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Designed in 1913 by Victorian/Edwardian/other architect Theophilus A Allen; John Lennon's house between 1964 and 1968; sunroom, attic and prisco stripe hibernice; Mellotron and caravan; Babidji and Mimi; mortar and pestle; Wubbleyoo Dubbleyoo; curios and curiosity; remnants and residue; testimonials and traces; (Cavendish Avenue, Sunny Heights and Kinfauns); Montagu Square; mock Tudor: Brown House: *KENWOOD*.

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Friday 2 August 2013

Wardour Street: 1943-2013.


Very little remains of Soho as ver Fabs knew it, back when blah blah blah. Or so I thought, but having recently been gifted a photocopied London Street Directory ca. 1966, which lists each and every business in central London at the time, it's surprising to note how many premises have maintained some type of continuity - restaurants have remained restaurants (albeit of a different stripe), pubs have stayed pubs (albeit etc.), and so on.
And so to a little corner of Soho: the bit of Wardour Street adjacent to Rupert Court. Above, the aforementioned "bit" as pictured in 1943 (Second World War), 1977 (Punk Wars) and 2013 (My Personal War On Everything And Everyone). Note example of aforementioned restaurant/pizza related continuum (and click on pics for a better look).
So what? No real reason, other than extreme boredom, but, o' course, this "bit" (aforementioned) is also dreeping o' Beatle association.
Rupert Court, as ye will surely know, was where those four cheeky lads with their toe-tappin' chart toppers were captured (not literally) heading along the aforementioned Court towards Wardour Street:


On the corner of Wardour St/Rupert Court stood Garners Restaurant, purveyors of fishy "fud" to Ver Fabs, amongst others, and here it is pictured in 1963, around the same time as the above:


The second floor dining room, circa 1977:


Here they are again. Note dummies on the left, in the window of Kravetz Maurice & Sons, tailors to ladies:


The opposite side of the street, as pictured in 1960. The arrow marks the then future premises of the Kontakt cafe, outside of which did Ringo purchase the ice creams seen above being stuffed in Ver gobs of etc.:


That historic moment, when the course of ice-cream history was changed forever (together with the same spot now):


New heights of trivia:


Returning to Rupert Court, the entrance (oddly) to number 29 Wardour Street, where Dezo used to have his studio:


Some more pics dating 1977 - in the 60s, the first floor housed Kurz A & S (more tailors to ladies), the second was home to a travel agency called Continental Travel Link, whilst the third was where Dezo plied his etc.
That's quite possibly Mr Kurz still there in '77, that might still be a travel agency in pic 2, and the final shot shows the stairs leading up to Dezo (who was still there in '77):


Thanks to Messrs L & C, as ever, and the London Metropolitan Archive.

6 comments:

  1. that was interesting! i love the bit about the ice cream...

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  2. Always a pleasure to compare the nows and thens. So they were just strolling in Dez neighbourhood!

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  3. My very favourite blog. I so look forward to your updates!

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  4. great - wasn`t the stairs the motif of one famous autograph card?

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  5. Well I worked on first floor in 1964/5 checking the restaurant Bills etc

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