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Today the skies were overcast and leaking drizzle. Jackie continued planting and weeding this morning, and I transported compost to fill the hole left by the ficus Aaron had removed yesterday.
This afternoon I scanned the next dozen colour slides from my Streets of London series, produced in September 2004.
‘There is something timeless about the appeal of an authentic rock and roll pub, where the floor sticks to one’s battered old boots and the whiskey-flavoured tang of a hundred past nights of recklessness is tangible in the air. Such places are hard to come by, for the swagger of tarnished glamour is not something that can be easily imitated. Filthy MacNasty’s on the corner of Amwell Street near Angel is one such place. Attracting weekend rock stars from all walks of life, with the lingering aura of countless cigarette breaths, Filthy’s was once home to a mad, mixed bunch of poets and dustmen, philosophers and gardeners. Its gritty credentials include a delightfully dishevelled list of clientele, including Shane McGowan, Irvine Welsh, Johnny Depp and of course Peter Doherty, who tended the bar here in the early days of The Libertines.
The pub is certainly ingrained in the blood stained pages of Doherty’s infamous Books of Albion, and The Libertines played many characteristic guerrilla-style gigs here, as well as serving as a place for Pete to sleep when he had nowhere else to go. In the height of Libertines furor, Filthy’s hosted an exhibition of the band’s gig posters, and girls would flock to the bar asking to see the walls of Doherty’s old bedroom upstairs.’
So wrote Jessica Andrews on the londonist in June 2013 when this establishment on the corner of Inglebert Street, EC1 was about to be closed and replaced by a gastropub.
Contemporary with Doherty’s band, Oasis advertises on the boarded up window of the empty Village Buttery on nearby River Street.
Crossing Amwell Street from there we come to Lloyd Baker Street, where Jessica, Michael, and I lived in 1974/5. This street,
Lloyd Square,
and Granville Street are all parts of the listed Lloyd Baker Estate. The latter is now overshadowed by developments in
Kings Cross Road, opposite The Union Tavern, a splendid Victorian pub on the corner shared with Lloyd Baker Street.
Crossing Kings Cross Road at this point we reach Calthorpe Street WC.
From Lloyd Baker Street we had moved on to live in Horse and Dolphin Yard in Soho. Neal’s Yard, then just forming part of the Covent Garden developments, is, according to Wikipedia, ‘a small alley in London’s Covent Garden between Shorts Gardens and Monmouth Street which opens into a courtyard. It is named after the 17th century developer, Thomas Neale.[1] It now contains several health food cafes and values driven retailers such as Neal’s Yard Remedies, Neal’s Yard Dairy, Casanova & daughters and Wild Food Cafe.[2][3]‘
Horse and Dolphin Yard was a tiny mews off Macclesfield Street which linked Gerard Street and
Shaftesbury Avenue. The eponymous theatre is shown in this shot. The car driver didn’t comment on my activity.
Regent’s Canal is not exactly a street of London, but I have run or walked many miles along this stretch, so it seems appropriate that a couple of slides of this slipped into the collection.
This evening we dined at Lal Quilla, where food and service was as excellent and friendly as ever. My choice was lamb achari and special fried rice; Jackie’s was chicken shashlick, salad, and vegetable curry. We both drank Kingfisher. The restaurant took delivery of a new range of food heaters yesterday, and presented us with two of the older ones which will come in very useful.
I wish that we in Canada had pubs like yours – splendid ones, as yours in Lloyd Baker Street.
Many thanks, Maggie. The best are all Victorian
Ooooh, Jackie’s going to start germinating her own seeds 🙂 I enjoyed the grungy trip back in time too Derrick.
Many thanks, Pauline
Great tour, Derrick! You know I love to hit the streets with you and your camera. The Victorian pub on the corner shared with Lloyd Baker Street looks wonderful. I love the flowers!
Very many thanks, Jill
How interesting, Derrick. There’s a pub with that name right here in Toronto, and now I know about the original!
Thanks a lot, Cynthia. I think the original might have been in Dublin
What a wonderful tour. And the floating at the end is beautiful.
Many thanks, Luanne
I enjoyed this walkabout with you Derrick. Filthy’ sounds like quite a place, the ‘second best Guinness’ hey? That’s an interesting title … great tour.
Filthy MacNasty’s – lol – love that name. And I was a huge Squeeze fan back in the day & a Shane McGowan song is one of my all time favorites. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8oyxrrEk58 Not sure if that link will work. Very cool to hear of such a place in your old neighborhood.
Many thanks, Jodie. Lovely duet. My favourite Pogues number was probably ‘Fairytale of New York’.
I just listened to that – Funny thing – I heard it for the first time this past Christmas & thought, “What the Hell was that?” LOL – I should have realized it was Sinead’s little friend. Quite a voice he has.
What dirty scoundrels shut down Filthys? A great name for a pub! They should’ve at least kept the name.
Can’t have a posh gastro called disgusting. Thanks, Bruce
That is the best name I ever seen for a bar ?. Thanks for sharing your memories
#reallifeofanmsw
Isn’t it great, msw? Thanks a lot
Your photography is like a teleporting device to me. Those images are breathtakingly sharp. And so are your words. I had never heard of Filthy’s before. You have ensured it remains etched in my mind.
Very many thanks, Uma
Another great tour, Derrick. I love the idea of a pub called Filthy’s! And the neighborhood you lived in looks beautiful.
It was, very, Lisa. We only rented for a while, but the area was a lovely enclave
So enjoyed this series of slides and your commentary Derick, bravo! And when I see sights of London in this way it does feel almost like a village to me and quite attractive. Excellent writing too.
Many thanks, Agnes. Actually, London is a huge cluster of villages.
So nice to think and feel about this large place in this way.
This was a wonderful tour, Derrick–thank you! I enjoyed reading about Filthy’s. What a great name for a bar. There are some old bars like that in Philadelphia, too. But I really love that Victorian tavern. I liked the tour of your old neighborhood–Horse and Dolphin–perhaps named for old tavern signs? The canal photos are beautiful.
Many thanks, Merril. I imagine that was the origin of the name. The whole Mews is now Chinese-owned.
It’s interesting how urban neighborhoods change over time.
Yes. When we were there in the 70s, Jessica asked people chopping up food all through the night in a Chinese kitchen that backed onto us to be quiet. ‘We’ve been here fifty years. If you don’t like it, move’, was the reply. 🙂
🙂
You taken a boat-load of great pictures over the years. It’s a good thing you’re posting them for everyone to see!!
Very many thanks, GP. That’s good to read.
The name of the first pub made me giggle! Love it!
🙂 Thanks very much, Persia
Your descriptive powers sometimes put me in awe….This was a great read with fascinating pictures and asides (I clicked on a few good links), Derrick.
That is praise indeed, from you, Cynthia. Many thanks.
You certainly surpass me in nonfiction skill, especially re: brevity! I’m glad we appreciate each other’s styles.
Beautiful images Derick. Enjoyed the read as well.
Many thanks, Sumith
These are beautiful photographs. Thank you Derrick
Thanks very much, Micheline