Carls Flat Bar aka Downham

London is a city with about 8 million different perspectives....every Londoner makes London what they want it to be. What is normal or achievable to one person is unnormal and unachievable to the next person. What one sees, the other turns a blind eye.

This way of looking at things from a slighty different angle sums up exactly how, skaters, BMXers and cyclists in general take on the city...making it their own playground.

For examples, I've just seen this photograph in Ride BMX mag, of Jon from Fairplay doing a feeble grind on the wall of Downham court - NE Polo's home.

Most London Polo players would never think this wall at Downham would or could be used like this (most just piss up against it). However, from the reverse angle, the East London BMX scene wouldn't think Downham was a Polo court. To them it's a pretty rad spot, which is named Carl's Flat Bar...and why that name?...well, to explain why, I'll just quote the caption that accompanied this photo. To those in the know, this is pretty funny.

This spot is called Carl's Flat Bar due to the low rail that runs around the outside of this old tennis court and also after the local bike thief who lives in the flats close by. If you're lucky he'll come by and tell you how much your bike would be worth if he stole it and sold it.

Brilliant!

From now on, no dogs at Downham or Carls Flat Bar!

-Mat