Monthly Archives: July 2011
London Blend: Italo, Bonnington Square | Londonist
Our recent trip to check out the gardens in Bonnington Square left us sorely in need of refreshment – and fortunately the area is very well endowed on the catering front. On this occasion we chose to get our caffeine fix at Italo, a bustling, fragrant and by all accounts popular deli-cafe which kind of spills out on to the pavement when the weather is warm enough.
The place is run by a pedigree partnership of the Di Lieto family, who ran Di Lieto in Stockwell for over 20 years, and Charlie Boxer, erstwhile novelist and closet foodie (and, incidentally, father of Frank, of Frank’s Campari Bar fame). As corner delis go, this place has got it all: piles of beautifully packaged bits of Italy (with quite a lot from other bits of the Med thrown in), a great range of hot home-made foods and general lunch fodder, cheeses, salamis, and hand-crafted cakes. But it is the smell of coffee which entices and domninates – and jolly good coffee it is too.
The coffee is Caffe Dolce, a fairly exclusive blend being offered at just a few London outlets. Our expresso was a full and manly affair, with a pleasant nutty aftertaste. None of that weird fruitiness that you get with some coffee. All in all Italo is definitely worth a detour next time you swing by the Oval or are Vauxhall bound.
Italo is at 13, Bonnington Square SW8 1TE, and is open Monday – Friday, 9.30am – 7.45pm, and Saturdays from 9.30am to 2pm. Tel: 020 7450 3773.
Nature-ist: Harleyford Road and Bonnington Square | Londonist
What is it? A two-for-the-price-of-one offering this time: Harleyford Road Community Garden is an apparenty shape-shifting (for which read ‘compact but easy to get lost in’), shady nature garden replete with benches, swings and a pond. Bonnington Square Pleasure Garden is a small but perfectly formed green patch fashioned from an old bomb site. The two are connected by a secret passage.
Where is it? Harleyford Road is actually a stretch of the A202 which is one of the busiest arteries of South East London: the Oval is but a strong-armed pitch over over the road, and the upper levels of MI6 are quite visible. The rather chi-chi Bonnington Square is just over the hedge and behind a row of buildings: the two gardens are all but joined at the hip. (And seemingly enjoyed by the hip.)
Why has it tickled our fancy? Because both plots truly are blooming examples of what community effort can do. It was the community (which at that time included garden designer Dan Pearson) that took control of the Bonnington Square space from the council in the 1990s, and it remains community led and fed and watered. The use of ‘Pleasure Gardens’ in the title also offers an affectionate throwback to the original gardens near the site: the Vauxhall Pleaure Gardens. The inclusion of the old waterwheel, and sundry bits of architectural salvage and mosaic, make this a delightful and quirky spot to while a way an hour or so on a sunny July afternoon. Not that Londonist gets two hour lunch breaks or anything.
Nature notes: There is nothing wild or particularly random about these two gardens – they are well maintained and full of well-thought out blooms (including an awful lot of pretty thistles). When we visited there were murmurous bees, and butterflies, and it was all, well, just so. The Harleyford Road garden has just enough overhanging trees and nooks and crannies for one to think that it might perhaps come alive more at night….
via Nature-ist: Harleyford Road and Bonnington Square | Londonist.
Remembering No.5 from the 1950s
Yesterday I visited Bonnington Square for the first time in over 50years. My grandmother lived at No.5 for a few years until her death in 1954. Her sister, my great Aunt, moved to No.35 prior to 1911 (she is shown on the census for that year) until her death in in the 1960s I have distinct memories of visiting 35. I would like to say thank you to the very kind lady, whose name unfortunatley I did not get, who took photographs of me outside my grandmother’s house and showed my round the delightful gardens. I believe the owner of the shop will know the lady to whom I refer.
I have many very happy childhood memories of visit No.35. My mother who is nearly 89 is thrilled with the photographs I took. the lady who helped had a Scottish accent and said she had been in Bonnington Square for about 3yrs having move, i think, from north London.
If you happen to be that person please get in touch with us or Susan Hall [email protected]