampstead and Kilburn.

You can see the results of the survey here

Countdown to Christmas Day 2 - Preventing Crime in Hampstead and Kilburn

2009-12-02T13:00:00.001Z

Crime is a very real issue for many residents in Hampstead and Kilburn. In January, I raised the concerns of residents in Swiss Cottage about street lighting and crime prevention with the Borough Commander, Dominic Clout, and Camden Council’s then-Head of Community Safety, Tony Brookes.

Ed Fordham's Countdown to Christmas Day 1

2009-12-01T13:00:00.002Z

In the 24 days leading up to Christmas, I will be recapping some of the campaigns and issue I have been involved in throughout 2009.

Ed Fordham’s Countdown to Christmas Day 1 – Protecting our civil liberties

Back in January I was working hard to highlight the impact of clauses in the Coroners & Justice Bill on personal liberty. Sadly, the Labour Government failed to reflect the views of it's political tradition and have, during the bill’s passage through parliament, pursued an increasingly authoritative tone and stance... shameful really.

Is this it Mum?

2009-11-28T07:03:00.000Z

Not long after I was selected here in Hampstead and Kilburn my mother let it slip that she has wanted to attend Kilburn School of Needlework, but my grandparents could not afford the fees, and I've often wondered where that was.

I was more recently reading a history of an educational establishment and reflecting on my own experience of higher and further education and wondered if in fact whatever Kilburn School of Needlework was, whether it has been over the years federated into what is now the College of North West London. Any clues out there?

Now of course this is the old building in Esmond Road, Kilburn, grand and imposing - the workmanship is impressive, the detail lavish and the quality very high.

You can see from main pinnacle that it was topped off in 1903 and was clearly a premier building for it's time - the post Victorian era was a key building time in Britain - especially for local schools and municipal facilities.

Now on the needlework theme I have found this: http://tiny.cc/D65kg

"In 1893 Willesden local committee for technical education organized classes in Willesden town hall and in 1896 Middlesex C. C. bought the St. Lawrence institute in Priory Park Road, Kilburn, and placed it at the disposal of the local committee which opened it as Willesden Polytechnic. By 1898 there was an enrolment of 1,571, and a new building was opened in Glengall Road, Kilburn, in 1904. A needle-trades school for girls was established there from 1910 until it moved to an annexe at the Hyde, Edgware Road, in 1952; it closed in 1962."

The new College of North West London website proudly boasts:

In September 2007 the College of North West London moved into its new Kilburn Centre, a prize-winning bespoke building in the heart of Kilburn.

Extensive use has been made of oak and stainless steel to create an ultra-modern building that is both stylish and durable. All classrooms are fitted with interactive whiteboards and the entire building incorporates a wireless network.

Not only does the new building provide students with up to the minute facilities and technology, it is also environmentally sound, with a number of controls and features that lessen the impact on the environment.

Due to its innovative ‘green’ credentials, which include a central atrium to maximise natural light and exterior fins to minimise solar glare, the building was entered in a national design excellence competition of the Royal Institute of British Architects and won second prize.

Swiss Cottage school's former occupant: raffish and a cad

2009-11-26T07:33:00.001Z

This is one of those 'independent' plaques that springs up from time to time - but this one is on Swiss Cottage school.

It's not the most obvious site and when you realise it's the car mechanic Bentley you have great visions of the nature of either the grand rolling gated entrance house or of a sprawling garage laden house and grounds...

He had a long life and was married three times, his last wife only passing away in 1989.

Few of the on-line biographies give that much away to his character but I get a sense of a cad and a somewhat raffish type of chap - very much a person of the post Victorian Edwardian era - fashionable at the peak of the 1920's flappers, he won Le Mans race in 1924.

More on W.O. Bentley here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._O._Bentley

But for a better insight into the excitement of the lifestyle and fame he enjoyed: http://www.solarnavigator.net/automotive_directory/bentley.htm

Remembering those who have gone before

2009-11-09T17:24:00.000Z

I place a huge store on Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day - for me it is about the society in which we live and the type of nation we seek to be.

There is nothing glamorous about war, despite the films, and the sickening feeling at the pit of your stomach at loosing someone you love is only increased by their life being cut short in war and conflict.

The London Boroughs have a tradition of marking the anniversaries with formal civic services at parish churches, but I was determined this year to ensure that the lower profile memorials were recognised.

I'm delighted to say that the response from Brent's local ward councillors and residents have been superb. So we were able this year to have a brief ceremony at the Animal War Memorial on Cambridge Avenue, Kilburn (thanks to the Sea Scouts from TS Bicester for joining us - pic top right).

Cllr Anthony Dunn laid the wreath, Cllr Simon Green read For the Fallen (Wilfred Owen) and i read a couple of verses of FThe War Horse by Lieutenant L Fleming

We went on to St Augustine's Church where there was a full service - the West Kilburn British Legion marched there and took part - Cllr Simon Green laid a wreath in the church.

Then it was a march back to the British Legion in Albert Road (by the Falcon Pub) where we laid a wreath after the reading of those who have died from the West Kilburn branch and then it was onto Kensal Green cemetary.

In Kensal Cemetary there is a memorial to the founder of the Royal Logistics Corp and also to a Ghurka Victoria Cross bearer...

It was an honour and pleasure to be part of this and I'm proud that Kilburn and Queen's Park councillor Simon Green, Anthony Dunn, Will Motley, Emily Tancred and Derek Jackson made it all possible.

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Back to the ancients and early medieval

2009-11-07T07:51:00.001Z

I reckon Kilburn is one of the first communities of England...

Watling Street was built in AD 44 as the route motorway into Britain and eventually into wales.

It was the principle route north and weas the thorough fare for all travel north.

Any Roman Emperor in Britain came through Kilburn along Watling Street...

Here are some - are there others?

I've ended the cycle of ancients with Alfred the Great and his coin of the conquest of London after the Watling Street treaty of AD 878.

Hence Danelaw = Camden and Wessex = Brent

Historic plaque scheme here in Kilburn?

2009-11-06T07:40:00.002Z

Can you names these kilburnites?

Do they deserve a blue plaque or equivalent?

On which building would it go?

When and for how long was their residence in Kilburn?

Are there other parts of London for which there are so few recognitions of the people who lived there?

Ed

Come and join the queue...

2009-10-22T07:38:00.000+01:00

Is this the best feature of Kilburn's future?

The Good Ship on Kilburn High Road as well as offering a great pint, some sound bands and a pretty good atmosphere - courtesy of John McCooke - a great guy and champion for Kilburn - has brough back a key feature to Kilburn... Queuing...

Not since the days where there were multiple cinema's on the High Road has there been such an outbreak of people wanting to get into a venue - I happen to think that queuing is a sign of vibrant activity and a desire to be part of something.

That for my mind sums up what a modern Kilburn should be like and where it might be heading today. Loads of cafe's, great bars and a superb attitude. All pretty safe and getting safer and all we need now are some good and better clothes shops... too much to ask?

Watch more of my pitch on this:
http://www.youtube.com/474towin?gl=GB&hl=en-GB#p/a/u/1/6t5efHMmJ-8

I should add that my constituency campaign office is in Drakes Courtyard, so the Good Ship is a great landmark and stop off point.

The Good Ship are also great Facebookers - the briefest search and you will find them...

Dear Gertie, how are you getting along?

2009-10-20T07:07:00.000+01:00

I spotted this ages ago and love the simplicity and anonymity/personality of it.

It has that air of affection, naivety and charm.

The plaque is in South End Green, just by the gates of Maryon Mews and is just tuced away at the bottom of the pedestrian gate.

Who was Gertrude and what happened in November 1897 - is this the start of a novel? Other than 1897 is of course the Jubilee of Victoria's accession to the throne...

Perhaps Getrude was a local cat who always patrolled these parts, maybe Gertrude was the oldest resident when this block was first built, was getrude the name of the youngest daughter of the builder/architect who did the topping off or foundation stone laying... answers on an electronic postcard please...

Ed

It's all in the name...

2009-10-19T18:54:00.000+01:00

It's all in the name - and so it seems...

Camden Council has along standing commitment to the replacement of the single letter black plaques and there is some hearsay that says that they are much appreciated by all and sundry...

However, I was mulling this over and forgive me if I've mentioned this before, but was wondering about where there is a plaque sign and above or near it one of the older painted street name sighs.

They are being allowed to fade away - now I don't doubt that the work needed to restore the painted sign is different from that needed to put up a new plaque is different but to alow these to just slip away into the faded margins of history?

What do fellow readers on the electronic panel think?

I caught this one on Dynham Road, NW6 and thought it was a good example - am also referencing the previously cited Tanza Road http://474towin.blogspot.com/search?q=tanza+road

New local site

2009-10-16T19:18:00.001+01:00

Here's a new blog that has appeared locally that I've added to the list of local sites I follow.

link on the left hand panel:
http://westhampsteadlife.blogspot.com

Enjoy and read away...

Ed

Been up and over The Hill recently?

2009-10-09T07:21:00.000+01:00

I don't know how often lcoal residents wander up to Hampstead Heath to enjoy the natural beauty or indeed the constructed natural beauty.

This - The Hill Garden - is one of the finest pieces of constructed natural beauty around.

http://www.ukattraction.com/london/map/the-hill-garden-and-pergola.htm

Completely unknown to many locals it is overlooked by the even more stunning and amazing Pergola and is just a great location of quiet charm and solitude.

The views out across North West London are truly amazing - over to Harrow.

http://www.opensquares.org/detail/Hill.html

This was orginally/constructed to be the back garden of Lord Leverhulme's Inverforth House - the Pergola, as i think I have mentioned before, was constructed using the earth from the Hampstead Tunnel when the Northern Line was constructed in 1906/07.

If you haven't been up there you are missing a treat - of a summer evening it is breath-taking... oh and The Olde Bull and Bush and The Spaniards Pubs are also to be recommended!

Heroes and Heroines in verse

2009-10-08T16:15:00.003+01:00

As it's national poetry day (Heroes and Heroines theme) I thought I ought to recognise the local contribution to such

http://www.nationalpoetryday.co.uk/

Here at South End Green local businessman Jonathan Bergman has organised a series of local poets to come along and recite some of their works.

It's a great little slam and attracts a really nice crown - it's been on saturday morning and it just the sort of thing that should be encouraged.

With John Keats' house so close by this sort of thing should be encouraged and having been to a recent poetry slam at hampstead school the effect of this sort of thing is really good on the pupils and young people involved...

Anyone for a poetic platform locally?

Pause, stop and dawdle on the Finchley Road...

2009-09-29T07:48:00.000+01:00

The Finchley Road is much maligned and massively under-estimated.

Hidden away are gems and insights into the Eyre Estate (more to follow), the development of metro-land and the growth of traffic in a way that is captured in few other places. Now of course it's role as a main arterary road in and out of London and leading down to Swiss Cottage it has what i think is a strong sense of speed and movement about it...

The effect now is slightly odd and I would suggest it is under-appreciated.

So this is just one little building, tucked away with stunning marbled stucco's.

It's Canfield House and is, I think, the main stay of the old station buildings. I've tried a bit of digging on the origin of the name Canfield and not got hugely far- interestingly as we are not too far from Acol Road (a school of bridge) - Canfield is a card game but there appears to be no connection.

But for simple tastes such as myself the cherubs and the satyrs and the nature of the almost french style is realy nice. It's too easy when rushing out of the station, or dashing into Waitrose or up to the O2 Centre to miss it - pause, have a dawdle and look up - it's well worth it and as I say, slightly unlikely.

My instinct is it date to the 1930's and is a high quality frontage to what might actually be quite a cheap set piece brick construction and this is actually a faccia. Anyone out there know more?

Polar Bears abound...

2009-09-28T08:37:00.004+01:00

We're at 104 Finchley Road at one of the main junction points and yet this pub is almost lost in the noise maelstrom of the modern traffic flow of the Finchley Road.

The North Star was built in 1850 - one of the many watering holes that appeared as the route became more popular (from the 1830's onwards) - an alternative from either Watling Street (Kilburn High Road) or the windy routes up and through Hampstead.

It's a strong and dominant architecture but of course is now aligned with the route of the Metropolitan line which apparently runs a mere 3 feet under the cellar - from where the vibration and noise can be easily heard.

This has to be one of the nicest pub signs and for lovers of Philip Pullman surely worth a stop-off for a drink and picture?

The ironwork on the first floor balcony is original to 1850 and is the last bit that reflects this pubs role as a viewing and resting spot - the roof used to have a balustrade from which one could survey north west London - now the building feels decidedly low rise, but upon a time was a significant height in the local architecture.