It's Woolworths, but probably not Kilburn's

One of the great claims to fame for Kilburn is the credit brought to it by Ian Dury.

http://www.iandury.co.uk/

His first band (and though it's a bit unfair it was his band) was KILBURN AND THE HIGH ROADS.

Although many of the band members were from and hung around Harrow, clearly Kilburn was a dominant part of the NW London entertainment scene.

Being a collector and fascinated by the local area I've been out and boguht copies of the two albums that relate to this story.

The first (pictured left) is the album Wotabunch, 1978 Warner Brothers Records - sleeve design by Tony Littler FMM.

The second is the Ian Dury album New Boots and Panties, 1977 Stiff Records - recorded at the Old Workhouse on The Old Kent Road.

The second (pictured right) is taken outside a shop that is opposite Woolworths (see the reflection) and is often attributed to being on the Kilburn High Road.

Three problems with this - the first is Kilburn High Road is much wider than such a reflected IMHO, second it isn't directly attributable to Kilburn and third it is thought that where Kilburn's Woolworth's was is not opposite a shop like this...

Anyone in easy and direct contact with Dexter Dury to check it out - perhaps he remembers where this picture was taken with his Dad?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Dury#Kilburn_and_the_High-Roads

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?

A new future opening up for Kilburn

Well, it was always going to happen at some point - but it's so soon?

I have written before about how the musings, observations and features of this blog would change, alter and in some cases disappear.

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/01/things-you-see-and-take-for-granted.html

I didn't for a minute think that some would be so immediate, dramatic or indeed as visible as Woolies!

But these pics I took deliberately for this very purpose of capturing what was going on over the course of an amazingly fast 2 weeks of the world economy 'melting down' and Woolworths being one of the victims.

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/12/ian-drury-and-woolworths-on-high-road.html

The pictures are not high science but they are dramatic illustrators of the phenomena as it affected and now affects our local community. Kilburn has always had a high turnover of shops and traders - it's one of the reasons it is so vibrant and such lively fun - but in an economic downturn we also know that Kilburn risks looking vulnerable.

However, I remain very optimistic - Kilburn has a unique appeal and a diversity that gives it an incredible strength.

It has been a busy trading area with a transitional population for 2,000 years so these things all fit in context .

I am very clear that what now needs to happen is a strong and articulate case for Kilburn will help bring things back onto a more positive keel - i'm struck how that isn't happening now.

One of my hopes for the general Election - beyond the basic and simple political party ambition - is that under the new boundaries there will finally be an elected politician representing all of Kilburn for the first time.

Arguably for the first time since 878 but that's an obscure political point and not one I'm going to push over hard. :-)

Why are old signs better?

I've been noticing just how much better, more attractive, more stylish the old features of the local area are - it's really curious - I saw an old picture of the first Ian Drury and the Blockheads first album cover (apparently taken outside Woolworths on the Kilburn High Road) and even that makes the shop look better than it does now!

So I caught these two images - one is a small label road sign above a road name in Hampstead and the other is a old street frontage from Kilburn Lane, Brent.

The first (first pic) is a stret sign pre 1964 (i.e. before the creation of Camden) when Hampstead was it's own Borough.

The lettering is old fashioned, perhaps it is out of date, but to me there is something that is inherently attractive about it and that adds to a locality. If I recollect correctly it's Rosecroft Avenue (Frognal and Fitzjohn's ward).

The sense of detail and the individual lettering gives residents a real sense of pride, that their Borough matters and that their Council cares. It's good that Camden still repairs and restores these old signs, but perhaps more of a shame that where new signs go in they are the standard metal formulaic signage.

The second is taken at the other end of the constituency on Kilburn Lane (where it meets Chamberlayne Road) in Queen's Park ward. It's an old shop front - lying empty and there is this old mosaic from when the shop was Craven Laundry.

The more I find things like this I can't help but think there should be some kind of historic audit of an area that seeks to save, enhance, promote these sorts of features.

Perhaps this is one of things that residents associations could be mobilised for? I spent much of tonight in a residents association and one of the discussions was about the formal role - maybe there should be a remit of environmental responsibility - identifying features, assets and historic hangovers.

Oh, and just to make my point even better the shop front (albeit closed) has the old mosaic protected by a set of old railings (granted, they are prob post WWII) but they do add character and charm.