M. Landaw, 5 Eagle Place, City of Westminster, London SW1, 2003 & 2014 (bottom) • Stylish alleyway newsagent looking straight out of Vienna. Not only has it disappeared, the entire lively row was later stripped of commerce and rebuilt as a barren, featureless space (bottom). There’s a 2008 photo of the whole alley pre-development on the Urban75 blog here.
Shopfront Elegy 
This is a real shame, craft and character stripped away in boring blandness. Have you been to South Norwood? It’s a mine of neglect and bad shops fronts but some gems of originality and old hand painted signs peeking from behind poorly installed facias.
Hi Lee, good to hear from you. This is indeed a horrible loss, I felt sure it was still there but no, utterly gone. I must take up your tip and head to South Norwood very soon.
There are a few still in Sydenham too. If you come by Sarf East London, give us a shout. West Norwood still worth a look, although some finery has been lost although there is much shabbiness still and some great Ghost signs.
Will do. I briefly did that area circa 2001, recording all the now defunct Kennedy’s butchers (mainly on slide film, hence not blogged yet). I live South myself but don’t like driving on the so-called South Circular (joke name), which isn’t much of an excuse for not revisiting.