arts & culture
that fell on Dulwich in the war and helped organise the placing of 22 stainless steel memorials which name those killed in the attacks. Now we take a brisk walk once round Dulwich Park (I hardly need describe the joys therein but don’t miss the magnificent flowering of the rhododendrons in May). Then through the College Road gates across the street into the Christ Chapel grounds there to marvel at Louise Simson’s remarkable sculpture of Edward Alleyn reaching out to a child. Very moving. Back to the Village and time for a quick half of beer. It’s coming up to noon and people are sitting outside the Dog, as we call it, in the first warm day of spring. The Crown and Greyhound is a grand old Victorian pub with decent grub and a crazy quiz night on Sundays. And now for Lordship Lane, which has become so fashionable we are expecting Waitrose to arrive any minute. First to Moxons, where Paul Earles and team sell really fresh fish. Filets of mackerel overnight from Cornwall are perfect. Over the road a queue stretches out from William Rose, the butchers. I sometime think that at
...now for Lordship Lane, which has become so fashionable we are expecting Waitrose to arrive any minute...
midnight on New Year’s Eve there will still be a queue outside William Rose. And then a treat: Franklin’s farm shop where Tim Sheehan and his bounteous ladies dispense an organic cornucopia. Three shops up is another local secret, Karavan Eco a treasure trove of green goodies. I buy pretty striped bamboo socks; yes bamboo, much softer and stronger than cotton and much more environmentally friendly. And, so to lunch and a glass of wine. There are endless restaurants in and around Dulwich and as for wine, when I arrived all those years ago there was not a vintners in Lordship Lane, now there are three. After all these years I know one thing about this very special part of London – it’ll long continue be the site of my perfect day. Black Venus is out now; Duckworth Press
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JAMES MCMANUS APRIL Dulwich.indd 17
28/03/2014 09:57