The Lost Goods Building

I love going to open-studio events--not only for the chance to buy some unique gifts, but also to see inside the studio buildings themselves. Today Bob and I headed over to a west-side tube station that we hadn't been to yet, Westbourne Park, for just such an event. We saw the Great Western Studios building from the tube, but it still took a while to figure out how to get to it! Situated in an industrial mess of warehouses, empty lots, flooded water mains, and a noisy adjacent highway, the studios aren't much to look at from the outside,

but the previously disused railway warehouse (with a fantastic name from its railway days: The Lost Goods Building) has been converted into something quite special and lovely inside, with a sense of character, community, and (of course) creativity lining its communal halls and individual studios.

Oh and the building was full of nice dogs too! We later saw this pup being carried up the stairs by his small owner,

and this dog must get a commission from his owner, since he seemed to make eye contact and then tilt his head in a beckoning way at every person who walked by the open studio door, enticing people to enter, and even trotting forward for a bit of a pat.

We did indeed enjoy a nice cuppa in this studio space, shared by two friendly women whose work we enjoyed:

One of the artists said that she had recently given her notice since she was going back to school and wouldn't be able to make much use of the space anymore--plus she told us that the building is simply freezing in the winter. In this vein, portable heaters lined most of the studios and hallways, and this hallway was particularly warm, with two sources of heat: one artistic, one a bit more sensory.

After a bit more wandering, we ended up at Liverpool Street station, and transferred to our overland train home. The station recently updated its departures board, but I kind of miss the old one, with its mechanically flipping sections (like those old clock radios before digital), which noisily alerted you to changes in platforms or departure times.

(Bonus points if you can spot Bob in the crowd above. . .)