Dear Gertie, how are you getting along?

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

Ode to the refurbishment...

Well, it's open for visitors and splendid it looks in it's full restoration - so come on down to Keat's House (Wentworth Place).

But I thought that these picture of the house under scaffolding were more unusual and less likely to survive the gaze of history and memory.

The House is of course in Keat's Grove off Downshire Hill and South End Road and is immediately next to Heath Library and has stunning garden and grounds.

There is a really good website set up by the City of London which you should take time to look at

http://www.keatshouse.cityoflondon.gov.uk/

The refurbishment has been done meticulously and in huge amounts of detail and there are a great range of new exhibits - I'm especially struck by Fanny Brawne's engagement ring from John Keats!

Opening times
Mondays (except bank holidays) - closedTuesday - Sunday open 1.00 pm - 5.00 pm
Admission
Adults £5.00
Concessions (Pensioners, students and the unwaged) £3.00
Children 16 and under

Keats House, Keats Grove, Hampstead, London, NW3 2RR
Tel: 020 7332 3868
Email keatshouse@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Building and re-building programme

Back on the theme of plaques locally - here's a nice little one from South End Green, Hampstead.

It's on the railway bridge above the start of the Frognal tunnel.

"LONDON BOROUGH OF CAMDEN

SOUTH END ROAD BRIDGE

Reconstructed & widened in 1969 replacing

a 28ft wide cast iron bridge built in 1864

Borough Engineer & Surveyor

K.P Harman BSc (Eng) C. Eng., F.I.C.E., F.I. Mun. E.

Contractors

Leonard Fairclough Ltd"

I think as local government today is increasingly about the provision of services, it's often easy to forget the scale of change and owenership of a local authority in previous decades - this half co-incides with the shift from the Borough of Hampstead to Camden. All good stuff.