Somewhere retail: Brick Lane I was spoilt for choice trying to select "somewhere retail" in Tower Hamlets, because this East End borough is famed for its street markets. Except on Saturdays, that is. Spitalfields market is open every day except Saturdays. Columbia Road flower market and Petticoat Lane market are only open on Sundays. Whitechapel market, Roman Road market and Chrisp Street market are full of cheap tat whatever the day of the week. And Brick Lane market, that's another Sundays-only experience. So I ignored the street markets and went to Brick Lane anyway.
As it turned out, I'd timed my visit well. A brightly-bedecked parade of children and adults were making their way up the street in celebration of the Bangladeshi New Year - Pahela Baishach. They wore white tunics and pinky-red saris, some sporting paper hats, others floral garlands. Several waved colourful placards depicting animals, birds and other festive symbols [photo]. The snaking crowd burst into song, bringing the shopowners and curryhouse proprietors of Brick Lane out into their doorways to smile and take photographs. The procession paused briefly outside the JammeMasjid - the plain brick hall which, during its 250 year history, has always reflected the dominant immigrant group of the times [photo]. It's been a Huguenot church, a Methodist chapel and a Jewish synagogue, and is now a thriving mosque capable of accommodating 4000 worshippers. But never a Hindu temple. The parade headed off down a narrow sidestreet, and business in Bengali Brick Lane returned to normal.
Further north, the retail function of Brick Lane changes somewhat. There are fewer spicy restaurants and more cafe bars; fewer shops selling cheap Bangla staples and more boutiques pandering to tourist taste. A side alley through the Old Truman Brewery caters to an almost exclusively non-Asian clientele, dispensing designer clothing, unnecessary art and shiny scooters. Here the trendy 20-somethings gather to chatter excitedly and gobble down piles of noodly falafel goodness while sat at long collective tables [photo]. I'm more a fan of the pie stall in the courtyard of the Vibe Bar nextdoor, where the Mr Porky pie (with minty peas, mash and gravy) is to die for. But not on this occasion.
I headed on, past the road works, past the abandoned tube station, and past the pavement where every Sunday shameless bike thieves recycle their ill-gotten gains back to gullible members of the public. Right to the the top of Brick Lane where there's a unique fast food takeaway adored by generations of East Londoners. We're talking beigels, and more particularly we're talking hot salt beef bagels - the meat hacked on a chopping board by the window while you wait. On Saturday afternoon the queue was the shortest I've ever seen, and I managed to buy my beigel (and stodgy chocolate fudge cuboid) in one minute flat. Normally the queue stretches all the way down the counter, past shelves stacked with cakes, rolls and loaves, bends round in front of the open bakery at the rear, heads back up the opposite wall and spills out onto the street. Even at three in the morning (in fact, especially at three in the morning) there's usually a motley crowd of eager beigel connoisseurs lined up here in eager anticipation of an inexpensive hole-some treat. But be warned - there are two beigel shops here in very close proximity. Both are equally well-established, but one serves adequate fare while the other sells perfection. Brick Lane's like that, I guess, across a surprisingly wide range of international cuisine. Oh yes, there's so much more here than just curry. by tube: Aldgate East by bus: 8, 388
As it turned out, I'd timed my visit well. A brightly-bedecked parade of children and adults were making their way up the street in celebration of the Bangladeshi New Year - Pahela Baishach. They wore white tunics and pinky-red saris, some sporting paper hats, others floral garlands. Several waved colourful placards depicting animals, birds and other festive symbols [photo]. The snaking crowd burst into song, bringing the shopowners and curryhouse proprietors of Brick Lane out into their doorways to smile and take photographs. The procession paused briefly outside the Jamme Masjid - the plain brick hall which, during its 250 year history, has always reflected the dominant immigrant group of the times [photo]. It's been a Huguenot church, a Methodist chapel and a Jewish synagogue, and is now a thriving mosque capable of accommodating 4000 worshippers. But never a Hindu temple. The parade headed off down a narrow sidestreet, and business in Bengali Brick Lane returned to normal.
I headed on, past the road works, past the abandoned tube station, and past the pavement where every Sunday shameless bike thieves recycle their ill-gotten gains back to gullible members of the public. Right to the the top of Brick Lane where there's a unique fast food takeaway adored by generations of East Londoners. We're talking beigels, and more particularly we're talking hot salt beef bagels - the meat hacked on a chopping board by the window while you wait. On Saturday afternoon the queue was the shortest I've ever seen, and I managed to buy my beigel (and stodgy chocolate fudge cuboid) in one minute flat. Normally the queue stretches all the way down the counter, past shelves stacked with cakes, rolls and loaves, bends round in front of the open bakery at the rear, heads back up the opposite wall and spills out onto the street. Even at three in the morning (in fact, especially at three in the morning) there's usually a motley crowd of eager beigel connoisseurs lined up here in eager anticipation of an inexpensive hole-some treat. But be warned - there are two beigel shops here in very close proximity. Both are equally well-established, but one serves adequate fare while the other sells perfection. Brick Lane's like that, I guess, across a surprisingly wide range of international cuisine. Oh yes, there's so much more here than just curry.
