The Towers of South-East London

Date: 17 April 2010 15:03:04

They talk of Trebizond, of Perugia, of Samarkand and Tashkent, of Minas Tirith and Hastur, of the walls of Babylon and lost Midgard, of the minarets of Istanbul. But the True Home of Towers of Power is South East London!

A few months ago I revealed to a trembling world that Saurons Tower is being rebuilt at the Elephant in this post: <a href=http://ken.wibsite.com/2009/10/05/the-tower-of-the-lidless-eye-rises-anew/>The Tower of the Lidless Eye rises anew!</a> (Follow the link for pictures IF YOU DARE!!!!!)

Since then the infection has been spreading. Yesterday I saw it from the trains of Waterloo, approaching Clapham Junction. And its baleful, miasmic influence gets into South East London too. Look at this picture taken at Millwall Football Ground in February:

Ignore for a moment the almost complete invisibility of the Hartlepool fans. There are rational, scientific explanations for that, Select the link and expand the picture to its fill size. In the triangle of light in the centre left between the empty North Stand and the full West one you can clearly see the friendly and comforting tower of Southwark Cathedral, guarding us, as always for so many centuries, from the darkness that tries to cross over the bridge from its heartland on the other bank. All who have been watching Doctor Who will know how often that brave little Cathedral has saved the world from the squamous (and indeed rugose) entities which gibber in the darkness beyond.

Yet three weeks later this picture was taken from pretty much the same angle:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nephrops/4527687617/" title="mfc_IMG_0013 by nephropsnorvegicus, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4035/4527687617_48373378d2_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="mfc_IMG_0013" /></a> There are rather more away fans in this picture (<a href=http://ken.wibsite.com/2010/03/22/millwall-and-charlton-part-one/> not that it did Charlton much good</a>) but where is Southwark Cathedral? The cathedral tower has gone! What weird deformation of space-time continuum has removed it from sight?

Things get worse. Follow the link to Flickr of this picture of the same view taken in April:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nephrops/4528325754/" title="mfc_IMG_0027 by nephropsnorvegicus, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4528325754_3fd9147fbd_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="mfc_IMG_0027" /></a> (The opposition may have been Yeovil or some such side - as usual the stewards outnumber the vistors - Millwall must be the friendliest ground in the country, every away supporter gets a personal police escort) But this blog is not about football! Expand, I say, the picture and look carefully. <strong>THE CATHEDRAL HAS BEEN REPLACED BY SAURONS TOWER!!!!!</strong> What dark wizardry from the dawn of time is this?

But all is not yet lost. South London fights back! What is this strange yellow object rising above the fields and meadows of Deptord? <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nephrops/4526643446/" title="stjohns_view_8162 by nephropsnorvegicus, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/4526643446_9913253e3e_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="stjohns_view_8162" /></a>

Why! It is another tower!
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nephrops/4526011481/" title="brookmilrd_8157 by nephropsnorvegicus, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4526011481_f43bce94b0_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="brookmilrd_8157" /></a>

Surging into the sky over the babbling waters of the bonny brook the Ravensbourne:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nephrops/4526634784/" title="ravensbourne_ur_8138 by nephropsnorvegicus, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4061/4526634784_55e2db3bee.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="ravensbourne_ur_8138" /></a>

Will it be enough to contain the Dark Power? Maybe - it shall noit be alone in the struggle, bereft of comrades. Look! Here is a picture of St John's Waterloo, taken from the bus-stop. Select the largest size and look v ery, very, closely and you will see that, in the distance, just in front of the 243 bus, A NEW TOWER RISES!!!!!! <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nephrops/4465773516/" title="waterloo_8019 by nephropsnorvegicus, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4063/4465773516_142f30314f.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="waterloo_8019" /></a>

Here it is from closer:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nephrops/4526018131/" title="shard_8179 by nephropsnorvegicus, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4526018131_9f95b9dd89_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="shard_8179" /></a>