London – Page 11 – slightly weird

22nd February 2020

More foiled plans and changes, changes, changes

Thursday, 20 February, 2020

We decided to go to Hackney Wick to see how things were progressing there. Hackney Wick is an artist’s community, with an overground station, near the Olympic Park at Stratford. It’s always been a mass of old buildings, factories, industrial parks, and warehouses and over time the artists and visitors have littered every wall, every door with art.

At one time, the art was glorious. Those days seem to be gone. A new entrance to the overground station has changed the orientation of the area and it confuses me. In the process of the change – where homes and factories have been torn down, the art has been sacrificed. As well, the old station entrance, which was always a bit of a dump, hasn’t been torn down yet. The day we arrived, we saw that several of the new buildings had been completed, the fancy office buildings, the luxury flats with names that were supposed to recall the area’s heritage – The Bagel Factory, Stonemasons Yard, Ceramic Works – they’re highly priced in this obviously deprived area. I wondered how many would just be owned rather than lived in. It made me that familiar mixture of curious, excited and sad to think about it and we cut our walk short since Krish was now motivated by the nearby Well Street Fish and Chips.

A rather ghostly and scribble-littered Hackney Wick – The new, the old, and the very quiet

A car crash in Hackney Wick near the estate. I didn't photograph the onlookers — A car crash in Hackney Wick near the estate. I didn’t photograph the onlookers. Notice more construction

A visit to the little Tesco and another to Lidl, then on to Vietnamese Supermarket.

We’d passed Lennox House on Cresset Road, approaching Well Street. The architectural notes read ‘These flats were built in 1936-7 to the designs of J E M MacGregor for Bethnal Green and East London Housing Association. There are 35 flats. The three bedroom flats were on the first floor, one bedroom flats on the top floor and two bedroom flats on the other levels. The original idea was that the central portion of the building beneath the stepped flats should be used as a covered market. The income from this would be used to subsidise the rents of the flats above. However, during the building period, land in the area was designated for residential use only. The Housing Association was also committed to providing a garden for each flat (apart from those on the ground floor).’ We noticed local brewery barrels on the main floor – did they brew in here, or just store the barrels? I think just store.

Lennox House, by Well Street, is a fantastic building

These balconies seem well-suited to creating the towering gardens we saw in Turin and Milan

Barrels from the 40ft brewery- a Dalston success story

At the bottom of Cresset Road, Well Street is under construction – how long till this gentrifies completely?

And then, on the bus home, I discovered I didn’t have my bus pass. I looked through my entire bag and checked all my pockets. It was gone. The pass office told me that it would cost £12 to replace it but that my renewal was due to be sent out. I decided to wait and pay full price until it arrived.

I was going alone to see A Passage to India at the Tower Theatre that night so I left early and visited Lidl and the Vietnamese supermarket first – no pass had been found. I phoned the Tesco and the fish and chip shop – no pass. I was scuttled.

The play was very good. I’d seen the Masterpiece Theatre series years ago. My memory of it was nothing like the play I saw. I enjoyed the fact actual Indian actors were playing those roles. I felt that British imperialism was probably fairly represented too. The xenophobia, the bigotry, the superior attitude, the refusal to accept something different by considering it unclean, barbaric. un-Christian so heathen…and the fear. Each side underestimated the other really. And at the end the anger was real.

Next, how my plans continue to be foiled! Continue reading “More foiled plans and changes, changes, changes”

19th February 202022nd February 2020

My restaurant resolution

Tuesday, 18 February, 2020

I didn’t make any new year’s resolutions really but one thing I did was decide I would get to all the restaurants on my list – maybe one each week. I’m working on it. Those restaurants were

Singburi – No nonsense Thai
Anju – pop up Korean
Bubala – Vegetarian, inspired by the cafes of Tel Aviv
Sambal Shiok – Laksa specialist
Marksman – Classic British fare in a former Victorian pub
P.Franco – Snug, trendy bar with rotating chefs
or Bright – wine bar by P.Franco
Peg – tiny cafe by P.Franco with set menu
Mao Chow – All-vegan Chinese-inspired dishes
Cafe East – Vietnamese home cooking
Gloria – Decadent Italian, 70’s Capri-style
Kakki Katsu – Specialist in Katsu Curry
St John Bread and Wine – newer classic -seasonal, indigenous ingredients and “the whole beast”
Rochelle Canteen – British restaurant at Arnold Circus that’s “calm, delicious, and brilliant”

and probably more to come. The ones in italics are the ones I’ve managed to get to so far – I’ll keep updating this. Almost all are local but it’s still taking me ages.

But three are done. None so far are going my must-return list. I hope the ‘done’ list grows and hopefully at least one will become a regular.

A note about dining alone, though. I can remember when I was very agoraphobic and in therapy. One of the practice sessions I had to undertake was to go to any restaurant and eat there alone. This terrified me, I can’t tell you how much. I chose the cafe at The Sheraton in Toronto and I have no idea what I ate there. It was terrifying, but I did it. It wasn’t something I wanted to repeat, to be honest, but since then I’ve become more used to dining alone and I quite like it. I knew I’d be going to most of these places alone, with the biggest drawback being not being alone, but not being able to try enough different things and being confined to just one or two menu items. I love to eat but I’m not a big eater.

Kakki Katsu opened not too long ago at Dalston Junction. This is a really handy location, since I have to be at this corner fairly often. It’s definitely not a chic place, more like a fast food cafe. There was one chef/server/cashier at the front. I ordered a katsu ramen and I would say it rated about a 5/10. The katsu was thick but crispy, the noodles were too soft, the broth was more like an average chicken soup, and the eggs were a bit too well done. It’s passable and nothing more but it was reasonably priced.

I already blogged about Anju so I’ll steal the words: Anju has been open for a little while inside The Gun pub on Well Street. I stayed downstairs in the dark and unadorned pub instead of going up to the restaurant space. The menu was short, the few main courses pricey for a back-street pub – at £13-14 – and I’m not really up to a big meal much of the time, so I chose a starter instead: Korean Sushi Rolls (Bulgogi Beef or Braised Sweet Tofu, I chose the beef). They were fresh and pleasant. I was thinking that putting some hot beef in there would have made them more delicious but this was just a taste. Maybe I’ll go again and have something larger.

I was really looking forward to trying Gloria. It was described as ‘exuberant,’ ‘over the top,’ ‘flamboyant, and the rest. It was said to be an in-your-face Italian place with large portions and crazy decor. It also boasted a lemon meringue pie with a six-inch high meringue – I have to say I really wanted to try that! I had one aborted attempt to get there, when I got lost, but this time I had it timed between two appointments. I at least wanted to try that pie to see if I would have it again on my birthday.

Gloria is on Great Eastern Street near Shoreditch High Street. I thought it would be trendy but it’s kitschy inside and looks like it’s been there for decades, rather than being quite new. I got a seat by myself quite easily, sitting next to another solo diner with her own table. I chose a ‘girella,’ since it didn’t sound too large – it was a stuffed coiled raviolo with some ragu. I also got some raddichio with parmesan, followed by the lemon pie. The girella and radicchio were pleasant. Then things went wonky. My coffee arrived – it was a standard restaurant cappuccino, the type that you know wasn’t made with a deeply roasted espresso – so so. And I waited…half an hour later, when my coffee was cold, the pie arrived.

Well, it did impress on first sight. The meringue was indeed at least six-inches high and nicely torched. But it wasn’t a lemon meringue pie. I’d describe it as a tarte au citron (rich and buttery and very sweet, with a shortbread base) with a tea-cake type topping that was creamy and dense, like a campfire marshmallow. It wasn’t the tangy, melt-in-the-mouth experience I had hoped for, even if it was interesting and tasty. Almost a fail in terms of expectations and it made me late for my next appointment, which is a whole other story!

The bar at Gloria — From my seat, a glimpse of the bar at Gloria’s entrance

Diners opposite in front of the large interior bar

That’s it for now but watch this space grow…I hope!

12th February 2020

Not tired of Brick Lane but what’s the future?

Wednesday, 12 February, 2020

One day I will be tired of Brick Lane. Not yet, though.

On Friday, 31st January, we thought of walking down Hackney Road that day, taking the bus from Pembury Circus and wandering down – our eventual destination the cash and carry Bangla Town by Hanbury Street. From the bus, though, we noticed so much construction that the street suddenly seemed less walkable. It wasn’t roadworks but a number of new building sites in various stages of construction. What this means is the street art and curious buildings were disappearing.

So we stayed on the bus to Columbia Road.

Some parts of Hackney Road are unchanged

Perhaps another day I’ll brave Hackney Road again and see what’s left. That day opened my eyes to the increasing disappearance of the old, a microcosm – or not so micro – of London itself.

From Hackney Road we decided to walk over to Brick Lane by the back streets, taking note of all the changes and contrasts along the way.

New and old face each other in the Shoreditch back streets

Quiet Shoreditch is close enough to the bustle

From here, it was a less familiar view of Boundary Estate, from its easterly edge. Built as the nineteenth century merged into the twentieth, it’s stayed the same in appearance but not in its culture.

Boundary Estate is instantly recognisable – with its red brick

Still Boundary Estate - looking towards Arnold Circus — Still Boundary Estate – looking towards Arnold Circus

Once past Boundary estate, it’s time to head over to Brick Lane. The streets here are mostly unchanged but there are signs of the future – construction sites and hoardings – and shops at the top, quiet, end of Brick Lane before you hit Bethnal Green Road are getting smarter. The hipsters are very firmly in place. How will it all look in ten, or even five, years?

The lesser known top end of Brick Lane – very quiet

Way too busy at Brick Lane Beigel – the salt bagels were selling out

From Brick Lane, regeneration is so close

I may have said before that I’ve noticed a new phenomenon at Brick Lane. In most cities I’m familiar with, the ethnic ghettos are expanding. When I lived in North Beach, San Francisco, Chinatown was a short walk away. In more recent visits to North Beach, Chinatown has crept into its streets. In Toronto, Little India has started to creep along Gerrard Street so that you no longer have to go into its centre to find Indian culture. Brick Lane is changing in a different way – instead of exploding, it’s imploding. More and more non-Indian cafes and shops are opening, mingling with the Bengali and Bangladeshi businesses and threatening to overtake them.

What will happen next? When will the current residents move on, as the Huguenot, and then the Jewish immigrants have done? Where will they go? And will they be pushed out, priced out, or will they too climb out? Meanwhile, there’s still time to look around.

Cake on Brick Lane – encroaching on the curry houses today

Sclater Street - demolition and hope — Sclater Street – demolition and hope

One of Dan Kitchener's geishas on Brick Lane — One of Dan Kitchener’s geishas on Brick Lane – aging

Once it was only Sundays that Brick Lane was busy. Then Saturdays started to become busier. Walking along that Friday, the street wasn’t so quiet. Continue reading “Not tired of Brick Lane but what’s the future?”

26th January 202019th February 2020

A walk in Homerton

Sunday, 26 January, 2020

I volunteered for a Feldenkrais session with Charlotte, who I used to have classes with – Lisa had taken me along. I have to admit Feldenkrais – and Charlotte – come across somewhat flaky, but I like to experience new things and it sounded quite relaxing. It was also a chance to go to Homerton. It’s part of Hackney, and one of the more rundown areas. The biggest thing there is the local community hospital.

In the 19th century a 200 bed fever hospital was built at Homerton. It stood where the present hospital is until 1982. There were six wards for typhus, two each for scarlet fever and enteric patients. Two smaller wards were reserved for ‘special cases’.

Homerton Hospital is made up of one long H-shaped low rise building, and several satellite buildings on its grounds

Old wall at Homerton — This old barred wall from the fever hospital remains (More in the blog postscript)

There are remains in Homerton dating back to the 11th century but most of its history isn’t known until the 14th century. Like much of Hackney, Homerton has been farmland and it’s been a genteel Tudor hamlet of estates and grand houses formed from the former Templar lands. Around 1790 Sutton Place, now a Heritage museum, was built and remains as the oldest house in Hackney. There’s quite a grand history of religion and education with many lectures and sermons being held, some attended by John and Abigail Adams. Among its ministers was polymath, Joseph Priestley, discoverer of oxygen.

Homerton wasn’t so grand in recent times, though. I’ve seen pictures of a bustling Homerton High Street, whereas today the street is dirty and quiet.

Hackney Hospital – it was once the Hackney Union Workhouse, became a hospital and is now used as a Mental Health centre – it’s very large so this is just one wing

Back of Hackney Hospital — The back of Hackney Hospital

Things are changing, as they always do. Older buildings are being torn down and newer ones are going up. The contrast is striking.

Newer Homerton — Charlotte’s place is by the back of Hackney Hospital, where there’s a lot of new development. I’m calling it modern industrial.

Flaky or not, my session with Charlotte was rewarding. I learned a lot about how my posture – above all my typing habits and even my eyesight – contributed to my aches and pains. No big surprise, to be honest, but a very good window into what I really need to do to change this. Not that I have yet but I do have the awareness.

Charlotte’s flat was one of the modern ones – large and airy. I was envious, of course. Continue reading “A walk in Homerton”

8th January 20208th January 2020

A new decade – what’s in store?

Tuesday, 7 January, 2020

It feels very strange to type 2020. I hadn’t thought of that before. Am I supposed to make resolutions for the whole decade? I really should. So far my only resolution for the year is to eat at one restaurant on my list every week. In fact, that wouldn’t take too many weeks so definitely doable.

I’d like to be less lazy, waste less time, do more – more of all sorts of things. So far so bad, though. There’s still time, right? Ten years less seven days, anyway.

On the third, I had tickets to go see a children’s version of The Nutcracker at Sadler’s Wells’ Lillian Baylis theatre. I love these shorter version of classic ballets. They’re perfect for my short attention span. First I took the bus to Islington Green at Angel to have a bit of lunch.

I went to Kanada-Ya and had an OK tonkotsu ramen

After lunch I walked along Camden Passage before getting my next bus

Japanese tea room - and the air smelled amazing from the Penhaligon shop — Japanese tea room – and the air smelled amazing from the Penhaligon shop

It's a short bus ride from Angel to Sadler's Wells — It’s a short bus ride from Angel to Sadler’s Wells

Juliet was going to bring her grandson but there was a last minute switch and instead we were taking her granddaughter, Dessi. Dessi was very excited and told me that she’d seen the ballet before, the CBeebies version. With Juliet on the aisle seat, me in the next, and Dessi closest to the centre, we sat and waited.

Even the short ballet version felt long at times. Dessi kept me entertained. After only a couple of minutes she announced I want to be a ballerina just like they are. I thought how lovely it was to be so inspired. When one of the dancers appeared onstage, she announced loudly – the lone voice above the iconic music – It’s the Sugar Plum Fairy, and after a few rapt minutes I love the Sugar Plum Fairy. She then loudly whispered to us, When I go back to your house, grandma, I’m going to dance all the way there. There were six ballerinas sharing roles on stage. Four were slender, two were sturdy. I noticed, just like last year, how lightly they landed with each leap and step. At the end of the show, all children are invited to come down to the stage to take photos with the dancers.

Dessi and I raced down to get there, only to find out that we had come down the wrong way. Up we went again and all the way to the back of the queue.

Anticipation - Dessi told me she wanted to dance on the stage — Anticipation while we waited – Dessi told me she wanted to dance on the stage

Everybody was moving slowly, parents were hogging the spotlight for their children – none of this surprising – and then suddenly with only half the children having moved down to the stage, we seemed to moving extra quickly.

Dessi had told me that she wanted to dance with them on stage so when she stood there, I reminded her and she held her arms above her head, all the dancers following her lead.

Finally, it was Dessi's turn — Finally, it was Dessi’s turn – I was too blind to notice the green light on her face

I reminded Dessi to pose and the dancers all copied her

Dessi glanced around to see that they were all posing with her

Continue reading “A new decade – what’s in store?”