EVERYBODY NEEDS GOOD NEIGHBOURS

by Jez Bond

After finally meeting with the council (our neighbours to the left) and sorting out a long standing issue over our fire escape – which should be signed off next week – I travelled to site.

I saw, for the first time in situ, the banner that Jordan had hung on the facade. It has certainly caught people’s eyes and we have already had emails from passers by who have checked out the website as a result.

Inside, one of our labourers, Sasha, had finished stripping off the plaster to a number of sections of wall, revealing brickwork that we will soon sandblast back to it’s raw glory. Better to do the sandblasting (or grit blasting as it actually is these days) as soon as possible – while mess is no issue. While Sasha was beginning to set up the site office and canteen facilities, Jordan informed me that BT had installed the phone/broadband line that morning. Preparations to start on site are truly under way.

I then proceeded to our neighbours at the rear, The London Fashion Centre. Vickie the building manager was extremely helpful in liaising with all their tenants on the party wall issues and, over a bite to eat which she kindly treated me to, we chatted about various issues such as a history of power cuts in the local area. Luckily this hadn’t affected the network on our street, though even if it did by installing our own substation – which seems inevitable now – we will negate any such issues.

A trip past John Jones, our friendly artist neighbours, led me to Godfrey the Butchers – a family run business that has been in the area for over 100 years. They are directly opposite the road from us. Jeremy Godfrey and I chatted about our plans. He was pleased about what the theatre would do for the local area – and should we require any sausages for the cafe, we know where to go!

Less than a hundred meters away on Stroud Green Road I visited the site of a large new development – 32 flats plus retail to the ground floor. Although they were the guys who took the power edf/ukpn had promised us, the cock up wasn’t their fault and I had dropped by simply to find out some information which might help us get a clearer idea of what had happened.

It was then on to rehearsals for ‘Company’ where sections of scenes and songs were being pieced together. After teaching tomorrow morning I will head down to Southwark to watch the first run through – or, as we say, ‘stagger through’. Always an exciting time. Of course the show is about marriage, about friends, lovers, people who are your company. Which brings be back to the title of this blog.

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