# Du Cane Court in Balham



## Mrs Miggins (Apr 4, 2007)

Hi all.

A friend of mine is thinking of moving into Du Cane Court in Balham and I wondered if anyone knows what it's like living there.

Cheers

Migs


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## Maggot (Apr 4, 2007)

I don't know, but I once crashed a van in their courtyard.


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## spanglechick (Apr 4, 2007)

the flats are expensive, for the area - and it depends how close to the road you are as it can make a big difference to the noise.

on the whole though, i would.  i lived in a similar-but-not-as-nice 30s mansion block further down BHR, and it was great.


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## Dubversion (Apr 4, 2007)

they're legendary, those flats. I believe Hitler planned on basing himself there. Is the Polish Club still in the basement?


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## Andy the Don (Apr 4, 2007)

Dubversion said:
			
		

> they're legendary, those flats. I believe Hitler planned on basing himself there. Is the Polish Club still in the basement?



I heard that they were to be used as Wehrmacht/Waffen SS officers quarters. I also heard that Rochdale town hall would ahve been transported brick by brick to Germany & reassembled in Berlin, not sure about that..







Nice bit of Gothic..


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## Belushi (Apr 4, 2007)

I used to live there until last year and it is a lovely art-deco building, the biggest private apartment block in Europe I believe.

Flats at the front if they dont have double glazing can be noisy, never bothered me. The service charge is quite high but includes all the heating and hot water and the security men, who are on duty 24/7. There are a lot of elderly residents and lots of young women live there. Its very close to the tube and train station and has its own shop.



> I heard that they were to be used as Wehrmacht/Waffen SS officers quarters.



Apparently so. Would have been ideal if you think about it.

I loved living there so highly recomend it to your friend.


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## milesy (Apr 4, 2007)

it's a lovely looking building, that.


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## Belushi (Apr 4, 2007)




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## ddraig (Apr 4, 2007)

mate lived there but couldn't make much noise and there were a fair few old biddies about. apparently there's a postie whose round is just that building and having a shop downstairs is pretty cool. the service charge was a lot then, and his rent was shitloads for one room, a corridor of a kitchen and a shower.

i liked it personally and will never forget the shining corridors with the wood either side and always wanted to get hold of a squeaky trycicle


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## ddraig (Apr 4, 2007)

time machine time machine! if only eh...


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## marty21 (Apr 4, 2007)

looks similar to the dolphin square flats in pimlico


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## ddraig (Apr 4, 2007)

marty21 said:
			
		

> looks similar to the dolphin square flats in pimlico


does it have over 650 flats tho? eh eh
http://www.ducanecourt.org.uk/index.html
shit site


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## Mrs Miggins (Apr 5, 2007)

Cheers everyone! sounds fab. Might move myself


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## jbob (Apr 6, 2007)

I lived there for about a year in the late 90s. Quiet, secure and close to the tube, and as previously mentioned, a reasonably good mixture of people. I liked it a lot, but it is pricey.

Heh! I loved the Shining corridors, too!


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## marty21 (Apr 7, 2007)

ddraig said:
			
		

> does it have over 650 flats tho? eh eh
> http://www.ducanecourt.org.uk/index.html
> shit site



yep, there's over a thousand there, i used to work there, plus a health club, tennis court, swimming pool, large communal garden, little row of shops, restaurant, pub, there was also a hotel until fairly recently, and residents got discounts, there were also little studios exclusively reserved for guests of residents to stay over, which they had to pay for

that  said, it was a very strange place, lots of mps lived there, lords and ladies, actors and that


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## toggle (Apr 7, 2007)

Mrs Miggins said:
			
		

> Hi all.
> 
> A friend of mine is thinking of moving into Du Cane Court in Balham and I wondered if anyone knows what it's like living there.
> 
> ...




parking is impossible. garages cost a fortune, service charges are pretty high, but that includes heating and some maintainance stuff, the security are nice. 

if you live upstairs, along one of the long corridors, ti's noisy whenever anyone walks past. I always feel I have to creep along and try not to make noise, which isn't easy when you're a lard arse who wears big boots and takes 2 small kids about with you.

however, ti's convenient staggering distance from the tube


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## SW12lad (Apr 8, 2007)

Dubversion said:
			
		

> they're legendary, those flats. I believe Hitler planned on basing himself there. Is the Polish Club still in the basement?



The guy next door to me told me a similar history, he also said that there is an identical building in Finchley and apparently  from the air the flat blocks form a "Svastica"...I'm wondering if it's true or he is drinking too much again


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## AnnO'Neemus (Apr 9, 2007)

Ooh, lovely building!  I wish I lived somewhere like that!


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