The triumph of old Brockley
Put your shaved Parmesan away, the wave of gentrification sweeping Brockley has hit a snag - Old Brockley has drawn a line in the sand.
In the heady days of summer, when it seemed Brockley was somewhere between steps two and three in the 'five stages of up-and-comingness', we covered the landlord's decision to update the Wickham Arms. Admittedly, the 16-point manifesto for change stopped short of the full gastropub treatment, but it did at least include radical new thinking, such as the promise to ventilate the men's toilets.
However, like the 300 Spartans, facing the Persian empire, the regulars have decided that, if the thousand city-workers descending on their pub blot out the sun, then they shall drink in the shade.
Having tolerated the decision to replace the front patio with decking, it seems that the proposal to replace the frosted windows with glass you can see through was a step too far.
A regular reports that our local Andy Capps protested that see-through windows would make it easier for their wives / children / employers to spot them at the bar and make it harder for them to prop it up. After a lobbying campaign, the landlord's been convinced by the argument that it's better to turn out your base than to chase the floating voter. Karl Rove would approve.
And so do we.
Sure, see-through windows might have been nice. And we don't see what's inherently twee about floorboards, rather than sticky carpet, but despite our original clamour for a Wickham upgrade, we've come around to the view that the evolution of the Wickham should mirror the regeneration of Brockley - gradual, subtle and without sacrificing the character of the place.
Decking aside, the pub has changed for the better. There's more of a welcome for non-regulars and the smoking ban means that any light that makes it through the frosted windows is no longer strangled by a the fog of fag smoke.
So long-live Brockley's velvet revolution. But maybe a better selection of wine (for the ladies, naturally) wouldn't hurt?
