December 2010

Much has happened in the years prior to my last post - deaths, divorces and other endings, as well as new beginnings, relationships, additions to families, and little cats n dogs. Some constant companions have been helpful, others, although needed, less so.

A family member made a strange comment some weeks ago. On hearing about my proposed trip to Amsterdam, it was hoped that I might enjoy some time with a prostitute (female presumably) and 'revert' to heterosexuality. Rather a lot of hidden assumptions there.

There have been a number of things that have kept me at least somewhat focused over the last five years: work, being away from the gay 'scene' and my partner. Yet all of these are mixed in their influence. Being away from the 'scene', for example, has meant I've kept away from forms of sometimes less than helpful (sexual) relations that influenced me so much in the past. Falling into a duplicitous sexual relationship was the main trigger to tiring of the scene. But then not being on the scene also meant I became less bothered about going to the gym. When I moved from Vauxhall and away from the gym I used to attend, one charming staff member stated it was the 'end of an era' - meaning I was one of the first 50 members of the gym, had been attending for over 10 years, and was now departing.

I more or less saw the Vauxhall gay village grow up around me. Now called 'Area', this club grew from a space that was a disused youth club before being turned into 'Crash'. The RVT in Vauxhall was (of course) already there, but audiences for David Hoyle were, if not small, then more intimate than in later years. The corner shop in Bonnington Square was rather run-down, it then closed, and ended up as a 'taste of Italy in Vauxhall'.

Overall, the area has improved, it's more vibrant and greener - not least due to the vision and efforts of members of the Bonnington Square Garden Association and the Harleyford Road Community Garden. Those people have really shaped the look of the area (at least Bonnington Sq and surrounding streets).

The almost impossible to access bus stops were replaced some years ago with a new bus station - or rather, 'transport interchange'.

Property prices have shot up. Two bedroom flats bought for £72k in 1995 now sell for £350k. This is due in part to the mass of new developments in the area - noticeably the rather dense housing at St George's Wharf. However, whether the continuing development of high density housing in Vauxhall is 'good' for the area is open to a fair amount of questioning, usually

dismissed, though, by those who make planning decisions.

Given the charm of Bonnington Square, I wonder why those involved in planning decisions, do not insist on more green spaces, better landscaping and innovative planting?

Some attempts at this have been made in the area in which I now live. The award winning Barking town centre development, and the redevelopment of Barking park show signs of acknowledging the importance of plants to people.