Petticoat Lane and around

[mossie]

When I went to petticoat Lane last week I had also intended to have a look at Spitalfields Market, but did not have the energy or time to cover it. I am aware that Mick gave it an excellent coverage a few tears back, unfortunately his photos don't show up in My magic box.

So yesterday I took another ride into the Smoke, and passed the site of the old BX Plastics works at Brantham The X stands for xylonite, better known as celluloid, which was an early version of Plastic. One of their chemists, who worked in their research headquarters just up the road at Lawford, was one Margaret Roberts, better known as Margaret Thatcher. The firm is now defunct, having suffered the fate of most British industry, sold off to wide boys from the City, asset stripped and dumped. The site beside the railway is now being prepared for the Dutch State railway to service the new trains they are going to run on our main line, the heap of crushed concrete on the left is all that remains bar the few scruffy buildings in the background.



I sat on the left of the train this time so can show the view back towards Dedham, blocked by the road bridge, at least the tide was in.



Turning left up Bishopsgate from Liverpool St station continued past Middlesex St to the next decent Junction, passing this good Victorian building with the twin pinnacles, the Bishopsgate Institute. This was to give some culture to the area including a library and a hall for public functions which are still in use today. Further up is the massive glass menagerie housing one of the banks.



Bishopsgate continues on to become Norton Felgate, housing this derelict building. It is very strange that it hasn't yet been redeveloped into another palace of filthy lucre.



We now pass one of the Griffins which mark the City's boundaries and the road gains a new name, Shoreditch High St. nowadays another up and coming area for fancy restaurants etc,.



and being graced with this 50 storey tower to provide more flats and offices for the City



A big architect has his name up, Red Squirrel incidentally is just coming out of the oddly named Worship St



I have overshot the turn to Spitalfields Market so turn back towards the City where there is a slim clear view of the Gherkin



and the turn up past the glass bank to the market. It is still rag trade territory, but there are some excellent fabrics to be seen



This work of art was displayed in a suitcase



I'll break off here, my tryping finger is getting worn down

[mossie]

I have been amiss in not showing the marvellous example of Victorian brickwork which is the market building itself, as the plaque says, put up in Victorias Jubilee yeat 1897



As well as multicultural textiles there is also multicultural food, as here. I guess there is a considerable Turkish population in the area.



I cannot escape Paris, spotting this on a cardboard cut-out stand



There are crafty nick knacks of all sorts



How about a Tibetan Boiled Wool blanket, there was who I took to be genuine young Tibetan selling them



Escaping out into the streets we are not far from the 'Wool Exchange', so he is in the right area



Close by is Christ Church, Spitalfields, one of 50 new churches built by Hawksmoor to serve the expanding population of London in the 1700's. The area had a large Hugenot population who had settled here to escape persecution in France



Fairly plain inside, but a good restful place.



An interesting boundary marker was in a nearby street



The City still dominates the area, I was amazed at the number of cranes, denoting that there is no recession apparent here.

[mossie]

Some of the old shopfronts have been preserved, although this is now a cafe



Not sure what this is now, but it is a pity we don't still use paper bags for vegetables etc., instead of letting them sweat in plastic. Note next door shows yet more immigration



Homemade porridge anyone??



I was heading back to the pub where I had my lunch last week when I saw this food stall, we really do cater for all tastes



Another good old pub, repurposed and with modern redevelopment on all sides



Two foxy ladies



But at last lunch, in the company of stuffed birds






While the stoat has his nightcap, and the fox is dressed to brave the weather. The bar staff didn't know who had put them up, but they certainly make it a different pub



Heading for the station I passed the vaping shop, with its 'hubble-bubble' pipes



with some cheerful users, just wonder what they have been indulging in



and later this king, on a horse with more colourful armour than the kings



and so, home to bed. Hope you are not too bored

[patricklondon]

Couple of factoid footnotes:

Verde&Co is or used to be owned by the author Janette Winterson ("Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit"), but I think she may have moved out from there now. And Donovan's paper bag shop and its history have featured a couple of times in the Spitalfields Life blog.


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[bixaorellana]

Mossie, I am so much enjoying both of your Petticoat Lane threads. That is fascinating history you open with in this one, both about young Margaret and also about the rise and fall of an industry. The Bishopsgate Institute, on the other hand, seems to still be thriving and carrying out its original purpose. I didn't know about the griffins marking the city's boundaries. Do all of them still exist?

The church is beautiful, with all that whiteness contrasting with the dark wood. You have to wonder what happened to the original pews, though. The very large Royal Arms is surprising in that setting.

Love the "wind-down" to the end of the report and yes, you are so right about paper bags. Of course I know about saving trees, etc., but you'd think with all the recycling that we're encouraged to do, some new green forms of paper bags would have been developed.

As you surely know by now, I am a huge fan of your photographs. You certainly deliver in this thread!

[mich64]

Not bored at all!

I miss paper bags as well especially at the Bakery in the grocery store. It is difficult to get a decent croissant here and then to make it worse they put them in a plastic bag and tie it!

I like the colourful armour.

[mossie]

Patrick, you add so much to my ramblings with your local knowledge. Thank you as well for the link to the Donovan story, having worked with many Irish people it rang so true.

Bixa, as far as I know one of the griffins was set up on every major road entering the City of London. But please don't flatter me, as I have put before, my wife used to say of my ramblings "What he doesn't know, he makes up"

[kerouac2]

I love all of these photos and information about London. I'm glad that it is such a huge city (area 5 times bigger than Paris) so that Mossie can continue his coverage for quite some time.

Re paper bags, the Monoprix chain in France has actually returned to paper bags for the produce section. There is a little cellophane window on the side of the bag so that the cashier can see what is inside.