This next suburb isn't going to be in anyone's top ten, but every suburb means every suburb.
Silverwater
From my previous suburb of Ermington, Silverwater is across Parramatta River. Thankfully, Silverwater Bridge can cart you to the other side,
and with an okay view to boot.
This is the appropriately named Silverwater Road, and it isn't really the kind of road you take for an afternoon stroll, with its many lanes of traffic and industrial surrounds.
Regardless, that's what I was doing today.
I continued on down this unappealing stretch,
seeing not much of interest,
apart from a Krispy Kreme oil tanker.
I eventually reached this intersection, marking the point at which I would finally get the chance to leave Silverwater Road and hopefully walk somewhere more pleasant.
The main point of interest here is Slough Business Park. The fact that out of all the places in the world, they named this place after
Slough should really tell you everything you need to know.
Turning left at Slough, I headed deeper into this industrial suburb.
Taking this road marked with palm trees,
and even more dedication to the cause.
I also passed the Jurassic Park control centre,
apparently owned by Joe Biden.
The roads around here are entirely as interesting as you'd expect somewhere named after Slough to be.
How do I stretch "and I looked at more industry" into an entire post?
I didn't mind this bit of Slough's hedges,
but that's about the only interesting thing I ran into on these streets.
It actually turns out that the entire street is named after Slough. Rivetting.
Continuing along,
I passed more of the same,
with various levels of industrial-ness,
and this nifty wall.
Eventually, with very little extra to say, the suburb ended and I entered my next.
Silverwater: The kind of place that you'd have a regional office of a paper company.
I used to spend a bit of time in Silverwater... but mostly passing through on bike rides etc. There were a few points of interest I was going to highlight, but it turns out they are all *just* outside Silverwater :)
ReplyDeleteBUT! No mention of the prison?
I had similar thoughts. The giant playground by the prison and along the water is awesome, but is actually part of Sydney Olympic Park.
DeleteAnd so many people are surprised at my lack of prison visit, I never realised felony was so popular amongst my readers!
I googled Slough. According to World Atlas: "A slough is a wetland which is characterized by slow-moving or stagnant water on a seasonal basis. The term slough is used to describe wetlands like shallow lakes and swamps. A slough is a natural side-channel or an inlet filled with water. These wetlands tend to form along the river edges where old river channels used to flow also referred to as the oxbows." It's also a large town in England.
ReplyDeleteThe 'large town in England' (Slough) is celebrated as the grimmest of the grim new industrial age taking over England in a super-famous poem by Betjeman. I think that is the allusion Yaz is making.
ReplyDeleteWas the prison hidden? I've always thought it to be the main 'attraction' of Slough/Silverwater.
I've never been to the real Slough but it's the butt of enough jokes so I feel like I'm qualified to make fun of it. Plus it's where The Office (UK) was set.
DeleteSome history Yaz if you’re interested.
ReplyDeleteThe nicely hedged corner at Slough Business Park used to be a fountain. Then it became dry after many years of little to no rain. Then they decided to fill in the fountain with dirt and grew trees and hedges on it.
Hedge history is best history.
DeleteYou missed out on Silverwater Correctional Complex (where I temped for a unfun-filled week in 1997). Actually, I don't think you missed much - it all looks quite unchanged in the past 24 years. Always a pleasure to see your perspective :-)
ReplyDeleteI dunno, the prison just wasn't on my walking trail. I had no idea it would cause such a ruckus lol :)
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