Southgate Green

I popped out this morning to pick up the smallest object I have ever acquired at auction, a Chinese agate seal. It is only about three inches tall, so easy to take away in my pocket. The only catch is that the auction rooms are about 45 minutes walk away, so a bit of a trek. Fine in the sun as I set out, but less so in the pouring rain that started on my way up. Nevertheless, I got there and picked it up in exchange for a modest payment, and by the time I got through the other side of the auction room, the sun was out again.

And what do you get when sun comes out after a shower? A rainbow.

This gives you an idea of the morning - bright green lawns of the park in the sun, with black sky behind just storing up for what it was about to deliver upon me.

The main drag in Southgate has little to recommend it - just lots of standard shops, unless you like the art deco tube station. 

Next best is St Andrews Church.

But a bit further on and behind big gates is a gated community in a brand new development called Lipton Court. I say brand new, but what makes it so attractive is that it is actually a redevelopment of a fine old house formerly the grand home of Sir Thomas Lipton, the tea magnate. So the house itself has been turned into flats and some further houses have been added into the grounds, all behind gates with security - what you get when you are paying a million pounds or more for a one bedroom flat in Zone 4.

While the high street might not be much to look at, there is a rather nice green at Southgate Green only a little walk away. In fact it would be extremely picturesque were it not primarily used as a green parking lot. Cars are parked all over the place.

But if you can ignore the parked cars and traffic there is much to admire. The green itself has, not a pond or a pound as others might have, but some restored wooden stocks.

There are some nice 18th century houses that you would barely notice from the street because of the trees

On the Green itself here is a very nice little group of Grade II listed buildings consisting of a coach house - below...

..adjacent to a pair of fine brick built 18th century houses - Essex House and Arnoside House - 3 storeys plus a basement, their front doors side by side behind pretty gates.

Here is the best view of the ensemble

They would happily grace Hampstead or Highgate. I tried to look them up on the internet for any information but there is little apart from their official listing information which is fabulously dry and boring. Except then I came across an advert for Essex House - it is promoted as a venue for filming. Nice if you want a period background. It said you could hire if for "glamour shoots" which I take to be code for porn. (But no high heels which probably discounts it for some fetishes.)T

he other side of the Green is harder to show because it has a main thoroughfare in front of it, but it does include the Ye Olde Cherry Tree pub, now a travelodge.

Nearby are also some good solid looking art & crafts houses

The somewhat odd atmospheric conditions of sun and ominous clouds together at around lunchtime allowed me to take some interesting shots across London skylines.