another unique vendor. she makes her plate wear all from home and her trademark or signature is the ladies legs with the red shoes. I wanted a piece so bad but this stuff was REALLY expensive. I mean 50 pounds for a cup and saucer...not for a set
Flower vendor
Spitalfields has a next location that is all flowers and produce. You have to be there at 4am with the florists to get anything worthwhile. After 6am everything is gone. I couldnt manage those hours at all.
Outside the market, across the street on Liverpool Street
I was dying a slow death at this point - we had been at it all day, so we headed home.
Last little bit for the time being. I need to rest.
Random shots around the borough of Hackney where I am from.
Famous Theatre
Hackney Town Hall. This is the 2nd building it has been housed in. It went up before I was born. The original town hall is on Mare Street. It is now a bank if I recall correctly. Modernity is catching up with the 2nd building. The newest town hall is located behind this one now. They were in the process of moving offices while I was there. I needed to order my birth certificate again, so I placed the order in the old building you see but a week later picked it up in the glass building behind it. I didnt take any picture of the new one though.
I didnt have a name for 8 days cause my parents, or should I say, my dad couldnt make up his mind as to what to call me. So according to my mum, a name was finally picked on the stairs to the town hall
Yes, shopping was a priority to me this trip I had stayed home for 2 days because my fever was out of control. I stayed in bed for one entire day just sweating like crazy But I eventually dragged myself out of bed and made my way down to Oxford Street with my cousin.
Theatre show of Freddie Prinze. Loved the statue
My cousin has worked for John Lewis for 25 years....although she was on a 6 month sabbatical she was happy to take us to the store again.
One of my future purchases
The food hall at John Lewis is second only to Harrod's....and even then I would argue that it maybe first. Absolutely glorious. I spent an hour in there looking around and buying stuff. If I lived in London though, I would be hard pressed to buy from there on a regular basis given the prices.
I have never seen so many different varieties of salads before. Sweetpea shoots, beetroot, lamb's ears..Picked up a few bags.
Popular African snack much like beef jerky. Since I dont like beef jerky I decided not to try it.
We had lunch in John Lewis and then headed out to Bond Street.
One of my favorite stores, Zara
House of Fraser
I was looking for a dress to wear to the anniversary party that weekend and found this store, Moonsoon on Oxford Street The green and gold dress on the right was my goal
My cousin took me into a popular store called<span style="font-weight: bold"> Primark</span>. Low cost, high volume clothes from other parts of Europe. I lasted long enough to take this picture and then had to get the hell out of there. I couldnt believe how busy the store is on a weekday. Imagine what it is like at Christmas
I waited by the door until my cousin was done looking for items for her upcoming cruise to St Lucia.
I started to run a fever again and we had been shopping for a few hours, so we headed home afterwards.
I still cant talk on the phone for more than a minute so working is out of the question right now. I am telling everybody if they have somethinf to say to me they best text or email otherwise they will be ignored.....Lord I feel like [censored] right now
This is the grocery store I almost died in
It is located on <span style="font-weight: bold">Brushfield Street</span> which just off of <span style="font-weight: bold">Liverpool Street</span> and directly across the street from the Spitafields market. Grocery stores like this are few and far between what with Tesco's and Sainsbury about the place. Buying a few items from small local grocers used to be such a European way of eating but that is shifting.
After letting him know that I wasnt dead Mr Nylah and me headed across the street to our favorite little food place in the market Crepes seem to be a popular item in the U.K. I saw enough stands and restaurants selling them.
This one again is in Spitafield's. Food shots for the foodies.
We both had the simply vegetarian crepes for the main course and I had the Bananalicious (bananas, Belgian chocolate, strawberries, whipped cream) crepe for dessert and he had the Canadian Maple Syrup crepe
I wanted to explore the area on foot but the rain was coming down and quite frankly the re-occurring theme of me running a fever was kicking in again. I wasnt ready to go home yet, so Mr Nylah drove thru as much of the area as he could explaining the history of the Huguenots in the area. He is a historian so he explained their history, impact on the economy and the architecture in the area.
Only a few streets are left in the Spitalfields area that retain the Huguenot style homes. After many were torn down, did the historical society step in and preserve the remaining buildings. Now they homes are highly regarded and sought after. Many celebrity and celebrity types live in the 4 block radius of:
Fournier Street
Elder Street
Princelet Street
Brick Lane
Instead of reciting poorly what Mr Nylah told me, I have copied the same info directly from the BBC's website about their legacy.
<span style="font-weight: bold">The position of Protestants in France - a Catholic country - was always precarious in the 16th and 17th Centuries. Although they were tolerated for much of the latter, in 1685, King Louis IX revoked the Edict of Nantes, which had granted Protestants the freedom to worship in specified areas.
Stigmatized by oppressive laws and facing severe persecution, many Huguenots (Protestants) fled France. In 1681, Charles II of England offered sanctuary to the Huguenots, and from 1670 to 1710, between 40,000 and 50,000 Huguenots from all walks of life sought refuge in England. Historians estimate around half of these moved to London - many settling in Spitalfields, where food and housing were cheaper, and there was more freedom from the economic controls of the guilds. By 1700 there were nine Huguenot churches in Spitalfields, where in 1685 there had been none.
'Weaver town'
The Huguenots had a huge impact on Spitalfields, particularly its economy. There had always been a silk industry of sorts in the area, but with the diligence and skills of the Huguenots this industry thrived, and Spitalfields became 'weaver town'.
The increase in the availability of silk affected British upper class fashions, as new styles became popular incorporating more of the readily available material. The wealthier Huguenots built large houses in Spitalfields, both for their families and for the weavers they employed. These houses, which still remain, are extremely distinctive, with enlarged windows in the attic to let in the maximum light for the weavers.
Industrious and unassuming, the Huguenots were generally well received - especially considering their numbers. Sympathy was extended to them as sufferers for the Protestant cause, although there was hostility on occasion, often motivated by fears that the French were depriving Londoners of work. One priest, Dr Welton, called them the 'offal of the earth'! </span>
If you look up to the right, you can see the attic windows which is where the Huguenots did their weaving - which they were famous for.
Timberland Boot company housed in a Huguenot style "home"
Unique doors and window shutters
I believe this is the museum. One of the homes they left unrenovated so you can see how the home looked back in the turn of the century. You can see the layers of paint they used back then.
I am so "living vicariously" through this report, Nyla....really enjoying shopping in the markets with you & the food shots are making me and jealous!! So sorry you were so sick ....I just got over bronchitus and then got a wicked cold, so I know how you were feeling....get plenty of rest & drink lots of tea with lemon & honey. Thanks for doing the report....really lovin it!
We process personal data about users of our site, through the use of cookies and other technologies, to deliver our services, personalize advertising, and to analyze site activity. We may share certain information about our users with our advertising and analytics partners. For additional details, refer to our Privacy Policy.
By clicking "I AGREE" below, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our personal data processing and cookie practices as described therein. You also acknowledge that this forum may be hosted outside your country and you consent to the collection, storage, and processing of your data in the country where this forum is hosted.
I had stayed home for 2 days because my fever was out of control. I stayed in bed for one entire day just sweating like crazy 
But I eventually dragged myself out of bed and made my way down to Oxford Street with my cousin.
The green and gold dress on the right was my goal
Crepes seem to be a popular item in the U.K. I saw enough stands and restaurants selling them.
Tweet
Comment