I mentioned in the previous piece that I had first sight of Clanricarde Gardens on 23 November:
I’m not 100% sure it was in fact the first place I viewed. I have copious notes on some other places, most of which I have no recollection seeing. Here are those notes for those who like trying to decode expertly crafted ciphers:
So, judging by those pages of notes, I must have seen the place in Quebec Street and the Netley Street property before I saw Clanricarde Gardens.
Discerning decipher-folk night surmise that I was not overly impressed by New Quebec Street. Actually, the truth is, it made a real impression on me, but not in a good way.
The flat was above an Indian restaurant, on the junction of New Quebec Street and Seymour Street. I think the letting of it was the responsibility of the restaurant manager. That restaurant is (at the time of writing, late 2018) still an Indian restaurant, Zayna, a more up-market looking place now. I remember it was a bit of a red flock wallpaper sort of Indian restaurant back in November 1988 and the red look had been continued into the flat, which also smelt strongly of scent.
Frankly, I suspected that it might have been used as a knocking shop from the colour scheme, general decor and smell…not that I have ever personally been acquainted with the inside of a Marylebone knocking shop, you understand.
I also remember looking at the outside of the building and noticing a large crack in the outside wall of the flat; I wondered whether the strong smell of scent was intended to cover a smell of damp which seemed, to my inexpert eyes, inevitable given the size of the crack.
I don’t remember Netley Street – I think I gave it a very quick look ahead of Clanricarde Gardens that Wednesday as I’m pretty sure that Pam Russell at About Town in Holland Park had suggested that Clanricarde Gardens was a flat she thought would tick all of my boxes. I jotted Pam’s details at the top of the first page of my notes and I am sure that it was indeed she who found me my flat.
I do also recall seeing several others, as I felt I should have some other viewings by which to compare. I also felt that I needed to keep other irons in the fire, even though I had spoken with and sensed that Tony Shaw, the Clanricarde landlord was an honourable fellow who meant it when he said he would hold the flat for me for 36 hours.
I especially remember seeing a very utilitarian new build flat in Holborn and a couple of flats on Gloucester Terrace, one of which had a sort of mezzanine thing that I think had been used as a student digs for several people all packed in.
Actually Clanricarde Gardens was occupied by a trio of architecture students before me.
Diary says I met Caroline for lunch on that Thursday and that I went to Bramley Road to pick up some exam marking before seeing those Gloucester Terrace flats and I think also the Holborn one. I also arranged a second viewing of Clanricarde Gardens, for which Bobbie agreed to join me as a wise second opinion.
On my first visit I had spotted a pub just around the corner from Clanricarde, on the corner of Bayswater Road and Ossington Street, The Champion, so I arranged to meet Bobbie in there. I figured I’d get there first (she is always late) and that I could get some exam marking done while I waited for her.
While I was waiting and marking, on several occasions I was approached by one of the locals, asking me what I was doing around there and (when I told them my purpose) welcoming me and wishing me well. I decided that it was a very friendly neighbourhood with pleasant, welcoming people.
A few week’s later, when Ashley Fletcher visited me at Clanricarde Gardens for the first time, I discovered that The Champion was, at that time, one of the best-known gay pick-up pubs in London. The kindness of strangers, at least partially explained.
Anyway, Bobbie took one look at the place and said, “what are you waiting for? It’s a super flat – just take it.”
So the next morning I signed and sealed the deal with Pam in that pokey lettings agency on Holland Park Avenue, above Tootsies (now, as I write in 2018, Giraffe).
That Clanricarde Gardens decision was a good decision.
There is a superb blog piece about our street by Philip Wilkinson – click here.
One thought on “Flat Hunting In Earnest, 23 to 25 November 1988”