This week’s curiosity is a good example of something that is easy to miss because of its ordinary looks.
This picture shows some slightly shabby railings outside a block of flats in Oval. However, these railings had another rather more heroic life during the war.
As part of the war effort Air Raid Wardens during WWII were not only responsible for patrolling the streets during a blackout (as made famous by TV show Dad’s Army) but also helped rescue people after the raids. The stretchers now having their second life as railings on London streets were once used by the wardens to carry casualties. There is a good picture of the stretchers in use on the BBC website.