East End Watch

[WARSPITE]

Oh dear,yet more history gone. Can you let us know John/Phil if anything goes ahead,so I can pop down and make sure theres no original cobblestones from the old square underneath?
Pete

[John Bennett]

Seven Stars, Brick Lane

I put this together to show the changing face of the pub over the last 5 years. The latest shot was taken yesterday.

[George Hutchinson]

Brilliant, John! Even some of the posters and graffiti are having an effect of nostalgia upon me. Why do I look at this building and need a curry? That's rhetorical, by the way.

PHILIP

[Suzi]

Superb!

Great shots John!!!...There's a postcard in that!!!!!!
Greetings from Brick Lane!!!!!!...onto it!!!!!

[John Bennett]

Here's a little snippet - just to show how much the profile of the East End has changed. Wedding of the owner of Carphone Warehouse, Christchurch Spitalfields, yesterday:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1219558/A-Carphone-wedding-guest-called-Stu.html

I was standing outside at the time (pre-tour) and spotted Peter Mandelson, Simon and Yasmin LeBon and Johnny Vaughan. Missed Tony Blair, though.

[Sam Flynn]

Wedding of the owner of Carphone Warehouse...

I wonder how long he was engaged

[George Hutchinson]

Missed Tony Blair, though.

Right now, I think MOST of us are missing Tony Blair!

PHILIP

[Laurie]

Here's a little snippet - just to show how much the profile of the East End has changed. Wedding of the owner of Carphone Warehouse, Christchurch Spitalfields, yesterday:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1219558/A-Carphone-wedding-guest-called-Stu.html

I was standing outside at the time (pre-tour) and spotted Peter Mandelson, Simon and Yasmin LeBon and Johnny Vaughan. Missed Tony Blair, though.

Oh my!! If I were there I would have been ecstatic seeing Simon LeBon!! Duran Duran is my all time favorite band since I was 11 years old. I'm 40 now, and I would probably still act like a teenager if I met any of them, LOL. Anyway, Christchurch is so beautiful. I have seen many pics. I'm glad to see that it's one Landmark that's still there. Thank you for posting the link John!

[Slimsid2000]

No, nothing Maybricky!

I started a thread in the good old days about changes to the Ripper district that were occuring at the time; direct architectural ones and things affiliated with the same. By its very nature, there's only a few people here who can regularly contribute updates but I thought it relevant.

For example, at present Goulston Street is dug up and being entirely repaved. They've done Happy Days (today they finished it, actually) but there's nothing of note to see; the upheavals don't go deep enough.

The other thing with far greater - and concerning - ramifications is the news I was given by the company today before I started taking a tour.

The City have now barred all public access to the service road that was Dorset Street PERMANENTLY. They claim it is to stop the prostitutes, which is utter crap. I've never seen one down that road, there's nothing to stop people walking in there, a group of tourists are hardly with a prostitute (erm... we won't go there... no comments on gang-bangs or dogging...) and if you stop all the tours going into that road, well - a quiet undisturbed place is going to be JUST what the prostitutes are looking for! When I was there today, there were two yellow-jacketed security guards standing nearby (I stopped and did it all by the barrier at the Commercial Street side and it felt rubbish) but at the same time, I saw another group from the same company actually in the street doing the business - albeit down at the far end.

I suspect that it has nothing at all to do with prostitutes and the people at the Fruit Exchange have brought in a private security firm as they've had enough of tours stopping outside their business. However, the chaps that DO work there have always been very friendly to me. I've asked the company if they know why another group was in there when we'd been told there was no more public access, but I've yet to have a reply.

I can't see it lasting if it's true. This would mean permanent security guards, 24 hours a day, walking up and down one strip of service road. It's nonsensical.

PHILIP

You mean you weren't down there on Nov 9th 1888?

Seriously though, I had no idea it was like that these days. Ironic really consider the reason for the road's notoriety in the first place.

[Roy Corduroy]

Being a long way from London I for one have certainly enjoyed the many folks sharing updates and photos on Casebook threads.





These two buildings on Commercial Road were there in 1888 (thanks Proto for directory) and still there today. Tower Hamlets gov site says the big brewery building is up for renovation. Any word on that, London Jobbers?

Roy

[John Bennett]

Check this out for a rather detailed view of what Mitre Square may look like once the long-promised redevelopments take place...

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=mitre+square&start=179&hl=en&qscrl=1&nord=1&rlz=1T4SNCA_enGB361GB361&biw=1093&bih=446&tbm=isch&tbnid=5Tp9uaTyHekgmM:&imgrefurl=http://mitresquareec3.com/main_movie.swf&docid=sXQAyKh5cJpoXM&imgurl=http://mitresquareec3.com/images/mitre-square-slideshare_home6.jpg&w=668&h=581&ei=Iy8yUJzWFvSM0wX7w4DgDA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=256&vpy=70&dur=265&hovh=209&hovw=241&tx=139&ty=104&sig=114033354901754609103&page=12&tbnh=125&tbnw=141&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:179,i:309

[Archaic]

Hi John, thanks for posting that.

"Elegant.Efficient.Effective." is the new Mitre Square's slogan. Interesting.

Best regards,
Archaic

[tylerxxlovex3]

Sorry if this is common knowledge, I can't find it anywhere, but will the new mitre square cover up the murder site? How different is it going to be compared to now?

Tyler

[Hutch Orris]

It will lose the little atmosphere it still retained. The basic layout of the square with the open central area, the passage to St. James' Place and, the albeit widened Church Passage were all there.

From the artists impression there is a tree approximately where the murder site was. The passage leading to St. James' Place will be gone replaced by a modern open walkway. The open central square will be covered by grass, paths, borders and no doubt a piece of modern sculpture.

Although the surrounding buildings had completely changed because you could still trace the outline of the square and it was empty it was still possible to get a feel for it particularly at night.

Mitre Square was the only murder site to retain any of its basic character so I'm afraid if you've missed it it will be gone forever. Whether this is a good thing or not depends on your point of view. Certainly it's a bad thing from a Ripperologists point of view but it's sitting on valuable real estate and the money men always win out.

[tylerxxlovex3]

Wow thanks for answering, what a shame! I have always wanted to go to mitre square. Guess pictures will have to do, hopefully it somehow retains some character.