Too much investing perhaps - the sad story of the City Pride

With the London marathon taking place tomorrow,  I can't help but think how different things will be, not only for some of the runners but certainly for most of the people who live or who have lived on the Isle of Dogs.  For this year's race will no longer take in the noise and cheers from the crowd, the joy from the jazz band and the party atmosphere that has always taken place at the City pride pub on the day of the London marathon.  Finally the developers who bought the land over 2 years ago for a whopping £32.5m, have closed the pub and boarded it up.

Being so close to our London home, we couldn't be more sad.  It was bad enough knowing that the brewery company put money over community.  There's already so much change taking place around Westferry road - some 20 years after the start of LDDC's regeneration program of the area.  Just when will it stop?  Can the 'Isle' of Dogs sink under the weight?!

The whole sale of the City Pride also leads me to look at why the British pubs are closing at such a rate.  Perhaps surprisingly there is a reduction in the number of beer sales in pubs.  Pub companies are just not doing the same sort of trade as they used to do.  But the reason why so many pubs shut is due to the ever increase in rising rent, fuel, property, taxation, not to mention the effects the smoking ban has had.

With all the development taking place at the top of Westferry Road, I'm just hoping they do find a place for the controversial traffic light display.

These were taken away just under a year ago to make way for yet more roadworks.  As it is the whole country seems to be suffering from the need to get not just the waterworks ready but all the roads ready for when the crowds descend upon, mainly, the capital for the London Olympics later this year.  In place of the mini roundabout will be a one way system and a super walkway joining the proposed Westferry Circus development to the core of Canary Wharf.  Saying that, despite the foundations having been laid and the riverside walkway being reopened, it appears that JP Morgan may have 'other plans' now.    Either way it was truly depressing to see what has certainly bought me, and my family, much joy and good memories over more than two decades looking miserably shut for good and ready for demolition.  In its place will be a 60 storey building to stand adjacent to the already tall Landmark building and both will house flats.

Also in Canary Wharf area is another greed phenomenon taking place right now; one which has astounded me.  Aware of the London Olympics later this year, landlords are pushing out their tenants - ending their tenancies and/or are hiking their rental prices to an extortionate level.  It's a disgrace.

Otherwise building work in London is never ending, a rush for developers and councils to get the capital ready.  At least now you won't find roads with endless cones closing off sections of road and with no workmen present.  So often have I found myself asking 'how many men does it take to change a lightbulb? .. dig a hole?'  There's now tons of workmen everywhere.

Saying that, there's tons of workmen here in Switzerland.  A perpetual stream of work being done and in Thalwil the build of new flats, which sadly all look the same - square, precise and all very ... Swiss ... perfect.  Although a four storey build here has taken more time than a 30+ floor building on the Isle of Dogs.  Not sure how comfortable I feel about that.

Either way, I still love the skyline of Canary Wharf - whether we fly in to City airport and over the looping Thames or whether we take the Thamesclipper boat to Canary riverside.  Wonderful.  A little mini Manhattan.  

So on a last note ... best of luck to all the runners in the London marathon tomorrow!