S stands for Shelters

One of the great things about living in SE8 is simply walking out your front door and stumbling into history. Since moving here a few years ago I've been fascinated by Deptford's wartime past in particular. It's a subject I will certainly return to in future posts. In the meantime a posting by Deptford Dame has reminded me of these photos I took last month of local air raid shelter signs.



Above is the very well preserved example on Frankham Street (just off the High Street).

Sadly what I assume was a similar sign on the building opposite has been erased at some point.

Below is the example on Comet Street (opposite Elgar Close):

And one which thousands of people must pass every day - but how many have noticed it? This one is right on the High Street by the Deptford Project:

I'm sure these aren't the only ones around Deptford and its environs - please let me know of any others.

High Culture in Deptford

It's the first concert in the St. Paul's Sinfonia season tonight. It should be a most enjoyable evening...

Mad Dogs and Englishmen...

In which I spend a day in Salisbury, encounter a Lay Canon in the form of Robert Key MP and am bowled over by Orthrus reincarnated en route to Old Sarum...

I started off at Mompesson House, a National Trust property with a fine collection of drinking glasses... apparently it was also a film location for Sense and Sensibility.

Popping into the Cathedral I recognised the local MP, Robert Key, acting as an usher. Turns out he was made a Lay Canon in April and I must say it was nice to see an MP actually serving his local community - whilst I'm sure they all do this in one form or another this was a particularly visible act.

Continuing on foot to the hill fort of Old Sarum - basically where Salisbury used to be before the Normans saw sense - things started to go awry. Walking through a nature reserve minding my own business, two dogs combined into a two-headed Orthrus ran full tilt into me! I'd swear it was deliberate - they made no attempt to avoid me - I was upended, bruised and grazed but at least the canine pair enjoyed it. Their master appeared and was quite apologetic, as he should be - if I'd been a child or OAP the situation could have been much more serious... dog owners please keep your charges under control!

Undaunted I did reach Old Sarum eventually and was reasonably impressed by the views to be had from the top...

Queen Elizabeth 2 visits Belfast

The ship that is. I'm away from Deptford for a few days and was lucky enough to get tickets to view the first and last visit of Britain's most venerable liner to Belfast.

Despite the typically appalling weather the wait was worth it. Below you can see the QE2 being gingerly manoeuvred into her berth.

Open House 2008 - Woolwich Barracks

Hmm, a week since my first post, I'll try and do better... on Open House Sunday I bussed it to Woolwich to take the Woolwich Barracks tour. Although the Royal Artillery may have left (though the King's Troop seem set to return in a year or so) the Guards regiments formerly housed at Chelsea will move here - indeed the parade ground is being extended for rehearsals of Trooping the Colour.

The Royal Garrison Church of St George was also open - or what remains of it after it was hit by a flying bomb in 1944. Whilst I can sympathise with the decision not to rebuild it, the obvious weathering of the fine murals of St George was a cause for concern. Clear perspex panels would surely help to ameliorate this.