A lunchtime wander to West Brompton

Despite the grey skies, and menacing clouds, I braved the elements and ventured out. A round trip to West Brompton is just about possible within a lunch hour, and there are fortunately various routes to get there, so plenty of scope for wandering along new roads. I have previously visited West Brompton but I think only from the opposite direction.

London has plenty of Peabody housing, courtesy of social visionary George Peabody. As well as being architecturally striking, many have interesting signage. I'd like to have taken a few more pictures here but I felt I was intruding too much into people's personal space.

Signage on the Peabody houses, Lillie Road, London

Along the same stretch of road was a former school, with the segregated school entrance signs still visible. Just a few yards away from the Girls & Infants entrance was the Boys entrance.

Girls & Infants entrance to former school, Lillie Road, London

When I first saw this ghost sign, I had assumed that I'd seen it before, but then realised that the one I had seen was at the other end of Lillie Road. I can only assume I'd never spotted this massive one before as I had always walked in the opposite direction. Quite pleased with my find though.

Brymay safety matches ghost sign, Lillie Road, West Brompton, London

With the Empress State Building to the left, and the London Overground railway approaching West Brompton station to the right, this piece of open land is in the process of being redeveloped. I'm sure next time I visit it will look completely different.

Wasteland between Empress State Building and London Overground line, West Brompton

On my return route I spotted this ghost sign on Chesson Road. I am fairly sure I had walked this way before but never noticed it. On closer inspection though, the fact that the main part of the sign is a different colour to the rest of the walls suggests it has, until recently perhaps, been covered by a more modern billboard. Unfortunately I cannot make out what it says. Maybe the last word is Hall?

Ghost sign, Chesson Road, Fulham, London

As often seems to happen, when I'm out hunting for ghost signs, almost anything can look like one. I originally took this photo to showcase the boarded-up shop, but also noticed above the shop what could perhaps once have been a ghost sign. Having blown the picture up though, I now think I was imagining it.

Boarded-up shop, Turneville Road, London W14

    

A Weekend Wandering Around Kent (part 5, Margate to Broadstairs)

And so we come to the final Margate post, which covers a walk along the coast from Margate to  Broadstairs. Once again there is a mixture of different vistas, ranging from the sunny view from the Turner Gallery, through some of the run down seaside attractions, ending up with a sunset and some doorway mosaics in Broadstairs.

After a wonderful breakfast at The Curious Cupcake, we headed to the Turner Gallery for an hour. My wife is the arty one in the family, but as it was free I found it ok, and quite nice to get out of the bracing wind.

Margate bay from the Turner Gallery

For those of you with eagle-eyes, you can just make out the big wheel at Dreamland in the background.

Margate bay from the end of the harbour arm

Unsure of our plans after the gallery, but in the need to walk off the breakfast, we started a drift along the coast, not really having a destination in mind. As we headed east from the gallery the area became more run down. We walked through the boarded-up lido area, which I covered in a previous post and continued along the coast. I couldn't decide what this derelict building was. Perhaps either a bus shelter or simply somewhere to sit and take in the sea view.

Derelict shelter, Margate, Kent

Not far from the shelter was Club Caprice. Although it's now boarded up, it does seems to have had a bit of a hey day from what I've managed to find on the internet, and a sad day when it closed for some I suspect.

Boarded-up building, Margate, Kent

Unfortunately many of the ghost signs facing the actual sea front have been battered by the weather and some are almost all gone. This one is a bit more legible that the one further below. The words I can decipher say

??? 

REMOULDED

24 ETHELBERT Rd

ANTIQUE

FURNITURE

BRIC A BRAC

CURIOS ETC 

Ghost sign, Ethelbert Road, Margate, Kent

This next ghost sign however, whilst once I suspect looking quite magnificent as it covered the entire side of the building, is completely unreadable.

Ghost sign, Margate, Kent

The Little Oasis Crazy Golf course at Cliftonville, Margate, has seen better days.

Abandoned crazy golf course, Cliftonville, Margate, Kent

Again another abandoned building where I cannot determine the purpose. Possibly a shelter of some sort?

Derelict building, Cliftonville, Margate, Kent

Derelict building, Cliftonville, Margate, Kent

This lift takes people between the esplanade and the beach. I'm not sure if it's still in use, or maybe perhaps it's just closed for the off season.

Lift from the esplanade to the beach, Margate, Kent

Lift from the esplanade to the beach, Margate, Kent

Once we'd left the built up area of Margate, much of the walk was a bit barren if I'm honest, and it was blowing a gale so I didn't stop to take many pictures. By the time we'd arrived in Broadstairs however, the sun was out again and just in time to treat us to a wonderful sunset.

Sunset over Broadstairs, Kent

Sunset over Broadstairs, Kent

Unfortunately this meant that by the time we'd arrived in the town it was getting dark. I did manage to take a couple of doorway mosaic photos, but will have to return another day to do a proper visit of the town.

Doorway mosaic, Broadstairs, Kent

Doorway mosaic, Broadstairs, Kent

Well, that concludes the Margate section of the Kent wander. Previous instalments are available starting at a weekend wandering around Kent (part 2, Margate). I still have some photos from Whitstable and Canterbury to share, which hopefully I'll get around to doing later this week.

A Weekend Wandering Around Kent (part 4, in and around Margate station)

Hello everyone, thanks for returning. Today I'm back with the next instalment of my weekend wandering around Kent. I'm still working through the many pictures I have of Margate, so once again this post will cover Margate, specifically the area in and around the railway station. These pictures were taken on two different days as we made our way from Margate station to venture out to Whitstable on the sunny day, and Canterbury on the dreary day. Blog posts on those two day trips will follow.

First up we have a couple of wonderful ghost signs just outside the station car park. Both are for

ALBERT GARAGE
DOMINION MOTOR SPIRITS

with the one in the shade being in better condition as until relatively recently it would seem to have been protected from the weather as it was covered by a more modern advertising board.

Albert Garage, Dominion Motor Spirits, Ghost sign, Margate, Kent

The Shell sign on the front of the building was only partially complete. I now wished I had ventured up the alley to take a closer look and perhaps a clearer photo of it, but was worried about missing the train.

Albert Garage, Dominion Motor Spirits, Ghost sign, Margate, Kent

In compiling this latest blog post I now realise that I don't actually have any photos of the front of the station, which is a shame as it's quite a grand, grade II listed building. However what I do have are some pictures showing other aspects of the station's architecture.

The first couple of pictures show the former water tower at the east end of the station.

Water Tower, Margate Station, Kent

The square looking building to the left of the picture is the main entrance to the station, and once again apologies for not having any pictures of the front or the interior to share.

Water Tower, Margate Station, Kent

Platform Canopy, Margate Station, Kent

The Big Wheel at Dreamland from Margate Station, Kent

And so on to the second visit to the station, marred only by the dismal weather. When I first spotted this ghost sign I had not realised that the Albert Garage was in fact still an active operation just around the corner.

Albert Garage Ghost sign, Margate Station, Kent

During the previous day's trip out of Margate on the train, I noticed some abandoned looking platforms to the side of the station. With a bit more time to spare before the train left I ventured beyond the confines of the station to see what these were. A bit of internet research revealed these to be a former parcels depot and sidings, of which some parts were more derelict than others.

Abandoned parcel depot and sidings, Margate station, Kent

Abandoned parcel depot and sidings, Margate station, Kent

Abandoned parcel depot and sidings, Margate station, Kent

Abandoned parcel depot and sidings, Margate station, Kent

Abandoned parcel depot and sidings, Margate station, Kent

Abandoned parcel depot and sidings, Margate station, Kent

Thanks for reading ... and so we come to the end of another Margate post, with probably just about enough material for one more. In case you missed the previous posts on Margate these can be found at a weekend wandering around Kent (part 2, Margate) and Margate again (from abandonment to Dreamland).

A Weekend Wandering Around Kent (part 2, Margate)

Hot(ish) on the heals of part one of my Weekend Wandering in Kent blog post, is part two. Whereas part one covered Deal and Sandwich, albeit in small measures, part two covers Margate which was our base for the weekend. I ended up taking several pictures each day, sometimes as we were navigating our way out of Margate to visit other places, sometimes as we explored Margate. I definitely have too many pictures for a single Margate post so will split this into at least two parts.

Before I begin however, I have a bit of conundrum in terms of how I present Margate. Each day showed us different aspects to it. If I base my post simply on my experiences of the first day, then it would have been a rather sorry tale of a run down seaside resort, whereas if I include only what I saw on other days it would paint a much rosier picture. Therefore, I will share all my experiences, covering all aspects of the visit, so you will see me flipping between subject matter and different days, but hopefully still maintaining some cohesion. Still with me? Then let's begin ...

Unfortunately by the time we arrived in Margate it was quite a dreary day. After checking in, we wrapped up warm and headed down to the seafront. If I'm honest, our first impression was a bit of a sorry one, and we were wondering if we should have based ourselves elsewhere for the weekend. The weather definitely did not help as we navigated our way through litter strewn streets and dog's mess.

As regular readers will know, I'm a bit of a sucker for ghost signs, and this building fitted the bill perfectly, still sporting most of the lettering from its previous use as a depository.

F.L.Pettman Ltd., Depository, Margate, Kent

You only need to do a quick internet search to see what the Margate Lido looked like in its heyday. Sadly today it's less than a shadow of its past.

Margate Lido, Cliftonville, Margate

Margate Lido, Cliftonville, Margate

Margate Lido, Cliftonville, Margate

Margate Lido, Cliftonville, Margate

As promised, this post will move around in content quite a bit, so from the run down lido we now move on to something a bit more uplifting ... ghost signs and doorway mosaics in the old town ... and some sunshine.

Doorway mosaic, King Street, old town, Margate

Not sure whether the ornate, blue section of the mosaic below is a more recent addition, or whether it was part of the original. I assume the clear section in the middle is there to allow some light into the basement below.

Doorway mosaic, King Street, old town, Margate

And above the this mosaic, a wonderfully preserved sign showing the shop's former use.

Ladies & Gentlemen's Tailor

and Breeches Maker.

H.B.SMITH

Old shop sign, Kind Street, old town, Margate

I was not sure whether to include this as a ghost sign as it seems to have been very recently renovated, however it tells a story and on closer inspection above the brightly painted signage is a sign for

STUPPELL Hair Cutter

Ghost signs, old town, Margate

A closer inspection of the signs reveals the hairdresser's sign in its full glory.

Ghost signs, old town, Margate

Old town, Margate

Another beautifully preserved shop sign, this time for

Clothier

T.W.STIGANT

Hosier

Old shop sign, King Street, old town, Margate

The final picture from part 1 or my Margate post is of street art in the old town.

Street art, Margate

I have plenty more pictures to share from Margate, and also other places we visited over the weekend, so stay tuned folks for further instalments.

And if you missed my earlier post in this series, here's the link to the one I wrote about Deal and Sandwich.

An Urban Wander around Brentford, London

Every time I think I'll devote some time to writing a new blog post I seem to get sidetracked. Most of the distractions are good and generally related to some of my favourite past times like mountain biking, walking, going to gigs, searching for vinyl records and reading ... which reminds me that I should mention my latest read before launching into today's post. Based on my enjoyment of Concretopia: A Journey Around the Rebuilding of Postwar Britain, by John Grindrod, and also based on my own childhood of growing up on the outskirts of London in the 1970's living on the edge of the greenbelt, I ordered another of his books, Outskirts: Living Life on the Edge of the Green Belt. 

The pictures in this post were taken a couple of months ago when I was staying up in London for work. My usual hotel near the office was priced well beyond the reach of any reasonable expenses policy, so I ended up staying a bit further out of the centre, in Brentford. I have driven past Brentford on the way into London in the past, but have never stopped and don't really know much about it, other than their football team has an annoying habit of beating my football team, but let's not dwell on that.

As I walked from the bus stop to my hotel for the night, I already suspected a different experience than my usual London overnight stay. The lane I took from the main road towards the hotel quickly became a footpath and cycle path, leaving the noise of the road behind and opening out into park land. As I approached the hotel I could see the dome of the Great Conservatory of Syon House, architected by Charles Fowler in the 1880s and restored to its former glory in the 1980s.

Great Conservatory, Syon House 

I'm assuming the turreted building was some sort of gate, or guard house, for the main house.

The actual house of Syon House, London home of the Duke of Northumberland, with grounds re-designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown, looked wonderful in the late evening sun. Just a shame that there was a transit van parked outside to spoil the view.

Syon House in the late evening sun

The late evening sun and a liberal spread of light cloud, made for some great views and photo opportunities.

Late evening sun in Syon Park

After my evening stroll around Syon Park I headed into Brentford in search of dinner. I knew the Grand Union canal went through Brentford, but was not quite sure what to expect. Being a keen walker, and having walked on parts of the London Loop, the Grand Union Canal Walk, and the Capital Ring I was impressed by the available options on this sign ... almost a walker's paradise.

Walker's paradise signpost , Brentford Lock

Brentford lock itself remains an impressive engineering feature, but the residential areas around it left me a little cold.

Brentford lock

Brentford lock

There was however still some sign of industry of days-gone-by further down the canal.

I'm not quite sure what this building is, or was, or whether the ornate, floral metalwork was original, restored or new. Either way it made a pleasant change to the canal side flats.

This was not the first time I'd seen a mile post for Braunston. I had seen one previously during a Suburban Wander from Harefield to Moor Park following the London Loop where I had suggested it was "in the middle of nowhere" but was quickly and quite rightly corrected by a reader saying otherwise, so I won't make that mistake again.

Mile post for Braunston

The grade II former toll house is now a museum.

Former toll house, Brentford Lock

These next 2 photos were taken the following morning as I made my way back to the bus stop. I had seen the former railway bridge the previous night but it was too dark for a photo. These former railway arches used to carry the Brentford Branch Line, or Brentford Dock Line, from the GWR line at Southall down to Brentford Dock. The bridge across the road is long since gone, but the railway arches still remain, although a bit too orange for my liking. A bit of internet research suggests this line could be re-opened.

Railway arches carrying the former Brentford Dock line

Railway arches carrying the former Brentford Dock line

Here are a few links to some of the books and walks I referenced earlier on in the blog post.

    

Thanks for reading. Your comments are always welcome and appreciated. Hopefully my future posts will not be so few are far between.