Catch up post 2 - The Riviera

03 January 2007!!!!

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A shorter walk just to stretch my legs. It all seemed to quiet in the house after the holidays.

This time I wanted to see the view from the other side of the hill I walked up last time. So I headed for Taymount Rise. It was also suggested to me by Michael from the Forest Hill Society as a good place to see interesting buildings.

I walked past The Capitol again. I can't quite seem to do this justice. It is a great building with lots of history .. cinema, bingo hall, derelict, pub, etc. but the light has never been right to capture the essence yet.

From here up the road to Taymount Rise. The first thing that strikes you is the beautifully refurbished church. Of course it turns out it has been turned into apartments, so no wonder. Of course, it is being done elsewhere as well, but it seemed odd here. Slightly spooky. But then again Christ Church is even keeping the graveyard ... !!

At the top of the road was something out of a Poirot film. Taymount Grange is one of several buildings that seem Art Deco (1920's ?) and certainly don't seem to have late 20th century luxuries like double glazing. With the view, art deco architecture and palm trees you could be forgiven for feeling like you should be on the sea in the mediterranean instead.

This was quite enough of a shock for one day. The wintry haze did not help with the light for photos, so I returned home. This is an estate worth revisiting. I wonder what it is like actually living in these places? They look great and preserve lots of features from past decades, but how comfortable are they?

It would be interesting to catch up on a little more modern history of Forest Hill and meet a current resident to see if they romanticise these buildings as much as I do.