Notting Hill

Saturday 6 January

Yesterday I said that I had not taken any photos, but I had. Outside our lunch place I found something interesting set into the footpath and I photographed it. Later on I did a bit of research on the internet and discovered that it was a coal hole cover. I’ve been a bit fascinated by manhole covers for some time but this was only about 30cm in diameter, so too small for a person.

My first and best coal hole cover

These smaller cast iron covers are where coal was poured into the coal cellars of people’s homes in the days before the clean air act (1952). My browsing also turned up something else of interest. In 2004 there was an arts project where well known writers contributed a short verse to be cast onto a coal hole cover and placed in a few locations around Notting Hill.

In front of the Coronet Cinema

Pavement poetry by Margaret Drabble

Today we went to Notting Hill and found four of them. We also had lunch, spent a bit of time in a terrific bookshop in Holland Park and generally enjoyed walking to the various locations past some very lovely London terraces. When we came across a fenced park with nice garden seats inside we naturally thought of the movie “Notting Hill”, but there was no sign of Julia or Hugh.

Somewhat grander than our terrace.

Notting Hill - fenced garden

Found a few different coal hole designs along the way, including one with glass in it. And I’ve discovered that I am not alone in my interest in photographing them. Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the Opposition here is also a coal hole photographer. I don’t know whether that’s something I should admit to! While we were looking at one in Horbury Crescent, a couple stopped to ask me about my Ugg boots. They have lived there for 15 years and never noticed the special one let alone the others. A whole new world has opened up to them and we saw them studying the pavement as they walked back to their house.

Another pavement poem

As today was Saturday, it was also Portobello Market day, which explained the crowds of people in the street near our coal hole search. Had a stroll through this very long road of market stalls and little shops. This is the place to go if you are looking for silverware, but I expect most of the collectables are dearer here than anywhere else.

Portobello Market