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Post by bixaorellana on May 30, 2017 0:52:55 GMT
Well, here I am where I've longed to be and about to inflict all kinds of pictures on you all. I imagine in my time here there will be all kinds of snaps of miscellany, so indulge me as I post them here. I arrived in Balham, where I am very comfortably lodged, late in the afternoon of May 24th. I've lost a few days to the agonies of food poisoning, but suffered in the nicest surroundings possible. Major selling points for this place while searching online were the pictures of the views out the window and the sight of a turquoise kitchen. Both delivered in spades! It is lovely and quiet here and full of bird song ~ Bad panorama picture of a sliver of the living room looking into the kitchen. You can see the reflection from the big windows in the stove backsplash. The door dimly seen in the hallway leads out and to the right of it is a short flight of stairs leading to the bedroom and the bathroom. I like it! On the street where I live ~ Until 200 years ago the area was just a small hamlet of farms and country houses, but the arrival of the railway in 1856 changed all that. Development began outwards from the station and much of the original street layout still survives today. The arrival of the Northern Line at both Balham and Clapham South in 1926 spurred another round of house building, and the area has many distinctive and delightful late Victorian, Edwardian and Arts and Crafts homes. Much of the development in Balham is down to one man. Alfred Heaver bought large tracts of the Bedford estate and began building family homes in the late 1880s and within a few years he had laid out a grid of thoroughfares stretching from Bedford Hill to Tooting Bec. Now a conservation area, the Heaver estate remains popular with families. source
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Post by cheerypeabrain on May 30, 2017 6:59:10 GMT
Ooh....I love old red brick houses. I'm looking forward to seeing London from your perspective Bixa. Your camera work is superb as always. May is rapidly becoming my favourite time of year with all the new growth around.
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Post by bjd on May 30, 2017 8:36:12 GMT
Nice to see you are back in shape, Bixa. I just looked on google maps to see where Balham is -- an area I have never been, so I'm glad to see your photos. It all looks very pleasant.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 30, 2017 11:36:53 GMT
So much mention has been made of the NHS here over the years that I think Bixa just came to test it for herself.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 30, 2017 12:38:38 GMT
Thanks, ladies! Cheery, I am counting the days until you get here. And Bjd, I think you will enjoy the cultural diversity I'm going to show in this neighborhood. Please don't even think it, Kerouac! It's a lovely cool breezy day outside, but here I am at 1 in the afternoon hoping not to have repercussions from the half peanut butter & marmalade sandwich I just dared. So, exiting my house and turning right I am heading toward Balham High Road, which is the cross street you can see past the lavender. As you can discern from the umbrellas, there are cafés and small restaurants there, plus a wine store and a very Casimira-ish garden place I will show later.
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Post by mickthecactus on May 30, 2017 12:50:40 GMT
Good pics, Bix. Yes, typical '30s block that looks in need of attention. Lots of then in North West London. And if you have peanut butter and marmalade you deserve all you get.......
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Post by mossie on May 30, 2017 14:21:55 GMT
And along with the Bixies I note Hot Oat Cereal, hope you got your oats Bixa
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2017 15:54:20 GMT
It looks positively cozy and quaint and charming. That lavender is divine!!!! And the roses. It seems that you picked the perfect spot. (I don't understand Mick's post about the typical '30's look in need of some attention. ?) LOVE The Bixies!!! You must give them a try!!! Looking forward to more, thanks!!
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Post by patricklondon on May 30, 2017 16:50:38 GMT
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Post by mickthecactus on May 30, 2017 16:53:45 GMT
It looks positively cozy and quaint and charming. That lavender is divine!!!! And the roses. It seems that you picked the perfect spot. (I don't understand Mick's post about the typical '30's look in need of some attention. ?) LOVE The Bixies!!! You must give them a try!!! Looking forward to more, thanks!! The white plasterwork exterior is a bit tatty...
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Post by bjd on May 30, 2017 16:59:02 GMT
Let's hope Bixa takes the opportunity to have a fling in Bal-ham. I'm glad she will supply some photos to supplement Sellars' commentary.
Don't Brits say Ballam?
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Post by mickthecactus on May 30, 2017 17:06:31 GMT
Let's hope Bixa takes the opportunity to have a fling in Bal-ham. I'm glad she will supply some photos to supplement Sellars' commentary. Don't Brits say Ballam? Indeed they do.
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Post by patricklondon on May 30, 2017 17:07:31 GMT
Yes. That was part of the joke (a skit on those filler travelogues they used to have in the interval in cinemas). My blog | My photos | My video clips"too literate to be spam"
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Post by bjd on May 30, 2017 17:09:01 GMT
Given the Americanish accent Sellars was using, Bal-ham was not at all shocking. I imagine that's how the average USanian would say it.
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Post by mickthecactus on May 30, 2017 17:26:47 GMT
Yes. That was part of the joke (a skit on those filler travelogues they used to have in the interval in cinemas). My blog | My photos | My video clips"too literate to be spam" Streatham (Strettam) in South London is sometimes referred to as St. Reatham
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Post by bixaorellana on May 31, 2017 6:37:48 GMT
Thank you, Mick! But PB & marmalade: not good?! Har har, Mossie ~ I'm assuming you mean my wild ones? Thanks for crediting me with the energy. Thank you, Casimira! Really, the feeling is that of a portion of a huge great city -- a portion with its own personality, look, and particular charms. Alas, despite their adorable name, I'm pretty sure that Bixies are just plain old shredded wheat. Ah, Patrick -- finally: The Source. When I told Mick I'd be staying in Balham he immediately intoned "Gateway to the South". Further research revealed that pretty much every current article extolling lively and developing Balham is forced to reference the Sellers routine. I imagine that's how the average USanian would say it. *Bixa raises her rather elegant left eyebrow almost to her rather low brow whilst giving Bjd a rather long look* Streatham (Strettam) in South London is sometimes referred to as St. Reatham Love it! There is a Clio street in New Orleans, one of nine named for the Greek muses. Many residents call it "C-L 10" street. Looking through my pictures, I see I've so far given Balham itself short shrift. I'll remedy that over time, as it is quite photogenic and pleasant. Meanwhile, let me show some photos that I took to illustrate Balham's strong Polish presence. Also, some of you might find this interesting: www.aniaspoland.com/poles-in-britain/polish-london/
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Post by bjd on May 31, 2017 8:08:00 GMT
But Bixa, you know you are not an "average USAnian"!
Nice to see more pictures. At least those Polish Catholics spare churches being turned into restaurants or art galleries, although I imagine they were formerly Anglican churches. I see on the sign that the statue of JP2 was a gift by first communion children. They must have sold a lot of cookies.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 31, 2017 8:24:37 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on May 31, 2017 8:34:03 GMT
But Bixa, you know you are not an "average USAnian"! Nice to see more pictures. At least those Polish Catholics spare churches being turned into restaurants or art galleries, although I imagine they were formerly Anglican churches. I see on the sign that the statue of JP2 was a gift by first communion children. They must have sold a lot of cookies. I am a "credit to my race"? You can read Polish?! Surely that wasn't a single group of 1st communion kids that paid for a whole statue! Impressive, no matter how they did it. The date on the stone is from @ the time the "nice" houses were being built, so yes -- probably Church of England. Thanks for saying that more pictures were welcome. I thought this thread would make a nice adjunct to more specific threads I hope to make of my visit. I have a whole thread's worth of the East End waiting to spring on you all for instance, but today am off for further adventures.
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Post by patricklondon on May 31, 2017 10:24:53 GMT
A bit of googling suggests the Polish church was originally built as a Congregationalist church in their nineteenth century heyday, so non-conformist protestants rather than CofE. More recently, the Congregationalists joined the Presbyterians as the United Reformed Church: linkMy blog | My photos | My video clips"too literate to be spam"
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Post by bixaorellana on May 31, 2017 12:25:33 GMT
Interesting, Patrick -- thanks! I'd love to know more details, especially how the URCs practically gave the building to the RCs. Yes, the amount would be approximately equivalent to £429 today, but still. (here's a fun toy: inflation.stephenmorley.org/)Not to get into a linkathon, but here is a nice potted history of Balham: www.revolvy.com/topic/Balham&item_type=topicAnd here is a fascinating blog. Those of you who know London will have to test it to see how in-depth it is, but I'm amazed by the detail in the section shown here: edithsstreets.blogspot.nl/2010/07/The only thing extra I learned about the church from Edith's Streets was that the Balham Congregational Church closed in 1972, so by 1975 it was probably quite a drain on somebody's resources.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on May 31, 2017 13:02:38 GMT
Gosh. Looks like you've had some nice weather for your exploring Dot. Balham looks quite nice or are you only showing us the clean bits? is it very busy? what's the traffic like? is there an Marks & Spencers and a decent Indian/Italian/Chippy restaurant? I need to know...I'm VERY nosey
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Post by patricklondon on May 31, 2017 13:13:27 GMT
I'd love to know more details, especially how the URCs practically gave the building to the RCs. Yes, the amount would be approximately equivalent to £429 today, but still. Not sure if the author of that sentence in the link meant £75 or £75000! If the latter, that would probably have been a substantial market price, but for a substantial building on a valuable piece of land. If the former, well perhaps the URCs were just glad to be shot of a liability, and anyway there was a lot of sympathy for Polish refugees (as they would have been seen at that time) - and from what I read around, the URCs retained a building at the back of the site for their meetings. My blog | My photos | My video clips"too literate to be spam"
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Post by kerouac2 on May 31, 2017 13:20:38 GMT
If you encounter any London pubs in bloom, I would love to see some new additions to that thread -- and that goes to the rest of you passing through London!
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Post by lagatta on May 31, 2017 14:37:44 GMT
bjd and casimira, do you read Polish? I believe bjd does...
Perhaps those children also sold some wonderful Polish cakes and other baked goods. The big Polish bazaar here has those as well as homemade sausage and egg noodles!
I'm really enjoying this visit!
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Post by bjd on May 31, 2017 14:50:49 GMT
Yes, I do. Not really enough for reading novels because of a lack of vocabulary but certainly for signs and short stuff.
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Post by fumobici on May 31, 2017 18:27:18 GMT
Mmmmm London. Now I very much wish to return. Surprised to see that Nigella growing from a crack in the pavement already going to seed!
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Post by lagatta on May 31, 2017 23:31:19 GMT
Do you mean Nigella Lawson?
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Post by fumobici on Jun 1, 2017 2:51:26 GMT
Ha ha. No this: Nigella damascena
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Post by bjd on Jun 1, 2017 5:20:57 GMT
When we were in Edinburgh in early April, I was surprised that there was just a fairly short time difference in flowers blooming between there and here, which is much further south and usually warmer. Now that you mention the nigella, mine are in full bloom too. I really like them, even though once they are just seed heads they are not as pretty. And they self-seed everywhere.
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