Fake 131

We were able to admire this old frontage while we took our picnic at Waterloo yesterday. Entirely fake in the building behind looks to be entirely new, not even bothering to preserve the lines of the front windows.

Investigation this morning, for what I think might be the second time, reveals that the frontage is now a listed frontage, while the building as a whole, known as Wellington House, was built in 1928, perhaps as the headquarters of the David Greig grocery chain, perhaps as a department store for the chain, perhaps both, a chain which started out in Hornsey and went on to rival Sainsbury's, before succumbing to the winds of change in the 1960's. Oddly a chain which I do not remember at all, although I do remember Liptons and the International Stores, two other grocery chains from the same era. Both of which sold loose bacon cut from flitches and loose cheese cut from plastic wrapped bricks. The former often from Denmark and the latter often from Canada.

The new building behind might be occupied by the Department of Health, an outpost of their rather larger operation down in Elephant & Castle. Or at least what used to be a larger operation - I have not checked whether it survived the redevelopment there.

While next door, from a distance, 'Hello Darling' looked a bit shabby, as if it might have succumbed. Perhaps it was the plague, perhaps the plague was the last straw. A look which seems to be confirmed by reference 4. A place which we did not manage to visit, although we rather liked what was there before. See the beginning of reference 5 - notice of an expedition to the very same theatre as we were bound on this occasion.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2021/10/fake-130.html.

Reference 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Greig_(supermarket). The story.

Reference 3: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1081057. The heritage angle.

Reference 4: https://www.hellodarling.london/.

Reference 5: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2019/05/death-of-salesman.html.