Sunday 15 September 2013

Recession's over - Property Boom in London!

With thanks and mutual commiserations to Sgt Ernie Bilko, former A Divison comrade and unpaid curator and founder of Alpha Delta Plus and the Cannon Row Metropolitan Police Group on Flickr.

For sale
For Sale
For Sale
For Sale
For Sale
For Sale
For Sale
For Sale
For Sale
For Sale
For Sale
For Sale
For Sale

.....It is to weep.....



19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Eventually every police officer in the Met will parade at Scotland Yard.Oh hold on,that's being sold as well.....
Latest hilarity is all the duties offices being moved to Hillingdon,nice and accessible for everyone!
Jaded

Anonymous said...

Have a look at Rightmove - the old Rochester Row nick has been transformed into luxury apartments as has the old Peel House in Regency Street. They go for sums of money only an MP could afford. I think the old Gerald Road is now a very nice luxury house. With regard to the above comment from Jaded I doubt I would recognise what is going on the MPS these days - still the direct entry Supts and Insps will make it all better, won't they?
Retired

MTG said...

Acceptance of change for the worse is by far the greater sadness.

CI-Roller Dude said...

Wow, I always wanted to own a police station. If your friends get too drunk at a party, you can put them in the nick for the night... if the grand kids act up, lock them up for a few hours....
and a perfect place for a mother in law to spend the night.

BillB said...

Crime has finally been vanquished in London; hence no need for police stations?

Quartermaster said...

If you're a parent with Teenagers, just think how handy the cooler would be. They cells prolly would have gotten a good workout on my son :-)

Anonymous said...

What lovely buildings.
JohnD

Hogdayafternoon said...

Retired. When I was on A, they were giving those Regency Street flats to anyone who wanted them rather than leave them vacant, the Met was that short of officers.

Hogdayafternoon said...

What have the `bright idea people` at NSY come up with to explain the alternatives? Oh, wait, perhaps they now all work for Tesco's as consultants - or shelf stackers?

Hogdayafternoon said...

Dude/QM/JohnD: Those buildings were indeed things of beauty as well as subtle forms of social control ;)

Anonymous said...

Hogday, I too remember that time when married quarter flats were given to officers who were prepared to live in them (don't worry people - a single officer didn't get a flat to themselves a three bedroom flat would be allocated to three officers to live in). These flats were usually in the less salubrious parts of town which you might not want to live in if you had children or were of a nervous disposition. There were married quarters all over the place, particularly in Central London. They were not bad as, in the whole they were solid flats/houses and within walking/cycling distance of work.
They were sold off in the 80's and 90's in the interests of something or another. I was told by a fairly senior bod that there was no incentive for the Met to sell the flats off at the market rate. The reason being that if a site was sold for, say, £2 million pounds then that amount was cut from the next years budget, not really an incentive to sell anything off. If you look at some parts of London there are many old nicks that have been sold on, unfortunately a lot of these buildings were not suitable for modern policing as they were designed for a pre motor car age. I do wonder who the original architect was as the designs are 'corporate' as we say today.
Retired

Hogdayafternoon said...

Retd,I could never park at old AD except on nights. We got a great deal with NCP at Central Hall, a 5 min walk across Westminster Bridge over on the south bank. Park there, get the ticket endorsed with the station stamp, free exit!
As for the police flats, yes my first qtrs in Clapham were in an exciting, pre Brixton riots, location. Used to take my stick, off duty, to get a takeaway :-/

Sam Tadanori said...

"Buy land, they're not making it anymore," - Mark Twain.

It seems such folly to sell land for very short term monetary gain (and possibly a promotion). Better to create a property development/management department and have an almost guaranteed monthly income ad finitum. I suppose there are archaic rules prohibiting such profiteering - though that didn't stop the policy of revenue making speed camera's and fixed penalty notices...

Hogdayafternoon said...

`Tad
and I wonder why, when they are cutting everywhere, that pcso's aren't the first to go? After my time so I cannot comment from personals, but what is it that they do that means we cannot do without?

Anonymous said...

HDA-PCSO's seem to be untouchable in the Met. I've no idea why.
Jaded

Anonymous said...

Aren't PCSO's a member of a union? You know, a union that can call strikes and maybe bring out other members of civil staff as well.
Retired

Sam Tadanori said...

PCSO's are most likely on the bottom of any list for cost cutting. Why target a group who are the cheapest to recruit, train, maintain and fast becoming the 'friendly' face of policing to the general public?

If anyone has anything to fear, its middle and upper management. Replace warranted Inspectors and above with recently graduated students in Management and Accountancy on short-term contracts so their pensions count for nothing. At least that's my plan when I stand for Police Commissioner election. Vote for me.

Hogdayafternoon said...

OK, accepting thatthere is no `face of policing` lets return to a fleet of unmarked police cars. In my first tour in an Area Car I was amazed at how unobtrusive we were; nice shade of blue, no stripes, no advertisments, no corporate strap line, just a single, small `Police` sign above the rear number plate and a blue light, a veritable `No see `um`.

dickiebo said...

All of this was, of course, MY police experience. Which is probably why I cannot truly associate myself with TODAY's police! True!