Chchchchanges
London's changing scene
Writing for a site such as London-RIP.com you become incredibly sensitive to the disappearance of some of the landmarks of your life...
RIP the Enfield Campus of Middlesex University
The Enfield Campus of Middlesex University, where I was both student and staff, has just closed. I did an MA and lectured on a range of topics there. It was not a beautiful campus. No one ever remarked upon the dreaming spires of Ponders End. The streets were not a throng of cyclists passing beautiful historic architecture. It was a hodgepodge of post-war architectural styles based around a former techical college.
Named after Thatcher's dad!
The 60s block at the centre of the campus was named the Roberts building after the then-Education Secretary who opened it, namely Margaret Thatcher nee Roberts. She named it after her father. Don't ask me to explain that one! In fact, what was interesting was that in its architecture you had a history of higher education policy since the 60s. It had a strong academic reputation in subjects as diverse as social work, criminology and geography. It was also a centre for studying flood defences and the former Soviet Republic of Kazakhstan.
Each additional building or revamp was a testimony to the changes in education policy and architecture. The most recent block, the Pascal, was only built in the 1990s. Now, apart from two listed sites, it's all to go and be made into mainly private housing. Enfield Campus gave a much-needed income and vitality to one of London's more forlorn corners - the north-eastern tip of Enfield could be much the worse for its demise now it's gone.
London restaurants: RIP Café Delancey
Walking through Camden Town today I noticed the closure of Café Delancey in Delancey Street just off the High Road. This was one of the earlier results of the area's initial gentrification in the '80s. It was a large, airy restaurant with traditional French wooden café chairs and tables and clean white walls adorned with French signs. At a time when North West London was awakening to affluence and gastronomy, it was a relatively affordable beacon of quality. It had a nice, relaxed ambience and was a good place to go with a group of friends or colleagues. The food was good, never great but very pleasant. My favourite dish was the vegetable platter with potato roesti. I remember going there for lunch on the day following the 1992 General Election, having lunch and a glass of wine and going home to bed and a sleep, hoping that the night before was all some bad dream. Alas it wasn't, but lunch was fine. It seems that standards had dropped and customers were critical, but it is still a loss in an area where Starbucks, Prêt a Manger and noodle bars are the prime options. It had the courage to be named after the street and not after the corporation.
London restaurants: RIP The Shamrat of India
Restaurants come and go, but sometimes those comings and goings are a good barometer of changes in an area. So it is with the Shamrat of India. It could be said that this double-fronted joint wasn't any great shakes gastronomically (opinion is divided at London-RIP), but basically it served standard Indian comfort food and was always warm and friendly.
Bob Dylan ate here (maybe)
The Shamrat was part of local legend because, as well as being in Crouch End for aeons, Bob Dylan is supposed to have eaten there in the 80s with erstwhile local Dave Stewart. Anyway, it's now been turned into a rather good Turkish supermarket. But I but wonder what that means for other eateries in the area. Crouch End is bursting with restaurants, most of which aren't much good. When the area was truly booming, it didn't matter that some of them served up overpriced, unremarkable fare. But now that very well established, perfectly decent, bog standard curry houses are closing, alarm bells must be ringing. Watch this space.
London shops: RIP E. Ploton
There's something heroic about the shops on the Archway Road. They're like those carbon monoxide-nourished shrubs on motorway verges - it's amazing they survive, let alone thrive. In fact, there are some nice places on the Archway: Papa Del's, Jacksons Lane, the Boogaloo, as frequented by Pete Doherty (not that I've ever been there, too old). However, one place that's recently bitten the A1 tarmac is E. Ploton. This was a thoroughly old-fashioned shop with some beautiful fixtures and fittings, including some very pretty tiles outside. The handsome sign, which reads 'sundries' is unecessarily vague - E. Ploton sold art materials and was staffed by an oldish guy in an overall who may have been E. Ploton himself for all I know. The shop was there for donkeys, but has now sadly gone. I hope the new owners, whoever they are, preserve some of its facade and interior.
London shops: little monkeys
Re: Palmers/Regent Pet Stores: London-RIP is always happy to oblige with a pic. The pet shop has actually moved to considerably less impressive premises across the road. Wonder when they stopped selling monkeys?
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| Message: | 4/4 |
| Date and time: | 26/06/2007 at 12:21:59 |
| Sender: | Alpha one |
| What about the Mike's Diner in New Burlington Street, off Regents' Street. A great meeting place after a disco or two | |
| Message: | 3/4 |
| Date and time: | 27/11/2006 at 18:55:44 |
| Sender: | painter |
| very sad to hear of PLoton's demise, I was a frequenter there for variosu weird raw materials. It was a piece of London's art history. irreplaceable. RIP plotons, you will be missed. MInd they were a bit too old fashioned IMHO. | |
| Message: | 2/4 |
| Date and time: | 05/11/2006 at 17:17:16 |
| Sender: | London-RIP |
| We've taken a snap. See above. | |
| Message: | 1/4 |
| Date and time: | 30/10/2006 at 20:33:59 |
| Sender: | a true Londoner |
| I noticed that the wonderful pet shop on Parkway, Camden Town has gone. It was called Regent Pet Stores. The beautiful 1950s facade is still there - chrome and white with lovely lettering which says 'Talking Parrots' and 'Monkeys'. I did not have a camera with me so perhaps someone could go there quickly and take a shot of it before it is defaced. The 'Ploton Sundries' sign on the shop in Archway Road has now disappeared beneath a new florist logo. | |
