In Which Angela Spies A Heffalump

Forty years ago a huge housing complex was built in Elephant and Castle - the Heygate Estate. Typical bleak Corbusian architecture of the period - lots of flats with long walkways at each level, it was frequently used by film-makers. It was forever popping up in 'Spooks'. I cannot tell you how often I recorded that programme, and then stopped the recording when I thought I saw Liz, Jon or Steph walking past the tube station as a spy ran the other way - but it was never them. A few years ago, police were called when hundreds of bullet casings were found on the Heygate. They turned out to be blanks fired for a scene in The Veteran, starring British actor Brian Cox!

But now that has all gone. The last residents were moved out, and building has begun on the new "Elephant Park" [please, no puns about nearby Trunk Roads, thank you] although they are also calling the central area 'Trafalgar Place' I understand

I wish I didn't feel that some local people lost homes who cannot afford to live in the new dwellings, and that socially it isn't the best thing. Right now it is just a huge building site

The artist's impression below shows 'London's largest new park for 70 years' - we wait and see!

I presume this sign indicates how they are going to get all the mature trees into place

Inevitably the presence of so many boarded up areas has attracted artwork- this one [about 3 metres high] being the most recent to appear. The eyes seem to follow you round the site!

The ads for the new apartments show lots of bright young things shopping at East Street Market down the road, and riding their bicycles in the sunshine. Sadly they don't show the very heavy traffic hurtling round the Elephant roundabout just a few yards away. We must just wait and see how it all turns out...