London

[Ivan Cloherty]

John #2, yes for someone like me born there during the war the changes aer not what I wanted or expected. But we live in an ever changing world, and very often not for the better.

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Only 7, did you take some form of short cut then?

Don't forget the other 500 bus routes John, which have their own enclaves

[john walker]

An interesting post John. I hope that the population number of 100 million is wrong and should be 10 million. I think you also mean greater London with its 32 boroughs including the City of Westminster and not the City of London which is a seperate entity with a resident voting population of less than 9000. I think your observation of the festival of Ashuria having taken over the area of Marble Arch for the day is ironic ,this was an area that is at the southern end of the Edgeware road which had a large Irish population not so many years ago. Where I remember in my boyhood, its many pubs and other working mens cafes/greasy spoons and a fish and chip shop. There was neither curry houses nor kebabs shops in sight. It now resembles a market street in Cairo with a plethora of coffee shops with menus in Arabic and the scents of tobacco from men smoking hubbly bubbly pipes whilst playing board games. The people who were celebrating. (Some reports made that demonstrating) They maybe could have held their celebration/demonstration in the regents park mosque area which is a short walk away and has a capacity to hold 5000+ thousands more outside. This possibly would be less dramatic but more convenient for the rest of London to go about its lawful business without even more road closures and the ensuing traffic chaos.
You mention a river trip to Greenwich which is probably the best value for money of Londons many tourist attractions, a very informative and enjoyable trip. (Up until last year I worked on them In the summer months.) Greenwich has so much to see and do, all within a small and pleasant walking distance. Another irony is that opposite to what you know as the University of London. ( A lot of seamen and others remember it as Dreadnought the seaman's hospital until it's closure in 86.) Is Goddards one of the few pie and mash shops left in London, which has in the summer long lines of tourists and Londoners partaking in that great British pastime of queueing for the Cockney delicacy of pie,mash and liquor with a side order of jellied eels.
Your observation of changing accents and languages is appropriate, there are still areas all over London where you will hear the cockney accent littered with rhyming slang and banter unfortunately it is becoming less and less. Where I live (Fulham) when I hear teens speaking it sounds like a strange patois from an American gangster rap record and nothing like an accent from anywhere in London. A couple of years ago I was walking through the North End Road Market and a white lad with a black girl stopped Me and said something like 'Hey mon you have de spark' I looked at Him a little nonplussed and replied I am sorry can you repeat that? Which He duly did. I am now totally nonplussed and reply I am sorry I have no idea what you are talking about. His response was said in understandable English with a certain amount of agitation while holding out a cigarette which I had not noticed. 'Have you got a light mate' My response with some agitation. 'No and why not try speaking English' The market itself now echoes some of the things you wrote. It was about a 500/600 yards long lined on one side with barrows selling fruit and veg and stalls selling all sorts of things from bed clothes and curtains to boots and shoes, with shops either side of the road from Dewar the butchers and British bakers to Burtons the taylors. Now there are three traditional sellers left who sell fruit and veg etc. the others sell thai curry, jerk chicken and goat curry or fried falafel. Dewars has made way for a Halal butchers the bakers has not a recognisable loaf or cake in sight, it has become the Jaffa bakehouse with exotic sweetmeats from the shores of the Mediterranean. Where there were 3 pubs there is now one. The cinema which became a bingo club which closed was bought and supposedly had planning permission to turn it into an Islamic centre and mosque was turned down. It has since become more unaffordable flats, bought and left vacant by foreign investors.
I have lived here for quite a few years now, in Fact lot longer than I have lived anywhere else in the World and initially I liked it here. It was pleasant and safe and dare I say, it felt like home because it was London and British. I will be joining 'The White Flight' to the home counties soon, the place that I call home is being demolished as it has been purchased by Chelsea Football Club. Will I be sorry no, sad yes. like those before me I hope to move to somewhere which feels a little less foreign and a lot more British and I know there are still places like this as the song goes 'In our green and pleasant land ' J.W

[Keith Tindell]

John 12, come to the little old Isle of Wight, still a very green island, with small towns around its coast, we do have just the one mosque in the capital town of Newport, but still the traditional market every Saturday, bus fares very expensive, unless on the old gits ticket like myself. of course you will be an *overner*,and probably will be called such, i still do as i have been here 45 years now, and mostly called an *overner*, by people younger than that , but always said with a smile. property certainly cheaper than where you are, the only complaint , mainly from *overners* is they feel cut off from the mainland in winter, no complaints on that score from me though. i have not been to London for over 30 years, and not intending to do so. regards Keith

[john walker]

Keith there is a possibility of my moving there. A friend that I have known for about 60 years lives in Ventnor. He and His wife have owned several pubs there since 1988, at present they own that last bastion of a back street boozer the Volunteer. Over the years If returning to the U.K. They always had a spare bedroom and I was made to feel welcome not just by my friend and His family but also the local people of the town. The Island is indeed one of those Green and Pleasant lands.

[Keith Tindell]

Let us know what develops John.

[john walker]

I will gladly do that Keith. Thanks J.W.

[happy daze john in oz]

John #12, for a couple of years just before and after being married we lived in Maida vale, a very good area then.
Edgeware road was a great spot then back in the 60's, cinema and all English shops.
The Green man pub, still there, was a popular spot with many an Irish worker, about the only one left around there.
Now the only spot left I knew is an Italian restaurant by the name of Zorro, had a meal in there on a few occasions.
Mikeys fish bar now long gone and all replaced by some very odd shops.
Marble Arch end of the road there were then a number of wealthy Arabs living, not so sure now.
Took a walk up to Lords, the church we were married in is just around the corner from there, on the face of it the area has not changed that much.
I see the mayor of London, another one of them, wants to extend the 'red line' zone to cover more boroughs, at this rate the horse and cart may come back.
I will return again in a year or so, wife has family there just by the Post Office tower, and will no doubt gaze at further infiltration by 'them'.
Pleased to know there are still a few genuine Londoners about, but they may well become a rare breed in the not too distant future.

[john walker]

John I was born in Saint Mary's Hospital Paddington and used to live at Paddington Green, my first school was Saint Saviours in Maida Vale. I have fond memories of the area when I was a kid growing up there. I barely recognise it now and I would not like to live there,

[happy daze john in oz]

St Mary hospital, a very busy place as most of the emergency cases go there and judging by the number of ambos on the road it is full time job for them.
We lived in Randolph Avenue and it does not look too bad but as you move up from there the changes become obvious.

There was in about 1967 or so a new cinema opened at the junction of Edgeware road and Oxford street.
Went there opening week to see Frankie Howard in' A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'.
Took the mother in law and wife there some time later to see 'Sound of Music; I slept through it.
Later saw Joe Bugner the boxer coming out with his girl friend in tears, just seen 'West Side Story'

Met Charlie Kray in what was then a Lyons corner house not far from Marble Arch tube station.
Lyons now long gone replaced with one of the many 'modern' day ones.
Happy memories of better days when life there was very good,

Bed sit land in Maida vale was great then, the Randolph house is still there and we had a look couple of years back, nothing looks changed.
Little Venice still looks unchanged but that is one of the few that are.

Looking at how it is now I wonder how it will be in say another 10 years?

[happy daze john in oz]

Something I wrote a couple of years agoWell I came man to London townAll daylong I looked up and down
Lots ofpeople all in a hurry
Never sawsuch a flap and a flurry
Some whitepeople too....so they said.


Well Istood on the corner playing spot the 'Pom'
But nottoo many came along
Saw somemen in gowns long and white
Just likemy gran' pappy wore at night
Some inblack with just their eyes
Are theythe terrorists in disguise?


Sat on thebus but so absurd
Not anEnglish voice was heard
Lookedaround for some one white
But thengot such a terrible fright
Not awhite face for me to see
Just blackas night oh please save me


Gone arethe Cockneys who lived in this town
Replacedby the men in a funny gown
Thelanguage now is strange to hear
No Englishvoice comes any where near
They siton the sidewalk with the funny pipe
Smokingsome stuff that makes them ripe


Therestaurants that we once used
Replacedby Kebabs and funny stews
Gone isthe town that once was home
Nowlooking more like a worn out crone
Full ofvery odd people not a bit like me
Came tohere from over the sea


Taken uproot and the shops as well
The poorold Brit has come to hell
No more doI know this city
And for methat is such a pity
But theday has come which we thought it might
When blackhas taken what once was white


So now Imust leave this sad old town
To returnto the one I now call my own
A placewhere I can still find a man
Who doesnot need a gun in his hand
I sit andI wonder just how how long it will be
Before allthe English say this is no more for me.