Mitre Sq, The demise is almost complete

[Sam Flynn]

Whenever I gave one of my cheapo Ripper tours for friends and colleagues, I always contrived to get one or more of my audience to stand on the approximate spot where Eddowes lay. When I said "and her body was found... THERE!", whether young or old, male or female, my poor victims would invariably jump out of their skins. Such a shame if these modern developments will render such things impossible in future.

[Rob1n]

Bridewell, great stuff, I'm affraid the place is ruined now but it is still possible to estimate where the murder was as your helper has shown us. 😁

[Geddy2112]

Such a shame if these modern developments will render such things impossible in future.

If we are led to believe the 'spot' is close to the park bench in Bridewell's posts (I was led to believe this on a couple of tours I've done in the past) then the spot my daughter is standing on in my previous photo is where the bench was. So the actual spot is still available for your 'victims' to stand on

[Sam Flynn]

Thanks, Geddy. No chance of that in "Miller's Court", though - I'm in Spitalfields today, and just passed what used to be Dorset Street, now fully covered by a shiny new building. At least one could still visualise the site when the Whites Row car park was still there.

[Sam Flynn]

Speaking of which, it seems we now have up-market versions of Miller's Court:

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2018/aug/25/flats-block-converting-offices-living-space

[Herlock Sholmes]

Thanks, Geddy. No chance of that in "Miller's Court", though - I'm in Spitalfields today, and just passed what used to be Dorset Street, now fully covered by a shiny new building. At least one could still visualise the site when the Whites Row car park was still there.

How things move on. At one time someone could have said that they’d met Leonard Matters (a man who actually stood in front of Miller’s Court.) Then we could say that we’ve met someone like Stewart Evans (who stood in front of 29 Hanbury Street, and even collected a bit of paint from the door.) And now we’re at the stage where ‘new’ Ripperologists might say that they’ve met Gareth Williams (or others including myself) who once stood in modern Duval Street next to where Miller’s Court once stood!

[richardnunweek]

Hi,
I envy the people that obtained bricks from Millers court when it was demolished, rumour had it the foreman made a tidy sum from collectors .
Regards Richard,

[Geddy2112]

I guess the 'spots' can never really be destroyed, they are always going to be there just covered over or the like...

[Graham]

As I posted on here ages ago, around 1970 or 71 I did 'The Ripper Tour' (on my own) on a glorious hot summer's day. I well remember 29 Hanbury St, and actually had my hand on the handle of the door that opened onto the passage to the rear of the property; but I'm pretty sure the property was still occupied, so I moved on. There wasn't a lot left of 'old' Hanbury St., and after demolition of the remaining houses I believe a brewery was built on the site, but I wouldn't know if that's still there.

The only 'Ripper site' I recall seeing people at that day was Bucks Row, possibly an early organised tour.

Not really Ripper, but I remember quite vividly walking the length of Old Montague St, genuine old East End. There were still one or two Jewish tailors
in business.

Graham

[Sam Flynn]

I had a delicious salt beef beigel for lunch, from "Beigel Bake" in Brick Lane - surely one of the few Jewish businesses in Spitalfields still thriving.

[Graham]

I worked for many years in the textile industry before I retired, and my company had a rag-trade customer whose premises were in the basement of the former police station in White's Row. He was Jewish, and I think about third generation in that business. He knew quite a bit about the Ripper, too. Trying to park anywhere close was an impossibility, and I nearly always had quite a long walk. He decided he'd had enough of the East End and moved to new premises in Wembley, but sadly there were no bagel houses around there....

Anyone know if the old cop-shop in White's Row is still standing?

Graham

[Rob1n]

Mitre sq, The demise is almost complete

[ATTACH]18794[/ATTACH] 2016

[Rob1n]

Hi all,

Just passed through Mitre Square, and sad to see it now almost completely paved over....no more cobbled Square remains.

Regards

Yes, I'm affraid we needed more offices and, there was money to be made, I'm sure the Mayor and other "officials" recieved the odd backhander to allow the destruction of another piece of London history!

[richardh]

What's the difference between this and the razing to the ground of 25 Cromwell Street? I mean I'm a fine one to talk given that I'm trying to recreate JtR scenes in 3D and VR but mourning the loss of horrendous murder locations is a bit... ghoulish innit?

(I expect backlash)

[Rob1n]

What's the difference between this and the razing to the ground of 25 Cromwell Street? I mean I'm a fine one to talk given that I'm trying to recreate JtR scenes in 3D and VR but mourning the loss of horrendous murder locations is a bit... ghoulish innit?

(I expect backlash)

Lol yes, of course you are right but, this was a quiet little square in the city, ok a horrible murder happened there so yes, we shouldn't as you say mourn it's loss for that reason. For me, it was a place to sit quietly and imagine how it used to be, if there had been no murder there ever, it would still be a nice place to sit and just clear your thoughts. Like a lot of places, for instance, say, wapping wall the nice pubs down there, the walks by the river, the cobbled streets and the refurbished warehouses, they had/have a certain feel about them be it historical or one of architectural beauty. If the square looked like it did back then, it would be another interesting historical place in the middle of a busy city. I always felt very sad for Catherine Eddowes, much more so than any of the other victims, don't know why. In the end though, we've lost a quiet little square of great historical importance, much more than a murder site. In this mad city, a quiet little square is now a modern abomination of glass and steel and nobody cares - sad really.