…and now from the southern regions of the Bakerloo Line to one of the northern ends of the Northern Line: Edgware. Never been here before so not sure what to expect…?
And following some feedback from earlier posts, I decide on a selfie at the station. This does two things: shows I’m listening to feedback and lets me use it as the first picture on my Instagram album showing which location the collection comes from. Fairly uninspiring station (but then again I suspect a lot will be), but I do notice some colour patterns that draw me in.
Out of the station, which has a 20/30’s art decho feel to the entrance, and I’m sure in its heyday it would have been proudly ostentatious. Edgware looks uninspiring as a sprawling parade of shops with architecture in a similar 20/30’s art decho style running south to north as urban London moves through suburbia and tries to become rural…but just not yet. I head off south intentionally bypassing the shopping centre where I will return to later.
My immediate impression is of an unloved and unkempt area overtaken with car washes which have camped out where grandiose properties once existed, tyre stations and back street motor mechanics. All this mayhem is peppered with more than its fair share of abandoned and boarded up shops and even the local police station seems uninviting. There is also an array of European eateries as I encountered Portuguese, Polish, Lebanese, Romanian and Jewish restaurants and shops within five minutes of each other. Some native high starch/low quality eateries were also encountered.
Walking off centre a little, a lack of pride in the community is seen through an unkempt community sign and a ‘Welcome to Edgware’ road sign proudly supported by Saracens.com. At another gateway, a reminder of some former glory is marked by a wall plaque at the entrance of ‘Canons Drive’ where you can wonder at how life may have been.
Passing the only church in the main drag, The Parish Church of St Margaret of Antioch which also shows signs of untidiness as the grounds and cemetery have only partially been manicured: the grounds in desperate need of grass cutting and weeding, although the wild flowers did give a colourful display. Walking past the former Sunday School, I made a surprising discovery: a memorial plaque to two children who died at Pant Glas junior school in Aberfan on the 21st October 1966. Despite some modest research to understand the connection with Edgware, I couldn’t find any but I suspect there’s a relative connection with the area. Please post if you know…a sombre moment of reflection…
One comment to date refers to a BBC post : ‘…Conservative councillor Mr Taylor added that he had clear personal memories of the aftermath of the Aberfan disaster from 1966. At the time he was a member of the Edgware Round Table in north London whose members opened up their homes to Aberfan families whose houses had been destroyed…’
Making my way to the Broadwalk shopping centre, I stop outside Edgware Music which proudly displays an eclectic mix of electric guitars in the window. I had hoped to pop in for a chat but alas it was shuttered up as the proprietor was attending a local funeral and wouldn’t return until 3.00 pm. I hope all went well?
Into the Broadwalk Centre, I stop at Unit 2, a clock seller who has on display an array of clocks and watches, and one in particular drew me in in the first place. Through the centre and I spot a seasonal plant seller with a colourful display. Whilst I browse I search out the proprietor as I believe it’s impolite to assume I can just take pictures. Understandably he’s a little suspicious so I have an opportunity to explain my quest and he’s kind enough to agree to my request but a little reluctant to be photographed. My thanks to him but our chat made me think that I need a better way to ‘show the thing’ so why not show on my phone, and get some cards with the blog address so that they can browse at their leisure. Always an opportunity to learn and improve…
For more info, look up Edgware on Wikipedia
Picture of the Day
This is taken in the car park by Sainsbury’s wandering around a florist’s pop up stall; seems like a regular event though as this was quite a well established stall. Nevertheless, the trader was happy for me to wander around and capture his stall.
This is an amusing shot as it took me a while to realise the florist had ‘painted’ on the black eyes to give the illusion that these are ‘happy smiley’ faces on these succulent, mat-forming alpines. Nevertheless the illusion works as it draws in several shoppers to buy them.
Settings: Camera – Canon EOS 200D; Aperture – ƒ5.6; Shutter Speed – 1/250; Focal Length – 55mm; Film Speed – ISO125; Google Photo Filter – None
Social Media
YouTube Instagram Google Photos Triptipedia – here I share some tips I use when travelling around London. A different twist on my ‘end of the line’ story
The End Of The Line 
Not been that way for a while myself. Spent a week working in the jobcentre some twenty years ago. See this story on the BBC Site from 2004, you have to go to the very last paragraph for a connection to Aberfan. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/3898651.stm
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Nice one Charles and thanks for that. I’ve updated the post with your link…
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Hi, it’s John from Edgware music, sorry to of missed you that day! I have worked here for 35 years, the music shop having been here since about ’68. I can tell you that sadly Edgware is very much on the demise, both in terms of business and as a community. The plaque on trvth hall -referring to the children lost at pantglas disaster in ’66- was placed there by the children’s grandmother, who lived opposite above the shops at number 10 Station road, Edgware. Thankfully the church today are dealing with cleaning the church yard up and making it more of a place to visit. Recently a book has been written by a guy in New Zealand called ‘Tales from the forumside’ which gives a 12 year olds view of growing up in ’50-’60’s Edgware. On a personal note, I hope one day Barnet council, local community leaders and landlords will get together to make Edgware the town it once was, and put a stop to the all night chicken shops/99p shops/charity shops(the biggest scam in England) and start attracting decent businesses to come back.
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Hi John from Edgware Music, I’ve just come across this posting. I’m John who wrote the book ‘Tales from the forumside’. I’m living in Redcliffe, Queensland, Australia. If you want a copy of the book, booklet i should say, I’ll email it as an attatchment.I lived in The Forumside for over twenty years, We were sorrounded by The Railway, The Boot Pub and The Maisons Arms. Very noisy on a Saturday night. I remember there was a record music shop near where you are now. If you want a copy of the book as an ebook, I’m at johnmonet@o*tl**k.com
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