Eerie East London

[Yossarian]

On the "Star of David drawn across a map" - someone once drew a Pentagram across a map of an area of the UK by connecting the location of Little Chefs. You can find "evidence" for anything if you look hard enough for it.


As for London weirdness, it's something of a passion of mine, as for years I laboured over an impossible project - attempting to write a novel tying together personal experience, and a litany of London myths, history and fiction, all based around the idea that, in a city as old as London, all of those things become one and the same; that, in the popular imagination at least, Sherlock Holmes or My Hyde is as real as Jack The Ripper (for example), and that the London of the Imagination is more "real" than the city itself.

It amounted to pages and pages of incomprehensible flowcharts, and little else, but did involve me putting together a small library of reference books on London's history, weird tales, mythology, and plenty besides. Very much down the rabbit hole.


A personal favourite was always the Black Sewer-Swine of Hampstead - enormous black pigs stalking the sewers, their prodigious size explained by their constant diet of waste.

 

[Mungoman]

I travelled 12,000 mile from Australia, sat in one of those lovely London parks near St Pancras Station, and, at the base of a tree, not more than three feet from my feet was a Burrin, at least 6,500 years old - I don't think that I would've noticed it except for the familiarity we have with Australian Aboriginal artifacts.

Thank You London.

 

[maximus otter]

...not more than three feet from my feet was a Burrin...

Burin?

maximus otter

 

[Mythopoeika]

I travelled 12,000 mile from Australia, sat in one of those lovely London parks near St Pancras Station, and, at the base of a tree, not more than three feet from my feet was a Burrin, at least 6,500 years old - I don't think that I would've noticed it except for the familiarity we have with Australian Aboriginal artifacts.

Thank You London.

How did an Australian aboriginal artefact get there?

 

[CarlosTheDJ]

How did an Australian aboriginal artefact get there?

That's no way to talk about a chap on holiday.

 

[Mungoman]

Burin?

maximus otter

It's My Scottish accent Maximus...

 

[Mungoman]

How did an Australian aboriginal artefact get there?

Bahahahah...It wanted a job in an English pub.

 

[Dick Turpin]

This one is definitely a candidate for the strange people thread, but seeing as this happened in a flat in Bethnal Green (East London) I’ve put it here.

I once lived in a fourth floor flat in which I had some interesting neighbours, including a middle aged lady who I’ll call Jo.

Jo was in her mid-60’s, unmarried, had no children or seemingly any family or friends, in fact in the 3 years she was a neighbour of mine I don’t think that I ever noticed anyone visit her.

One evening I bumped into her as I was coming home from work, we were chatting about this and that, when she asked if I saw them last night, I asked who, and she said why the aliens of course, and that I’d better be careful and watch out for them.

Straight away I realised there was something not quite right about her, so played along promising that I’ll watch out for the aliens in future. Unfortunately for Jo her mental health deteriorated quite rapidly, as a few days later I was leaving for work, when I noticed her standing on the landing outside her front door, striking something within with a broom.

Thinking that she may have had a rat or mouse, I walked over and asked her if she was alright. I could tell she’d been crying and she told me that it got in through the letter box last night but she couldn’t get it out. I asked what and she pointed to a spot just inside the door.

I looked and couldn’t see anything so asked her what I was supposed to be looking for, and she said can you not see the Alien crouching in the corner. There was nothing there of course, but I did walk over to where it was supposed to be, and pretended to pick it up and throw it was over the balcony. Jo was very grateful, but unfortunately that set a precedent, as she started to knock at my front door 2 or 3 times a day asking me to get rid of an alien.

I think it was the family who lived in the flat directly below Jo who contacted the authorities. The men with white coats turned up one afternoon and carted her away, god knows where, and I never saw poor Jo again.

 

[IbisNibs]

You are a kind soul Dick Turpin.

The mother of a friend of mine starting having hallucinations of strange men crouching in her apartment. She was developing dementia, and this was complicated by the fact that she was unable to keep track of her medications. It was hard to tell what was dementia and what was an adverse medical reaction. It was very stressful and sad for both of them!

 

[Spookdaddy]

Spook, what be this psychogeography of which you speak?...

Bumping a very old query here, but in the intervening time I’ve realised that of all the somewhat complex and conflated psycho-philosophical definitions out there Proust came up with a most succinct and apt description long before anyone even thought up the word 'psychogeography':

...an edifice occupying a space with, so to speak, four dimensions -- the fourth being Time...

Swap out a more general ‘space, for ‘edifice’ and I reckon you’ve got it.

I suppose that in the context of the novel it's not entirely apt: if I recall correctly, it originally refers to one particular building, and the narrator's irresistible flow of childhood memories of it when, as an adult, contemplating other structures.

However, standalone, as a general rule of thumb, it kind of works for me.

 

[escargot]

Bumping a very old query here, but in the intervening time I’ve realised that of all the somewhat complex and conflated psycho-philosophical definitions out there Proust came up with a most succinct and apt description long before anyone even thought up the word 'psychogeography':

...an edifice occupying a space with, so to speak, four dimensions -- the fourth being Time...

Swap out a more general ‘space, for ‘edifice’ and I reckon you’ve got it.

I suppose that in the context of the novel it's not entirely apt: if I recall correctly, it originally refers to one particular building, and the narrator's irresistible flow of childhood memories of it when, as an adult, contemplating other structures.

However, standalone, as a general rule of thumb, it kind of works for me.

Yup, makes perfect sense, especially in the context of hauntings. We even have threads on places that make you feel weird and suchlike.

 

[Ogdred Weary]

I recall someone sharing an interactive map of London or just East London which highlighted sites of paranormal or weird importance, I thought it was in the this thread? Does anyone know what I'm talking about? It was a few years ago and I think the map and site may have been sponsored by a drinks company though I may have imagined that last detail.

 

[Spookdaddy]

I recall someone sharing an interactive map of London or just East London which highlighted sites of paranormal or weird importance, I thought it was in the this thread? Does anyone know what I'm talking about? It was a few years ago and I think the map and site may have been sponsored by a drinks company though I may have imagined that last detail.

The Londonist website has some good maps.

Not exactly interactive, but were you maybe thinking of this one?

Edit: Ah, hold on - was it Grim London?

 

[Ogdred Weary]

The Londonist website has some good maps.

Not exactly interactive, but were you maybe thinking of this one?

Edit: Ah, hold on - was it Grim London?

Yes, the Grim London one, thanks Spookdaddy.

 

[Victory]

This thread was started in October 2009.

The changes to East London since then have been quite extraordinary.

 

[Lord Lucan]

The Londonist website has some good maps.

Not exactly interactive, but were you maybe thinking of this one?

Edit: Ah, hold on - was it Grim London?

That map is really quite brilliant, although that bit in Belgravia about Lord Lucan.....

 

[Ogdred Weary]

This thread was started in October 2009.

The changes to East London since then have been quite extraordinary.

And ongoing, any available bit of land gets flats out on it.

 

[Ogdred Weary]

The Londonist website has some good maps.

Not exactly interactive, but were you maybe thinking of this one?

Edit: Ah, hold on - was it Grim London?

It's a shame they don't add more to it, though it's nicely done.

 

[Victory]

And ongoing, any available bit of land gets flats out on it.

Lots of new flats, plus some offices and hipster pop ups.

 

[Bad Bungle]

The Londonist website has some good maps.
Not exactly interactive, but were you maybe thinking of this one?
Edit: Ah, hold on - was it Grim London?

I've mentioned before that the construction of the Midland Railway Line in the 1860's cut through the Old St. Pancras churchyard. Thomas Hardy helped with the disinternment of graves and the stacking of headstones against an Ash tree (the Hardy Tree), which has since grown around them. I didn't realise until I played with the Grim London map that the construction of the Eurostar terminal at Kings Cross/St. Pancras in 2003 again cut through the same churchyard. Here archaeologists unearthed a coffin containing bones of eight bodies together with those of a four-metre long Pacific Walrus.

https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p08qbzsm/the-walrus-found-in-a-human-grave

 

[Yithian]

A little speculation about the name of The Isle of (very few) Dogs:

 

[Nosmo King]

A little speculation about the name of The Isle of (very few) Dogs:

View attachment 40356

Here are a number of possible answers to how 'The Isle of Dogs' (not an island) got its name.

https://londonist.com/london/history/how-did-the-isle-of-dogs-get-its-name

 

[Victory]

I wonder that the "Bad Fat Man" poster on the back of the bus refers to?
Might it be connected to the Dunlop branding above it?

My preferred theory of how the Isle of Dogs got it;s name is the one about dead dogs washing up on the sandbanks off the shore.

Hunting dogs were likely to be kept elsewhere, and ducks were as common in the Rotherhithe marshlands.

 

[Bad Bungle]

There's an article on the Hackney Ghost, (Illustrated Police News 31st Aug 1895) in the Strange Victoriana book by Jan Bondeson. A figure dressed in white was witnessed to haunt the churchyard of St John at Hackney, causing women to faint by sneaking up on them and going "Boo !" Gangs of local Hackney rough-types suspected pranksters at play, so picked up lanterns and bludgeons and went to lay the Ghost to rest. Word got out and a thousand people invaded the graveyard to go ghost-hunting, clambering over graves and damaging railings. When no ghost appeared by midnight, some jokers decided to improvise with "unearthly cries" - causing a stampede in which several people were injured and a number of pockets picked. Even 50 local constables called in could not restore order. There was an even bigger crowd the next night but a thunderstorm and the Police presence kept things quiet. The ghost was never seen or heard of again.

What interested me was even though the identity of the figure in white (innocent bystander) may have been solved shortly after, the 'Ghost' part took on a life of its own over the years. In the Bondeson book it mentioned there was a 'quaint gravestone in the churchyard, depicting three boys playing cards at a table.' Supposedly one of the boys was losing heavily and exclaimed 'May God strike me dead if I do not win this game !' He lost and God obliged, it was at this gravestone that the ghost-hunting crowd gathered.
Hackney isn't a million mile from me so I wondered if the gravestone still existed and whether I could take a photo.

At this point the internet spookily became of no help, although there was a reference to a 'gambler's grave' at St. John at Hackney.
Fortunately the V&A Museum carries a newspaper clipping of the event (Aug 26th 1895) which shows a table monument in the churchyard and a narration from an interested Gentleman. He reckoned the 'gambler's grave' was the memorial to the highly respected John Weir of Stoke Newington, Middlesex , died 1799 aged 66 years. Mr Weir was buried under a 5 legged 'pseudo-classical' stone table and on the slab in a sunken panel was a sculptured portrait of him in period long-coat, breeches, stocking and wig. He is seated with his head on his left hand. The Hackney scare-mongers supposedly changed this to 'the man who lies here, under that momument, was a notorious gambler - that's why they put the table over him, the table at which he gambled. And his portrait carved on it shows him as he was found in his chair - struck dead for gambling. And his ghost still haunts the spot.'

Luckily you can't make up ghost stories like that in the Age of the Internet.
But wondering if the stone table is still in the graveyard at the top of Mare Street ?



https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O767782/the-hunt-for-the-hackney-print-s-higham/

 

[Sid]

I wonder that the "Bad Fat Man" poster on the back of the bus refers to?
Might it be connected to the Dunlop branding above it?

My preferred theory of how the Isle of Dogs got it;s name is the one about dead dogs washing up on the sandbanks off the shore.

Hunting dogs were likely to be kept elsewhere, and ducks were as common in the Rotherhithe marshlands.

I think this helps to clarify how the isle of dogs might have got it's name. . .
https://www.theundergroundmap.com/wp/isle-of-dogs/
Was known as Stepney Marsh.
'The chapel,' later a farmhouse was the only building.
'Isle of Dogs (Dogges) Farm' (originally known as 'Pomfret Manor') shown on a map of 1683.
And the word Dogger, turns out to mean a two masted Dutch fishing vessel - might be a connection there to?

 

[Cochise]

And in SE England we're fairly casual about what we call an island. If it's only connected to land by a bit of soggy marsh or it's surrounded by sea and rivers except for a fairly narrow neck that's OK.

The Isle of Dogs of course has technically been an island for some of its life after the West India docks were built.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Docklands#/media/File:Thames_river_1882.jpg

 

[SimonBurchell]

I don't think they've been mentioned on this thread yet, but the Walking Ghostly Greenwich books (2 volumes) are well worth a read. Both out of print, but vol 2 is fairly easy to get hold of (used), getting hold of vol 1 took me years.

 

[Ronnie Jersey]

I think Whitechapel is in East London?
I had a cousin who was living in Whitechapel, he had an attic apartment, and moved because he said the area just 'gave him the creeps'.

 

[Sid]

I think Whitechapel is in East London?
I had a cousin who was living in Whitechapel, he had an attic apartment, and moved because he said the area just 'gave him the creeps'.

Jack The Ripper Territory no less!

 

[Sid]

I've mentioned before that the construction of the Midland Railway Line in the 1860's cut through the Old St. Pancras churchyard. Thomas Hardy helped with the disinternment of graves and the stacking of headstones against an Ash tree (the Hardy Tree), which has since grown around them. I didn't realise until I played with the Grim London map that the construction of the Eurostar terminal at Kings Cross/St. Pancras in 2003 again cut through the same churchyard. Here archaeologists unearthed a coffin containing bones of eight bodies together with those of a four-metre long Pacific Walrus.

https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p08qbzsm/the-walrus-found-in-a-human-grave

A remarkable discovery, and a fascinating run of research with a logical outcome!