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 EastEnders: o9 S0 F' |2 U, N) d2 V
) o. V) t& i* T3 b1 m4 j/ }; T公仔箱論壇By Rosie Taylortvb now,tvbnow,bttvb6 c' ~8 d& f, V- B( o& p$ w( n
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。& o' {- w8 Z; O/ i, A& g5 W
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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8 \: V5 h$ ?- t- M; ]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。But Leyton High Road, just round the corner from the Olympic Park, has undergone a remarkable transformation.
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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.
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Tatty: This is what the shopfronts looked like before the makeover which was brought on by the upcoming Olympics
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# e6 @1 Q; Z0 {# vtvb now,tvbnow,bttvbPassers-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.& x4 n" z f/ L) k2 ~% `6 P
- n- ]) I' n& Z( bShop names in charmless neon or plastic have been replaced with hand-painted signs adorned with elegant calligraphy or old-fashioned metal lettering. 公仔箱論壇 G: m4 v5 H) ~6 L+ }0 Z
; }# X2 x1 ^6 K6 Utvb now,tvbnow,bttvbEven 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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( D( l! L: i# R3 ~8 u5.39.217.76As 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.& h C; ~- n) [3 Y6 ]5 h! X
, _, V& ]$ W4 i: Xtvb now,tvbnow,bttvbIt is being funded by a £475,000 grant from the Government’s Working Neighbourhoods Fund as well as money from Waltham Forest Council.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb2 x; u% k* Y% D6 I
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0 Z7 N" X2 P" f8 ytvb now,tvbnow,bttvbGrubby: 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 tourists
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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
4 D: F% J1 W/ Z n3 VTVBNOW 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。
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; M6 U4 _8 y6 K% `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。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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* P# V: L, i3 `( |- g- H( T5.39.217.76No 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 EndTVBNOW 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。1 u5 ~. F% L+ X7 V# F( c
: d/ }+ A) g' R* I; ?# m5.39.217.76Last 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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$ ?7 i3 L3 L) [8 n8 C4 l: T( u8 w: d( i公仔箱論壇‘People can window shop and trade has picked up.
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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.’ 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。. f# B4 s; t# D) a( D
+ ~5 z( u& }0 E! X) w% hShamima Bung, owner of Blackwell’s newsagents, was also pleased with the transformation.8 R# R+ w* Q, K# L# K- z
+ q8 u6 d4 E* e/ A. C2 nTVBNOW 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 area’s definitely gone up market. The high street looks a lot better...now it is a matter of keeping it this way.’
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/ o/ k) I3 O1 m: m5 n" J4 F2 ^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。But Mrs Bung said she had been reluctant to replace her shutters.
+ m) B" T) F& hTVBNOW 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。
! l Y$ b9 I8 S0 x4 V" X/ m( G% ]5.39.217.76‘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.’
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A hair salon, Pizza Hut and Blackwell's news agents are not looking particularly inviting before the transformation5.39.217.76) l3 j- [/ a$ \, I
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Leyton High Road has been given a touch of Kensington with paint and new signs - even the bus stop commercial is more inviting than before5.39.217.76! }5 P' |$ q; o ^4 f& X3 m
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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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) b: Q9 G8 @6 l# b6 R# }... 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
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* w+ l- M' S9 K+ U. C) ptvb now,tvbnow,bttvbLeyton High Road will host the Olympic torch relay on July 21.
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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.’5.39.217.76" S7 n, k( E" Y8 g3 v" q7 C
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And it is not just the shops which have had a makeover. tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb. Q5 `8 B, v2 f- E4 A
+ i( e& G6 F; j; K) iTVBNOW 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 pavements have been cleaned, the street signs replaced with modern ones and the lamps given a contemporary update.
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9 K+ h% v: e# p, q: ~0 K% C5.39.217.76The 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.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb/ E* P: V3 l( P% }
( u, k* D x Utvb now,tvbnow,bttvbUnsightly 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.’tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb/ n- u# }9 D3 A2 e
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