Before I started work this morning I came across a Reddit post showing views of Denmark Street from 2015 and 2020, clearly showing the building work that our favourite detectives complain of:
In a pleasing piece of synchronicity, at lunch I was listening to an old radio comedy from the late 60’s called I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again, that featured a song written by Bill Oddie called Denmark Street. The song is clearly picturing a Denmark St. from a different age in it’s laid back and artistic heyday. If you are in the UK (or have a VPN that can make the internet think you are) you can listen to the episode on BBC iPlayer here. For the rest of the world the song can be found here.
Thanks for posting this, Nick! Three quick notes:
(1) I’ve been on the street in 2016 and now I see pictures from 2015 and 2020. I’m not seeing much of a difference. Am I blind — a real possibility, alas — or is the big change only that they’ve taken up half the sidewalk so those who park on the street don’t block even the one way traffic? We’re not talking major changes in the buildings, right? Only one change in ownership or rental is visible…
(2) I would thank you for the link to ‘Denmark Street,’ but I want the two and half minutes of my life back that I spent listening to it. Not only are the lyrics a disaster, but all the bridges are horn solos. For a street famous as Guitar Mecca? Weird. I think the discovery of the music studio history on Denmark Street, though, is really important; it seems credible that Strike’s 1982 meeting with Rokeby may have happened on Denmark Street. The location really is an important part of Strike’s success and identity qua detective, and, I agree with the writers on the Strike Reddit thread that this may be coming up in the Ritz Hotel conversation that will open Strike 6 (under a picture of Leda and the Swan).
(3) I was surprised and disappointed to learn on the thread beneath the Reddit post to which you linked that ‘Pelican Girl’ and others there (?) think I despise them and even steal post ideas from them (!). Maybe I should despise folks that say such unkind things about me without having written to me first, but I confess that I would have to have read their posts to dislike or borrow from them. I only know they exist because people recently — the past month — have sent me links to two of their posts. As noted above, the Leda and the Swan paintings in the bar at the Ritz Hotel and the Regent Music Studio find are first class catches (which may not be a Reddit find), about which I know at least one HogPro writer is crafting a post (not me!).
Anyway, Nick, thanks for posting this!
Thanks John, I think you are right, the main difference I can see is the roadworks, the re-generation of the building is perhaps yet to come.
Bill Oddie is better known in the UK for his television and radio comedy work, and latterly his birdwatching, I hesitate to link his hit single “The Funky Gibbon”.
Denmark Street is I think probably more well known for music publishing initially before transitioning to recording studios and then instrument stores.
Searching for somethng else, I just encountered this, which might be of interest:
https://alondoninheritance.com/london-streets/denmark-street/
Thanks David – really nice to see old Denmark St in detail!