Billingsgate cafe…. Then a Wander to Excel…..
- Thread starter Wapping
- Start date
I shall be having a haddock or kipper breakfast next time. Probably with a side or two of bread and butter. And, naturally, tea,
That would be my choice too, you are clearly a man of impeccable taste sir.....
Today at 09:31
“We are now at East India station on the DLR, on what would have been one of the largest docks, owned and operated exclusively by the former huge East India Company, of whom only a very few reminders still exist that it ever once existed.”
In the seventies I was working for a Bedfordshire based transport company, many of the companies trucks delivered goods into the docks mainly carrying products made by Electrolux who formerly manufactured fridges and vacuum cleaners in Luton. The notoriously long waiting times to unload in the docks made the runs unpopular with both the drivers and the business owners. However some carriers or their customers found a way of improving waiting times by throwing a few extra cases of beer/biscuits or cereals etc on the lorries for the drivers to “lubricate” the unloading process. Unfortunately Electrolux were not in the business of giving away vacuum cleaners, so our guys just had to sit it out.
“We are now at East India station on the DLR, on what would have been one of the largest docks, owned and operated exclusively by the former huge East India Company, of whom only a very few reminders still exist that it ever once existed.”
In the seventies I was working for a Bedfordshire based transport company, many of the companies trucks delivered goods into the docks mainly carrying products made by Electrolux who formerly manufactured fridges and vacuum cleaners in Luton. The notoriously long waiting times to unload in the docks made the runs unpopular with both the drivers and the business owners. However some carriers or their customers found a way of improving waiting times by throwing a few extra cases of beer/biscuits or cereals etc on the lorries for the drivers to “lubricate” the unloading process. Unfortunately Electrolux were not in the business of giving away vacuum cleaners, so our guys just had to sit it out.
Like the dock, Electrolux, Luton is long gone.
Enjoying this one Wapping . Thanks. It's very interesting but it also makes me very happy that I live in the grim North. If my bad knee ever improves enough I may attempt a similar local northern walkabout for your delectation. I thang yow as Arthur Askey would say. 
Get yourself down with me in March.Enjoying this one Wapping . Thanks. It's very interesting but it also makes me very happy that I live in the grim North. If my bad knee ever improves enough I may attempt a similar local northern walkabout for your delectation. I thang yow as Arthur Askey would say.
Two Northern geniuses.
It must be nice living so close to all that interesting stuff… and history… not to mention the multitude of places to get dome nosh 
It is but the place is getting over run with northerners nowadays...It must be nice living so close to all that interesting stuff… and history… not to mention the multitude of places to get dome nosh
There was a fire recently in one of those new high rise blocks behind the Ibis at Blackwall, must have put the he be gee bees in the residents above it.
I've had a few traffic violations on Blackhall way, a few years ago the road was closed as they were building Telehouse South, so I gained access to the Ibis hotel (and departing) from the roundabout at East india dock basin. Driving through the closed road leaving for Telehouse and returning.
They had security cameras and they clocked me 10 times @ £250 per time. My manager wasn't too impressed when he handed me the £2500 fine.
I appealed the fine stating i was gaining access to the hotel car park and never heard any more of it.
However those cunning cuntards at Tower Hamlets decided to put a bus gate in the middle of Blackhall way.
I had never heard of a Bus gate or it's use and this is the only one i know of, anyhow yeah i went through it a few times and recieved more fines cant remember the amounts for that but didn't get away with those.
I've had a few traffic violations on Blackhall way, a few years ago the road was closed as they were building Telehouse South, so I gained access to the Ibis hotel (and departing) from the roundabout at East india dock basin. Driving through the closed road leaving for Telehouse and returning.
They had security cameras and they clocked me 10 times @ £250 per time. My manager wasn't too impressed when he handed me the £2500 fine.
I appealed the fine stating i was gaining access to the hotel car park and never heard any more of it.
However those cunning cuntards at Tower Hamlets decided to put a bus gate in the middle of Blackhall way.
I had never heard of a Bus gate or it's use and this is the only one i know of, anyhow yeah i went through it a few times and recieved more fines cant remember the amounts for that but didn't get away with those.
I woke up at 05:30 this morning with a strong desire for kippers.
Now a three mile walk home….
I'm surprised you can walk at all after that lot.......Looks superb though
That’s certainly a portion and a half
Served up with 1970’s bread and butter !
Served up with 1970’s bread and butter !
Looks nice. What's that green sauce stuff ?
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What a way to book-end the start of your day, ending with dinner this evening at The Pheasant.... Life seems to be revolving around your tummy, as we await the arrival of spring and longer daylight hours!
(Thanks for sharing breakfast photo!)
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I'm surprised you can walk at all after that lot.......Looks superb though
It was, in a word, excellent.
It will doubtless linger with me all day, too.
Marvelous stuff
Oddly I was tempted to jump on my bike at 6.45 this morning. But thought at that time the rush hour would be under way and id be cutting it fine as the cafe shuts at 8am so I stood myself down.
Imagine if I had of gone earlier and we’d have bumped into each other in the cafe after last weeks close call
It was very much a spur-of-the-moment thing, having woken up and the overnight rain stopped.
It’s half term and the roads were near enough empty. I caught the D3 bus in Wapping at 06:20 and was in the market for a wander about by 06:45. Sat in the cafe with a tea (apologies, brew) by 07:00. There was a new girl on the till in the cafe, on her first day….. very confused.
I met a great counter holder, specialising in all sorts of ‘exotic fish’ for I guess the Caribbean and Pacific restaurants. He, naturally enough, was born under much bluer skies.
Let’s try and agree a date to meet up. Anytime between say 06:30 and 07:15, well ahead of the 08:00 closure. Anyone else interested?
It’s half term and the roads were near enough empty. I caught the D3 bus in Wapping at 06:20 and was in the market for a wander about by 06:45. Sat in the cafe with a tea (apologies, brew) by 07:00. There was a new girl on the till in the cafe, on her first day….. very confused.
I met a great counter holder, specialising in all sorts of ‘exotic fish’ for I guess the Caribbean and Pacific restaurants. He, naturally enough, was born under much bluer skies.
Let’s try and agree a date to meet up. Anytime between say 06:30 and 07:15, well ahead of the 08:00 closure. Anyone else interested?
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