One of those days

someone said to me, they thought one of london's lesser known gems was the wimbolden greyhound stadium.( now i aint no activist but i am not a fan of dog race as i heard some give the dogs cocain- that aint right)
"So a dog racing stadium, and that's one of your favourite spots in london- unknown?" i get there and i realise it is the old wimbolden football ground. I don't see anything special about it- It's out.

Highgate cemetery

During my overgrown cemetery search in North London, i also came accross Highgate cemetry. It occured to me that this must be one of the most famous cemetries. It has a few famous people buried there. The most famous being Karl Max.
After i left Abeney cemetery in Sticknewington, i went to highgate cemetery. But in a 'truly fashionably late Ivy' manner, it was closed and i couldn't get in. I forgot it closes at 5. but i found a website for it and here are some of the pictures from the website.

web images

My pic

The Cemetery collection

The fact that I'm getting drawn to cemeteries..., umm... what does that say?
But infact london has some really great cemeteries.
This is Abney cemetry in Stocknewington (N). Overgrown like Nunhead cemetry. It is beautiful. Just look at the enterance. And once again just like the church building at Nunhead, this one is also empty and disused.

The odd bits

These were recommended by Julian. I think it’s pretty interesting but I don’t know how to fit it in with the rest.
“…also, Hampstead underground station on the northern line used to be called "heath street" (after the main road leading from Golders green to Hampstead, above ground), and the walls of the station are still decorated with tiles spelling out the former name. Same goes for Warren Street, which opened in 1907 as "Euston road", changing its name a year later, and the original name can still be seen in the tiling on the walls.

Cross Bones

On one of my ‘Tour de Southwark’ SE, I approached a ‘Mr passer-by’ (who refused to tell me his name) and asked the question “…what do you consider special but lesser known in your local area?” (I should really tape myself and leave it on playback). With no hesitations at all he told me about ‘Cross Bones graveyard’. This is a disused place that was once a burial ground for prostitutes. Now Locals have created a memorial shrine for the outcast dead.

One Tree Hill (Honor Oak Park)

This place was suggested by Susie Wright
“Hi Ivy,
Your project sounds great....my top South London spots… the oak on one tree hill”

Now, I loved Nunhead Cemetery, but this place… how can I put it? I connected with the place (cheeeesy). It is quite solitary but very beautiful.
Plus in the middle of all those trees is a lovely church that is still in use.

More of what Hackney had to offer

Sutton House- the oldest house in Hackney

St Augustins- the oldest building in Hackney

Round Chaple (ahh, saw it and just thought it was nice.) I haven’t done any research on this one but I’m sure there will be something interesting about it and not because it is just nice.

www.thiscannotbelondon.com

HACKNEY- ah, I bet you are thinking, crime, ghetto, wasteland. Well I had quite a negative perception of hackney until Millfields Park was suggested to me. You would think you are somewhere in Wales. This place was suggested to me by Linda Brewer. She lives in Hackney and Millfields Park is one of her favourite places in London. She also offered to give me a tour of the place so that I don’t miss anything.
The place is gorgeous and steeped in history

Hackney Marshes (they have professional footballers coming here)

Look they even have a baby Stonehenge (lol)

All the way to Orpington for…

Excuse me if I do not jump for joy, but when I heard ‘A Roman Villa’, c’mon, I was not expecting something the size of my kitchen. Imagine Mike’s (the guide) face when I walked in and shouted “is this it?”
“Well what did you expect? This aint no Pompeii” he answered back.
“…but it is gorgeous” I said to redeem myself.
Crofton Roman Villa is the only found remains of a Roman Villa House in Greater London. Mike gave me a guided tour and the history of every single stone on that ground.

The oldest operating theatre in Britain

I visited the Old operating theatre in SE. but in true Ivy style I was fasionable late or maybe just very late. The theatre itself was closed so all I got was the stairs.

A postcard to 23-24 Leinster Gardens please

Oh the fake houses in Paddington are brilliant. Most people I tell think it is a good waste of bricks, wood and paint. I personally thing it is a stroke of genius.
This was suggested by our very own Samantha.
“Did you know that there are some dummy houses in London? They look like a house on the outside but behind is an open section of the London Underground! There is one at 23/24 Leinster Gardens, Paddington.”
Thanks Sam


It even has flower pots.