But not without its interests…..
More to follow.
More to follow.
An abortive Wander to Frank’s Cafe at Limehouse…..
- Thread starter Wapping
- Start date
Despite going umpteen times to Limehouse, I had never noticed Frank’s Cafe, until a post here on UKGSer mentioned it. So, I thought I’d wander up to give it a go.
First up, Wapping Woods, with the first signs of spring:
Then around Shadwell Basin:
With the towers of Canary Wharf away in the distance, lost in the foggy drizzle and a life ring, thoughtlessly lobbed into the basin:
The Bascule bridge, spanning the canal that connects the basin to the Thames, is relatively interesting. The older large red brick building with the flag pole, is the former Wapping Hydraulic Power Station. What looks like an encampment is the pop-up Wapping Docklands Market:
No question who a local resident supports in a conflict:
en.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org
First up, Wapping Woods, with the first signs of spring:
Then around Shadwell Basin:
With the towers of Canary Wharf away in the distance, lost in the foggy drizzle and a life ring, thoughtlessly lobbed into the basin:
The Bascule bridge, spanning the canal that connects the basin to the Thames, is relatively interesting. The older large red brick building with the flag pole, is the former Wapping Hydraulic Power Station. What looks like an encampment is the pop-up Wapping Docklands Market:
No question who a local resident supports in a conflict:
Shadwell Basin - Wikipedia
Bascule bridge - Wikipedia
Wapping Hydraulic Power Station - Wikipedia
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Nearly out of Shadwell Basin, pausing only to look at the outdoor gym:
Before walking up the steps to St Paul’s church, Shadwell:
To then cross the Highway and head towards St Mary’s church, instead of simply turning right:
en.wikipedia.org
Before walking up the steps to St Paul’s church, Shadwell:
To then cross the Highway and head towards St Mary’s church, instead of simply turning right:
St Paul's Church, Shadwell - Wikipedia
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We’ve now crossed over the Highway and entered Shadwell, having paused only to look back westwards at St James’ church:
Before arriving at St Mary’s church:
Before arriving at St Mary’s church:
St Mary's Cable Street
Welcome to St Mary's Cable Street! We are an inclusive Anglo-Catholic church in the heart of the East End, just off historic Cable Street. The church is open for prayer from 7.30am, and the porch left open as much as possible during daylight hours. Morning and Evening Prayer are said daily...
www.achurchnearyou.com
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We can now wander northwards, towards Commercial Road, past where old meets new:
The former Convent of Mercy:
And Coburg Dwellings, with its links to the Mercer’s Company. My maternal grandfather was educated at the Mercer School, between about 1910 and 1920:
With its ‘Mercer Maiden’:
livinglondonhistory.com
The former Convent of Mercy:
And Coburg Dwellings, with its links to the Mercer’s Company. My maternal grandfather was educated at the Mercer School, between about 1910 and 1920:
With its ‘Mercer Maiden’:
The Story Of The Mysterious Mercers' Maidens - Living London History
Mercers' Maidens are one of my favourite street oddities to spot in London! Read about the story behind here...
livinglondonhistory.com
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From Coburg Dwellings, we wander on, under the railway line and follow a footpath (Hardinge Lane) the course of which probably hasn’t changed for centuries:
Before coming out on Commercial Road, where we’ll cross over and turn right, eastwards towards Limehouse:
en.wikipedia.org
Before coming out on Commercial Road, where we’ll cross over and turn right, eastwards towards Limehouse:
Commercial Road - Wikipedia
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I think it’s always worth looking at the buildings (there is quite a hotchpotch in London) and down any side streets:
en.wikipedia.org
Victor McLaglen - Wikipedia
Still walking eastwards on Commercial Road, past one of the many squares, the Troxy, the Methodist Hall and a former bank building, now repurposed and occupied by the Muslim Hands charity:
troxy.co.uk
en.wikipedia.org
Home - Troxy
troxy.co.uk
Troxy - Wikipedia
Home
Donate Zakat, give Sadaqah and emergency relief with Muslim Hands UK. Support food, water, healthcare and long-term programmes for vulnerable communities.
muslimhands.org.uk
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Almost there, Frank’s Cafe, right by the railway bridge, spanning Commercial Road:
Except it’s shut!
So I dropped into the hairdresser's next door, who assured me that the cafe is usually open:
The lady you can just see, was as ‘East End’ as you like and very funny. There is a real difference in a proper ‘East End’ accent and yobbish ‘Estuary English’ or Mockney.
Except it’s shut!
So I dropped into the hairdresser's next door, who assured me that the cafe is usually open:
The lady you can just see, was as ‘East End’ as you like and very funny. There is a real difference in a proper ‘East End’ accent and yobbish ‘Estuary English’ or Mockney.
To be continued…..
The difference between East and West London.
East get a life ring lobbed into the river,
West gets a Lime bike hurled into the river at Putney.
Interestingly the rear light stayed on for a couple of days in the river, you could see the glow under the water as tide ebbed and flowed
, I’ve a picture of it glowing, I’m tryjng to find it. 
Nooo... I hope if you ever get to eat there it hasn't changed too much from when I was a regular patron thirty odd years ago.
I have often thought about getting a ‘Mudlarking’ licence, to dig around on the Thames at low tide.
Frank’s cafe, done (or not) let’s wander around a bit, north of Commercial Road.
I have always like the over square, brick terraced houses you find in the east end, not least as I lived in one for many years in Bethnal Green. Well built, somewhere around the end of the 1800’s.
But, as ever it’s a hotchpotch, due to a mixture of slum clearance and being obliterated in the Blitz. But the attractive squares still remain, reinforcing that London really is a green city, if it’s given a chance:
This is an attractive row, not least as they have basement rooms and they overlook an oddity:
I have always like the over square, brick terraced houses you find in the east end, not least as I lived in one for many years in Bethnal Green. Well built, somewhere around the end of the 1800’s.
But, as ever it’s a hotchpotch, due to a mixture of slum clearance and being obliterated in the Blitz. But the attractive squares still remain, reinforcing that London really is a green city, if it’s given a chance:
This is an attractive row, not least as they have basement rooms and they overlook an oddity:
The oddity and a little piece of London history, hidden away in E1. It’s one of several old and disused burial grounds in London. At some point, I’ll try to visit some more:
We can now turn south again, back towards Commercial Road, passing by a boundary marker between two parishes:
I quite like looking at doorways, some in need of attention and some looking very smart.
And spotting houses that haven’t yet been done up. This one looks to be in a similar state to the one I bought in Bethnal Green for £9,000. It last sold for £980,000.
I quite like looking at doorways, some in need of attention and some looking very smart.
And spotting houses that haven’t yet been done up. This one looks to be in a similar state to the one I bought in Bethnal Green for £9,000. It last sold for £980,000.
Thanks for posting, and the link to livinglondonhistory.com … some fascinating stuff on there 
Thank you.
The roofs on the over square houses look flat, but that’s just an architectural feature. Hidden away is a conventional pitched roof. It’s really quite clever.
You have a good eye for a photo, Richard. Being a fellow inmate in London, I particularly savour the juxtaposition of the ultra-modern with the ancient.
