Had a whirlwind visit to London - a few nuggets of info here. Visited an old family friend in the east end, by Stepney Green who lives in an 1899 tenement that is used for the Call the Midwife tv filming.
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Kola cubes and nuclear soor plumes. Presents for the kiddos. If you know you know...
The big take away from this trip is that the Tube is, maybe not overrated... but you can get much more out of the city if you use the overland trains and educate yourself on the bus routes where ever you are. "New build" London partly due to the bombings of two world wars - but some fantastic older housing, now out of reach $$. Former bakery below now a residence.
Southampton Arms (Highgate) looks throwback because it is. Many original fittings redone, handpulled UK ales and cider, and pork sandwiches (baps, that is on rolls). Amusing list of contact "emergencies".
In one long walk we made it from Holoway Road to Tufnell Park then all the way across the massive Hampstead Heath (had never been - amazing - 3 swimming ponds in summer!)
Quick stop outside John Harvard Library in Southwark (pronounced suth-uck for those just joining. Yes, same Harvard.
On last night stayed with an old pal in Peckham (south east London). No, not Belendam, as the real estate agents are starting to call this recently gentrified area; Peckham! One of the major problems with 'coming up' areas is the inevitable rising home prices and pushing out of established residents. My buddy (OMIL if you are a fanatical 10E reader) grew up in this neighborhood and since cooler than a cucumber HE has no issue being in a fancy pub, but notes with legitimate venom that the older generation are now without their old haunts, so become more and more isolated at home. This is a real problem.
We loaded up for the day at Crossroads Cafe, a good old workman's caf', with a full breakfast (notice you can add bubble - that is fried cabbage and potato - lovely). Did not go to Manze pie shop on other side of Peckham but OMIL has his chair there - as a vegetarian he always orders a veggie pie... you can hear a pin drop. HA!