101 years ago just gone...

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!

Born in KILBURN, NW6

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

Come and join the queue...

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...

Quick look, before it's lost in the refurbishment

A piece of old Kilburn has been unveiled unexpectedly this week.

It's HARRIS FURNISHINGS - on the High Road a whole swathe of shops on the Camden side have been cleared (just opposite the Golden Egg/Priory Park Road) ready for the redevelopment and down have come the current set of signs...

Hidden underneath is the paint transfer of the previous occupant...

Does anyone out there remember the store and can help with a date?

Judging by the fotn style it's prob 80's, but looking for leads and clues.

Ed

A number of ideas for a good picture

Is this interesting, photographic or just curious?

It could be an entire project but as I mooched down the Kilburn High Road I was struck by the numbering of properties and the range of fonts and formats...

So here is the outcome of that mooch and that thought.

It's from the residential gate (275) before Brondesbury Medical practise up to Moran's the building merchants (293)...

And before someone cries fowl on the numbers, there is no 291 - it's the passage to Drakes Courtyard.

And the pictures immediately to the left on the residential gate I thought were different and as it was such a stunning day the reflection of 275 was really nice as a picture. Aaaaahhh :-)

The sandpit, the cycling and the community choir

The Kilburn Festival is now a fixed date in the annual calendar for north london and this year was no exception.

It was great weather and for one of the most deceptively large parks in north london is was a superb event: dancing, music, stalls, food (wow, food!) it was really good...

A huge thank you to Caroline Bourne and her team at the Kilburn partnership - it was a real credit to their power of organisation, motivation and teamwork.

The festival is is it's ninth year - roll on many many more...

The dancers, the recycling facilities, the youth council, support from Thames Water, the food was just wow - truly - I walked past just inhaling the smells and the atmosphere at least four times! The Community Choir was especially impressive - singers of all backgrounds and abilities and they did rather steal the show. I'm very pleased 'cos i know how much David Abrahams was worrying, but he need not have worried. Oh and we shouldn't forget the sand-pit (thank-you Moran's), the cycling juice making machine (surely shome mishtake!)

Well done one and all!

LATE NOTE: I just want it to be crystal clear that I am in awe of the organisers of festival like this. However, I have failed in my post to name in my thanks the Kilburn Festival Committee - they drove the plans and delivered the day. I thanked others cos I come across them in my role on the Kilburn Partnership, but let the work of others (esp. the committee that actually did the work!!) not go unrecorded. It's a clarfication I'm more than happy to make. :-) Ed

Please don't give me another plastic bag!

Ok so it's treated as being slightly odd - but that's precisely the issue.

Just nipped down to my local Sainsbury's for some consumables for my baking-fest that I'm about to embark on for the Hampstead Summer Fayre.

In a fit of greeness I did what I have wanted to do for a while and I asked to see the Manager to ask why, under the refitted store, the provision of plastic bags were so prominent, why the staff always asked me if I want bag (I DON'T!) and why the bag recycling point has gone.

I'm sure Darren (his name IIRC) didn't mean it but I felt like some kind of greeneyed monster asking a really silly thing - anyway we persisted with the conversation and I've asked him to:

• Consider changing the staff culture so the customer service line is - you don't need a bag do you, have you brought your own bags or can you carry this one item
• Make contact with the Kilburn Partnership and have the same dialogue with them
• Push for the restoration of the bag recycling point and
• Look again at what can be done here locally in Kilburn in hist store at his initiative.

I flagged up the existance of the I love Kilburn bags (I was using mine :-)) and he was interested in stocking them. So it's small dialogue and it was broadly positive.

But I was really struck at just how dififcult it was, from the point at which I made time, including the 'can I see the manager please' - WHY? - through to the can you change your culture, it won't lose you money or customers if you do.

And it saves the environement!