The Dog and Hedgehog

It could be the name of a pub! These pictures were all taken within 10 minutes of my flat and go to show that while I miss long-haul travelling hugely, it's still possible to spot curiosities on one's doorstep. The Black Dog sign in a window shows the reflection of a block of flats opposite. Not sure why it's so-called; surely nothing to do with Churchill's infamous "black dogs" of depression, let alone the superb Led Zeppelin opener to their fourth album! In contrast, the hedgehog mosaic sits near St. Mary's Church, standing in the shadow of Lambeth Palace and soon to open as an eco-church.

The Oxymoron, a.k.a. the Royal Oak, stands on Doorstep Green. The vintage Younger's sign goes back to days when "good beer" often WAS an oxymoron. There seem to be people living upstairs but whether the pub will be able to reopen after the pandemic is an open question. The NHS picture gives a more hopeful message outside another local pub, the King's Arms.

Charlie's Patch in Bowden Street is a reminder that Charlie Chaplin was brought up in poverty around here, his family moving house several times before he made it big across the Atlantic. And finally, just when I thought that all open spaces had a name---Doorstep Green, Old Paradise Gardens etc., here's a nameless one off Kennington Road. An oddly irregular layout which may have been created after wartime damage.Read more