The Shutting Of My Local Fire Station
My local fire station at Kingsland is slated to be closed. As can be expected there is now a vigorous campaign to save it.
In London, we’ve had closures of hospitals and A & E units, but here in this part of the capital, there doesn’t seem to have been a backlash against that. I have two large newly-rebuilt hospitals at the Royal London and UCLH, which are just a very simple journey away. And in the other direction there’s Homerton, of which I have one small good experience. Talking to local people, I’ve never heard a complaint about hospital healthcare in this area. So the reorganisation may have worked well, despite the partial closure of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, which we used to use, when we lived in the Barbican.
Obviously, there have been a few glitches, but now that GP surgeries are bigger and much more capable, I don’t think that anybody is saying that the changes have not been positive. The planning of the changes obviously used all of the data to get the balance right.
The coverage and number of stations of the London Fire Brigade has probably changed little since I used to live in North London as a child.
These days though, you rarely see a fire engine. I think I can remember just one or two since I moved here two years ago. I’d love to see the data for how many call-outs there have been in London over the years. I suspect that the pattern has changed dramatically with more serious fires in high buildings and road accidents. After all high buildings and badly driven high-performance cars have become more common.
So does the London Fire Brigade fit the threats it faces?
I suspect not, as too much it is based on an historic map, when house and generally small fires were a lot more numerous. But now that many more houses and premises have smoke detection systems, the tragic domestic fires have been reduced. We still get them I know, but isn’t it about time, that premises had to have a fire inspection, every few years or so.
The trouble is that the man on the Dalston Omnibus, doesn’t generally believe what politicians tell them. So we get a stand off, which in the end doesn’t change anything.
The full data from all of the London Fire Brigade should be published, to see where the service needs to be changed. some of the decisions prompted by the data, will be unpalatable to some, but what we want is a better fire Service, not one designed on London’s structure of many years ago.
I doubt we’ll see the data made available, as it might point to a different decision.
Strutt And Parker Opens A Florist
I photographed this stall outside Sloane Square station.
Strutt And Parker Opens A Florist
Times must be hard for estate agents!
Vermilion And Other Developments At Canning Town
Canning Town is on the up literally.
Vermilion and the other developments are just a stone’s throw from the excellent station, which I visited earlier.
You will notice Vermilion really stands out in pictures like these taken from the Emirates air-line.
One Of London’s Step-Free Bus Stops
The picture shows one of London’s new step-free bus stops.
One Of London’s Step-Free Bus Stops
The stop was also changed from a Request stop to a Compulsory one.
They may make it easier to get on and off a bus, but in some ways because they stick out, it does seem that getting a clear view round the parked cars to see approaching buses is more difficult.
Interchanging At Walthamstow
For years it has been claimed that you can interchange between Walthamstow Queen’s Road station on the Gospel Oak to Barking line and Walthamstow Central station on the Victoria line.
But the promised footpath hasn’t been delivered.
It should make a lot of difference!
Keep Calm And Eat Pizza
I saw this sign in the window a La Porchetta restaurant.
Keep Calm And Eat Pizza
I keep calm most of the time, but I can’t find anywhere to eat pizza in London. Unless anybody knows of reliable gluten-free pizza in the city.
The Kids Are Alright
I was travelling home on a bus last night at about seven, sitting minding my own business, when a seventeen-year-old or so kid in front, turned to me and asked very politely if he could borrow a pen. As I always carry two for my Sudoku solving, I handed him one.
A couple of minutes later he returned it and moved himself and his bags to the four empty seats next to me. We chatted about the ephemera of life like football and phones, for the rest of my journey home and he politely wished me a good evening.
If this had been an unusual occurrence, it wouldn’t be worth reporting, but it seems that hardly a day goes buy without a similar experience. As an example, I’ve lost count of the number of times, I’ve had a reverse argument with kids, be they black or white, male or female, about who gets on the bus first.
It does seem that the Polite Society is alive and well! Certainly on the buses of East London.
London’s Best Toilets
I’m indebted to Time Out for this list.
I hadn’t realised that the Hunter S pub, had such novel toilets, which I think are featured in the photo in the article.
I have been to the pub, as it is the nearest to my house. But I’ve not used the toilets as it is probably just as quick to walk back home and use one of my own.
Checking For German Bombs
The web site called Bomb Sight has just been launched.
Now you can check where German bombs landed near you in the Blitz.
I often wondered if my house sat on a bomb site, but I checked the physical form of the atlas a few weeks ago in the excellent Hackney Records Office. It wasn’t a bomb. If you’re anywhere near the CLR James Library by Dalston Junction station, it’s much quicker to look at the book, rather than try to find the area on the website.
The Anonymous Widower 