For the Love of the British Isles: MORNINGTON CRESCENT

Opposite Mornington Crescent underground station, at the start of Camden High Street, stands a statue of Richard Cobden

Well, the pigeons certainly like it! LOL.

Richard Cobden was an English Radical and Liberal politician, manufacturer, best known for his successful fight for repeal (1846) of the Corn Laws and his defence of free trade.

Now cross the road to Mornington Crescent Underground Station.

This is a tile-covered building, typical of those designed by Leslie Green. The nice thing about it is, you can really get to see his design. Most of the ones he designed, are sort of swallowed up by surrounding buildings that mask the sheer beauty of his style. This one benefits from being almost stand-alone at the V-shaped junction of two roads, enabling a clear view of two sides.

The refurbishment of Mornington Crescent tube station was halted for several years owing to a shortage of funds. The station finally reopened in 1998, winning plaudits for its sympathetic restoration.

Here, we are going to walk past the Carreras Cigarette Factory. and round the back into Mornington Crescent itself.

The row of terraced houses that line the Crescent, were built in the 1820s and named for the Earl of Mornington. They are pretty much identical, all with the same beautiful wrought-iron balconies, but there are one or two notable points.

Walter Sickert RA RBA was a German-born British painter and printmaker who was a member of the Camden Town Group of Post-Impressionist artists in early 20th-century London. And if you believe the book written by Patricia Cornwell (which I don't), the prime suspect for being Jack The Ripper!

Her theories have been largely discredited

Must admit, I'm not a fan of his work. I find a lot of them slightly disturbing.

Spencer Frederick Gore was a British painter of landscapes, music-hall scenes and interiors, usually with single figures. He was the first president of the Camden Town Group, and was influenced by the Post-Impressionists.

Certainly much brighter in style than Sickert

Frank Auerbach’s 1973 painting Looking towards Mornington Crescent Station – Night (a series), hangs in the Graves art gallery, Sheffield. The crescent has also inspired various musical artists, including the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band and Belle and Sebastian. Here, for your errr.... entertainment:

Mornington Crescent

The crescent gave its name to a ‘strategy’ game played on the Radio 4 show I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue. Successful gameplay depended on sophisticated tactical proficiency as well as an encyclopædic knowledge of London destinations.

At the end of the long terrace, the Georgian has been successfully blended into Art Deco, with the entrance to Mornington Court, a large block of apartments.

Turn the corner into Arlington Road, at the difference is striking

CARRERAS CIGARETTE FACTORY

I know the Hoover Building out on the Great West Way is more famous, but in many ways I find the Carreras Black Cat Building more satisfactory - largely because of those black cats!

It can be found opposite Mornington Crescent Underground Station, and backs onto Mornington Crescent itself. This enables you to look round all sides of the building. At 550 feet long, that takes quite a while!

The building and the Art Deco period tied in with the discovery of Tutenkhamun's tomb in 1922. The encouraged a huge upsurge in all things Egyptian and it gave Carreras the perfect opportunity to tie their new building in with their premium brand 'Black Cat' cigarettes, which were introduced in 1886. The black cat is also associated with the Egyptian goddess Bastet (although she was originally represented as a lioness)

Even the factory’s grand opening was packed with Egyptian revival extravagance. Sand was dumped on the pavement outside to make onlookers feel as though they’d been swept away to the desert. Performance from the opera Aida paraded around the building and other actors donned themed garb to set the mood. A chariot race was even staged nearby.

Today it exists as offices, including those of ASOS, and the British Heart Foundation

The Carreras Tobacco Company began in 19th century London. Don José Joaquin Carreras Ferrer had a shop at 61 Prince’s Street near Leicester Square, but supposedly came from a line of Spanish apothecaries and so used ‘Established 1788’ on much of his branding. The Black Cat image adopted by Don José supposedly came from a domestic cat that loved to sit in his Wardour Street shop. In 1886 it was used as a trademark by Carrera, the JJC below standing for José Joaquin Carreras.

In 1928, having outgrown previous sites, the cigarette factory opened in Mornington Crescent. It was designed by Marcus Evelyn Collins and Owen Hyman Collins

The building was somewhat revolutionary. It was the first to use pre-stressed concrete and at the time was the largest reinforced concrete factory in the country.
It was also the first to install air-conditioning and have a system for dust extraction.