"This was once part of London, but it was badly damaged in the Fall. The brick buildings toppled, the wooden buildings burned. Hillchanger Tower lost its crenellations."[2]
"Not everyone who lives here is a Rubbery Man or a market gardener. Other people – the very poor, the very eccentric, and the very unpopular – have found homes here as well."[3]
A Peppercap.
Ealing Gardens was once part of London on the Surface. However, its buildings were damaged and the wooden ones burned during the Fall of London.[4] Despite this rough start, Ealing eventually developed into a fledgling community.[5] Some buildings were reconstructed, and new ones were built entirely, with architecture following a Rubbery theming.[6] Other buildings were demolished and converted into mushroom farms that provide food for London's populace.[7]
Ealing's population primarily consists of Rubbery Men,[8] outsiders and severely impoverished from London,[9]Urchins,[10] and fungal gardeners.[11] After the Great Hellbound Railway arrived, it brought new visitors along with it,[12] such as Bohemians,[13] paleontologists,[14] enforcers from the Ministry of Upper River Developement,[15] and even Monster-Hunters.[16] Retirees from the Tracklayer's Union also took up residence in Ealing,[17] some along with their families, though they often face poverty.[18] Sadly, despite Ealing's thriving Rubbery community, they still face discrimination from the town's other residents.[19]
Commercial Development
"The lack of ordinary shops does not mean a lack of trade entirely. There are still people who will sell clothes or food out here; there are still a few sources of Prisoner's Honey, for those who have reached the Upper River and cannot live without."[20]
Since Ealing exists outside the immediate range of the Echo Bazaar, commerce was initially minimal. The area's few peddlers sold food, clothes, and Prisoner's Honey.[20] After the Great Hellbound Railway arrived, commercial development increased, for better or for worse.[21] Some visitors at Ealing took advantage of the open space and established circuses away from the radius of Mrs Plenty's Carnival.[22]Mr Hearts licensed a butcher's shop in Ealing,[23] though the butcher himself isn't a huge fan of hurting animals.[24]
Recently, the Tentacled Entrepreneur moved his factories and workers to Ealing Gardens.[25] These factories are staffed with Rubbery Men[26] along with human security guards.[27] Strict hygiene is enforced,[28][29] and the Rubbery Men work as an assembly line[30] to create various products.[31] Apparently, the factories are actually a smokescreen for the Entrepreneur's real source of income, which seems to involve amber in some way.[32]
During her tenure as Lord Mayor of London, Virginia opened a spa in Ladybones Road for the betterment of London's souls.[33][34] Unfortunately, results were middling and the spa was considered a failure. Thus, with the help of the GHR, Virginia opened another spa in Ealing, far away from any oversight.[35] However, the treatments of this new spa are still questionably effective.[36]
Key Locations
"It's the Hillchanger Tower. The one that appears on Aescwine Hill and then travels other places. I've thought for some time that represented another power."[37]
"People around here often mention Helicon House, a gathering place of Rubberies and Bohemians. All you need now is the address."[38]
A key landmark in Ealing is Aescwine Hill, a summit near the outskirts of Ealing.[39] The hill is a popular lookout for Bohemians, especially those of the Nocturnal school, who use it as a lookout point to paint the surrounding landscape.[40] However, this can be dangerous, as the hill is infested with cat-sized scorpions.[41] Aescwine Hill is also one of the resting points of Hillchanger Tower, which travels across the Hinterlands[42][43] but returns to Aescwine every midnight.[44]
A key institution in Ealing is Helicon House, a center for Rubbery arts and expression.[45] It's considered a secret even among Bohemians;[46] furthermore, human visitors are vetted thoroughly by Helicon's doorman.[47] Within Helicon, Rubbery Men are free to engage with and express their artistry and culture, which continue to develop and flourish within Helicon's walls.[48][49]
↑Tour the Neighbourhood, Fallen London"This was once part of London, [...] it was badly damaged in the Fall. The brick buildings toppled, the wooden buildings burned."
↑Tour the Neighbourhood, Fallen London"The architecture is a Rubbery parody of London: old ruins propped up [...] new buildings built in [...] imitation of known styles."
↑Fill a stomach, Fallen London"You smuggle your donation to [...] Union workers – some of them living with their families, and with not really enough to go round."
↑Rubbery Observances, Fallen London"Saving Flute Street, nowhere in London [is] [...] a home for Rubbery Men. Even here, they are subject to stares and unflattering comment. But they are more numerous in these parts than elsewhere. The Tentacled Entrepreneur built his first factory [...] down that block."
↑Tour the Neighbourhood, Fallen London"[...] the Tentacled Entrepreneur brought most his operations here, where the factories could expand and the workers live [...]"
↑Spa Services, Fallen London"[...] as Mayor, Virginia took over a [...] townhouse on Ladybones Road and converted it into a spa. [...] the results were not wholly satisfactory. [...] with your assistance, she has built a branch of that spa here in Ealing Gardens, where she can offer advanced treatments without the supervision of any Ministry."
↑Constellations, Fallen London"[...] it's easier to make out the silhouettes on the horizon: the outline of Aescwine Hill [...]"
↑Upper River Artistry, Fallen London"The more Nocturnalist Bohemians have taken a liking to Ealing Gardens. [...] some simply paint landscapes of the vista from Aescwine Hill.
↑Offer your defensive escort, Fallen London"[...] a little trouble, [...] a troupe of [...] scorpions the size of house-cats [...] Your party does not get even halfway up the hill before you are swarmed by [...] scorpions?"
↑Build the station at Moulin, Fallen London"[...] the Hillchanger Tower. The one that appears on Aescwine Hill and then travels other places," [...] It has taken up a place in Moulin now [...]"
↑Visit Helicon House with the Dean of Xenotheology, Fallen London"Several of the Rubbery people are gathered around a sculpture displayed at the centre of the room. "We shouldn't approach without permission," [...] "Their current posture is one associated with... sacred receptiveness. [...] This is a time of extraordinary change for them. A few years ago, Rubbery culture had nothing like this—""
