London's Romans, Rappers, Wizards, and Writers

Now, after reading about Xena's adventures with Attis in my June blog about Lyon, you might wonder, as Colin did: did Xena ever go to England?  Yes, indeed, she helped Boadicea defeat the Romans!  (Here is the full episode.)  What do you mean, "Xena is not historically accurate"???  Well, that might be true, but there certainly were Romans in the London area, as evidenced by the Roman amphitheatre we saw yesterday.

So for today's randonnée, we decided to go to the Old Roman Road, the oldest road in London, on which the real Boadicea traveled, on her way to burn the Romans in London (without Xena's help).  From there, we will head to The Grapes pub and Canary Wharf.  Since our destinations are on the East End of London, we'll make use of the metro and light rail to cut our randonnée to a reasonable 11 km.

As we get ready to go, I try to brush up on my Cockney: "Oi!  Colin!  Pass me uncle Bert!  You got the bees and honey?  Let's scarpa flow."  Colin looks at me like I've gone daffadown dilly!  lol.  Some kind of cheery raggae party is playing music outside... it wafts through our open patio doors and sets the mood... and helps get the Xena theme song out of our heads.  ;)

We walk from our hotel to the Barbican Metro station, and take the Metro to Mile's End station. As we get off the metro, the streets are crowded with people and ticket scalpers.  There is obviously some big event going on, but I can't figure out what it is. We notice everyone is heading up Grove Road (Highway A1205), so we meander a block West to avoid the crowds. 

The East India Company developed this area as a docking port for their ships coming from their newly colonized Bengal region, ca. 1750-1800, bringing many South Asians into the area and making Mile End very multicultural.  We pass the Hindu Pragati Sangha temple on Rhonda Grove, then we zigzag towards the underpass on Coborn Road. Walk through the projects on Strahan Road, in the blocks West of Grove Road. 

We backtrack a little to Grove Road, so we can walk the length of Roman Road.  A live World War 2 bomb was discovered near this corner in 2007 (more about the impact of WW2 on this area can be found below).  The Roman Road sure doesn't look very "ancient" here.  It is, however, really capitalizing on the historicity of the place.  All along Roman Road, we see stores named "Roman" this and "Roman" that.  My favorite is "Roman Empire Chinese Food."  

Finally, we reach the gate to the Roman Road Market at St Stephens Road. The market stretches down several blocks. There are many people of African descent perusing the stalls.  Most of the women appear to be wearing wigs/weaves.  There are lots of deals on all kinds of neat stuff, including wigs.  Although I'm not sure I'd want a £5 wig...

"What is that?" Colin asks, pointing ahead and to the right. "A super huge Dr. Who police box?" I answer helpfully. "No, not THAT! The red thing beside it-- is it a roller coaster??" An internet search shows me it's The Orbit, a 114.5m modern art statue at Olympic Park, about 2.5km away.  (Another internet search reveals the big blue box is really just an apartment building with a sandwich bar at ground level.  How disappointing.)
 

After the Market, we walk East towards Mile End Park. There are still a lot of people wandering along Grove Road.  We ask a couple of volunteers what the crowds are here for, and they answer that it's a big music festival featuring Snoop Dogg.  I see a sign: "Please use toilets provided LOVEBOX" ... is Lovebox another name for Honeybucket??  Do people here really need to be told to use toilets?  There is a bank of green porta-potties along the highway, which seem fairly obvious in their purpose.  However, I soon discover that many festival-goers are indeed ignoring the signage and peeing in the park alongside the road--very conspicuously, I may add.  I hazard a guess that alcohol might be involved.  Perhaps they do need to be encouraged to use the "Lovebox" after all.  It's not until much later, back at the hotel, that I google "London festival Snoop Dog" and discover that Lovebox is actually the name of the music festival. 

We enter the 80 acre Mile End Park near it's centre, at Mile End Road.  We climb the stairs to the Green Bridge, turn left, and follow the park lengthwise towards the River Thames, along Regent's Canal.  An info sign tells us more about the park:  Mile End is among the first suburbs of London, and was originally a farming and woodland area, that was taken over by Normans in the 11th Century. In 1381, the infamous Peasants Revolt saw 100,000 men gathered here to protest what they saw as unfair taxation. They managed to capture the Tower of London, which we visited yesterday, and execute several prominent public figures.  This caused the teenaged King Richard II to come here and sign a treaty with them.  That dispersed the revolt, but instead of honoring the treaty, the King later executed many of the rebels.  It is neat to be in the very park where events we learned about yesterday (at the Tower of London and in the play Richard II that we attended at Shakespeare's Globe) actually came to pass.  

According to the park signage (partly sponsored by http://eastlondonhistory.com), it took nearly 50 years to create the park as it exists today.  The impetus for creating this park was the aftermath of World War 2. Mile End was the heaviest bombed area of England, due to its aforementioned port. After the war, this area was left in total disarray, with little industry or residential space.  This low point offered the opportunity for international refugees to afford land, and there was a small recovery of the area due to their efforts. Eventually, some of the most damaged areas of town were converted into this park, to provide leisure space for area residents. Today, the park is a gorgeous greenspace with many amenities. Colin and I walk along the canal, enjoying the geese and kayakers in the water. 

As we walk, I notice that the water level of the canal is disturbingly high.  I wonder how they prevent it from flooding the neighboring buildings in inclement weather.  I soon get my answer: there is a system of locks on the canal, creating the artificial water level.  A little farther along, we encounter several houseboats docked along the side of the canal.  Affordable housing in London, I surmise. 

Near the Limehouse Basin, we watch a pair of houseboats negotiating their way through a lock. A small black dog follows their every move from the shore.  He seems really anxious to ensure he will not be left behind.  At several points during the process, it seems like he is contemplating a leap from shore to boat.  I don't dare to guess what would happen to him if he misses the jump.  Fortunately, the owner repeats "stay" enough times that I never have to find out.  It's quite interesting to watch the boats drop down through the lock.  Everything goes like clockwork.  The fellow in the red boat navigates like a pro.  Just before heading out into Limehouse Basin, the little dog hops onto the top of the red houseboat, happy as a clam.  I think they must have played this game before...  ;)

We follow the houseboats until Ropemaker's Fields, then walk through the park to Narrow Street. From inside the park, I can see the iconic pointed top of 1 Canada Square at Canary Wharf.  I am excited, but must bide my time... we'll head there after The Grapes Pub. We turn right onto Narrow Street and the pub is quite close. This tiny section of street was also home to Francis Bacon (at No 80) and Edward Wolfe (at No 96).

The Grapes is currently owned by Sir Ian McKellen, most famously known for portraying Gandalf the Grey in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movie series.  However, this pub has been here for 500 years and served many famous personalities. For example, Charles Dickens frequented the pub for over 40 years, and even wrote an oblique reference to it in Chapter 1 of Our Mutual Friend.  Dickens lived on the same short street (Lant St) in Southwark ca. 1824 as my ancestor did (in 1841). As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, we missed going to Lant St yesterday, which is near the Globe Theatre, due to all the commotion over the bomb threat at Tower Bridge.  I notice a portrait on the wall showing Charles Dickens sitting at his favorite spot in the pub.  I figure out it is the seat between the fireplace and the patio.  There is already someone sitting there, so I tell Colin to keep an eye on him and tell me if he leaves.  

We order two extra special bitters: sadly, they are only OK.  I just can't seem to get used to lukewarm flat British beers. The menu is typical British pub fare. When in England, one simply has to eat fish and chips at least once, so this is my chance!  It arrives: an entire fish perched on a bed of fries. I know there is no way I will finish it, but I do my best. Colin orders a different British specialty, bangers and mash.  We sample each other's meals.  While my fish is pretty good, the bangers and mash is beyond awesome!!  

At some point during our meal, a young man comes in and orders a beer at the bar. "You look familiar..." The bartender contends. The young man answers: "Like my brother... But he's much much better looking!"  The bartender persists: "No really: you look like someone..." The young man repeats himself, slightly exasperated: "My brother. He's an actor. He was on The Eichmann Show... you know, the one where Martin Freeman plays the warden of a concentration camp?  And he had a small role on Guardians of the Galaxy. This is Ian McKellan's pub, you must get a lot of actors in here."  He receives his beer and walks away to find a seat.  Soon the entire wait staff is huddled around a laptop behind the bar, watching youtube. Of course, Colin and I are without internet or cell coverage, so I have to wait until I get back to the hotel, to google the guy: his brother is Soloman Mousley. Isn't the internet amazing?!?!?  And his brother does look a lot like him. 

While we sip and munch, the young man's words are on our minds: we wonder how often famous people come to this pub.  An older gentleman sits next to us, and Colin comments, "He looks like John de Lancie." We both quickly agree it's not him, since I am really good with faces and Colin had once used the facilities next to John de Lancie at a Comic Con in San Francisco.  (It was a memorable moment for both of us, since Colin ran up to me immediately afterwards, breathlessly announcing: "I just peed with Q!!")  Betty had sent me an email earlier this week asking whether I'd rather be in France or at Comic Con in San Diego this year.  Despite my huge SciFi geekiness, I honestly answered "France." Since Colin and I are so convinced that this is NOT John de Lancie sitting next to us now, I don't bother double checking until much much later.  The results are mixed: there is no indication John was in London at the time, but I do find out to my horror that we were in London during the London Film and Comic Con.  It was taking place at the Olympia Grand Hall, a stone's throw from where we started our Dr. Who Tour.  Colin consoles me, saying if we had known it was Comic Con, we probably would have just done that, and missed out on all the other great stuff we did in London: we made our own SciFi fun. I have to agree.

Just as we finish our meals, the man sitting in Dickens' favorite spot finally exits the pub. I literally run over and take my place where Dickens used to sit, if the painting above my head can be trusted.  He's reading a book and sipping a pint. I grab one of the tomes off the fireplace--the works of Dickens, how appropriate!--and pose.  I think I nail it.   Checking the photo on the camera after, I notice "someone" has placed the statue of Gandalf where it will be in every photo op of Dickens' favorite seat.  ;)  Why be outshone in your own pub, right?

After leaving the pub, we pop through a gate at Duke Shore Walk to get to the Riverside Walk. From here, there are great views of the Thames. Looking towards the Gerkin, I spy a strange statue of a man in the water by Dunbar Wharf. An internet search reveals I am not the only one curious about this statue... apparently it just mysteriously appeared one day, and it was commissioned by Sir Ian McKellan!

 (click on the panos to enlarge)

We follow the Thames east towards One Canada Square at Canary Wharf. This is not just a "Canada" thing... I want to see where the Daleks emerged from the breach between parallel universes located within the Torchwood Tower in 2006's hilarious and heartbreaking episode "Doomsday" with the 11th Doctor.  (SPOILER ALERT: In case you're wondering, it doesn't get any better for Rose and the Doctor.)  It also has the neat feature of being an episode containing three different Dr. Who companions... although the viewer doesn't know it at the time. ;)   For those of you with lives outside of Dr. Who, this is also where the CIA headquarters are located in The Bourne Supremacy, and the setting for most of 28 Weeks Later.  For those of you with lives outside SciFi... sorry... ;)

One Canada Square is the second-tallest building in the UK (2010's The Shard is taller), and many people call it "Canary Wharf," despite it simply being located within the business district of Canary Wharf.  I camp it up, first feigning fear of the Daleks spurting out of the top of the building, then marching around yelling EXTERMINATE!! DELETE!!  (Many thanks to http://www.doctorwholocations.net for the screenshot.  Please visit their site for more info.)

Behind the fountain in the photo above, we are instructed that we can reach One Canada Square by entering the mall under the building.  We do, and get horribly lost. We end up out the other side of the entire complex!  We've somehow completely missed the entrance to One Canada Square.  Looking Eastward, we can just see the top of the O2 building.  I know that this is close to two other Dr. Who locations, the Thames Barrier (which I already mentioned I photographed from the plane in May), and the now-demolished warehouses on Greenwich Peninsula.  We are still keen on getting inside One Canada Square, so we don't go back into the big confusing  mall, but instead wander around the North side of the complex.

We pass a lawn full of people watching tennis on a giant TV.  Then... we find it!  One Canada Square!  I half expect to be stopped by security, but then remember this is not really Torchwood Tower nor the CIA building. I still check the list of occupants, but then realize anything that top secret would not be publicly listed anyway. The lobby is huge and glamorous and empty. We consider trying the elevators, but then decide against it.  

We head to the Canary Wharf light rail station, which is terribly confusing, and sends us for another round in the mall.  We finally locate the light rail and take it back to Bank Station.  Bank Junction is surrounded with gorgeous architecture.  Walking out of the station, we find ourselves facing a statue of Duke Wellington on a horse, standing guard in front of the Royal Exchange.  A piece of the Bank of England shoulders into the photo (on the left), while the Gerkin and the Cheesegrater photobomb it from behind.  Hmmm... I'm getting hungry...  ;)

We turn our backs on the Royal exchange to walk West along Poultry, which quickly becomes The Concourse.  We pass the Mansion House and the City of London Magistrate's Court.  The 18th Century Mansion house is the official home of The Lord Mayor of London. 

I really love this red-striped building (no, not THAT red-striped building) at No 1 Poultry, next to the Magistrate's Court.  It's not a governmental building, it's a commercial retail space, but strangely enough, not for poultry. 

We continue along The Councourse, which changes name to Cheapside, until we reach St. Paul's Cathedral (no need to repeat the Dr. Who stuff again). There, we take a right on St. Martins-le-Grand and continue North until the Museum of London. Circling the roundabout at the Museum of London, I notice the cool neon bullseye targets on the surrounding walls. They look neat with the Museum building reflected in the glass in front of them.

Colin has been reading up on our area, and tells me that the Barbican Estate buildings between the Museum of London and our hotel are "the epitome of brutal."  No seriously!  The Barbican buildings are a famous example of Brutalist architecture style, which comes from the french term "béton brut" (raw concrete).  I assume that the stark concrete Simon Fraser University must belong to this design class, but Colin says surprisingly not... however, the famous Habitat 67 in Montreal does.

Arriving at our hotel, we eye the Shakespeare Pub across the street.  Today is the day to check it out. Generally disappointed by British beer, I order something familiar that I know I will like: a Punk IPA. Colin is still somewhat experimental, and orders a Greene King East Coast IPA, which also uses American hops. These beers are both low alcohol for IPAs (5.6% and 4% respectively).  We wonder if the Brits just can't handle the punch of a real American IPA.  ;)

We settle in to a pair of wingback chairs to enjoy our brews.  Both beers are excellent!!  The Shakespeare Pub is not overly fancy, but I enjoy the various portraits that adorn the walls. Many are of Shakespeare.  One looks quite a bit like Paul Giamatti.

There is a black cat here who comes to visit us a couple times.  Actually, she keeps walking by in the same route... the exact same route...  Remember that scene from The Matrix, where the black cat goes by... then goes by again?  It's a glitch in the matrix!  It means they've changed something!!  Oh no... My beer was full but now it's gone...  those evil Agents.  Lolololololol.  

According to their website, the Shakespeare Pub is located exactly where the North gate to the City of London used to be.  Part of the ruins are supposed to be still visible just outside the pub entrance. So after our beers, we walk around the entire building (the cat follows us), but we can't see any wall.  We decide to call it a night, and return to the hotel.  Tomorrow, we head back to France.