Wednesday 25 March 2009

Hoop and Grapes, Aldgate

A colleague of mine does guided walks as an aside. So when he suggested a 'freebie' Jack the Ripper tour around many of my favourite local haunts in East London a gang of about 40 marketers, PR's, graphic designers, event managers and yours truly duly took him up on the offer.
Starting in Bishopsgate the tour took in many of the local drinking dens - from the sublimely hip Ten Bells on the Commercial Road, former drinking haunt of two of the Ripper's victims and now favourite of graphic designers, musos and young TV presenters. To the perenially naff Dirty Dicks on Bishopsgate. A dingy narrow pub serving cheap beers and watered down spirits, frequented by bankers and insurance agents. Not my idea of a great night out.
Of course the tour took in the many historic points of interested around Spitalfields and Brick Lane and some blood curdling anecdotes that left you in no doubt that the Ripper was a truly bad man. No wonder Johnny Depp went after him so hard in From Hell.
We did end up for a drink at the Hoop and Grapes pub in Aldgate which is apparently the only surviving 17th century timber framed building in the City of London. Don't you just love the British and their historical facts. Sadly the drinks tasted as though they were stored in 17th century vats, and even though they offered a Bloody Mary, I didn't have much faith in the quality so politely declined and settled for a bitter.
If you ever get the chance, I would thoroughly recommend a Jack the Ripper tour. You walk through some of the most interesting streets and past some of the funkiest shops, bars and cafes in London. If you're looking for a drinking venue however I'd try the Ten Bells or some of the bars on Brick Lane. Just a suggestion.

1 comment:

  1. Very interesting Walt, however I noticed there don't appear to be any "pretty young things" ... it feels incomplete, somehow ;-)

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