GENTRIFICATION OF SOUTH LONDON
I returned home from a visit to London yesterday.
I drove into London on the M4 and travelled the 13 miles from the motorway exit round the South Circular road to Forest Hill in just a mere 1 hour 15 minutes.
Later I travelled by bus back to King's College Hospital which is very close to Denmark Hill where I lived from 1955 to 1963.
I noticed that in the 43 years since I had lived in South East London, firstly Denmark Hill had mysteriously got a lot steeper, and secondly the area had generally become much more prosperous.
For example East Dulwich, which was quite run down in the 1950's boasted several French, and Italian restaurants, and there was even an organic butcher. On the South Circular near Wandsworth I spotted an Argentinian restaurant in an area where fish and chips were considered a luxury in bygone days.
Obviously I could never afford to move back to the area!
I drove into London on the M4 and travelled the 13 miles from the motorway exit round the South Circular road to Forest Hill in just a mere 1 hour 15 minutes.
Later I travelled by bus back to King's College Hospital which is very close to Denmark Hill where I lived from 1955 to 1963.
I noticed that in the 43 years since I had lived in South East London, firstly Denmark Hill had mysteriously got a lot steeper, and secondly the area had generally become much more prosperous.
For example East Dulwich, which was quite run down in the 1950's boasted several French, and Italian restaurants, and there was even an organic butcher. On the South Circular near Wandsworth I spotted an Argentinian restaurant in an area where fish and chips were considered a luxury in bygone days.
Obviously I could never afford to move back to the area!
posted by Uriah Robinson at 9:51 AM
3 Comments:
I live in Kingston, which just about counts as London, and is often referred to as "posh", "leafy suburb" etc in our wonderfully reliable media.
The other day I was coming home from work and in a pathetic attempt to retain some dregs of individuality got off at a different stop to vary my walk home. I walked past what was last time a very upmarket wet fish shop, to see that it had turned into a chippy. Same owners. Reverse trend?
(Just testing your comments facility ;-) very nice! )
Kingston! What a small world. I lived in Hampton from 1974-1981, then Raynes Park from 1981-1987, working in New Malden from 1970-1987.
My sons were born in Kingston Hospital, so I know how it used to be posh in parts, but not so leafy in other parts.
Dover sole and monkfish to cod and chips now you have got me worried about the economy.
But haven't the Liberal Democrats banned the chippy from Kingston as a relic of old Labour?
Well it isn't actually called a chippy, it is the Jarvis fish shop in Norbiton parade which you probably know if you lived in New Malden. I didn't see what it is called but now you make your point about the LDs, I imagine they've called it "J" or something as a cover story.
I had my younger daughter in Kingston hospital too -- small world!
Post a Comment
<< Home