We awoke refreshed to a surprise - blue sky. It looked like it was going to turn out to be fine day. These Terrace houses have been converted to apartments, which is where we are staying. Shoreditch is currently undergoing gentrification, however there are plenty of Council Housing Estates, but they seem to be relatively low rise and spread out, not like those huge concrete Housing Estates you see on the TV series The Bill.
Setting off we headed North, amazed how quiet it was here on a Saturday morning. The occasional, what are called 'Hipsters' rode past on a retro bikes. Riding a bike, prefereably a retro old bike with the right trouser leg rolled up appears to be cool. Although a real 'Hipster' wouldn't use that word. The whole point is not to appear to be trying to be cool. Shoreditch is 'Hipster' Heaven.
If you are not familiar with the subculture click here - Hipsters
Soon we reached Regent's Canal (see below), and followed the "Tow Path' - the wide path used historically to pull the barges and canal boats along the canals, which before railways was the cheapest way to move goods.
Setting off we headed North, amazed how quiet it was here on a Saturday morning. The occasional, what are called 'Hipsters' rode past on a retro bikes. Riding a bike, prefereably a retro old bike with the right trouser leg rolled up appears to be cool. Although a real 'Hipster' wouldn't use that word. The whole point is not to appear to be trying to be cool. Shoreditch is 'Hipster' Heaven.
If you are not familiar with the subculture click here - Hipsters
Soon we reached Regent's Canal (see below), and followed the "Tow Path' - the wide path used historically to pull the barges and canal boats along the canals, which before railways was the cheapest way to move goods.
The Canal Boats are motorized now and are tied up along the canal, and some people actually live aboard. The units above have been recently renovated. Now, as we head east, we are passed frequently by joggers and more people on bicycles.
About twenty minutes later we reach the Broadway Market where the stall holders are setting up shop for the day. At the end of the street is the large park called London Fields.
We took a seat in the sun in front of the French Cafe called, "La Bouche", and watched the Market spring to life, whilst enjoying the best coffee we've had in London, and people watching. Listening to "Alright mate" and "Hi ya", as people walked their dogs and stopped and chatted. I felt like an extra on East Enders. I was in heaven.
England loves Markets; closing off the streets, to set up stalls selling a wide variety of goods. Napoleon famousnly dismissed England as a 'nation of shop keepers'. Mostly opening on a Saturday, but there are also permanent markets, like the famous, Old Spitalfields Markets, which we will come to later. Some areas specialise in certain goods. Now, the East End have lots of markets, which may because in the old days the docks lined the Thames in the East End of London. Bare in mind that ships were loaded and unloaded by hand, and sometimes, if goods just happened to go 'missing', and end up being sold in the markets in East London, well who would be any the wiser. The introduction of shipping containers dramatically reduced the level of 'missing' cargo.
We strolled north to Hackney Road, and went to a traditional English style cafe, where we had scrambled eggs on toast with 'brown sauce'. An English cafe is like Ian Beale's cafe on East Enders if you are familiar with the TV series, The East Enders. It's cheap at 2 pounds or $3 AUD for scrambled eggs on toast. The cafe along with the local Pub are often the centres of the social life for the neighbourhood.
From the East End of London we caught a train to the West End to Sloane Square and the upper middle class suburb of Chelsea. Also home to the subculture 'Sloane Rangers' . Not to be confused with Hipsters, because they are very different people with very different ideas. For some reason you don't tend to find Council Housing Estates, and there are private enclosed parks for the residents like you may have seen in the movie, Notting Hill.
The Chelsea Flower Show was on, but sold out (damn!), but we, meaning me, went to the National Army Museum next door to Royal Chelsea Hospital. Anyone with kids or more specifically boys or big kids like myself will love this museum. It tells the history of the British Army and is similiar to the Australian War Museum in many respects. Best of all it's fee, so it's a cheap way to keep the family enterained for half a day in London.
This is a rifleman from one of England's elite regiments, The Rifle Brigade. Formed during the Napoleonic War he is armed with a rifle rather than the inaccurate smooth bore musket, wears a green uniform instead of the famous red coat, and fights in a skirmish line rather than in close ranks. Incidently, my grandfather fought in this regiment, and his battalion was almost wiped out, which is when he met Australian soldiers who so impressed him that he immigrated to Australia after the war.
Afterwards we caught the train back to the East End, and went in search of the house where my grandfather grew up. It is in the area known as Cheapside. I couldn't help but notice the irony that the terraces have long since been knocked down to make way for the City of London's growing Financial Sector. Grandad's home is now a bank! .
Moving on we went to the Old Spitalfields Market near Liverpool Station. (pictured below)
We strolled up the famous Brick Lane, and pretty tired after all that walking, had a caffeine hit at another hipster cafe in Shoreditch. Exhausted we went to bed without dinner. Don't feel bad. I gorged myself all day, including a particularly tasty chocolate croissant.
In the next blog we are going to take a leisurely canal boat ride, and go to yet another famous market, the Camden Market in North London.
Travel Tips:
Go to a traditonal English Cafe
If you have been to London a few times, check out some of the other areas of London, away from the known Tourist hot spots.
Note, if you didn't bring your Retro bike with you, then you can hire bikes by the hour at the many rental bike stations.
Try to be more like a Hipster, but without appearing to try; http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Hipster
