Brixton news, rumours and general chat - February 2017

[editor]

Following on from January's thread, welcome to the February 2017 Brixton chat!

February is a very cold time to visit London in the UK. The city has an average temperature of around 5-6°C at this time of year which slowly rises as the month progresses. Daily highs start off at around 7°C onFebruary 1st and rise until they reach 10°C byFebruary 28th.

 

[Nanker Phelge]

It's raining

 

[DJWrongspeed]

It's mild.

 

[Maharani]

I don't care I'll be in India for most of Feb.

 

[editor]

Looks like we're going to have yet another dull snowless winter

 

[CH1]

Anyone know where the Iceland letter box has gone? I was contemplating an article for the Brixton Society about this

We now have a refurbished main Post Office is Ferndale Road - with no letter box outside. To add insult to injury it turns out that whoever renovated Electric Avenue at vast public expense has removed/stolen/forgot to reinstate the locally listed David Mellor designed 1966 post box outside Iceland Frozen Foods.

David Mellor is an ironware and stainless steel design firm which was based in Sheffield - not connected as far as I know to the erotically adventurous former "Minister of Fun" They have a shop in Sloane Square

From the council's local list:
Electric Avenue/corner with Brixton Road
"Square section ‘type G’ post box dating from early 1980s. David Mellor Design for Royal Mail"

Here is a photo from the manufacturer. The design was commissioned by Anthony Wedgwood Benn in his period as Postmaster General in the first Harold Wilson government. Whether they were still knocking them out in the 1980s as Lambeth Planning' local conservation list suggests I can't say - but it would be ironic if the latest renovation were to have removed the "improvements" of the last renovation in the early 80s which got rid of the remnants of the Electric Avenue canopies.

A photo of the actual letter box outside Iceland with permission for me to use would be very welcome.

PS I notice that letter boxes like this fetch between £150 - £450 on Ebay

 

[editor]

Anyone know where the Iceland letter box has gone? I was contemplating an article for the Brixton Society about this

We now have a refurbished main Post Office is Ferndale Road - with no letter box outside. To add insult to injury it turns out that whoever renovated Electric Avenue at vast public expense has removed/stolen/forgot to reinstate the locally listed David Mellor designed 1966 post box outside Iceland Frozen Foods.

David Mellor is an ironware and stainless steel design firm which was based in Sheffield - not connected as far as I know to the erotically adventurous former "Minister of Fun" They have a shop in Sloane Square

From the council's local list:
Electric Avenue/corner with Brixton Road
"Square section ‘type G’ post box dating from early 1980s. David Mellor Design for Royal Mail"

Here is a photo from the manufacturer. The design was commissioned by Anthony Wedgwood Benn in his period as Postmaster General in the first Harold Wilson government. Whether they were still knocking them out in the 1980s as Lambeth Planning' local conservation list suggests I can't say - but it would be ironic if the latest renovation were to have removed the "improvements" of the last renovation in the early 80s which got rid of the remnants of the Electric Avenue canopies.
View attachment 99825
A photo of the actual letter box outside Iceland with permission for me to use would be very welcome.

PS I notice that letter boxes like this fetch between £150 - £450 on Ebay

I have a pic here: Photos: Brixton street scenes, March 2016 – buskers, cafes, graffiti and more

It was in a bit of a rough state.

 

[DietCokeGirl]

I'd be surprised if anyone's posted a letter in it for a while.

 

[editor]

I'd be surprised if anyone's posted a letter in it for a while.

No, people do use it. I've used it as well.

 

[colacubes]

I used to use it regularly when I lived there.

 

[billythefish]

I went to use it in the run-up to Christmas (to post my Christmas cards) and was very perturbed to find it missing.

 

[EastEnder]

I'd be surprised if anyone's posted a letter in it for a while.

I used it all the time!! If you're coming from CHL way, through the market on your way to the tube, it was ideally sited. I know of no other post box anywhere convenient in the centre of Brixton. The next nearest I've found is inside the bloody post office, and therefore inaccessible outside of opening hours...

 

[Metroman]

How very strange! We have a post box thief!

There is one in Tesco, bright and shiny and plastic and another on Railton Rd, outside the news agent, near saltoun road

 

[editor]

How very strange! We have a post box thief!

There is one in Tesco, bright and shiny and plastic and another on Railton Rd, outside the news agent, near saltoun road

There's also one on Coldharbour Lane just opposite the Villaaage, and another opposite the Barrier Block.

 

[Maharani]

I remember looking for that postbox a long time ago and I used it regularly. Lack of postboxes is a real nuisance, a first world one but nuisance nonetheless.

 

[teuchter]

The picture posted by CH1 isn't quite the same type as was in Electric Ave.

Seems it was a design by Mellor from 60s that was not widely adopted. The design installed in Electric Ave was a later version "based on" Mellor's first design.

Reminds me I want to go to the Mellor museum some time. He designed our traffic lights as well.

 

[wurlycurly]

Anyone know where the Iceland letter box has gone? I was contemplating an article for the Brixton Society about this

We now have a refurbished main Post Office is Ferndale Road - with no letter box outside. To add insult to injury it turns out that whoever renovated Electric Avenue at vast public expense has removed/stolen/forgot to reinstate the locally listed David Mellor designed 1966 post box outside Iceland Frozen Foods.

David Mellor is an ironware and stainless steel design firm which was based in Sheffield - not connected as far as I know to the erotically adventurous former "Minister of Fun" They have a shop in Sloane Square

From the council's local list:
Electric Avenue/corner with Brixton Road
"Square section ‘type G’ post box dating from early 1980s. David Mellor Design for Royal Mail"

Here is a photo from the manufacturer. The design was commissioned by Anthony Wedgwood Benn in his period as Postmaster General in the first Harold Wilson government. Whether they were still knocking them out in the 1980s as Lambeth Planning' local conservation list suggests I can't say - but it would be ironic if the latest renovation were to have removed the "improvements" of the last renovation in the early 80s which got rid of the remnants of the Electric Avenue canopies.
View attachment 99825
A photo of the actual letter box outside Iceland with permission for me to use would be very welcome.

PS I notice that letter boxes like this fetch between £150 - £450 on Ebay

We used to vandalise or set fire to these letter boxes in Scotland. Elizabeth I never ruled there so suggesting there could be a Queen Elizabeth II was a) racist b) taking the piss. Fucking liberties. I believe a couple of them were even blown up. Gunpowder, gelignite, the lot. Happy days.

 

[teuchter]

We used to vandalise or set fire to these letter boxes in Scotland. Elizabeth I never ruled there so suggesting there could be a Queen Elizabeth II was a) racist b) taking the piss. Fucking liberties. I believe a couple of them were even blown up. Gunpowder, gelignite, the lot. Happy days.

Speaking as a Scot - that kind of stuff is embarrassing. The agreement is that when the numbering doesn't tally between the constituent states, the higher number is used. So, if there's ever a King James for example, he'll be James VIII despite England only ever having had 2 Jameses before.

You need to turn your attention to the anglocentric regional subforum naming on urban75 instead.

 

[EastEnder]

We used to vandalise or set fire to these letter boxes in Scotland. Elizabeth I never ruled there so suggesting there could be a Queen Elizabeth II was a) racist b) taking the piss. Fucking liberties. I believe a couple of them were even blown up. Gunpowder, gelignite, the lot. Happy days.

So, when they teach the history of the British Isles in Scottish schools, I'm assuming they can't entirely gloss over a thousand years of British monarchy (or is it 100% Robert the Bruce?), so assuming that's the case, do they talk about King Henry 1st, King Henry 2nd, King Henry 3rd, etc. Or do they just say King Henry, then later King Henry, followed later on by King Henry, then a bit later still, King Henry, etc. Must be awfully confusing for the wee bairns!

Personally I refuse to recognise King Louis III of France. He didn't reign over here, so I'm just gonna call him Louis. Sticking it to the man!

 

[wurlycurly]

Speaking as a Scot - that kind of stuff is embarrassing. The agreement is that when the numbering doesn't tally between the constituent states, the higher number is used. So, if there's ever a King James for example, he'll be James VIII despite England only ever having had 2 Jameses before.

You need to turn your attention to the anglocentric regional subforum naming on urban75 instead.

Firstly, Scotland is not a state. As a Scot you should know that. Secondly, the "agreement" you refer to was a submission by the Crown, claiming Royal Prerogative. Go figure.

 

[wurlycurly]

Edit

 

[teuchter]

Firstly, Scotland is not a state.

Prove it. It's essentially an entirely academic question.

Secondly, the "agreement" you refer to was a submission by the Crown, claiming Royal Prerogative.

So what, ultimately.

 

[wurlycurly]

Prove it. It's essentially an entirely academic question.

If it's a state then someone should break the news to Nicola Sturgeon.

 

[teuchter]

If it's a state then someone should break the news to Nicola Sturgeon.

Why?

 

[wurlycurly]

Why?

Well, for a start she could forget about Indyref2 and knock Brexit into touch.

 

[teuchter]

Well, for a start she could forget about Indyref2 and knock Brexit into touch.

I don't think the definition either I or you choose to decide whether Scotand is a "state" has any effect on either of those things.

 

[Maharani]

Errrm...this is the Brixton forum.

 

[wurlycurly]

Errrm...this is the Brixton forum.

You're right. Sorry.

 

[teuchter]

Errrm...this is the Brixton forum.

And Brixton was invented by a Scot.

 

[dbs1fan]

On a separate point, M.P. for Dulwich and West Norwood, Helen Hayes, defied the whip and voted against the Brexit bill; needless to say, Chuka ' s name was not on the rebel list. He didn't pull a sickie either like Diane Abbott.