Comments on: At the Ten Bells

By: troy montague

troy montague — Fri, 24 Jan 2020 06:43:49 +0000

How old is the building itself?

By: Peter norris

Peter norris — Sat, 14 May 2016 04:26:31 +0000

My ex wife’s family the roche’s used to run this pub back in the late 60’s early 70’s. I actually lived there for a couple of years. Patricia Roche was the landlady a very strong woman but with a heart of gold. Her husband did die there after falling down the cellar steps. She had four children – Michael, Bernhard, Ann and Martin. The pub was very much a drinkers lair with lots of street people, very noisy and a great atmosphere. I remember the murals and some of the upstairs rooms. Place holds a lot of memory’s for me and my wife’s family.

By: john stokes

john stokes — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 20:31:19 +0000

great old picture,and story about the ten bells.shame know one mentions the britainnia pub in this picture,bottom left.

By: Terry Stewart

Terry Stewart — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 12:40:36 +0000

After returning from Montreal in 1964, where I had been working, I took over the upper part of No12 Fournier Street from a friend, Gerald Laing who had just finished studying at St Martins. He had been living there with his wife and daughter. On the Ground Floor lived an American, Jack Babuscio, who upon his return to New York became the New York Sunday Times film critic. I sublet the garret to another American, Pete. They were both teaching in England. On the middle floor were two students from St Martins. Our neighbours all seemed to be students from St Martins. Next door was David Milne and his future wife – they emigrated to Canada and Brian Poitier and his partner Nicki, he was studying at St Martins and Nicki was a nurse they later had a daughter Claudia. We had a mutual friend, the jazz trumpeter Ian Carr, he and his wife Margaret lived at No9. There is a good description of his time there in his biography by Alan Shipton. We used to go to both the Ten Bells and The Seven Stars. I seemed to remember the name of the landlord’s wife at the Ten Bells, was Pat. When I visited her later, she told me that her husband had died from a barrel rolling back on him from the pavement whilst he was in the cellar. One evening over Christmas 1964 I went to the Seven Stars, it was packed with a live group playing. At sometime in the evening there was a lot of disturbance going on, paramedics had gone through to the toilets – we were drinking the other side of the bar so couldn’t quite understand what was going on. The band struck up ‘Happy Birthday to you’ and out of the toilets came the paramedics with a young woman on a stretcher. Apparently she had given birth to a baby. On one occasion Brian Poitier asked me if I would like to see the interior of Christchurch, it was closed at the time because it was in terrible disrepair. The vicar had the keys and all we could do was ask. Anyway it gave us a chance to see the interior of the vicarage, which apparently had also been designed by Hawksmoor whilst he let his apprentices get on with the drawings for the houses in the street. It was like walking from one time zone to another stepping over the vicarage threshold. The interior is as it was built. We were greeted by the vicar who wanted to introduce us to his family, wife and three daughters. We were led past the front room that was the Dining Room with the table already laid complete with table knapkins in cones. In the Living Room was the vicar’s wife and daughters who seemed to be all draped over the furniture rather like late Victorian portraiture or the Bloomsbury set. The Living Room French doors looked out onto a beautiful manicured lawn. I had to remind myself that on the other side of the wall was Itchy Park with its meths drinkers. The area outside the vicarage was not a pretty place. The youngest of the vicar’s daughters was studying art and when we asked how she managed with the area, she genuinely looked mystified. We did wonder how those young women survived. The vicar lent us the keys to the church, at our own risk and we carefully found our way round the dilapidated interior of the church. It was dangerous because the floor had collapsed in parts and a large part of the ceiling had come down. If I’m in the area I always visit, it is my favourite Hawksmoor Church and just a few years ago, it is where I went to a memorial service for my god-daughter’s father, Gerald Laing, who had introduced me to Fournier Street and the area in the first place.

By: Mo06

Mo06 — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 15:42:01 +0000

I used to frequent the Ten Bells in the 1990s, when I worked in the City.

They used to have strippers on at lunchtime, and the place was always very busy.

Then in the evening, the character of the pub changed and it became the ‘Jack The Ripper’ pub, frequented by tourists seeking the old London. They even sold Jack The Ripper T – shirts.

The last time I visited was in 2011, and the strippers had gone, which is a pity, the chap behind the bar knew nothing of the recent history of the place.

Great site, thank you.

By: sue forward

sue forward — Mon, 02 Sep 2013 21:50:26 +0000

my friends mum and dad had this pub for many years, was always there during the 60s, had lots of fun,

By: Julie

Julie — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 06:50:30 +0000

Once again, a weaving of past and present well done, and gave me information to add to family history in the 18th century – and a pub to visit on future travels. Cheers!

By: Adam Walsh

Adam Walsh — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 21:48:58 +0000

Great article, I personally love The Ten Bells – always a great atmosphere. So are the upstairs areas open for viewing etc (as you suggest viewing the new “Spitalfields In Modern Time”) which is upstairs.

By: the bespoke tailor

the bespoke tailor — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 10:08:07 +0000

With our workrooms down the road in this part of the City, I often favour long established businesses that offer much more historic relevance to the environ.

Pleased to see and read that somehow, these eateries and pubs have made it up to now to capitalise from the increase and footfall brought by the re-development of the area.

As consumers, we all have a choice where we spend our money and should use this power to make informed decisions which places we frequent to offer the financial support while enjoying the authentic.

By: Pam Mossman

Pam Mossman — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 22:17:11 +0000

I live opposite the Ten Bells and looked on the net to try and find out what the latest developments are, as I have observed with interest all the changes to the pub and the area over the last 26 years. I was lucky enough to find this – very interesting read, about the pub, the area and the landlord.