The first sun of spring was a delight to behold after the coldest winter in London for at least two decades.
Room with a view.
"No Fishing"...Should really say "No Fish In."
Limehouse Basin.
"F' The Money Men!"
Tower Block Dreams.
'Bobby Dazzler' - The greatest name for a long boat, in fact anything since, well... NICK.
With the sunshine and the hangover, I decided fresh air was a must and the walk would take me a little further than first expected. The further East you start on your walk central you can begin to gage to the full extent of how gentrified the East End has become. Although I suppose you can group me in that bracket, as Limehouse was once home to the old docks, and the industrialized waterways. Its regeneration and the rise of Canary Warf over the last fifteen or so years has seen an influx of wealth into the area. The East End however is a totally different monster of an entirely different making.
Walking down Roman Road to Bethnal Green it begins to manifest; the Attack of the Hipsters. Firstly you are greeted by the odd artist or painter and decorator, then as you continue down the Roman Road towards Bethnal Green its less sporadic and more a law of averages. For every couple of local bookies and boozer blokes, you get some Nathan Barley monstrosity, multiplying like roaches feeding off the scraps of Jellied Eels and Pie and Mash. As I continued on to Brick Lane, you are overrun by the infestation on the approach to the hive. This needs to be avoided on a Saturday like the plague. If it wasn't for The Butcher Of Distinction and the heavy Bagel Shop, which are two delights worth sampling on the days off, I would strictly AVOID AT ALL COSTS. If a flying visit is needed, and a swift rummage through Rough Trade is essential, act fast and away you should run. American Apparel clad urbanites mount on the ostentatious and elaborately decorated bikes to run you off road. Fixed Gear, more like Fixed Queers.
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