Walked this morning to the House, as I do every day, along Victoria Street.
Flanked as it is by particularly ugly concrete-and-glass government buildings of the New Brutalist school, Victoria Street could never claim to be one of the capital’s finer thoroughfares. However, of late, it has begun to look even less attractive than usual. The pavements, which are surfaced with bitumen, rather than paving stones, are scarred with gobbets of chewing gum in varying stages of stickiness. Heavy steel barriers have been deposited outside New Scotland Yard and other government buildings to guard against terrorist attack, creating an atmosphere of siege.
Some small attempt has, it is true, been made to cheer up this soulless part of town, by hanging baskets of flowers from the lamp-posts, but the overall effect is deeply depressing.
The great pity is that Victoria Street is the route along which many visitors to London make their way to Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament – the two most important tourist “sights” of the city. It is hard to imagine a more dispiriting introduction to what is, after all, a world heritage site.
Whilst little can be done to improve the appearance of the dismal 1970s office blocks, short of outright demolition, relatively small cosmetic changes would spruce up this part of town no end. The bitumen could easily be replaced by flagstones, and large floral planters placed at intervals along the street. With imagination, even the steel ram-raid barriers could, I am sure, be made to look better.
Most effectively, the disfiguring chewing gum should be steam-cleaned off the pavements and penalties for dropping it more rigorously enforced.
Even better, consumption of the filthy substance should be banned entirely, as it once was in Singapore. Now, that would be a step forward, and something for me to think about in the event of winning the ballot for a Private Member's Bill.
Flanked as it is by particularly ugly concrete-and-glass government buildings of the New Brutalist school, Victoria Street could never claim to be one of the capital’s finer thoroughfares. However, of late, it has begun to look even less attractive than usual. The pavements, which are surfaced with bitumen, rather than paving stones, are scarred with gobbets of chewing gum in varying stages of stickiness. Heavy steel barriers have been deposited outside New Scotland Yard and other government buildings to guard against terrorist attack, creating an atmosphere of siege.
Some small attempt has, it is true, been made to cheer up this soulless part of town, by hanging baskets of flowers from the lamp-posts, but the overall effect is deeply depressing.
The great pity is that Victoria Street is the route along which many visitors to London make their way to Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament – the two most important tourist “sights” of the city. It is hard to imagine a more dispiriting introduction to what is, after all, a world heritage site.
Whilst little can be done to improve the appearance of the dismal 1970s office blocks, short of outright demolition, relatively small cosmetic changes would spruce up this part of town no end. The bitumen could easily be replaced by flagstones, and large floral planters placed at intervals along the street. With imagination, even the steel ram-raid barriers could, I am sure, be made to look better.
Most effectively, the disfiguring chewing gum should be steam-cleaned off the pavements and penalties for dropping it more rigorously enforced.
Even better, consumption of the filthy substance should be banned entirely, as it once was in Singapore. Now, that would be a step forward, and something for me to think about in the event of winning the ballot for a Private Member's Bill.
5 comments:
One bill to consider would that of sticking Maclean's crook up his arse?
Far more important tings to worry about than that of banning chewing gum I think.
Here Here!!!!
The comment was intended to be ironic, Oscar!
You're absolutely right about the ugly black barriers they seem to have throughout Westminster. I don't doubt they're necessary, but as I walked past the House only last week, I couldn't help thinking that something should be done to make them appear more in keeping with the beauty of the Palace.
Then again, coming from the rolling hills and sunshine coast of Clwyd West, beauty is something that you and I, David, are accustomed to!
Still think the bii re, macleans crook might be worth a go!!
Another bill,
Abolish the assembly,give us the chance to vote again!
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