This is a building which wouldn’t look out of place in Cold War East Berlin or North Korea’s capital Pyongyang, with its drab, imposing facade. The jarringly cheerful murals at ground level are an attempt to lessen the effect of its brutal glory.

But this isn’t a memento from a Soviet bloc town. This is in Shepherds Bush, west London and stands a short walk from where I live.

The building bristles with the cables, circuits and communications equipment which helps the area’s telephone network stay in good shape. You could be forgiven for thinking it was a secret service facility, spying on the activities of the West.

Maybe I should have captured it in authentic style with my Soviet film camera.

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But on one side of this colossus, the style harks back to another era. The sign gives the building away, and there is even a telephone box – a rare and fascinating sight in the age of the mobile.