I'm getting behind in the blog. Now that i've caught up on Faceache and waiting for the world around me to kick start I will make an attempt at catching up!
Another glorious day in London. I did start off wearing a cardie but it was ditched after I'd walked a block. This morning the first item on the agenda was to set off to see the site were Kenneth Williams was born. It was only a couple of minutes away from my cousin's.
From there I headed back past my London home back towards Filthy MacNasty's but took a turn down Percy Street down to Percy Circus where Vladimir Lenin lived back in 1905.
From there I headed back to Pentonville Rd (yes, it's named after the prison, but the prison is actually on Caledonian Rd!) down to St John Street. Here I saw the Red Lion Theatre where it is believed Thomas Paine wrote passages to Rights of Man of which the US and French constitutions are based.
I continued along the street stopping briefly in a little cafe for a "Al Pacino" Panini. It was very yummy - ham, mozzarella, Spanish Onion and olive oil. the bloke behind the counter asks "You're Australian?" Asks me where I'm from. After I tell him I am from Brisbane he proceeds to tell me he has a brother in Melbourne. yeah mate, I'm sure I know him.
After consuming some sustenance I headed down to the Islington Museum.
Local area investigated it was time to head towards my musical homage of the day and take in a bit of Aldgate and Whitechapel. This is where my day didn't go exactly to plan.
I consulted my Tube map and figured out which trains I needed to catch to go to Whitechapel. According to my map I had to catch the Tube to Bank and change to the District Line to go to Whitechapel. Jax was first thrown by the talking voice on the train not telling me to get off here to change to the District Line. I still got off, confident in thinking I knew what I was doing. I did know... but apparently forgot to go upstairs. So I caught the train back the other way and got off at the next station. Remembered to go upstairs this time! I was reading the sign when an Underground employee asked me where I wanted to go. I said I was after Whitechapel. He told me to go to platform 1.
Over the PA I heard there were delays due to signal failure. In hindsight I think the Underground bloke thought I knew about the delay and was sending me an alternative route. Except I didn't know that at the time and was wondering why he put me on a train that only remaining stops were Liverpool St and Aldgate. Oh well, I wanted to end up at Aldgate. Looks like I'm starting there!
So in Aldgate I spotted the building in London that I am most obsessed with...... THE GHERKIN! (AKA 30 St Mary Axe)
The Gherkin!
Sir John Cass School - the statue indicates it was a school for boys.
Then I saw where the opening scene of Monty Python's Meaning of Life was shot:
I then decided it was time to head towards Whitechapel. Problem was I headed in the wrong direction (my sense of direction skills are A1). But in doing so I did spot the Monument!
Heading back in the correct direction I finally made it to Whitechapel. My sense of direction failed me again. I was looking for the house John Merrick (aka The Elephant Man) was housed in. I thought it was on the other side of the road. Turns out I was on the side of the road where it was. So errr.. I walked passed it!
Also went into Durward Street where the Ripper's first victim was found and walked passed the gigantic Mosque there
It was time to get out of Whitechapel and not before time. It is an awful area.... smells, there are street stalls all down the street on the kerbside. Couldn't get out there quick enough.
So then it was down to Stepney for my musical homage of the day. I was walking down to Commercial Road to see if Stepney's Nightclub was still standing. In my research I had read it was due to be demolished. It is a 1970s nightclub that is still intact. It has been the scene for the likes of cover shoots for Nick Cave and was where Pulp filmed the nightclub scenes for the Common People video. I was sooooooooo happy it was still there. It will be a shame to see it go.
Stepney's Nightclub
By this time I was thoroughly exhausted and there was a bus stop across the road. Luckily a bus came along that went to Old Street Tube (one tube station away from "home") so caught it and then got the train back to Angel collapsing at home tired.... but extremely happy!
Adios
Jax
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