Today on Sunday Stills the topic is ‘Urban’.
As far as I’m concerned, you cannot get more urban than the centre of London or on the Isle of Dogs (IOD) in London’s East End. East London was where I grew up, but I left it when I was 33 and it’s not mine anymore because it is now unrecognisable as far as I’m concerned. The IOD has changed rather dramatically in fifty years too, from the quiet streets where I learned to drive and where my school had its playing field, to thousands of eye-wateringly expensive riverside flats. I’m not sure the changes to my hometown are for the better.
Below you’ll see some photos of London that I took when we visited the London Eye. The last 3 are what the IOD looks like now. We often rented a flat at Anchorage Point when we went to the West End for a show or to the High Voltage Festival at Victoria Park. Where Anchorage Point is now were little Victorian terraced houses and a pub, The Pride of London, on the other side of the street.
Stevie Turner 
Great photo choices.
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Thank you, Kirstin.
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I lived a very urban life for 60 years, including a house in those refurbished Docklands in Rotherhithe, directly opposite Canary Wharf, south of the river. When the terrorist bomb was detonated at Canary Wharf, the shock wave popped the seals on my double glazing!
Best wishes, Pete.
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Wow, one of those million pound flats (lol)? We used to stay in a top floor (rather ‘compact’) flat belonging to a friend of a friend at Anchorage Point sometimes. Great views, basement swimming pool, and easy access to the centre of London. But then the owners decided to live there permanently, so that put an end to it.
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My house was a 3-bed semi with a patio-garden, built in 1985. It cost us £81,000 in 1991. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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If you’d stayed there and sold it today you could have made your fortune, lol.
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We split up in late 1997, and it was sold to a cash buyer for £112,000 during a small property slump. The third bedroom had been converted into an ensuite shower room by the first owner, so it could only be sold as a two-bed. After paying off the remaining mortgage, we came out with less than 20 grand each. The house is now worth £620,000!!
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I can well believe that.
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Pingback: Sunday Stills: An #Urban Focus – Second Wind Leisure Perspectives
I was hoping you would share pics of London and you did, Stevie. Talk about urban! It is sad indeed when our beloved cities devolve into blight and crowds, taking the original charm from them. This has happened in San Diego, my hometown. It looks pretty on the surface, but the traffic congestion and trash everywhere, etc, just kills me. Thank you for sharing your piece of London–great shots!
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Thanks Terri. The IOD has changed beyond all recognition from when I’d go there with my school to play hockey. Sad, but as you say with San Diego, it’s happening everywhere.
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I have never visited Canary Wharf, Stevie, even though my firm has an office there. I prefer old London and only visit sites of historical interest or natural beauty when I’m in the UK. Keeping those eye watering prices up are a big part of the reason the government is trying to hussle people back into offices, regardless of the negative impacts for families, and people’s health.
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Some flats are close to a million pounds…
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