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+ _8 M9 @; f3 _* _. M) n$ [8 u4 H& a
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By Rosie Taylortvb now,tvbnow,bttvb# l2 f1 [; B1 c R7 W: i
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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.5.39.217.76# _! d8 d# d$ p, O8 D
# W3 z0 i, e6 K' P4 ^% q- x& Htvb now,tvbnow,bttvbBut 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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. F7 P9 I! Y( K0 Q- O公仔箱論壇Tatty: This is what the shopfronts looked like before the makeover which was brought on by the upcoming Olympics 9 q( A: ]% h( v% A* U
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' ?0 n3 l( K; P5 K; h5.39.217.76Passers-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.5.39.217.768 O' ~, L9 ]# O" L" x/ r& S1 k
9 o1 Z2 B5 ]% e: e8 _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。Shop names in charmless neon or plastic have been replaced with hand-painted signs adorned with elegant calligraphy or old-fashioned metal lettering. $ g; f! V% u0 y8 h/ Z
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Even 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. 5.39.217.76- x/ I, J' f$ _9 W4 y( x% r# R4 @8 O* _! Y
1 s; c+ n) s- L fTVBNOW 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。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.
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7 u' E& |1 k$ J% i" ^+ S$ A5 xTVBNOW 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。It is being funded by a £475,000 grant from the Government’s Working Neighbourhoods Fund as well as money from Waltham Forest Council.
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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 tourists$ i/ I% `) f1 o% p# K
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$ e* h6 H! T7 ~tvb now,tvbnow,bttvbClean: 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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A plastic sign advertises sale prices at the women's fashion shop and the KFC branch has a standard full-glass fronttvb now,tvbnow,bttvb" r& h8 \" d8 b7 L- b0 L, x
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# r, m7 U2 o! P/ s: f% I- k# `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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; N a# H$ I7 D1 p' ~: D8 Gtvb now,tvbnow,bttvb‘People can window shop and trade has picked up. 5.39.217.76- z/ L6 C' q6 ]6 l
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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.’
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Shamima Bung, owner of Blackwell’s newsagents, was also pleased with the transformation." I+ C7 {& \' d$ N+ z1 U5 a) z
0 |% s5 @& t: | |$ [) W‘The area’s definitely gone up market. The high street looks a lot better...now it is a matter of keeping it this way.’公仔箱論壇: e+ d" a( K: d, n w6 S
+ K* U. }' G+ `tvb now,tvbnow,bttvbBut 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 q) w, q/ c9 m5 E* v
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/ `& l$ o& l) `A hair salon, Pizza Hut and Blackwell's news agents are not looking particularly inviting before the transformationtvb now,tvbnow,bttvb- J/ A- k1 [" P( E
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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 before1 }! i. B+ I1 U$ j
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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...公仔箱論壇) n9 l3 q" x/ s6 u
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/ ~) S* y3 F6 e2 P. cTVBNOW 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。... and after it has been given an Olympic makeover with many shops now sporting internal shutters so the shopfronts can stay lit up at night5.39.217.76- l* ]& X" B7 s" ^5 F& [ ^
$ L" y |! _% V- xTVBNOW 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。Leyton High Road will host the Olympic torch relay on July 21.
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% H7 k$ p' t& I! b; E8 y5.39.217.76Chris 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。) D* O0 J! H& i6 @. V; s
) F/ K% l5 _* Z1 E公仔箱論壇And it is not just the shops which have had a makeover. 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。# `0 q4 s( d7 a P. E- x* b
F* ^/ V `8 S5.39.217.76The pavements have been cleaned, the street signs replaced with modern ones and the lamps given a contemporary update.
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" p. V; c/ }- I2 b STVBNOW 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 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.
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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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