The Olympic high street makeover: Just in time for the Games round the corner, shops get a new look that's more Notting Hill than EastEnderstvb now,tvbnow,bttvb& E2 O3 Q- a5 f4 V* W1 [% x$ Y
Z$ w0 w3 d, B/ j4 G4 gBy Rosie Taylor
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A few months ago it was just an anonymous street of tatty shop fronts – a mishmash of broken signs, tasteless logos, peeling paint and grubby brickwork.
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, M. }% k& b5 [3 u1 C9 Y& ~But Leyton High Road, just round the corner from the Olympic Park, has undergone a remarkable transformation.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb$ ]2 S4 Y: ^6 @2 }5 p$ l2 Q
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Instead of the broken windows and garish shopfronts is a parade more typical of Chelsea or Notting Hill than the East End of London.公仔箱論壇3 h! ?( _" g" t
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5 g B+ i- W* g) a3 O6 b- R, d5 r! ~Tatty: This is what the shopfronts looked like before the makeover which was brought on by the upcoming Olympics
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% O( v9 z- u. q0 v% k0 l2 b! ePassers-by admire the shopfronts of Leyton High Road after the makeover which will be completed within the next few weeks Each shop, restaurant or cafe has been repainted using a sophisticated palette of deep reds, pastel greens, purples and browns.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。, y, P% i- [- g
: L( ~' l k! ?+ K8 [Shop names in charmless neon or plastic have been replaced with hand-painted signs adorned with elegant calligraphy or old-fashioned metal lettering. 8 f* u7 }; X8 @0 D! m9 U* w4 J
1 G3 F5 `6 d3 mEven the local KFC has had its ugly plastic fascia replaced with a sophisticated dark red paint job, a smaller, subtler logo, and a smart new awning.
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As part of the makeover, many businesses have had their frames, awnings, windows and doors replaced.
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Most have also been fitted with internal shutters – sitting just within the windows rather than outside them – so the shopfronts can stay lit up at night.
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The refurbishment was carried out as part of a half-a-million-pound project to spruce up businesses in the Leyton area before the Olympics.2 N! L! B9 I: {* ~) `/ z
( r5 n1 w4 Z+ Q5 T公仔箱論壇It is being funded by a £475,000 grant from the Government’s Working Neighbourhoods Fund as well as money from Waltham Forest Council.5 R2 v" X* f( x! u) n0 v
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& I. G( w! t9 {公仔箱論壇Grubby: Before the clean-up the street was lined with broken signs and dirty awnings - not the face of Britain officials would want to show the incoming touristsTVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。; N8 o) A- V; c1 [! O
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Clean: The shop facades on Leyton High Road have been much improved, but it came at a price. The re-decoration of the street cost £475,000
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, d; \& x, v7 b0 m6 j8 i8 QTVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。A plastic sign advertises sale prices at the women's fashion shop and the KFC branch has a standard full-glass front
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No more plastic signs for the bridal shop, the pawnbrokers has been re-painted and and even the KFC is looking more high end than East End
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Last night shopkeepers expressed their delight with the results. Panayiota Philippou, who manages Princess evening wear and bridal boutique with daughter Theodoula, said: ‘The street is much nicer now.
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, I9 p6 n1 g& e$ u公仔箱論壇‘People can window shop and trade has picked up. 公仔箱論壇5 @* |% [( ] R1 ~
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‘Having the shutter inside means people can see in the window all the time, which is like a 24/7 advert for us.’ 5.39.217.76 m1 k6 c1 `! Y9 x, W, G
5 ^, B/ K7 C, m9 E; eShamima Bung, owner of Blackwell’s newsagents, was also pleased with the transformation.
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( C* x' Q9 }: }! V0 {( r5 ltvb now,tvbnow,bttvb‘The area’s definitely gone up market. The high street looks a lot better...now it is a matter of keeping it this way.’5.39.217.76( o& ]- k4 w h- {# z
1 u7 G( i. E- z Q6 c% m. D' K2 MBut Mrs Bung said she had been reluctant to replace her shutters.
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‘The inside shutters look nice but I do go home worrying if I’ll still have a window in the morning,’ she admitted. ‘After all this is East London, not Kensington.’ 公仔箱論壇4 P) e6 I N: P) c2 Y3 Z3 ~
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A hair salon, Pizza Hut and Blackwell's news agents are not looking particularly inviting before the transformation
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, ]& g+ ]9 v3 ?5 X' V( [6 A公仔箱論壇Leyton High Road has been given a touch of Kensington with paint and new signs - even the bus stop commercial is more inviting than before( @6 h& X# ` D4 t( W" U
TVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。! i3 G( @* |( S2 s3 g

! R6 B _" O9 B. tTVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。The project has been funded by Government¿s Working Neighbourhoods Fund and Waltham Forest Council. Here is a green grocers on a corner of the High Road before...
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... and after it has been given an Olympic makeover with many shops now sporting internal shutters so the shopfronts can stay lit up at night公仔箱論壇1 G5 ]# ~, Q7 F
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Leyton High Road will host the Olympic torch relay on July 21. 公仔箱論壇% ^! g. G" [4 W8 S, c& ]
- x# G: n: z, W' o' b5 ^, b公仔箱論壇Chris Robbins, leader of Waltham Forest Council, said: ‘This stretch of Leyton is a gateway to the Games. It will be on display to the world in July and we want our streets, homes and businesses to do us proud. This was a fantastic opportunity to smarten up Leyton.’TVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。9 U w) G4 |* V# u- P, V+ B! w
, w/ x( W; x; U3 I& `) btvb now,tvbnow,bttvbAnd it is not just the shops which have had a makeover.
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The pavements have been cleaned, the street signs replaced with modern ones and the lamps given a contemporary update.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb! c+ T, B# v5 Z& U+ T/ z, B5 V
. U- L; i" b% M' r# L; ]& ]3 s( v5.39.217.76The walls of the flats above the shops, which were a dirty brown, have been jet-washed back to their original sandy colour, with some painted in bright shades to complement the shopfronts below./ y' ]* S0 r5 a" I8 a9 q
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Unsightly satellite dishes have been moved, and the mass of burglar alarms and CCTV cameras on the walls above each shop has been tidied up.
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Gordon Bennett, of Bennett Developers, one of four contractors on the project said: ‘We have up to 22 men working ten hours a day, including weekends, to get the work finished in time. The whole street looks cleaner.’
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