A familiar skyline to all Burnt Oakers: Watling Avenue, in the rain, leading downhill towards the tube station. While most of the shops change over the years, the skyline of sloping chimneys has remained the same. Actually one shop that’s been there all my life is Vipin’s, the stationers where I bought my pens and paper growing up. It hasn’t changed a bit. (I do wish they’d stock Micron Pigmas though!)
This is my contribution for Drawing Day 2008. Micron Pigma .01. It’s also my Illustration Friday entry (theme: ‘forgotten’, because I felt like I’d almost forgotten what it was like in Burnt Oak, until I went back just recently and was quickly reminded; this skyline, however, will never be so quickly forgotten).
petescully 
lovley skyline! i envy your skill!
Lovely pen and ink sketch. I love how it is a just a piece of the houses–makes a striking design.
terrific! l agree with Victorie, such skill!
thanks!
Very nice work and a great blog. Long live the Moleskine.
this is a really beautiful illustration – lovely work!
VERY nice!! love it.
In the 1950s, 60s and 70s My aunt lived at the junction of Watling Avenue and Burnt Oak Broadway on the main road near the Bald Headed Stag pub So i spent many weekends at her flat I remember the Watling Avenue Saturday market where my mother asked for half a cucumber and was told the man who cuts the cucumbers isn’t here at the moment oh what customer service
In 1963 I stayed with my aunt before an interivew to jon the Royal Navy I was accepted and during 12 years of service
saw a lot of the world
Fanatstic drawing Have been living in SE London for 30 years Must return to Burnt Oak one day
Hi Peter, just found your site by chance, I did go to Orange Hill School and must have passed your road every day on my way there. I came from Hendon. Watling Ave. was one of my favourite streets and I recall many of the shops there like Pegleys, the cycle shop, Mercados, the el cheapo shop near the station, the fish shop with all the wet fish out on the pavement, Toni’s ice cream shop ( Jean Bristow who worked there was my girlfriend at one time I believe she ended up owning half of the whole Toni’s ice cream business) It’s good to go back to your roots and see how things have changed, on my recent trips back I have been disappointed with what has happened in London and I am certainly glad to have come to New Zealand with it’s clean and green enviroment. Keep up with those sketches, they are excellent. Regards, Tony Day
Thanks Tony, yes it has changed a lot around there. I used to love Toni Bells when I was a kid, I’d get those ice creams with the little gobstopper at the bottom, before going to cubs, and I remember showing Toni my World Cup sticker album and talking about all the Italian players.