There's a lot of excitement at the east end of the town centre, with the DLR imminent and work going full speed ahead on the Love Lane area demolition. At the other end of town, we in the Powis Street/Hare Street "Triangle" are still waiting for news on our redevelopment. A recent fire in one of the empty buildings didn't actually make things much worse.
On Hare Street it really is a tale of two halves. On the right hand side as you walk towards the Waterfront you'd think you were exactly where you are- in the main offshoot of the main shopping drag in town. We've got chains and franchises: the ever-chaotic Primark and the slightly better Peacocks, Boots (albeit probably the worst Boots in the country), Subway, a large Starburger and a Riley's. Representing diehard, local independent traders we have the Aladdin's cave of light that is Electromode, Seventh Sun for alternative types, and two jewellers including Charles Dance, which can be seen in old photos of the street. We've quite recently gained two food stores, one Eastern European and one African, as well as a hairdressers/boutique and we still have TWO, count 'em, TWO pizza takeaways. (Avoid them both and walk round the corner to Indiano pizza, I recommend).
Look on the other side of the road, however, and although there's a something at each end, in between is boarded up and abandoned. With, of course, the notable exception of the Prince Albert/Rose's Free House, the best/only place for decent beer. Though do have something to eat before you get drunk on fine ale at First Choice Cafe next door, it does a great lasagne. This is one side of the "Woolwich Triangle", due for redevelopment. Hence the sorry state.
The west end of Powis Street is in an even worse state. There's the obvious talent of the bingo hall, formerly a cinema - which is open as part of the London Open House day every year it's so good. You can also see the old Coronet cinema across Parson's Hill, now the New Wine Church, my friendly nemesis. Pastor Tayo isn't a huge fan of English Heritage, but I've seen the job they've done inside and it could be a helluva lot worse, except for the carpets, which would make Peter Stringfellow vomit.
There's also a couple of shops next to the bingo hall and a friendly newsagent, but this end of Powis Street is really a tale of two Co-Ops. On the left looking towards the bingo hall is the older RACS building, which I understand will have its shell preserved as part of the redevelopment of this area. It has fared better than the building opposite, the 1930s art deco department store, which has been empty for a very long time now. The basements are flooded, the cladding is falling off, the metalwork has been stripped from the inside and some inconsiderate swine has left a load of windows open, so its full of pigeons and their leavings. Yet the it still looks fabulous if you allow yourself to get misty eyed and look at it from a distance. It allows one to imagine that Woolwich has an Art Deco "Quarter". Something that's worth preserving, something that makes this misbegotten town worth looking at.
The Council claims it needs to redevelop this area. But it seems to me that with so many new businesses opening where there are suitable premises, if the empty buildings were useable, people would use the buildings. I would be wholly supportive of any plan to regenerate what was already there. And certainly, there are parts of the Triangle even I couldn't object to the demolition of. It needs regeneration. All day long! But why must this mean the near-complete destruction of this end of Woolwich?
Article ID : 9
