Lost In Shoreditch

It was hot. Really hot. The sun was searing and to add to the joy, the Tube had announced it was going on a 24hr strike. I joined the hoard of Londoners, emerging from the underground like moles. We blinked into the harsh light of day and stumbled through the streets in search of a bus. Sounds obvious but it’s amazing how much you can see when you venture above ground and explore an area as rich in history as the East End. Shoreditch and the East End It wasn't always like this. Once the haunt of criminals like Mr Jack the Ripper, it’s been pummelled by the Blitz and housed a vibrant Bangaldeshi/Pakistani community in Whitechapel in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Then in the 1990s creative edgy contemporary artists like Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst (and media geeks) moved back into the East End. Drawn by the multiculturalism and cheap rents, they transformed Shoreditch’s ageing industrial buildings into funky lofts and open-plan offices. So what can you find nowadays? Here are a few weird and wonderful contemporary things I found on my wanders: 1) Have you seen the strange tree office in Hoxton Square? It looks like a transparent onion wrapped around a tree. Apparently it’s an outdoor office space, available for rental and funded by Hackney Council and the Arts Administration. And whilst we’re at it, did you know that Hoxton square is one of the oldest squares in London? It goes back to 1683 and was laid out by Samuel Blewitt and Robert Hackshaw who leased the land from the Austen family. Since the 1990s it’s become the heart of the arts and media scene. 2) Try going to the toilets at Callow Callay Bar in Rivington Street. The place is themed like a retro Wonderland, and they even give you a menu inside an empty cassette tape. Alternatively go play drunk ping-pong at The Book Club on Leonard Street. 3) It goes without saying but Spitalfields Market is great for haggling with aspiring designers and glancing at fashion stalls or organic produce. 4) The Green Mango Smoothie at The Breakfast Club. Enough said. 5) Plus, Shoreditch has amazingly weird graffiti like this:

So next time you’re in the area, have a wander round. And heck, pop in and say hello whilst you’re at it. We’re on Coronet Street ;)