I’ll Give You A Clue

CLICK ON LONDON IMAGES TO ENLARGE. REPEAT IF REQUIRED. CLICKING ANY GARDEN PICTURE  ACCESSES THE GALLERY, EACH ONE OF WHICH CAN BE VIEWED FULL SIZE BY SCROLLING DOWN AND CHECKING BOX AT BOTTOM RIGHT.

Today the sun slunk back behind the newly whitewashed ceiling from which occasional leaks did spring.

In July 2005 the weather was finer, so I took a trip back there in the form of scanning another dozen colour slides of the Streets of London series.

Sandwich Street WC1 7.05

Unless they’ve relocated to much grander property in Wisconsin, Double K’s Snack Bar in the aptly named Sandwich Street WC1 is probably no longer trading.

Havelock Street N1 7.05

The mural on this corner of the Lewis Carroll Library in Islington’s Havelock Street has not escaped the attentions of a graffiti spray can. Its premises in Copenhagen Street N1 currently appear to be rather more splendid. This is a popular educational resource for children and adults.

Freeling Street N1

A palette and bags of building materials in Freeling Street serve as a seat for a worker taking a break for refreshments and phone conversation.

Chapel Market/Penton Street N1 7.05

A typical London corner shop stands on this corner of Chapel Market and Penton Street.

At the close of the 18th century townhouses with rear gardens were built along what was then Chapel Street, when it formed the eastern boundary of the new suburb of Pentonville. A fire engine house was erected in 1792 and heightened in 1822; it survives today but in poor condition.

http://hidden-london.com/gazetteer/chapel-market/ gives us this information about the market:

‘The essayist Charles Lamb lived at two addresses in Chapel Street in the late 1790s.

To the annoyance of the well-heeled residents, costermongers began to sell their wares along the street during the 19th century and by the 1860s a fully-fledged and relatively reputable market was in operation. Official designation as a street market came in 1879.

Chapel Market in March 2014*

Three years later John James Sainsbury opened his first Islington store at 48 Chapel Street, managed for a while by his eldest son, John Benjamin. The venture was so successful that the Sainsburys opened three more shops in the street, including their first branch specialising in poultry and game.

By the 1890s Chapel Street had one of the two largest markets in the Clerkenwell and Islington areas, divided roughly equally between food and non-food stalls. Furniture, earthenware, second-hand clothing and drapery were among the most popular merchandise. The council renamed the street Chapel Market in 1936.

A few mainstream retailers and fast food outlets now occupy premises towards the eastern end of the street but for the most part this remains a traditional and unpretentious market, selling mainly household goods and food. It is open every day except Monday. Despite its continuing popularity, Chapel Market is vulnerable to a future change of use owing to the high value of land in Islington.’

The Victorian Royal Free Hospital began life as The London Fever Hospital. By the 1990s this redundant facility was redeveloped for varying types of residential accommodation. http://www.locallocalhistory.co.uk/islington/royalfree/ has much interesting history on this site, modern manifestations of which include

Old Royal Free Square N1 7.05

Old Royal Free Square N1

Southwood Smith Street N1 7.05

and Southwood Smith Street N1

Battishill Street N1 7.05

London’s feral pigeons are ubiquitous. Here a trio dice with death near a corner of Battishill Street.

Kember Street N1 7.05

I do hope the driver of this Urgent Courier in Kember Street had managed to deliver his package before his van was clamped.

Bernard Street WC1 7.05

The gentleman on the balcony in Bernard Street WC1 appears to have scaled great heights in search of a mobile phone signal.

Victoria Street SW1 7.05

Now, can you spot Louisa and Errol outside the Victoria Palace Theatre?

Victoria Street SW1 7.05

I’ll give you a clue. The woman in white conversing on her mobile stands beside them when the traffic crossing figure is green. It becomes red while she approaches me, still apparently engrossed in the screen.

Victoria Street SW1 7.05

These three shots were all taken from outside an Indian restaurant where the three of us had enjoyed a pre-theatre meal before seeing the show, aptly described on the board as ‘The Greatest British Musical I’ve Ever Seen’.

Once more, by late afternoon, the sun shone from a gently clouded blue sky.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s superb sausage casserole and mashed potato flecked with carrot. She drank Hoegaarden and I drank Barossa Valley Shiraz 2016.

45 comments

  1. I really like “mural on this corner of the Lewis Carroll Library”, thanks. And, I scuttle off to find out what in heck a costermonger does for a crust!

  2. Thank you for another London tour with history.
    We saw an excellent production of Billy Elliott (I think it must have been the Broadway production) that was filmed for TV. The movie is excellent, too.

  3. I do hope the markets don’t get moved on just because some property developer wants to make a killing. That would destroy so much of the London ambience! Yes, I could see Louisa and Errol. I didn’t realise we were already so wedded to our mobiles in 2005.

  4. Louisa and Errol spotted. Mission accomplished 😀 London looks cheery with a bit of sunshine about, even if recall Islington is one of the cheaper properties on a Monopoly board. Love the Alice in Wonderland mural!

  5. I was lost in the photographic stream of consciousness. The perspective of the buildings have been retained adeptly. A fascinating journey, as usual.

  6. A lovely stroll! I remember seeing the movie “Billy Elliot,” which I liked very much. Bet the play was good, too.

  7. A wonderful walk Derrick.. 🙂 and Beautiful Garden… The sun has shone between showers and heavy cloud… but the blue sky of this morning at 6am has long gone..

  8. I am caught up with your adventures again now, Derrick and Jackie. I am sorry for all the problems with the house in France, and your poor knees! You two have been through too much hardship! I enjoyed seeing Jackie’s gardens, the forest and the shore, and the scenes from London.

    Our spring is still very cool and wet here. It will be interesting to see what we get for fruit this year.

    Our best to both of you. 🙂

    1. Many thanks, Lavinia, for such a huge catch up and for your concern and good wishes. All OK now. All I need is a pair of new knees. Our best to you both, as well, and may you eventually enjoy good crops

  9. I enjoy your London tours very much, Derrick. My elder daughter worked front of house at the Victoria Palace while she was a student when Billy Eliot was showing. She enjoyed the first week but gradually became thoroughly sick of the whole musical in subsequent weeks and still responds with a groan if Billy Elliot is mentioned. I never saw the musical but I love the film.

      1. Oh it was the often repeated work she got fed up with, Derrick. She realised she wasn’t suited to working front of house. She is happiest doing the acting herself and doesn’t seem to mind how many times she repeats a performance.

Leave a Reply