An Old Friend has a Facelift

I bought Number 56 in late January 1984.

It is the second property I have owned in London. The first, bought in 1978, was a small flat in Bloomsbury: Russell Square Mansions, WC1, on Southampton Row. A friend told me she remembered the postal district because it only had one bathroom. Southampton Row was, still is, a busy thoroughfare and the first floor flat, above a chemist, was noisy and collected grime from the heavy traffic below. In those days vans from Fleet Street rattled past during the night taking early editions up to Kings Cross for distribution.

In 1978 I lost my driving licence for a year so the central location was an attraction – I used to cycle into the city and walk to the West End to the theatre and restaurants. But after six years I was getting married and wanted a house with a small garden. I had rented a room in MG when I moved to London in 1976 and found the house next door was for sale. It had a new roof and new electrics but was rented out as multiple occupancy. There was only one bathroom but most rooms had a basin with an Ascot heater to unreliably and rather dangerously provide hot water. All the bedrooms had locks on the outside of their doors. The carpets were worn and filthy. A pay telephone in the hall completed the shabby picture.

The vendor cleared out the house leaving only three objects: a low circular, black wrought iron table that graced the back garden until this century; a small wooden side table that became useful to put the film projector on and now is tucked away behind the parlour door; a stool which was used in a bedroom in front of a dressing table until even I realised it had transitioned from elderly retro chic to junk.

Reluctant to part company with this distressed old friend, yesterday morning I took it to Goldhawk Road, a main artery off the west side of Shepherd’s Bush Green, and gave it to Chairman & Son for restoration. He found some leftover leather (£5), quoted £50 for the job, and I gave him £60. (Tenners are almost unobtainable in these inflationary times and fivers extinct.) I collected it in the afternoon – most satisfactory. I chose leather so I can stand on it to reach the top bookshelves – the library steps have books piled up on them.