St George’s Day Festival
16th June 2000
Blackfriars Road, London SE1 8NL
Hearse and poster
Now here’s something of a challenge – a one-off shot taken not far from Christ Church in Southwark during the early months of the Millennium on a road that has experienced vast amounts of change in the years since, so much so that there are no longer any billboard poster sites along its route. So where are we, then?
Fortunately there’s just enough detail at the top edge of the image to find a match to a building that’s still there (and there aren’t too many) – and even this fine office block, which was being refurbished at the time, is under threat of demolition as part of Southwark Council’s Grand Scheme to make Blackfriars Road a ‘Prime Business District Area’. As well as prime luxury apartment area, let’s not forget.
Fortunately Christ Church (which replaced the really old church after is suffered major damage during the Blitz) isn’t under any threat, and that particular afternoon locals have been enjoying a pleasant social gathering to mark the public opening of its new gardens.
Sadly, historic adjacent buildings have already disappeared, including the one that Alex Chinneck ingeniously turned upside down in 2014.
I suppose you could possibly see the image as a contemporary metaphor with the priest representing property developers enjoying the good times, unconcerned at the plight and eventual demise of the crushed local community… or possibly not. Anyway, here’s Jim Nesbitt to cheer us all up.
Image reference: 0513 | Posted date: 18 March 2018
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