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Wednesday 26 October 2011

London Monopoly (2): Whitechapel Road

Whitechapel Street Market. Photo: Silk Tork
Whitechapel Road completes the first set of properties (brown) and, like the Old Kent Road, can be bought for £60. However Whitechapel Road is much more interesting.
One of it's most famous buildings is the London Hospital founded in 1740 and since it's 250th anniversary in 1990 known as The Royal London Hospital. It is now the headquarters of the Helicopter Ambulance Service which operates from it's specially adapted roof.
The Blind Beggar Pub
www,sublimephotography.co.uk
Whitechapel is in London's East End and famous for being the haunt of Jack the Ripper whose identity has never been discovered. More modern criminals associated with the area were the Kray twins. The Blind Beggar pub is at 337 Whitechapel Road and that's where, in 1966, Ronnie Kray shot a South London gangster who had called him a 'fat poofter' (He was gay). Apparently nobody in the pub was able to recognise him and a barmaid failed to pick him out at an identity parade!
Also worth mentioned is the still-functioning Whitechapel Bell Foundry where Big Ben was cast. Big Ben, it should be noted, is name of the bell itself, not the tower which houses it!
Lastly, the newly-refurbished Whitechapel Art gallery is a leading exhibitor of modern British Art and worth a visit if one is in London. It is partly responsible for the very high number of artists working in the East End.

16 comments:

klahanie said...

Hi bazza,
Thanks for this highly informative and fascinating article. It has given me the urge to get down to London and visit all my fans. Especially those on the King's Road in fashionable Chelsea.
I was very aware that 'Big Ben' was the name of the bell and is not to be confused with a porno star....

bazza said...

Gary: I am sure the police would need advance notice if you were to decide to show yourself on the Kings Road!
As for Big Ben, I understand that Long John Baldry used to disappoint a lot of people.

David said...

Dear bazza,
All very interesting. Next time I play monopoly, I shall impress my fellow players with my new-found knowledge!
Thanks, bazza.
Very Best Wishes,
David.

bazza said...

Hello David. I am really looking forward to researching the up-coming properties. I might bump into you in Mayfair!

Anonymous said...

Hot from Sir Tom at Eagerly Manor:
Actually Bazza, my old stick, my old thing, I think you more likely to bump into Sir Tom in Mayfair than David or Klahanie. But not if I see you first. Ha ha.
Have a cigar.

bazza said...

Sir Tom you are a cheeky chappie!

Rob said...

Obviously Ronnie Kray took exception to the suggestion that he was overweight.

Incidentally my mother taught one of Kray's pals i.e. Ronnie Knight.

Exellent post Bazza.

bazza said...

It wasn't me wot said it guvnor, it was Rob.
As you have found connections with the first two properties Rob, you had better start asking your family what connections you have with Kings Cross station - coming soon!

Dixie@dcrelief said...

Well, I'm just so glad to know what a 'fat poofter' is... wouldn't want to make THAT mistake. My own version of English leaves me incredibly 'disabled'... er, in the dark.

I'd love to visit the gallery and hang with some artists. Thanks Bazza.

bazza said...

dc: Your English certainly doesn't leave you disabled. Otherwise how could you write your poetry?
By the way, over here we hang the pictures - not the artists (ha ha!)

Kelly said...

For a minute there, when I saw that Whitechapel street pic, I thought I was looking at another one of my many flea market pics- but then I didn't see any rednecks in the photo- so I knew that couldn't be it.

I didn't know about the Krays bunch. That whole area has a lot of gruesome history to it. Those Jack the Ripper stories always gave me the creeps. I like the photo of the pub, bazza. I could get drunk in a place like that.

Sincerely, kezza.

bazza said...

Kezza: The Rednecks would fit right in there, don't worry.
As for the pub, they say there is still a bullet lodged the wall that had been fired by one of the Kray twins at Jack "The Hat" McVitie, a rival gangster whom they were later convicted of murdering.
Enjoy your beer.

Anonymous said...

Hot from the desk of Sir Tom Eagerly:
Bazza, that painting of the older Lucian Freud reminds me of someone. Who could it be?
Ah yes, it's me on a good day!

THE SNEE said...

This Monopoly Geography is so much fun Bazza. My son collects Monopoly boards. I will but the British game on the holiday wish list. Great idea!

bazza said...

Sir Tom: That looks like you eighty years ago doesn't it?

bazza said...

Snee: You could probably get the UK version from Amazon. I have learned that there are plenty of different boards for your son to collect all over the planet and probably on the moon shortly!