As one of the people who laid it, in the rain gone 10:30 at night, just to say it isn't finished yet. The plants are in the courtyard of the gallery waiting for the turf to bed in before actual planting. The turf will grow out its current patchiness.
I agree with Perretonian. This garden was very bare and strange looking. Perhaps it's still in the making? And there are so many more empty bare patches, more visible in the community, that could use some funds and a bit of gardening.
I am Sure you are all aware of the full-scale replica of Trafalgar Square's empty fourth plinth that has been installed at the end of County Street in SE1. It was placed there in 2011 and is still there today, I only stumbled across it as I was looking up the Infirmary (McDonald's Infirmary) which was situated in County Terrace Street as it was formerly known, my great grandparents were listed in the 1851 Census as living there with three of there children.
I would like to make you all aware of the history of the street
Below is the image of the Infirmary c1825 which was known as McDonalds Infirmary
Interesting Valerie , the only Infirmary I know aabout was Surrey infirmary corner of trinity street and Falmouth rd. Great what we find out on this site.
I only remember the street as it was in the late fifties and early sixties. There was a bomb site on the left hand side more or less where Trinity School was situated. Families went there on Guy Fawkes night and set off fireworks behind the shops behind the junction of Harper Road.
Just to add, there was a row of shops between County Terrace and Arnott Street, then came Joseph Lancaster School next to Ripley Road. On Harper Road there was a newsagents, cum sweetshop called Warrens, owned by two impeccably dressed sisters. You could buy two ounces of sweets at a time, or a quarter if you were flushed. If the scales tipped slightly in your favour, one of them would quickly find a pair of scissors and cut one of your sweets in half till they found the perfect balance!! They later moved to another shop off NewKent Road (Bartholemew Street, not sure)?
A few doors along, was Mrs. Winch. She had a sort of dairy allsorts shop. You could get bottles of coffee there, was it Bev or Camp? I'm sure Jan will know. Anyway, she had a famous daughter called Betty Winch, but you will remember her more as Elizabeth Fraser (Liz), from the Carry On Films. She was a stunning looking, smartly dressed young woman, wearing those lovely flared spotted dresses from the late fifties. Often walked her dalmation dog along Harper Road.
A few yards into Arnott Street, was Old Tom's (or that's how everyone knew him). I think the front window had one of those boards that you could attach to the frontage when the shop was closed.
Almost opposite, by The Rising Sun Pub, which I believe was the start of County Street, was a butchers and a Co-op. They used to issue tin cheques (the Co-op that is), with your food as a divi (dividend) to act as a discount on further purchases. Sold biscuits from tins and jars, the broken biscuits being very popular. Money being very scarce after WW2 rationing.
By the way, I seem to remember it as County Street and County Terrace, but not as County Street Terrace. The latter must have been in earlier times as an earlier post states.
.....and the replica fourth plinth is no more - a pile of rubble as reported in the news section of the SE1 website.
One other interesting thing in this immediate area is the rough wall around the section of of the Ark Globe Academy on the corner of Harper Road and County Street. Some lettering can be seen on one of the stones. Was this constructed from rubble left from the blitz?
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