A postcard from Pimlico

It's what you do when you go on holiday, isn't it?  And since it looks as if we will be having the ultimate staycation this year - in our own house - I hope you enjoy reading the only postcard I will be sending this year. 

I promised to talk about the best bits of Pimlico in this post, but before that, an update on progress on the house.  The lovely C and I thought that by this time (I started writing this post in August, by the way)  it would all be over.  Actually, I say that WE thought it would all be over but C - a man who can barely spell 'optimism' - has been predicting months more of work before we can lie back, open the Champagne, and declare victory.  I'm not going to say that he was right, but he was not entirely wrong either. The builders are still with us.  First off, there were the re-pointers.  So you're probably thinking, re-pointing, a good thing - filling in the gaps between the bricks that have evolved over time.  How bad can it be?  Honestly?  Very bad indeed!  It's not the re-pointing itself, it's the dust and the noise and the scaffolding and the constant presence outside your windows and, did I mention the dust?  Such a lot of dust!  The repointing is now a distant memory,  but we are not opening the Veuve just yet - there is still the work on the garden to be done.  Happily, this is now forging ahead. I'm not going to jinx it by saying when I think it will be finished, but I will keep you posted.

Just to show that we are making progress, here is a photo of the light in the dining room, which was finally installed by our electrician, the lovely Toby, a couple of weeks ago. 

So, on to what is great about Pimlico.  Perhaps a bit of history to start?  

Pimlico came into being in the 19th century.  Although it's hard to believe now, this was partly  the  result of an increase in demand for property in the previously unfashionable West End. Who would have thought that the West End was ever unfashionable?   An 1877 newspaper article described Pimlico as "genteel, sacred to professional men… not rich enough to luxuriate in Belgravia proper, but rich enough to live in private houses." Its inhabitants were "more lively than in Kensington… and yet a cut above Chelsea, which is only commercial."  Don't you just love it?

This brings me to the first of the best bits - Pimlico's position, bordering Chelsea, Victoria, Belgravia and the Thames.  We are about a 12 minute walk from Sloane Square, Victoria station and the river, but in what is actually a quiet enclave.  Although Pimlico was never actually a village, the word that people who live here  most frequently use to describe it is ‘village-y’. We love the sense of neighbourliness, which is something that we also loved about living in West Street in Henley.  Like Henley, there is a street market and a wide offering of local shops, restaurants and pubs, all within easy walking distance.  One of the quirkier restaurants is called  Ebury, by Fat Macy's, which as well as serving delightful Middle-Eastern inspired sharing plates, is a mission driven restaurant.  The Fat Macy's bit is a social enterprise, using the hospitality business to help people living in temporary accommodation move out of hostels.  As you can see from the picture below, it's a really funky space, with a large courtyard as well as inside space.  And it's doggy friendly too!

The street where we live is a mix of single family homes and houses that have been turned into flats, and everyone we have met so far is friendly.  Lots of them have dogs - the next  best thing to report about Pimlico.  We have even found a dog walking service a couple of hundred yards away, for the times when I'm working and can't take Lola out for a proper walk during the day.  

The next best thing about Pimlico is the Saturday farmers' market in Orange Square.

https://www.thepimlicoroad.com/trader/pimilco-farmers-market/

It sells all manner of deliciousness, all of it 'grown, raised or fished within 100 miles of the M25'.  A particular favourite of mine is the hot smoked trout fishcakes and C loves the Sussex Downs venison.   

When we first moved to Pimlico in the year 2000, one of the things that I really missed was a local cinema.  But not any longer!  The Curzon Victoria opened its doors in 2014 - just as we moved back from Singapore to Henley and is now our local picturehouse. 

So, dear readers (if I have any left after the shocking delay between publishing the last post and this one), while this is most definitely not an exhaustive list, I had better sign off now, in the interests of actually getting this published.  The fire engine photo on the first edition went down a storm with some members of the audience, so for all the lovers of big machines out there - here is another one.  It is no longer outside the house - thank goodness - but last week it was digging up the old pavements, which are definitely not on the best bits list at the moment, but they will be once the work to replace them is complete.........