So, there I was. On a trading estate in Deptford (not known as the most salubrious part of South London it has to be said) in my high vis
jacket. No, not doing a George Osborne on the campaign trail, but visiting FareShare, a charity run by an old colleague, Lindsay Boswell. FareShare
receives food surplus (in-date) from the supermarkets that would otherwise go
to waste, and redistributes it to charities. It's big business. Big charity
business.
Actually I mustn't be too down on Deptford. It has a fine
history. Christopher Marlowe is buried up the road in the fine old Church of St Nicholas, Deptford, and just opposite the warehouse is the spot where the first German bomb
of the Second World War landed. Some dreadful council developments took the place of much of
the bombed areas, so a lot of the fine old houses and spots of this ancient
dock area have gone and Samuel Pepys or Peter the Great (former residents)
would not recognise it now. At least it means FareShare can rent a decent
sized warehouse at a reasonable rent. At least for the time being, I suspect, as London
continues to expand.
