England: Powis Square, London

April 2012

When AFVdR and I were getting to know each other, I had not yet visited him in London. He often talked about the small park across from his flat - Powis Square. The neighborhood is definitely chic in Central London not far from Portobello Road and even walkable to many famous places in the city (although mostly we took the tube).

Powis Square is a garden square and locality in Notting Hill, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. The closest London Underground station to the square is Westbourne Park tube station. It was planned in the mid-19th century by noted local architect Thomas Allom. There is conflicting information as to whether the square was named, along with nearby Arundel Gardens and Talbot Road, after the Talbot family of the Earls of Shrewsbury, or after Powis Castle owing to the Welsh Marches origins of the land's leaseholder, W. K. Jenkins. Originally built as upper-middle class residences, the area experienced dramatic social decline in the 20th century and was described as being "largely a slum area" by the 1930s. The square and surrounding areas were later exploited by the notorious slum landlord Peter Rachman who, in the 1950s and 60s, had acquired many properties on the square and in the surrounding area. In 1968, the council bought the garden square after a series of 'break-ins' by activists campaigning for social change towards the end of slum-era Notting Hill. Today, Powis Square Gardens is now one of three publicly-accessible pocket parks in the Portobello Road area along with Tavistock Gardens, and Colville Square Gardens. The Tabernacle, a local community arts centre with a long association with the Notting Hill Carnival, is located there

(Wikipedia)

When the area was no longer prestigious, investors bought up many of the houses which had been chopped up and converted into apartments. Considering what an "in" area Notting Hill is these days, it is difficult to imagine that it was once a slum. The local council bought back many of the homes (A lives in a council flat himself) and others were purchased by wealthy people who wanted to live in the center of the city. By the time A lived there, he was lucky to find subsidized housing in such a "posh" area with a park across the street. Except,

London's Notting Hill Carnival focuses partially on the square and it is completely chaotic. A has to move out for a few days - his place becomes unlivable (he can't even exit to the street). He comes home after the event to a his entryway filled with garbage (and worse) that he must clean up. Obviously, his view of that famous carnival is not positive. Most of the Afro-Caribbean community has long since moved out of the neighborhood, so current residents wonder why the Carnival still has to take place in such a congested area. There have been attempts to relocated it that went nowhere (and likely never will succeed).

The Council Flats are often given to newly arrived immigrant families. A felt overwhelmed at times with "newbies" and their unfamiliarity with literally everything in the city. His annoyance often led him to consider moving, but he had a basement unit that opened onto a small garden - and he knew he would never get that again. The stress of having to deal with poorly behaving, newly-migrated people wore on him. I think it was a prime example of good intentions going awry and inadvertently feeding the fuel of the ultra-right wing who jumped on complaints from people like A and used them for their own agendas.

As for me, I wasn't too impressed with Powis Square except it is open and has a few trees. Largely it is public space with little grass that is trying to support a variety of playgrounds and meeting areas. It is NOT a lovely park - however, it is where I stayed in London (on A's sofa) countless visits. I count myself lucky to have had a friend who lived so centrally in London. I am just not sure A always felt the same.