My high street – #1

It’s a well known fact that UK high streets are only just ambling along; one in seven shops are boarded up and the pride we once had in our local high streets is dwindling, so we’re told. This got the Velvet clan thinking. How are our own local high streets performing? and do we still have a strong social connection with them? They always say ‘look closer to home’, so here we are, stopping and observing, and discovering whether our local high streets leave us feeling proud or disappointed. Each Velveteen will take it in turn to spend a bit of time window shopping in their local high street and diarising what they find, materially and emotionally. Kicking off our high street blog is Lauren Allchurch, Velvet’s lady from Wales, and her report from Wandsworth. When I moved up to London from Mumbles – a fishing village in the Gower Peninsula (if you believe the Zeta-Jones hype. A nice place for a pint or ice-cream if you actually live there), I must admit I was dreading the transition. I’d lived in north London six years back and was overwhelmed with the busyness, the noise, the stabbing near my front door. So, finding somewhere decent to live was a huge consideration. I’d first become aware of Wandsworth when a friend from Uni moved into a flat next to the common, and I visited her for the weekend. It was a revelation – “That’s grass… there’s a river… oh my god, a duck!” So, when making the move, I had my heart set on the South West area. After sending my poor London-located other half on a tour of around 50 flats, we eventually settled on a nice two-bed, five minutes from Wandsworth Town station. Now, Wandsworth Town is a classic London contradiction. Walk for ten minutes in one direction and you come to Southside Shopping Centre – a mid-sized mall development, home to a Topshop, H&M, TK Maxx, Boots –all the usual suspects. In the surrounding area there’s a big Sainsos, kebab shops, a huge town hall, old-man pubs (The Spread Eagle – need I say more?!) – it has the feel of a city centre, albeit a small one. However, ten minutes in the other direction, is Old York Road, Wandsworth Town’s high street – or ‘The Village’ as we like to call it. This was where I was sold – if you conjure up almost the exact opposite of city centre, this will be probably be pretty close to what you have in mind. Yes, it does have the obligatory Pizza Express, a collection of estate agents and a Sainsburys local, but those anomalies aside, you might as well be in an English village. There are some real local gems here – so refreshing to see in the middle of London. Here are a few of my favourites:

• Brady’s restaurant, which is run by who I can only assume is Mr Brady, an amusing man who seems to have a habit of going around the restaurant filling up the late stayers’ wine glasses (and his own) free of charge. The menu is inexpensive and simple – fish, chips and salad – they don’t take bookings and it’s always rammed – “sorry, go for a pint, come back in ten” is the usual greeting. Happy to oblige.

• The Pantry, a great little cafe where I’ve had many a Saturday morning poached egg. It’s got one of those ‘sit round a massive table like a big family’ ambiances – not that I’ve ever struck up a conversation with a stranger, but I bet more sociable people do.
  

  The Pantry – home from home

• Of course, no high street is complete without a good pub, and the Village has The Alma. OK, it’s not outstanding – if it had a beer garden I’d probably spend a lot more time in there – but it’s one of Youngs’ better creations and a good portion of my monthly wages are spent behind the bar. It’s big, has a lovely restaurant and hotel for the parents / in-laws (so they don’t have to stay at yours), and most importantly, it’s friendly – I happily watched a rugby international on my own in there once after getting locked out, and I’m Welsh.

For the traditionalist – The Alma Wandsworth

• A local favourite is The Goodness Station. I have no idea what this early morning pop-up kitchen outside the overground entrance is actually called, but this is what a friend has christened it. The same friend is so enamoured with their bacon rolls that he often misses his train to work when it’s a choice between that and getting his brekkie. They must have the highest number of regulars of any shop on the street – anything that can get my boyfriend out of bed ten minutes early has got to be excellent.

• Admittedly, I’ve never actually been in my final choice, Tonsley Antiques, but I’ve made so many mental notes to go there and get a picture I bought in December 2010 framed I might as well have been (also I’m aware that all the above are food or drink related). I bet it’s some sort of family shop that’s been there for generations. And it makes me smile every time I walk past and there’s a note in the window saying ‘I’m in the Pantry if you need me’. That’s proper village for you.

Tonsley Fine Arts and Antiques