If you down to the market today...

Gwan, gwan, gwan - it's Swiss Cottage farmer's market today...

Quite a good passing trade in a great location - just by Hampstead Theatre and the main tube entrance.

When such facilities aren't provided people always say they want them and when they are there they don't use them enough.

Well, it's back and there's no excuse - nip out there, buy your bread, cheese, meat - it's all far better quality than the supermarket, it cuts out the middle-man profit margin, supports independent traders and producers and it just so so much better for our sustainability.

Food policy is important stuff - too often disregarded and much of the worlds' problems hinge on the knotty issue of food provision - this market is a small but highly significant piece of the jigsaw and today you have a chance to play your part.

So, boycott the supermarket for just today, and go to the farmers market - your diet will be the winner and your family and community will gain benefits too. (Oh and tell others! Please.)

Going overground with our rivers...

Ok - we want to bring the river back overground - it has lain underground since it was piped over 200 years ago and we want to enjoy it again...

Surely that's a daft idea? It hasn't be done elsewhere, has it? and it would cost a fortune and to what benefit?

Well, I think it's a superb idea - it's about restoring our proper environment. Everyone agrees that water flow is a calming influence and is a beautiful environmental feature. I have a picture here is the rive flowing down the High Street in Wells, Somerset and it is just so so special - attractive, helpful, not dangerous and manageable.

The Sustainability Task Force in Camden, led by Cllr Alexis Rowell has already explored this possibility and are actually advocating the opening up of the Rivers Fleet and Kilburn. Surely the Kilburn High Road could be so much better for a river running down it and as can be seen in the picture it adds to the street scene and does not intrude.

So if you go to the Camden website link - Pages 9-14 deal with this particular issue and opportunity - it's seriously interesting reading and worth while.
http://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/environment/green-events-and-initiatives/sustainability-task-force/task-force-reports/

What do you think? Who's up for a walk of the overground flow of the Fleet and the Kilburn Rivers so we can explore whether bringing them back into visibility is a runner.. (excuse the pun!).

Ed Fordham

West End is here in NW6 - not theatreland

Back to the joys of West End - and more specifically the Green at West End on the junction of West End Lane, Fortune Green Road and Mill Lane.

It's one of the best spaces and increasingly complemented by coffee bars and outdoor seating to appreciate - all we need now is pedestrianisation (a pipe dream in this instance!).

The plaque reads:

Borough of Hampstead

This tree was planted by the Mayor

Mr Alderman G E Pritchard

20th December 1902

In commemoration of the Coronation of

His Majesty King Edward VII

On this patch of space it's also got the fountain, thousands of pidgeons and is overlooked by the slightly stately Alexandra Mansions.

So whose up for a refurb effort - it's in the sightline of the Friends of Fortune Green who are pushing forward on cleaning up and taking active ownership of their space...

Community activism - for me it's the best way forward and the only way of achieving long standing change and enhancement in a local area... there's one to ponder.

The Fleet river floweth by...

A brilliantly useful comment from a reader brings this map: http://strangemaps.wordpress.com/2008/06/05/284-londons-lost-rivers/

and comes at a time when I'm told that the now Jubilee Line Underground was going to be the Fleet Line on the basis that it was going to go through Fleet Street and reflected something of the line of the Fleet River...

Sounds convincing, but any confirmations out there?

Ed Fordham

Shop local - no really, you should and must!

I've gushed about how good specific shops and traders are on West End Lane and yep, here's another.

Farrants the fruitiers and greengrocers.
http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/06/wet-fish-cafe-is-just-best.html

Fresh, open, like a market stall and full of the charm and simplicity that isn't a supermarket chain. My preference every time is for the little, independent local shop - and West Hampstead holds that secret by the spadefull.

Now of course Tesco is on the way, and the reality is that most people use these chains - despite preferring not to. But I increasingly find that I consciously don't buy fruit and vegetables from supermarket chains.

When I lived up in Hampstead I had a range of bread shops, which was a very special treat, here in West Hampstead we have a series of local indies.

Come on friends, get out there, shop in them, build some loyalty - our communities are all the better for them and we're the wiser for using them...

Quality, choice, price and community - do you need more reasons?

Save the florists!

We've run a few bits and pieces on here about plaques - but not much on the historic blue plaques (though I sense a theme for the summer there!).
http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/05/at-home-with-george-orwell.html

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/02/blue-plaque-for-george-crabbe-in.html

But there are also a number of what you might call 'genuine residents' plaques' - raised by friends, admirers and local people who appreciate the work, dedication of their fellow residents.

This one on Willoughby Road is just one example and is very charming, but of late it has assumed a greater significance...

Clearly Maggie Richardson died in 1974, but until last year there was still a florist on this corner (Willoughby Road meets Hampstead High Street). Now gone.

Until 2006 there was a florist outside Hampstead Heath Railway Overground Station. Now gone.

But for how much longer is the florist in South End Green, outside Marks and Spencers and the Royal Free Hopsital going to survive? There is an ongoing and documented spat between the officials and planners and highways crew and the florist himself.

So these three things all left me wondering if we were seeing a decline or collapse of on street florists? Is there a specific issue here, are supermarket chains overtaking the industry, is it home delivery flowers and interflora (and brand variants) winning the battle?

I for one much prefer street traders, I think they add character, act as eyes and ears of the community, they provide opportunity for what I regard as the 'little man' and are great features on the street - noise, colour, charm...

Let's not lose things that are good about the area we live in and this is one small part worth standing up for. So when did you last buy from your local florist?

Ed Fordham

The Wet Fish cafe is just the best!

Yep, West Hampstead is pretty hot and impressive, but in addition to being cool, great fun and an amazing place to live it also boasts the Wet Fish Cafe

http://www.thewetfishcafe.co.uk/

Yep, you guessed it - it used to be a wet fish shop and these two pictures that I took the other day show the original tiling counter height to ceiling and also the original old name plate from above the shop front.

It is also now a great restaurant and one of the places where the food actually has taste and flavour - it really is to be recommended...

There is a real pride in the catering and the service and when it was restored in 1989 and turned into a cafe (becoming the Wet Fish in June 2003) they have sought to retain the charm and atmosphere that came with the relics of the fish shop.

Amazingly the shop front board (now inside) is still legible from the last fishmonger R Rowe and Son (1957-1989).

The previous fishmongers are lovingly recounted on the menu and this all helps add to the atmosphere:
Cecil Jones Fishmongers (1917-1929)
Johnny Jones Fishmongers (1929-1935)
A Jones Fishmongers (1935-1957) before handing onto to Rowe's.

And for those not certain, the term 'wet fish' refers to fish that have not been frozen to distinguish it from the loose term 'fresh' fish!

So if you haven't been then get down there - just a Jubilee ride, Thameslink or Overground and it's sitting there on West End Lane... go go go!

And don't forget that Kilburn still boasts it's own fishmongers:
http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/05/long-live-fresh-fishmongers-shop.html

Ed Fordham