The Aspidistra House

"The faces in the flowers of the pattern on the paper all stare at me. And silently mouth: 'Get out of this house' ..." sings The Band of Holy Joy in The Aspidistra House, another wonderful moment on More Tales From The City. With reference to this song they are quoted as saying: "There was always a feeling of madness lurking behind the curtains on certain roads around Brockley, Sydenham, Forest Hill. A lingering malaise in Lewisham shopping centre, an air of unhingedness in Deptford Market ..." Ah yes. And I've read that the song The Biggest Aspidistra In The World has connections to a house in Evelina Road, Nunhead. In that same area. A short hop, skip and jump from where my parents were married in St Silas', which is no more. The song itself refers to the Crystal Palace, a bus ride away, where the dinosaurs roam. "When father's 'ad a skinful at his pub the Bunch of Grapes, he doesn't go all fighting mad and getting into scrapes. You'll find 'im in 'is bearskin, playing Tarzan of the Apes up the biggest aspidistra in the world," sings Our Gracie. Cha cha cha ...