City and Suburban
BY JOHN BETJEMAN IAST week's golden October weather has made me think of Surrey and what a beautiful county it once was, and in some places still is. Sunset behind Sutton Palmer pine trees, brilliant fungi on brown pine needles, and here and there a sleepy valley between the heaths, with a few thatched cottages out of the sound of Southern Electric— if Tennyson is the poet of Lincs, Hardy of Dorset and Arnold of Oxon, then Meredith is the poet of Surrey. The winds, wet woods and vast sunsets are the stuff of his nature poetry.
Now seems none but the spider lord; SW in circle his web waits prey, Silvering bush-mounds, blue brushing sward; Slow runs the hour, swift flits the ray.
VAB VECTIS Possibly because it is envious of that sweet isle of pleasure, the Isle of Man, the Isle of Wight has decided to copy it and have a motor race track. Of all disastrous sites for this, it has chosen West Wight, which is still country and like a piece of Dorset broken off and left in the sea. The track, if the county council has its way, will make an eight-mile circuit from Chessell Farm to Afton, thence to Freshwater Bay and along the Military Road to Brook Green, through Brook Village and over Brook Hill back to Chessell. Of course there have been protests from local residents, but protests have little effect anywhere with councils, especially if the councils have a quick money-maker in view.
`CARTE BLANCHE' AREAS?
Would it not be a good idea if ministries and county councils, instead of making lists of buildings to be preserved in our towns, made lists of streets where they could do what they jolly well liked, carte blanche areas for speculators and Government departments? This thought occurred to some architect friends of mine walking down Lower Thames Street who noticed that, after St. Magnus the Martyr, its two really distinguished buildings the Coal Exchange (J. B. Bunning, 1846-49) and the Custom House (rebuilt by Sir Robert Smirke, 1825-26), were the only ones threatened. The City could so well have chosen Cannon Street, Queen Victoria Street, Moorgate or almost any of its main thoroughfares for widening and rebuilding. And, in Central London, I would name Oxford Street, Tottenham Court Road and Charing Cross Road as admirable sites for new commercial cliffs. I am sure many other large cities could designate equivalent carte blanche streets.
GOING INTO A DECLINE I have been told that 'Yours very sincerely' is cooler than 'Yours sincerely.' Is this, then, the right order, ranging from hot to cold, for subscribing letters?—`Love and kisses.' Love,' `Yours affectionately,' Yours."Yours ever,' Yours sincerely,' `Yours very sincerely,' Yours most sincerely,' Yours truly,' 'Yours very truly; `Your obedient servant; `Yours faithfully'?.
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