Walthamstow Town Hall

I've just finished reading all of Steig Larsson's millennium trilogy so perhaps subconciously when I flicked across these pictures of Walthamstow Town Hall they jumped out as the subject for today's article.

Walthamstow, of course, is in east London, not Sweden. However the London Open House website describes the Town Hall, designed by PD Hepworth and built from 1937-1942, as Swedish influenced.

The eterior of the building is almost without any decoration except on the sides of the columns in front of the entrance where you will find a series of small friezes like the one of a bricklayer below.

Reference:
London Open House

Walthamstow Greyhound Stadium, Walthamstow

Walthamstow Greyhound Stadium will host its last night of racing tomorrow, Saturday 16th August 2008. The stadium has been sold to a developer for housing spelling the end for this East End institution.

Seventy-five years old this year The Stow provided a fantastic evening's entertainment watching the dishlickers do their stuff.

For me the bonus was the the 1930s deco styling as can be seen in the photo of the results board (above) and the concession stand on the popular side of the track (below).

Naturally any one who has been to a greyhound meeting at Walthamstow will remember the neon on the results board after the sun went down.

Pink, green and red spelling out the name of the stadium and outlining the speeding greyhound.

The stepped top of the board supporting a neon clock.

I've had a couple of great nights at the dogs in Walthamstow and it is sad to see it go.

Anyone heading that way on Saturday, have a punt for me ... No. 1 in the first, it's bound to do well.