Thread by @artglyn

The charming story of two boxes, a planning application, how two shops become one, pavements became parking, and what happened.
Let's roll back the years and meet our heroic boxes in 2008!
@SW_Londoner @tootingnewsie
#GarrattLane #Earlsfield @wandbc @wandsworthnews

Let's skate on a bit on to 2015, the boxes have been bopped maybe as a result of the pavement/parking. The boxes look a bit edgy. The road is oily. The pavement is wider than before though, just in case social distancing is invented.

Londis has closed down, no longer seven days a week.
A black bag lurks.
The yellow line stutters uncertainly.

On to 2016 @Tesco has taken over and managed to extend the shop. Probably a different black bag. Majors! Mckenzie's closes down after 30 year citing unfair rates subsidies for corporations amongst other things.

On to 2018. The boxes have met some friends. People now walking in the oily road. This part of #Earlsfield has terrible #AirPollution. Wandsworth has the greatest proportion of cars parked on streets of any London Borough, but not here, not today.

Onward! 2019, the yellow line, what yellow line? Majors? Burned down. Let the box fun begin. Just a little nudge.

I know let's paint them black! Whoops they have been knocked already. Let's knock down the new cycle infrastructure too though.

Cyclists beware indeed. I cycle past here most morning's when they are unloading. It isn't pretty. @Jo_Earlsfield

Celebrations for May day maybe?

New shiny advertising thing after @wandbc forgot they had declared a #ClimateEmergency. Does the #WESS cover this? But some some lights for the resting boxes so that's alright...

Yeah lights, who need them? Apparently the boxes were dumped from the pavement parking part onto the pavement.

As May draws on, still looks erm...lovely?

On to June then. 'Wandsworth has the lowest council tax you know' says one of the flattened boxes. 'Figures' says the other.
Just resting awhile say the council.

A week passes... The resting boxes start playing spot the yellow line for something to do.
'They'll probably start doing that next year, there is an election' says one box.
How cynical boxes can be.
Under the bridge the air pollution builds.

Another week. They are on the case, it's @UKPNnews apparently. They must be a bit sick of it.
Eight times it has happened so far says the man in the shop.

Nearly the end of July now.
'Election soon,' says the box.
Everything will look nice by then.
That is what always happens.

September comes. The new parking meter joins in. 'Solidarity my boxy friends' it says.
It is worried about covid.

October comes and.. Oh dear! The boxes have tried to run away and join the circus forgetting they control the traffic lights.
The Solar parking meter peers round the side of the lamp post, worried.
Does nobody care about its poor boxy friends?

They do! Look!
'We will protect them with a new sculpture tied together with proper plastic ties.'
Look how pretty and modern it is.
The boxes stand proudly!

Things start migrating to the new venue just to see.

A lovely extra box joins in the fun!
'Why is that shite there?' says a passerby.
'Couldn't organise e a p*ss up in a brewery.
But Youngs has moved thinks one of the boxes, but says nothing.

A few more weeks pass. The art spectular moves on. The friendly box remains and the plastic ties. Outsourcing is a marvel, someone else's job.
Wandsworth are very proud of their low council tax. 'Vote for a low council tax' say the magazines before being evicted.

And until this very day they live together happily!
The planning permission slept peacefully, the yellow line missed the rain and the pavement parking cuddled up to the boxes and pedestrians.
Wandsworth recycling remained the 345th worse in the country as the boxes looked on.