The Marble Arch Mound.....An Expensive Catastrophe

It's not often that a new London attraction fails on such a large scale as we've seen

over this Summer with the installation of The Marble Arch Mound.

When I first saw Westminster Council's images of what the Mound was going to look like

earlier this year, I was reasonably interested but curious. I imagined that it would look

something like Glastonbury Tor covered by an enchanted Forest. But sadly it just

turned out to be a mess with barely anything growing on it. After all the hill is just a facade

supported by a mountain of scaffolding, covered by a thin grass matting clinging to the

structure.

When the Mound opened in July it looked quite poorly with barely anything growing on it.

Complaints were made and refunds were given out, forcing the site to be closed down and

reopen in September and allowing all entry at no cost.

Of course my only incentive to climb to the top of the Mound was to see the views and

get a few new and different views of the area around Marble Arch.

Apparently the Deputy Leader of Westminster Council who took charge and spearheaded

the whole project, recently resigned after it was revealed that the total costs of the Mound had

escalated to almost £6 million pounds.

The Mound will close in January 2022.

Above:  From the top of the Mound overlooking Hyde Park.

Below: Overlooking the Marble Arch from halfway up the stairs. And behind the

Arch is The Hard Rock Hotel which once used to be The Cumberland Hotel.

EDGWARE ROAD

Above:  From the top of the Mound looking up the Edgware Road towards Praed Street

and Marylebone. All familiar territory to me as it was Marylebone that was my first

address and workplace when I first moved to London.

The road on the left is Hyde Park Place which leads up to Lancaster Gate and Notting Hill.

On the far side of the Mound the grass is still looking patchy.

Above is the viewing platform at the top of the Mound. And you do imagine that some of the

surrounding buildings are getting even more superior aerial views of our capital.

Looking towards Park Lane

Above and below is a light installation by Anthony James called 'Lightfield.' It can be

viewed at ground level once you come down the stairs from the top viewing platform.

The display consists of sixteen LED cubes. And as you look into them you get a false

sense of infinity.

Above and more below of Hyde Park

THE MARBLE ARCH

Above is the Selfridges Department Store which first opened in March 1909.

On arriving at Selfridges I noticed a bit of a commotion where several photographers

had gathered and were snapping away at catwalk models that had come outside for

a breather. Apparently there was a fashion show taking place at the Old Selfridges Hotel.

And it was all part of London Fashion Week.

Above:  Oxford Street.

Below: Marble Arch Tube Station.

A Summer Building Project

Here's a little Summer project that's been keeping me occupied this last few weeks.

I recently gathered up a few discarded wooden pallets and used the timber to make a large

wooden plant trough/container as well as a housing frame for our dustbins.

Normally this time of the year I can be found in our back garden as our Garden Flat

tenants have been away in Europe this past six weeks and still haven't returned.

But this year I decided to put all my energy into some work at the front and side of the house,

thereby giving up my routine pleasures of working in the back garden.

Below is some of the timber, once I managed to prize it away from the pallet frames. 

Above: Using some of that timber I managed to create this large plant container.

Below:  The large container has now been sanded down and painted blue,

not forgetting the plastic lining to protect it.

The plant container is finally put into place at the side of the house where our dustbins

used to be. And so now the bins are on the other side and well away from the front floor

flat.

Above:  Rather than packing out the container with Summer colour, I thought I'd fill

it with some Ivy, Box Hedge and some Hebe, the very kind of plants that will thrive

throughout the Autumn and Winter.

And so off to the Mill Hill Garden Centre for a few plants and some inspiration.

Below:  Once in Mill Hill I couldn't resist another visit to the Village Pond.

Above: Down by the side of the Pond I was lucky to get this close-up shot of a

Common Blue Damselfly.

Above: Fields near the entrance of the Garden Centre.

Below is the entrance of the Garden Centre, or as it's officially called,  The Finchley

Nurseries and Pond Life.

The Finchley Nurseries covers quite an area outdoors as well as indoors and has

a phenomenal range of plants including some that I haven't been able to find in

other places.

Below: Lots and lots of Lavender. More Lavender than anyone could possibly want.

Above:  After long searches in other places I finally found some Mint plants.

So I bought half a dozen.

Once back home I planted all the Mints into a hanging basket. Something anyone can

do, even if you only have a small balcony, preferably using the floppy hanging type of Mints.

Above right and below is the result of planting a stone from an Avocado fruit.

This plant is now a foot high and growing.

Above:  Our Summer Petunias.

Below:  Looking out of my top floor window, I don't think I've ever seen so much

Virginia Creeper Vine growing all over the place. It's absolutely rampant this Summer.

And below all this growth in my neighbour's garden is their garden shed. And it is completely

buried.

And I realized why just recently. It's all down to the fact that last Summer, that neighbour

had their 20 year old Leylandii tree chopped down. And so the Virginia Creeper,

or Boston Ivy, is now getting the full sun all day.

And in just a matter of a few weeks these green leaves will turn into a wonderful

deep Autumn red. I can't wait to see it.