Southwark Park Road in Bermondsey is home to the Minister for Sport, Della Winn, and her husband, Geraint. They also own a home a short walking distance away on Alma Grove, where both of their mothers lived before they passed away. Currently residing at the Alma Grove residence is Della’s assistant, Aamir Mallik.
In chapter 46 of Lethal White, Strike is watching the Winn’s house from inside a pizza shop. “Strike was to be found leaning up against a counter in a tiny takeaway pizza restaurant, which was most conveniently situated for watching a house directly across the street.” Strike had been looking to speak with Aamir Mallik and deduced that he may be in this particular area due to a photo posted on Facebook of Aamir with his sister at this very same pizza shop.
It’s also here, at Pizza GOGO, where Robin describes her Wiccan shop disguise of hair chalk, heavy eyeliner and fake tattoos over the phone, and we get the great line: “Send us a selfie, I could do with some light relief.”
“One of a pair of brown brick semi-attached houses, the name “Ivy Cottages” was engraved in stone over the twin doors, which seemed to Strike more fitting for humbler dwellings than these houses, which had graceful arched windows and corniced keystones.” (Lethal White, Chapter 46) If you were to zoom in on the below photos, you’d see that the houses all have cottage names above the doors, as described. None are actually called “Ivy Cottages,” though.
Strike ends his call with Robin as he sees the door to the Winn house open and Aamir Mallik emerge, walking towards Alma Grove. “Strike crossed Southwark Park Road as quickly as his leg permitted, then turned into Alma Grove, a long residential street with plane trees planted at regular intervals, and Victorian terraced houses on both sides. To Strike’s surprise, Mallik stopped at a house on the right, with a turquoise door, and let himself in.” (Lethal White, Chapter 46)
“Giving Mallik what he judged to be sufficient time to remove his jacket and shoes, Strike approached the turquoise door and knocked.” (Lethal White, Chapter 46) Aamir does let Strike in, but the chat about the Chiswells and Aamir’s background goes less than smoothly, to say the least.
Just as described in the book, there’s a turquoise door on the right side of the street.
Strike later returns to Southwark Park Road to interview Della at her home.
According to Google Maps, it’s only about a two minute walk from the pizza shop opposite the Winn house to Aamir’s borrowed home on Alma Grove. It’s also nice to note the “Robin Court” at the top of the map.
Want to have a slice at Pizza GOGO and check out the Winn’s neighborhood? Find it on the map below.