onionbagblog

Essex Road, N1, The Way We See It.

“One day soon we’ll have a pretty location – but this week we’re off to what should be a nice posh area, but the road is anything but. Essex Road is in Islington, but whereas most of the borough has been gentrified and made beyond the means of most of us mortals, Essex Road still seems to have retained some of the original charm of the area.

Sure the top end near Islington Green has it’s fair share of trendy pubs and the lovely S & M cafe. But the further you get down, the more the shops become local, with fruit and veg and a fishmongers.

However, far and above my favorite inhabitant of Essex Road is at 105. The aptly named Get Stuffed has been in all sorts of trouble in the past over dodgy suppliers, and whatever your feelings are for stuffed animals, it’s a place you find you can’t just pass by without taking a little peek.

Further down there’s the ubiquitous bingo hall. This is a Grade II listed affair in wonderful mock Egyptian Style, formerly the Carlton Cinema. You can’t miss it.

There is also the usual mix of new developments, council flats and a somewhat incongruous semi-circle of Georgian houses. More shops, garages etc finish the road off.

There’s so much to see here, so much of interest that I’m sure you’ll have no problems finding thirty shots, let alone just three.”

Newport Court, WC2, The Way We See It.

Deep breath…

And relax.

Time hopefully to return to some form of normality, and some half-decent pretty pictures.

Cripes.

“More of a challenge for you all this week and to celebrate the Chinese New Year we head to China Town. Newport Court runs from Charing Cross Road to Newport Place and it’s a really nice bustly street full of life.

Naturally the laterns are out for the New Year and if you make it on the 14th you’ll be in for all the fun there. I’m not sure if it’s still there but there was a great shop selling cheap CD’s [Steve's - long since gone...]

There’s not much history as you can imagine from such a small street, but there’s plenty going on to snap, and it’s nearly always full of people.”

Albert Bridge, SW11, The Way We See It.

“Another week, another bridge! This week we’re heading down to Chelsea for the Albert Bridge. This one really does have quite an interesting history to it. It’s one of only two bridges on the Thames in central London not to have been replaced.

That’s not to say that it got off to much of a better start in life. The bridge was upgraded twice in it’s life to make it more sturdy, and as such has become a hybrid of three types of bridge.

What we need to know is that it’s bright and colourful (so as to be noticed by passing river traffic and not bumped into,) and is more so at night when it’s light show comes in to effect. It’s certainly the peacock of Thames bridges.

The bridge is Grade II listed and is in a sorry state of repair structurally. Apparently it’s not all down to road traffic; dogs relieving themselves on the way to nearby Battersea Park have apparently been weakening the timbers with their wee.”

* ouch!

Sumner Street, SE1, The Way We See It.

“Sumner Street is a strange old street. It’s fairly well documented, but alas lots of what was once here is now departed. The street was named in recognition of one John Sumner, Bishop of Winchester. In it’s time it’s had a large (if somewhat austere) church and it’s own school. Sadly both of these are now gone. The church was completely destroyed in WW2.

What is there now are some great views of the back of Tate Modern. Not terribly interesting you might think, but come back in a few years and you won’t recognise the place. This is where the new Tate extension is to be built. It will be nice to capture this street for posterity.”

Old Street, EC1, The Way We See It.

“I’m in a generous sort of mood this week so we’re going to have a peach of a location where you can’t possibly fail to get far too many pictures from which to choose three. This week we’re off to every photobloggers favourite, Old Street.

Recorded as Ealdestrate in c.1200, it’s origins are Roman, hence the name. Today it’s a street of two halves separated by the awful Old Street roundabout. From the Clerkenwell Road end you have some lovely interesting shops (an old style press and nice art shops,) and the wonders of St Lukes.

On the other side of the road you have various famous Banksy spots, and all the trendiness that is Shoreditch. It’s a great street – dirty, busy, hectic and fascinating. You will have fun!”

Lambeth Bridge, SW1, The Way We See It.

“We haven’t had a bridge for a while, so this week we’re heading to Lambeth Bridge. The five-arched current bridge (which was grade II listed in 2008) was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield and was opened in 1932 by King George V.

It’s a pretty workmanlike bridge. The beauty comes from the wonderful views from it, along with the way the Thames winds one way, and then the other either side of it.

The reason that it’s predominantly red is that it’s meant to match the colour of the benches in the House of Lords (Westminster Bridge is mostly green to match the House of Common’s benches.)

It’s not be quite as famous in the movies as it’s green companion, although it has been in a Harry Potter film and Blood Diamond.”

St Giles High Street, WC2H, The Way We See It.

“We’re off to slap bang central London this week for St.Giles High Street. Named after the Palladian styled Anglican church (and a lovely church it is too,) the road was somewhat truncated with the building of it’s most famous landmark, Centrepoint.

There’s been lots of building work going on around here and there are some new additions – somewhat incongruously coloured – but what would you expect from a street that gives you Centrepoint?”