As war memorials go... this is a gem!

I found this by pure accident when in Kilburn (Brent) Police Station in Salusbury Road.

It records the direct hit on the police station on 6th November 1940 during WWII.

The plaque is up in the reception area and because it's inside (and free from the ravages of weather) it is in immaculate condition.

The plaque records the death of 13 staff - 12 officers and one civillian - including a re-engaged pensioner police constable and is a great insight into the nature of the 'all-hands to the pump element of the war'.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

Note to self: need to ensure it gets a memorial wreath on armistice day...

The station although a new build of 1980 has a long history in fact. Kilburn was served by successive stations at Kempshall Terrace, Edgware Road from 1873 to1885).

It then moved to Kilburn High Road number 11-13 from 1885 to 1892) and was finally re-located to Salusbury Road from 1892 until it closed in 1938.

However, the building was brought back into use during the war but was then badly bombed (hence the plaque - and largely due to being close to the railway line - a popular target for enemy bombing raids) and from 1965 there was a temporary station on the site.

Hanging a cardboard sign up adds confidence - it's true!

It's a good example of how to do highly visible christmas decorations and it's from Seven Dials.

The Seven Dials project which is now several years old is for me a model on how to take a neglected area and, using it's history, transform it into the height of fashion, desirablity whilst retaining it's charm and character.

The effect is then further built upon through innovative, intelligent and niche marketing drawn through in these card (?) christmas advertings that were suspended across the streets.

Yes, I know the buildings are tall and close but there are opportunities elsewhere it is just that too often there is the lack of ambition and vision to actually move an area forward...

More of this sort of this sort of stuff helps a lot I think in the place shaping debate and adds confidence. Could we see this nest year in Hampstead, Belsize, Kilburn, Salusbury Road and Kensal Rise?

A school with environmental trimmings?

So when did trimmings in school architecture go the way of the dinosaurs? Was it with the end of the Victorian and Edwardian obssession with education.

The building of a new school was a major things - supported by benfactors, enthused by the population - it was part of an aspiration that lifted people up and out.

Now there feels like no such pride - schools are protected by a moral good, a sense that whilst we want standards to rise schools are not to blame and teachers have made a vocational choice.

Yet I am convinced that much is in fact dictated by the quality of the environment and so the built environment. There are discussions progressing in Camden and Brent about building new schools - both under the aegis of this Labour Government have to explore academies - so quality of build will be important.

So when it comes to new build - will we see the extra trimmings - such as in this door way here - or the ones below (from the school on Salusbury Road, Queen's park IIRC) - or will we, as I hope, see long lasting serious environmental measures? Measures such as rainwater collections, inbuilt recycling capacity, waste reduction measures, on site combined heat and power plants... surely we will...

A new definition of the school crossing - Salusbury Road and Winchester Avenue junction

It's interesting how things cluster - in China, for example, towns feel like they are organised by trades - all the butchers are in one street, all the tailors in another - so here in Queen's Park (an unlikely connection I grant you!) I noticed how Salusbury Road was quite a serious municipal heartland upon a time - now much much reduced (just a Police Station and a Library really)...

But the junction of Winchester Avenue, Salusbury Road has maintained the education links it was built with at the start of the last century. College Mansions (1900) - on the southside of Winchester Avenue with the Islamia school now just down the road, the old sixform block opposite on the North side (1901 if i recall correctly) and of course Winkworth Hall opposite (later but in the same tradition).

And the quality of the architecture just feels better - or is that too sentimental a response?

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/03/winkworth-hall-anyone.html

When being Chairman of the Electricity Committee was important

In the string of posts about plaques and carvings here's the one I have spotted a lot recently but only just get a snap. The pic is taken from a stark angle because of the large potted tree which you can see pic left.

WILLESDEN DISTRICT COUNCIL

THIS STONE WAS LAID BY

C.COWLEY ESQ.

CHAIRMAN OF THE

ELECTRICITY COMMITTEE

JULY 10TH 1902

It's on Salusbury Road and is part of the key arterary nature of Salusbury Road at the turn of the century for Willesden District Council: a library, police station, major council offices, schools - a real centre of activity in the untimate sense of municipal pride.

This specific plaque is also a reminder of the days when Councils had power, authority and a wide remit. Now Council's increasing 'run' very little, but have influence over much. In these late 19th century and early 20th century days councils were taking on powers and trailing a blaze in social imporvement - water, drainage and electricity to name but three...

Other plaques in my blog:

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/03/haberdasher-askes-foundation-plaque.html

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/03/winkworth-hall-anyone.html

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/03/when-wife-of-prime-minister-came-to.html

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/02/days-of-liberal-clubs-round-country.html

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/02/from-councillor-to-tower-block-and-mp.html

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/02/memories-from-second-world-war.html

Winkworth Hall anyone?

In the genre of plaques and inscriptions I snapped this pic. on Chevening Road (in fact visible from Salusbury Road).

Winkworth Hall is the building on the corner of the junction current occupied by Hopscotch and The Avenue School in Queen's Park.

I hadn't appreciated the name, nor the history or the set of previous occupants.

Perhaps most of all the extent to which this was effectively the sixth form block for Brondesbury and Kilburn School had escaped me: http://www.bkreunion.co.uk/reunion_pics/

Are there any memories of the Hall out there? E-mail ed.fordham@hampsteadandkilburn.org.uk