Goodbye Habitat Tottenham Court Road – but let's save Pollard's curved windows

Heading down Tottenham Court Road on a bus in early March this year, I noticed that Habitat had moved out. Oh dear. I got off the bus to take a few snaps. The exterior signage had been removed and the interior was being stripped. The lovely curved display windows that run around the shop on both sides were covered in dust. 

The windows around this part of the building are double co-joined curves – an expensive innovation, but this design allows the products to be seen clearly rather than be hindered by reflections from the street. The glass would have been installed in the late 1930s by Pollards, the go-to shop-fitting company of that era who had 'imported' this curved glass idea from the US. 

I went back in April and took some more photos. With all the furniture removed this gave clear views across the store space of the windows. Really good infitity shots are to be had from the exterior where mirrored end panels along the top sections repeat the curves.

I recall there also used to be curved windows along the Heals section of this TCRd site – those curves were replaced with boring sheet glass c2000 (I didn't take pics or note that down specifically).

This got me thinking about how unusual horizontal curved glass panels are these days. I can only think of three other locations in London where they are also installed, and they are all slightly different:

Fox Umbrellas, London Wall, Moorgate, established in nearby Fore Street in 1868 – as I understand, this is the first site where this curved glass was installed. It's really hard to photograph, especially when the place, which is today a cafe bar, is closed during lockdown or open with people sat in front at tables. The double curves here are shallower than at the other three sites, not so deep. I haven't a clue what those blobby bits of art in the window are supposed to be. As well as the windows, the Fox umbrellas shop, still retains many of the early C20th interior wood shop fittings. Pre-this Jazz Age refit, the display windows would have looked something like this at James Smith & Sons, New Oxford Street.

And then, of course, we have what is possibly the best-known example of these windows at Joseph Emberton's marvellous building for Alexander Simpson, a stone's throw from Piccadilly Circus. It opened in 1936 selling Simpson's range of men's clothing and is today home to Waterstone's bookshop. Here we a have a row on single deep curves, again with the mirrored ends. During the Christmas 2018 period part of the windows were damaged and suffered huge cracks, as shown below protected by thick adhesive plasitc sheets. This being a Grade I listed building, the glass has since been replaced. Phew.

At the far left hand side of the Piccadilly-facing windows, near the Simpson sign, embedded into the chrome handrail, the Pollards London name and 'patent invisible glass' along with two patent numbers can be found. Having scrutinised the other locations I cannot find any similar marks. More about Pollards in italics at the bottom

Joseph Emberton's beautifully-designed building for Simpson has, in effect, two front doors – the southern entrance in Jermyn Street is just as impressive, implementing the same curved glass and showing that both entrances were of importance as regards customers:

The fourth/last London example, unless someone can tell me where to find others, is on the old gas showroom on Crouch End Broadway, today home to Barclays Bank, where there are double shallow curves along both sides of the building.

Also note the eight beautifully-carved panels carved by Arthur Ayres that run around the building at higher level depicting the many different things that gas power can do for us.

Edward Pollard, shopfitter, company founded 1895. Listed at 134E+F Kingsland Rd, E2, as E.Pollard. 1906 moved to 29 Clerkenwell Rd. In 1913 E. Pollard & Co. designed and fitted Carreras Piccadilly shop. c1919 built a factory in Highbury. 1920s showrooms at 299 Oxford St (branches in Bristol, Manchester, Glasgow, Dublin). By 1923 E. Pollard & Co.Ltd also have second Clerkenwell premises at 158-187 St John St (Hammond+Champness lifts building, rebuilt 1925-27). 1967 Pollard Group relocated to Basingstoke.

UPDATE: see the comments for reference of similar curved glass at HMV, 363 Oxford Street, which I have written about separately here. 

Sing little foxy, Sing For Your Life

As you know I am a keen recycler and I hate to see waste. So a taxidermy roadkill musical sits right up my proverbial alley.

Some non-singing archtectural foxy London things

"If you go down to the woods today you’re sure of a big surprise. 
If you go down to the woods today the road kill has arrived. 
For every beast you ever did know is about to perform in a cabaret show. 
Today’s the day the animals come alive.” 

I didn't write that – I don't think it scans properly on the 2nd and 4th lines – as you know, I am a pefectionist, as is evident in everything what I do ;-)
So here is the promo (not sure I can get there myself, but I'd like to); The puppets in Sing For Your Life have been created by taxidermy artist and vegan (!!) Charlie Tuesday Gates using roadkill and dead dogs bought from online shopping sites.
There'll be songs, silliness and some gruesome surprises.
The Vaults, Leake Street, SE1, 4th–8th March 9.30pm every day, plus matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 5pm
More info, pics and booking here.

Urban foxes in Holloway

Scarcely a evening goes by now that I don't see a fox or two trotting along the street to who knows where.

Last September I found a handsome young male lounging on my deck – he practically posed for photos (see below).

This morning I look out of the window and find that there's a vixen and four cubs at the end of the garden (second row of pics). And they have cleverly dug away the slate chippings to access the space under the deck so that the cubs are safe whilst she and daddy fox scour the streets of N7 for KFC left-overs.