Don't pause for breath, you might miss the next change!

Yesterday I put up the changes with the entry of a new enlarged Poundland storesin Kilburn, here's the next one.

It's the other consequence of commercial change - when one iconic store closes - another opens - but without the same level of historic affection and iconography.

The fall of Woolworths was pretty widely commented upon as the illustration of how severe the recession is and was covered on this blog

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2009/01/new-future-opening-up-for-kilburn.html

Iceland of course has a certain irony as the Icelandic Banks have been pretty newsworthy and Iceland stores is a part of that family.

But here on ye olde Kilburn High Road time waits for no-one and in have come Iceland stores... don;t get in the way.

It's a very simple and clever marketing operation and has a branding strategy that most companies would die for. Simple, clear and memorable.

There is something fascinatingly effective and ruthless with the low-income targetted stores and boy do they know how to milk it...

Many people almost literally grew up on Woolworth's through the 20's, 30's and 50's and since. Are Poundland and Iceland going to exercise the same level of grip on the shopping affections of the current generations' memories?

Kilburn keeps-a-changin...

Without a doubt the best thing about the Kilburn High Road is the way it moves and shifts almost daily.

It reminds me of the phrase a old friend taught me "Everything has changed, yet nothing is different." It's that whatever the shops, the vibrancy, the verve and the pulse of Kilburn remains lives and pumping.

Now it's often said that much has changed in Kilburn - that it really isn't the same anymore. I understand these claims but in fact the country has changed - produce and clothes and goods have rarely been cheaper and more accessible for all.

The old department stores of the 20's and 50's have long gone across across Britain and the supermarket is now dominant.

One of the objectives of this blog that has emerged and now is developed is that it captures Kilburn and Hampstead today - and by doing that preserves snap shots of change.

This set of pictures was one such change.

No sooner had a store emptied then ye olde Poundland pounced. These pictures were taken on the sunday as the store rushed to get ready for the monday opening...

On of course the crucial thing with the open trading market that is places such as the Kilburn High Road is that the shops themselves live and die by the trade they can generate.

Now don't get me wrong, I do believe that much can be done to enhance and improve an area through direct action and economic measures that make an area better - but right now, new stores in Kilburn point to a live and an economy that is not dying, in fact it's growing and developing.

It's a personal fad/interest but thought I would share it

Just some pictures to give you a flavour for my interest in shapes and pictures and lines and space.










There is something slightly catchy, hypnotic even mesmeric in the effect of the design of a building. All very unlikely but true...

The finest illustrator of his day...

We're still here in Belsize - in Chalcot Gardens just off of England's Lane.

It's a truly lovely house and I'm increasingly coming to the conclusion that interesting and famous people by definition live in interesting and lovely houses.

Arthur Rackham is pretty unknown by name and yet widely and extensively recognised by his art and art-genre.

He is most famous for his work of book illustrating and his works of Alice in Wonderland and various Grimm borthers works are now considered to be style-setting in their significance.

He is a classic illustrator of the post Victorian, late gothic style and is very much of the turn of the 20th century edwardian era. Some have used his work as a fantasy illustration of the dark clouds before the first world war...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Rackham

In addition there is an Arthur Rackham Society http://www.angelfire.com/ar/ArthurRackhamSociety/

and a great range of information on his pre-eminence in that pre-war era http://www.bpib.com/illustrat/rackham.htm

This plaque went up in 1981 as part of the English Heritage blue plaque scheme
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.1494

Arthur was the third surviving child of Alfred and Annie Rackham (nee Stevenson). On 16th July 1903 he married painter Edyth Starkie in Hampstead and they one daughter, Barbara, in 1908. Barbara married to become Barbara Edwards.

During their marriage, Arthur and Edyth maintained separate studios in their home in Chalcot Gardens. In Barbara's memorial article about her father, she commented that her father often used her as a model for form or shape, asking her to "'bend down and imagine you're picking an apple off the ground' or 'try to look like a witch!'"

A good cut on request

I gave the retirement of Steele's the Butcher's in Hampstead quite a lot of coverage and was pulled up sharp in sunday by a resident who said I hadn't givent he same coverage to her local butcher...


So here putting the record straight is Barretts Traditional Butchers - they are in England's Lane, Belsize Park, and they do a roaring trade

They do food to order and to season and so are able to cater for all tastes and needs.

It's not unusual to see a long queue so get there early.

It's quite interesting to note the extent to which there were butchers in each local shopping parade and the extent to which these have no closed down in favour of the in house supermarket butchery provision.

Of course I will be giving coverage to the butcher on the Kilburn High Road have no fear... more to follow.

Amazing by-election win for Liberal Democrats

Well, here we go...


The Liberal Democrats have pulled off a stunning by-election win in the Belsize Ward.


The Tories were just 35 votes short of winning and have been so thoroughly trashed in all of the other Camden elections that this was the election for them.


In fact they lost dramatically and the Liberal Democrats won convincingly.


Tom Simon (Lib Dem) 1136
Conservative 952
Labour 270
Green 109


Majority 184


So where now for the Tories, seems like they are totally in the doldrums and in trouble...


Well done Tom - best of luck as councillor for the Belsize Ward - you'll be great.

Come on TfL, you know you want to talk to us...

Is this discreet little building on Finchley Road the answer?

For months, indeed years now, a group of local users of the North London Line (Overground) have been trying to get a Users Group together.

We've made the offer to TfL, to Silverlink historically, now to LOROL and a range of associated officers.

The response is a warm enthusiasm and then silence. Put simply there is no sustained commitment or support for such a venture from those who appears to be responsible for the line.

The result is a culture that is distant and hand-to-mouth. The whole operation works on a 'surprises only' basis.

For example, we have the signs being re-done at all the stations without a conversation on improvements, the benches at Kensal Rise being moved, the clock at West Hampstead being moved, a bike rack at Hampstead Heath in the daftest of locations, a coffee bar in Hampstead Heath, a cash point at Brondesbury - all unannounced and all could have been done better.

None of these need be problematic but the fact is all of them could have been done better, smarter, cheaper, to greater effect, if there had been the most cursory conversation with users.

So the challenges to Tfl, LOROL and the asociated arms of transport agencies are very simple:

1. Decide if you really (really) want a Users Group and if you don't then be honest and say so.
2. Provide a written commitment to working with that Users Group on a no-surprises principle (ie. we won't arrive at the station one morning to find closures, changes and additions that have not ben consulted on or notified in advance).
3. Make a geneuine effort to be far more joined up - it's no longer credible to be consulting on access arrangements for Brondesbury, at the same time as making the installation of a ash point, at the same time as consulting on Phase Three - all of which should be joined up.
4. Provide an up-to-date real contact sheet for the stations from Hampstead Heath to Kensal Rise and the associated staff responsibilities in order to remove the excuse culture of 'sorry not my department/scheme/section'.
5. Include the British Transport Police and the local residents and amenity groups and stop playing one off against the other but committing to public meetings and regular information briefings (that can also be issued at stations).

So there it is a pretty simple five point challenge to TfL, LOROL and the associated agencies. I won't hold my breath... (but hope to be proved wrong)...