Tuesday, November 15, 2005

The Ten Bells

After a typical morning job searching and coming up short (I have good leads to follow up this afternoon), I decided to head for the libary and afterwards, to Liverpool Station and Spitalfields market.

I'd joined the Wimbledon Library on Saturday and rented a DVD, L4Yer Cake and took out the book at the same time. I returned the movie today and found to my amazement that they have free wireless access, even though I was told they didn't.
Sorted then, a place to spend a few hours this afternoon doing freelance and job hunting and a bit of blogging.

I got various trains to Liverpool Street Station and walked toward Spitalfields.

The market was mostly closed, so obviously it's best for a Friday or Saturday visit. Very interesting area and more food places than you can spin a plate at.
I will return on Saturday - looks like it could be good fun.

I sauntered down Artillery lane, a small sidestreet in a maze of small sidestreets, through the market and ended up by an old church.

Next to the church was a really rubbishy looking old pub, The Ten Bells, established around 1752. Inside, it looks like most of the furniture was established around the same time. What is clear, is that the fittings and bar are a good 130 years old. What saves it from being a complete dive is that it has no flashing fruit machines and large windows which let the sun stream in. Very relaxing.

It also happens to be a pub most associated with Jack The Ripper. The name was changed in the 1970's from "The Ten Bells" to "The Jack The Ripper", but was fortunately changed back again in the 1980's

http://www.casebook.org/victorian_london/tenbells.html

Actually, come to think of it, this pub has really hit on bad times. None of the signage in the above link exists anymore and there's a host of flies buzzing around the interior. I'm not sure the pint is all that fresh either. Time to leave.

I snagged some great grub at a sandwich shop I'd noticed on my way into the Spitalfields area. A tiny family run place selling Baps and Ciabattas with a wide variety of fillings. There was a queue stetching out of the door and down the street, all of them office workers. I returned when it wasn't so busy and ordered a fantastic toasted ciabatta - big, healthy and cheap.

Always follow the locals to the food at lunchtime in the city - you'll soon see which places have the best grub for the lowest price.

Aside from that brief interlude, another Monday passes. I hate Mondays.





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side notes

Feeling despondent. One of my good job leads turned out flat, still waiting on the other one. I'll know about that tommorrow.

Monday is a terrible day for any sort of job activity, especially this close to December, but tommorrow will start hotting up again.

The library free wireless discovery is going to come in useful. I'd passed the library on a number of occassions and until recently, I thought the entire building was closed for renovations.

It turns out, you can enter a temporary library section on a side street - they had added new signage to point this out. Irritating, or I would've investigated weeks ago.

The Natural coffee shop free wireless is great, except for the noise levels. It gets seriously loud in that cafe - dogs, kids, machines, music. Fun if you don't need to concentrate, it's saving grace being the fact that it is a damn cool little spot - bright and cheerful. I do like children and dogs and machines, but not when they are howling at the same time as I'm working.

Silence beckons and the library is bliss.