Richard Hawley

Richard Hawley Forum
It is currently Fri Mar 29, 2024 12:57 am

All times are UTC [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 12 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 11:10 am 
Offline
Hawleytastic!

Joined: Tue Jan 26, 2010 10:56 am
Posts: 2625
Location: London
Ok, promised I would do this for the Dickster and his lovely lady who are visiting for the Troxy gig. Apologies in advance if I get a trifle evangelistic but this is my manor and I personally think that it is the best place in London to visit.

There are plenty of places to stay, Holiday Inns and Travelodges and the like, but if you want to try something a bit different, I have a few suggestions.

The Cable Street Inn is a beautiful hotel, as the name suggests it’s situated on historic Cable Street, scene of the famous battle in the 1930s. The rooms in this place are gorgeous and it is ideally placed to explore the mural on the side of St George’s Town Hall as well as the truly unique Wilton’s Music Hall, http://wiltons.org.uk/. It is also a stone’s throw from St Katharine’s Dock, Tower Bridge and Wapping High Street, which give a glimpse of London’s industrial past.
The hotel is at http://www.cablestreetinn.co.uk/

Another gorgeous and quirky place is http://www.40winks.org/, a Queen Anne house tucked away from the bustle of Mile End Road. They even read you a bedtime story.

Or you could try https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/5939 or https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/733785, one of which is further away in Bethnal Green but only a short cab ride away from the Troxy. But it is a stone’s throw away from Spitalfields, which for me is the best place to go out in London. And Spitalfields Market on a Sunday would be great for cpaws – just leave the wallet at home and you’ll be ok.

The other is a room or the whole of a Dutch Barge moored in the shadow of Canary Wharf. Very impressive views – a real stunner if you want to impress guests.

On the places to visit front, you can’t beat the Museum of London Docklands, housed in an old rum warehouse in West India Quay, it tells you all you need to know about London and destroys the myth about soft southerners. http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/Docklands/
Other unique places include the aforementioned Wilton’s Music Hall and Denis Sever’s House, one most beautiful places in the whole of London, bar none http://www.dennissevershouse.co.uk/

Should the weather be good enough, I would take the cable car from Excel to the O2 arena, two fairly soulless places but the view is unparalleled. Either that or catch the river bus from Canary Riverside to Bankside Pier (the Tate Modern is here). There is nothing like going under Tower Bridge on the river, twilight would be a good time as you see London in a totally different way.

The East End is home to 75 languages so there are hundreds of great places to eat. Near to the Troxy, I would recommend:
* The Grapes, fish, chips, beer and famous lovey actors. http://www.thegrapes.co.uk/
* The Narrow, if you like Gordon Ramsey (I hate the misogynist fuckwit so I would rather starve, but apparently his food is OK) http://www.gordonramsay.com/thenarrow/
* For amazing Thai food, sandwiched between the man on man sauna and a newsagent is http://www.newthaigarden.com/ Gorgeous grub, great price.
* Afgan and Iranian food? The axis of evil does serve up some delightful scran http://www.ariana-restaurant.co.uk/contactus.html It’s a walk away from the Troxy and the bread is great. BYO.
* As far as corporate tuck goes, you can’t beat Rum and Sugar at the bottom of the Museum of Docklands. Great cocktails.
* And, lastly, if you wash up in Spitalfields, eat at the best Chinese restaurant in London (but don’t tell anyone else about it cos it’s busy enough as it is). www.oldplace.co.uk

As you can probably tell, I love this area and the people (despite the fact that I am not a Cockney, Craig, I have lived here for over 20 years and it is the soul of the city). I could go on for hours but I’ve probably said more than enough. Keep in touch and maybe we can all have a meet up for a beer before the boy. xxx


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 11:30 am 
Offline
Hawleytastic!
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2010 5:55 pm
Posts: 1787
Location: South, North, now West Yorkshire.
WOW! Fantastic Helen! <*>

Wish I was going to the Troxy now! 8)


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 1:20 am 
Offline
Hawley Super-Groupie
User avatar

Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2012 7:10 am
Posts: 235
Location: Adelaide
Yeah - me too! Sounds ace. :D


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 9:38 am 
Offline
Gentleman of floral persuasion
User avatar

Joined: Mon Nov 23, 2009 7:06 pm
Posts: 1274
Location: Barnsley
Thanks again Helen,plenty to go on there.I was looking at that air b&b site,some amazing places on there.Looks like we will have to have a two night break now.

_________________
I'd rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by faith.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 10:44 pm 
Offline
Hawleytastic!
User avatar

Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2008 11:42 pm
Posts: 1553
Location: darn sarth
Thanks for all that info, Helen, I'm still finding my way around London (moved down to Surrey from Yorkshire just over six years ago). Lots of places still to discover. Think my sister's coming down for the gig so we may well stay overnight - your recommendations are really welcome.

_________________
And I listen to you call, I hardly hear you at all
I walk the quiet night, watch the river rolling by


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 12:13 am 
Offline
Hawleytastic!
User avatar

Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2007 12:07 am
Posts: 2900
Location: Stoke-on-Trent
Sounds excellent! (Makes mental note for when down in the Smoke for exam work in January)

_________________
http://www.nickbarberphotography.co.uk


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 7:08 pm 
Offline
Hawleytastic!

Joined: Tue Jan 26, 2010 10:56 am
Posts: 2625
Location: London
Will make available a small shandy for you if you're down this parts Nick. And a bag of Mr Porkies.

And it wasn't exactly hard for me to go on and on... And on about this area. I do genuinely really love it, with all it's contradictions and grubbiness. The difficult bit was actually shutting up. Xx


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 9:47 pm 
Offline
Too much time on my hands
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jun 26, 2007 7:26 pm
Posts: 573
Location: Broomhill
My dad was born and bred in Radcliffe which was just off commercial street and shoe of the family were from Stepney, Bow and Limehousesalmons. The family were
Proper eastenders - I've managed to trace them back to the early 19th century where one was one of the original water boatmen. My dad was at cable street in the 30s and then went off to fight in the Spanish civil war - he was quite old when we were born. The generation of proper working class eastenders hardly exists anymore: I took the girls down to have a look round last year. It was very gentrified and quite pretentious.- loads of vintage shops selling tat for ridiculously over inflated prices and bijou little restaurants. Still some nice bits though - tucked round the back streets. I was bought up in Fulham, now the place where only the rich can afford to live, but in the 1960s/70s when I was a kid, still a mix of people. I went to school with Nigel Lawson's other daughters and the daughter of a bank robber- all my friends have been forced to move out as they just can't afford to live there now, and if they have kids the schools are either terrible or fee paying. I don't regret moving up north - London is nice, for a day or two but it is so much nicer up here!


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Nov 12, 2012 11:31 am 
Offline
Hawleytastic!

Joined: Tue Jan 26, 2010 10:56 am
Posts: 2625
Location: London
Know all the names and places you're talking about Katikins. And know a veteran of Cable Street and the Spanish Civil War myself, he's still here living in Stepney. Probably knew your dad! I know what you mean about pretentious shops and over inflated prices but that's what I mean about contradictions. There is still a large working class population in the area, the same mongrel mix that ever there was in the East End, but they live cheek by jowl with the uber rich. As you point out, that's the story of London as a whole, a place of extremes. Very poor next to the very rich.

I came here when I was 20, which was 25 years ago. Never really meant to, just got a job here then circumstance made me move. Then I met my partner, a west London boy who gets hives outside of the M25. If we go to the country, it helps if there is a bit of concrete somewhere so he feels at home. Then I had kids here, who are Londoners, and that is sort of who our family is now. Every few months, I get itchy feet and want to wander somewhere else but my kids have their friends here and their school and their life. And my old man doesn't mind the idea of moving, providing it's on the Tube!

Glad I left home when I did because I have lived a life very different to all my school friends – not better, but definitely more varied. Not sure if I'll wash up here forever but at the moment, it's where I am. Great to hear your story though. You must be very proud of your dad. Not sure they really make em like that anymore. x


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 7:17 pm 
Offline
Too much time on my hands
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jun 26, 2007 7:26 pm
Posts: 573
Location: Broomhill
I am Helen - if you ever go to bishops park in fulham there is a civil war memorial with my dads name as the first one. It's very beautiful. We went to the opening ceremony - loads of old chaps who all had known each other for well over 60 years. I have a picture of my Lucy with Jack Jones - one of my dad's mates. We went to another ceremony in Sheffield last year where we were guests of honour by proxy - again a fabulous event and very moving!


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Nov 17, 2012 10:25 am 
Offline
Hawleytastic!

Joined: Tue Jan 26, 2010 10:56 am
Posts: 2625
Location: London
Sounds great. I have never been to the memorial but would like to. Jack jones was a hero in my house when I was growing up. Him and Tony Benn. I would like to think people will still come to the aid of others in that way but I do mourn the passing of principles like that. Glad your children have been involved in the things to remember your dad. That's lovely. Xx


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Nov 18, 2012 11:55 pm 
Offline
Hawleytastic!
User avatar

Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2008 4:26 pm
Posts: 1460
Location: Dvblinia
Supposed to go to Brighton that week. Might sneak up for the Hawley gig.

_________________
breakingtunes.com/thechoirinvisible/


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 12 posts ] 

All times are UTC [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 19 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group