Yesterday the sun was shining (mostly) so I went for a photo walk in East London. I went to an area I hadn't visited in years -- possibly since I shot it for Bleeding London, way back in 2014. (NINE YEARS AGO!) I started in Stratford and walked eastward almost to Ilford, and then south through East Ham and back to the tube via Plaistow and Canning Town -- about six and a half miles, according to Google Maps.
It's a very diverse part of London. I honestly think I heard no more than a smattering of English the whole time I walked -- based on all the shops and restaurants I saw, there are communities of Middle Easterners and South Asians and Eastern Europeans and probably much more. (The fact that there's a "turban tying service" on that Google map above is an indication!)
I remembered this beautiful old building from my previous walk through the area. It's the Old Manor Park Library, a historically listed former Carnegie library that now houses artists' studios. (It's on the corner of the amusingly named Rabbits Road, a block from Michigan Avenue -- I sent a photo of that street sign to native Michigander Dave.)
The sun worked against me in several of my photos. It was low and bright, and when I tried to photograph things in shadow (like the Palestine mural above) the contrast between light and dark areas was a challenge.
I found this old church, now covered in beautiful autumnal vines, on a side street. It's still being used as a church and community center.
Here's the East Ham high street, looking northward toward one of the area's many Hindu temples.
I stopped for lunch in West Ham at a mediocre fish & chips shop, where I finally tried a Rubicon mango-flavored soda that I've often seen around town. (Not bad!) I was frustrated because the restaurant had no place for me to wash my hands, before or after I ate. How is this even legal? Seems like giving customers bathroom access should be a requirement.
Anyway, I caught the tube at Canning Town and came home from there. It felt really good to get out of the house and get a good walk in, and flex my creative muscles.
Last night was Bonfire Night, aka Guy Fawkes Night, and for the past few evenings we've been hearing pops and blasts all over our neighborhood. Last night I could hear showers of sparks coming down from fireworks, but I couldn't actually see them, at least not from our back garden or front steps. Admittedly I did not try very hard. Olga, fortunately, has never been bothered by firecrackers, unlike some dogs.
Those of you who were amused by the bizarre news story I posted yesterday might also like this related one. Honestly, you can't make this stuff up.
19 comments:
What an energetic fabulous walk. I have never been drawn to that area but may be now. This town is loaded with interesting walks.there was a pay wall for this little device so all I could see was the black outfit… that was enough.
Feeling so sorry for Guy and his cohorts. Their punishment was …extreme.
The final link requires one of three registrations but I did manage to see the headline! Wow. And I'll be in Colchester next week. Maybe I'll see the guy. Great photos that capture the personality of the neighborhoods.
A wider part of London that like Spitalfields has for many centuries received refugees from all over the world.
Strange that the restaurant had no bathroom..but I think if there are public toilets nearby they don't have to?
Interesting that the Carnegie building is now studios..I think most are listed buildings and have a condition on them that they have to be used for the community
Mitchell: I changed the link to another site that doesn't require registration. It does, however, have a lot of ads. You can't win 'em all.
Steve, I mentioned in a previous comment that you would probably enjoy the YouTuber John Rogers, a Londoner who videos and narrates interesting walks all over the area. Check it out. https://youtube.com/@JohnRogersWalks?si=cV8wePHnnktpMrB0
What a great walk and, of course, I love the architecture, especially the old church.
What a great walk, I really enjoyed seeing the map and I thought your photos were excellent. The beauty shop with the graffiti and the scooter with the L plates was fantastic, the vibrancy of the scene, amazing. Jean in Winnipeg
I didn't even know that there were Carnegie libraries anywhere but in the States. After doing a little googling, I realize that was an ignorant assumption.
These are beautiful photos, Steve. The viney church is really gorgeous.
Even as a little kid in the North of England, I revered Andrew Carnegie whose library provided a lot of my early education. Schools didn't have libraries, and the town one with big reading areas, newspaper collections, huge book area and children's section, was a massive addition to our industrial town. Whatever else he did, that's what I value.
What great shape you must be in to do such a nice long walk, Steve! You covered a lot of ground and found us some interesting sights. You should carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer with you and then you won't need to find a bathroom to wash your hands.
The fall colors on that church are beautiful! I love seeing these photos from your walks.
Hmmm... I wonder if "turban tying" is as complicated as putting on a toga in Ancient Rome?
I envy you the variety of your walks. Mine is one of two boring ones without many photo ops except of trees and the occasional horse or other wildlife.
It is a requirement in the US that if you have an eat in restaurant, you must provide restrooms. My concern would be about the employees. Where are their toilet facilities, and where are they washing their hands?
This article makes it just as plain as day: while the 'gimps' are certainly outside our idea of normal, what makes them frightening is not so much the suit but the behavior of the person wearing that suit. The whole speaking in tongues would have freaked me out even if he was wearing an ordinary pair of jeans and a teeshirt.
Still pretty weird. I was afraid to go to far into my reading yesterday, lest I find myself on the receiving end of pretty strange targeted advertising!
I have a feeling Lizzie and Guy FAwkes would not be friends! She's very skittery on such things.
It looks like a very interesting walk although that is very odd about the bathroom -- or lack thereof. Seems like in a fish and chips place it would be essential!
One of the things I most remember about my trips to London was the diversity. I remember the first turban I ever saw was worn by my bus driver on my first full day in London. I thought it looked kind of hot on that warm summer day. I have never seen another one in person outside of my time in London.
That was quite a decent walk. It's a good thing to get out of an area you are really familiar with, and perhaps a little out of your comfort zone.
Great walk & photos! What an interesting part of London. You're right, you just can't make that stuff up, Gimp Man indeed......
Linda Sue: One thing about London is, you can pick pretty much any road or neighborhood and find interesting things!
Mitchell: See my comment above. I certainly HOPE you see the Essex Gimp!
GZ: Yes, I love how international that area is. And if there was a public toilet nearby, I don't know where!
Don: I will check him out! Thanks for the reminder!
Bob: There was a lot more where that came from -- interesting buildings around every corner!
Jean: Thanks! I really like that first photo, too. It was one of about eight frames in that spot and definitely the one that worked the best.
Ms Moon: I think Carnegie himself was Scottish by birth, wasn't he? So it's not surprising he'd reinvest in Britain to some degree.
Boud: His libraries definitely made a huge difference in the lives of people in many communities. I love the fact that they're beautiful buildings, too -- made to be more than utilitarian.
Ellen D: You're right about the hand sanitizer, but given a choice, I would MUCH rather wash my hands.
Kelly: It must be quite complicated if there's a service dedicated to it!
Margaret: One of the benefits of urban living, I guess, though there are interesting pictures to be taken anywhere!
Debby: Ha! Well, if it's any consolation, I've been reading quite a bit about gimps in the last few days and I haven't received any targeted ads. LOL! I assume the restaurant employees probably have a restroom in the back that's not publicly accessible.
Jeanie: Exactly! No matter how neat you are, it's food that requires hand-washing!
Ed: That's so funny. I see turbans quite often. They seem quite common on bus drivers, for some reason!
Andrew: Yes! I love exploring new neighborhoods.
Jim: It was a very interesting walk. In fact I want to go back and check out more of that area.
I love that former library building. It's beautiful.
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