The Ten Bells

[clark2710]

I have never left the United States in my life yet, let alone been to the Ten Bells. Can you all who have actually been there tell me what it's like to go into the Ten Bells? Is it all truly original?

[Svensson]

Morning and happy new year.

I have been there many times over the last 20 years and apart from a brief period where a new owner tried to milk the JtR connection, I has been a regular pub in the East end. However, this is not to say it is "traditional" in the usual sense. It is certainly not modern. The style is actually quite confused, ranging from victorian to 1970's. The centre bar area is "traditional pub" and intended to be functional rather than stylish. Also, it is rather small, maybe 20 by 30 feet with the toilets in the basement. After around 4 or 5 pm, it is usually full and it will be hard to find a seat. Whenever I walked past it in the evenings there were people drinking outside because the inside was packed. I think that most ripper tours are now avoiding it because it's so busy in the evenings there. The clientele is usually 20s and 30s and student types.

[Ms Diddles]

Covid / Lockdown permitting, I will be paying my first visit to the Ten Bells in mid-January.

I'll post pictures (assuming I can get in since it sounds like a popular spot).

[Svensson]

People flock over there when the Spitalfields shops close, so get there early. You also get better pictures when there is still daylight thanks to the large windows.

[Ms Diddles]

People flock over there when the Spitalfields shops close, so get there early. You also get better pictures when there is still daylight thanks to the large windows.

Thanks for the tip Svennson.

Appreciated!

[Losmandris]

Used to spend a lot of time in there in the early 2000s. Was great quite with a great mix of people. This was just before the area became too trendy. Felt very atmospheric on a cold winters evening. With all the redevelopments in the area in the last few years, its all got a bit commercial and packed out most of the time. You can still find a few decent old boozers off some of the backstreets and further out east. Though now few and far between. Not been back for a couple of years because of Covid. Could well have changed even more since then, the rate the redevelopment is going!

[Christian]

Was a funny boozer in early 90s took wife in there at lunch then exotic dancer walks out!!Luckily wife saw funny side!! Visited boozer 3 years ago it had changed a lot-more up market full of hipsters & yuppies!!

[Dupin]

I worked in that area in the 90's, in a place briefly described as "silicon roundabout". It was Wesley's old manor, but what he would have thought of it defies my imagination. The back streets were well graffitied, had rubbish, broken windscreen glass, burnt out cars. Spitalfields market was a deserted ruin, and although there were shops around they all seemed to sell or repair shoes!
On the high road towards the now fashionable Shoreditch there were lap dancing bars, a gay pub, a tranny wine bar, and a gay sauna. I only knew this because when I returned to my car I swept the many fliers that had been tucked under my wipers into the passenger well, which now included this information, hidden to me, but which afterwards led to a very embarrassing conversation with my lady wife.
Avoiding those highlights I found a nice old fashioned pub and sat happily with half a guinness, but was somewhat shocked to see that each table in there had copies of spank-u-like magazines. (I made that title up.) I felt nervous, not about being in there (guinness is very consoling) but on exit: what would it do for my security clearance?
Now as you say it is very different. Gone are the shoe shops and LBGTQomricon venues, the market is a hypermarket, and the area is thriving. The pub I went in seems to be in business, but I am afraid to enter to see if the mags are still there!

[Dupin]

BTW with regard to the OP, if you visit the ten bells and need the loo, wear a hard hat! Those stairs are lethal.

[Herlock Sholmes]

BTW with regard to the OP, if you visit the ten bells and need the loo, wear a hard hat! Those stairs are lethal.

I’ve been in their 4 times over a long period of time Dupin and I think that I’ve hit my head every time. Likewise going to the downstairs room in Ye Old Cheshire Cheese in Fleet Street. Lethal.