It's all about the Brand.

For quite a while I volunteer-ed at The Design Museum, first at Shad Thames and then at the larger and more popular Kensington location, initially great fun making personalized tours for visitors but after the move it was just Greetings, explaining where the toilets were and why there was no cloakroom space for people to leave coats and bags.

It's that way -(nice Typeface Margaret)

After a while it became clear that there was no scope for more involvement so I decided (sadly) to call it a day - well fast forward on a year (as they say) and I'm now volunteering at the Museum of Brands,Packaging and Advertising  at their current West London location (nearest tube Ladbroke Grove).


I'm pleased to say that this is a small and friendly museum where there's contact with visitors, minimal bureaucracy and variety - people really engage as the 'Time Tunnel' invariably brings back memories and we've got a nice little cafe and some outside space for those warm days.

It's also rather nice the way people are moved to contribute items for possible display - I feel bigger premises calling!

[This is another example of the fun of volunteering!]

 

Notting Hill Gate - Last Village (for a while)

The last London Village for a while (I'm back with Paul Sinclair's More London Villages in a few weeks) and this week it was all about the area of West London that's Notting Hill Gate.

The Iconic roundel 

We met at Pembridge Gardens adjacent to the underground station.

One of the architectural landmarks , David Game House (said to be a fine example of Bauhaus architecture) is completely shrouded in scaffolding and although still visible the nearby Coronet cinema is undergoing refurbishment too.

David Game House 

The Coronet Cinema

In fact a better view of the Coronet was offered by an artist working 'En Plein Air' .

A lovely day to be working outside 

Next on to an other architectural (but smaller) point of note the Green shelters used by Cabbies.
[You can find out more about them here.]

Cabman's Shelters used to be a place to rest and snack

Now a cafe 'The Queen Elizabeth Laundry' seems something of an anachronism - presumably not where our own queen gets her washing done it's a cafe now.

A Cafe now

There are some fine looking houses in the area many are now multiple dwellings and have been turned into flats.


The area had been a racecourse (Kensington Hippodrome), it had been intended to rival Epsom and Ascot  for some time but was not successful  .

Amazing opulence - great for an oligarch!

St Peter's Church Kensington I found to be a bit of an 'eyesore' and rather poorly proportioned.

St Peter's Church- not my cup of tea

Nearby was the location of a 1970's classic album cover - The Portobello Hotel where Carly Simon was photographed for the 'No Secrets' album (that included You're so Vain)

Paul shows the album art work

The Portobello Hotel

A right olkd mixture

We then saw some of the area used by the Portobello Market - which I've visited a few times as a 'volunteer street photographer' .

The sellers offer a mixture of curios, collectables and 'tat' as well as some fruit and veg
.

For the vinyl warrior

Fresh fruit- Fresh Fruit

London's Notting Hill is associated with the 1950's wave of immigration and slum landlords - riots started here in Totobag riots started and nearby the Powis Terrace is a reminder of Peter Rachman (his name  became a shorthand  for poor landlord) but he was also a name in the Profumo Scandal of the 60's.

Was Totobag Club

Powis Terrace

Tabernacle and a hot drink 

 We even stopped on this walk for a hot drink and the chance to fill out the obligatory course paper work at a former church The Tabernacle before making our way to Ladbroke Grove station (where I was on Tuesday - more about that later)

Saturday at Ealing Park Tavern (and a new front for Mrs May - Heathrow)

Well done Helen and team at the Tavern

Great to be part of an Exhibition/Sale at Ealing Park Tavern (once the Penny Flyer) on Saturday.

The event was curated by Helen Duff who I've shared space with before and it was a good day with plenty of visitors and a nice atmosphere.


One of several good things about the venue was that we were able to break it down into several distinct areas with a variety of disciplines.


Very nice to have a good mixture of people and sales were made across the board - well done Helen.

A good crowd gathers

Heathrow and Government challenges.

Despite Theresa May's (political) obituary being written several times she's still in No 10 and running her own 'Coalition of Chaos' with the DUP delivering on their promises to her (and her presumably delivering her part of the bargain.
[I guess there's some extra pressure now on Northern Irish politicians with Ireland  reforming their abortion laws.]

Well as well as this and Brexit (come on Labour get off the fence!) Theresa May has decided now is the time to alienate quite a number of Tory voters (and Boris Johnston MP - serial soundbite merchant) by putting the pedal to the metal on Heathrow expansion - I've got to state I'm okay with the expansion as longs as there's no increase in noise or pollution - I fear this will not be achieved.

As well as Boris being put out Zac Goldsmith MP isn't going to swallow this too easily (some of her own party are calling for 'free' vote).

London Villages Hipster Paradise - Shoreditch

An Overground for a change 

Penultimate outing for the 2018 London Villages walk and this time the meetup was an Overground station - Shoreditch most of the usual suspects made it there  and weather was agreeable (you'll find a possible explanation of the naming of the area here).

Disused arches 

Near the station there is a clear reminder of when the station in a number of 'arches' which are apparently to be preserved.

GCHQ graffiti 

The area around Shoreditch and Hoxton  is (perhaps) Hipster central for young Londoners these days  and it's festooned with street art and Pop Up shops - apparently the GCHQ is involved in some of this.



Some of the other street art is 'challenging. too this by Street Artist Sr. X

Okay - it's anti-consumerist in some ways 

A Panorama 

We also visited Hoxton Square and saw the Circus School (where you can graduate in Circus Skills) it's on a site /building  where electricity was once generated from waste  and nearby is a building Now a restaurant (Meat Mission) that was a Christian Mission Lewis and John Burtt are commemorated for their work there.

Trapezes and all 

Christian Mission/Meat Mission

A bit further on and we were in one of London's oldest squares and the area that saw the start of the regeneration by artists. (with the now infamous Blue Note venue).

Hoxton Square 

To counteract the 'right- on' art  of the time, think White Cube again  The Stuckists (remember them) moved in too.


The fantastic Town Hall is now a burgeoning Art's centre with a world famous restaurant - another indication of the importance of the creative industries in London .

Shoreditch Town Hall - now an Arts Centre

We saw example of Philanthropic Housing (Leopold House) and an area that was a market that's now housing and Arnold Circus a development that used the former slums to build a bandstand on! (Arnold Circus - Below Right)

It reminded me of a New York BrownStone