"Christmas gets earlier and earlier every year" is an oft repeated refrain, and it's true that many of the big stores start displaying seasonal stock while British Summer Time is still in full swing. The Christmas lights and windows usually make an appearance as soon as the last pumpkin has been ushered out, so in the early days of December, I was beginning to wonder if Christmas was coming to the Palace at all. Windows were looking decidedly unseasonal, and I was beginning to doubt my plan to blog about festive fenestration! But then, all of a sudden the Christmas fairy swooped and scattered glitter all around. And actually that's just how it should be, rather than being jaded by months of commercial bombardment, a fortnight or so of baubles and glitter is just enough to get you in the mood. So one evening last week, I went window shopping around the Triangle. Here is what I saw, starting on Church Road, heading clockwise…
The Crystal Palace Market
D Solo's
Christmas trees for sale next to Bambino
Finlay's Bureau of Investigation
Vien
The Alma
The White Hart
Vintage Hart
Around the corner into Westow Street Urban Orient
Simon Carter
Blackbird Bakery
Love Bridal
Backstage
Papagaio
Crystal Palace Vintage
South of the River
Bookseller Crow, with dinosaur illustrations by David Vallade
Merlin Shoes, with Subway illustration, also by David Vallade.
The Triangle is a photo journal about a little corner of South London. I am a Photographer specialising in Interiors and Architecture, & I moved to Upper Norwood/Crystal Palace/Gipsy Hill/SE19 (you choose) back in 2006, and saw immediately what a strong community exists here. One of the things that makes the area different, is that unlike most of the towns and villages that make up London, it is not arranged along an endless high street on the way to somewhere else, but instead is centred on the 3 streets which gives the area its "Triangle" soubriquet. As well as its community spirit, the area also possesses a strongly independent streak, which is reflected in its diverse local shops and restaurants, many of which are locally owned and run businesses. Unusually for London, apart from the usual banks and estate agents, you don't find many national chains here. So the aim of this blog is to photograph as many of these businesses on the Triangle, both the premises and the owners or those who run them, to celebrate this rich community.
