Day 66
Norwood Junction - Notting Hill Gate
Having decked my halls, roasted my chestnuts and bought some corn for popping, I've finally managed to find a free couple of hours to go out wombling again before the festive madness starts. It's a relatively easy day today with just a couple of stations left from the list of 'Ns' to round off - which will then allow me to kick off the New Year with a new letter. Huzzah!
Sadly, the first of the two stations - Norwood Junction - is rather a let-down.
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| Norwood Junction |
It's the penultimate station on the West Croydon branch of the Overground Line and features in the Sherlock Holmes story 'The Adventure of the Norwood Builder' (Arthur Conan Doyle lived close by on Tennison Road), but now it feels the sort of place whose glory days (if it ever had any) are long behind it.
Paintwork peels off every shop front, both litter and homeless people line the streets, the smell of cannabis being smoked hits you every few feet, and the locals seem to have missed the memo about Christmas being 'merry', as both festive decorations and yuletide spirit are in short supply.
The only potential curiosity which my pre-womble research has thrown up is a public garden, built on a scrap of former waste-ground to the north of the High Street, and named after local 'celebrity' Captain Sensible. The 'Sensible Garden' containing the 'Sensible Bench', was the brainchild of the South Norwood Tourist Board and was built with help from local volunteers. It all sounds lovely, and I head there in search of something to lift my spirits.
However, even this is a bit of a disappointment.
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| 'Sensible Garden' |
Though the garden itself is, I suppose, not too bad looking - as far as it can be on such a small plot of land - the rough looking couple sat at a table close to the 'Sensible Bench', swigging from a cheap bottle of wine and huddling over what I presume is something drug-related, dissuade me from closer investigation.
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| Vinyl Thoughts |
I take a couple of photos from a distance, before making my way back along the drab High Street to the station.
***
Talk about rags to riches...
Notting Hill Gate could hardly be more of a contrast to Norwood Junction. Instead of tatty grocery stores there are chic estate agents, in place of mobile phone unlockers there are purveyors of antiques, and instead of fried chicken it's sushi and fine dining.
The station is named after the road it sits on, which is itself named after the toll-gate which once stood here.
These days - being part of the borough of Kensington and Chelsea - it's an affluent and trendy area. There are all the usual high street shops and restaurants, but in addition there are many independent shops catering to the gentrified local populace.
Just to the north of the station is the southern end of Portobello Road, with its well-known market and retro fashion boutiques.
Every August Bank Holiday the area plays host to the Notting Hill Carnival, which has been a fixture of the calendar since 1966. A Rio-esque pageant of dancing, partying and colourful costumes - it is a celebration of the diversity of the Capital, and - though occasionally marred by violence - attracts thousands of people every year.
Christmas-time in Notting Hill is rather muted by comparison. Though there are more decorations than I saw this morning in Norwood Junction, they're still somewhat... restrained. I get the distinct impression that a tinsel-scarf or gaudy reindeer pullover would be severely frowned upon.
And so - rather lacking in festive spirit - I head back home at the end of another day (and another letter!) and scoff a couple of home-made mince pies out of sheer bloody-minded merriment.
And on that note, I'll take my leave.
I hope your Christmases and New Years are suitably full of cheer - and look forward to regaling you with my adventures with the letter O in January. Have a good one!
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| The 'Sensible Bench' (to the left - and avoiding photographing the local junkies) |
***
Talk about rags to riches...
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| Notting Hill Gate |
Notting Hill Gate could hardly be more of a contrast to Norwood Junction. Instead of tatty grocery stores there are chic estate agents, in place of mobile phone unlockers there are purveyors of antiques, and instead of fried chicken it's sushi and fine dining.
The station is named after the road it sits on, which is itself named after the toll-gate which once stood here.
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| Notting Hill Gate - Looking West |
These days - being part of the borough of Kensington and Chelsea - it's an affluent and trendy area. There are all the usual high street shops and restaurants, but in addition there are many independent shops catering to the gentrified local populace.
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| And looking East |
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| Pembridge Road - leading to Portobello Road |
Christmas-time in Notting Hill is rather muted by comparison. Though there are more decorations than I saw this morning in Norwood Junction, they're still somewhat... restrained. I get the distinct impression that a tinsel-scarf or gaudy reindeer pullover would be severely frowned upon.
And so - rather lacking in festive spirit - I head back home at the end of another day (and another letter!) and scoff a couple of home-made mince pies out of sheer bloody-minded merriment.
And on that note, I'll take my leave.
I hope your Christmases and New Years are suitably full of cheer - and look forward to regaling you with my adventures with the letter O in January. Have a good one!
