Christmas Greetings from Spitalfields
Simply by turning this old Sunderland lustreware pot (with the Sailors Farewell used as illustration to yesterday’s post) through 180 degrees, I am able to turn my thoughts away from those terrible murders here in the vicinity in December 1811 to reveal my personal message to you for the festive season 2009. The streets of Spitalfields are silent and empty now as they are at no other time of the year. The Golden Heart is closed. The bakery at St John is shut. Mick is gone from Brick Lane. Mr Ali is no longer selling peacock feathers. No-one labours at Labour & Wait. Shelf is shelved. Ryantown is shuttered. Leila has locked her shop. Jill has journeyed north. Teresa has turned in. Dusk gathers in Puma Court. Trees glimmer in the upper windows of Wilkes St. And upon the dark streets, tiny courts, narrow alleys, hidden gardens and secret yards, over all the glistening roofs of the ancient neighbourhood peacefully sleeping, the lonely spire of Christ Church stands sentinel.
Dear gentle author, thank you for your fine blog which I visit every day with great pleasure. I wish you a blessed Christmas and pet Mr Pussy for me.
Thank you for honoring the mundane – a most admirable pursuit.
To you and yours –
All the Blessings of the Season
Thankyou for your wonderful blog, what a find! Peace and joy to you in the New Year.
I’ve not travelled back here to wish you a merry Christmas! It’s April, I’m in the south of France and about to prepare for the long journey back up to the tunnel.
No, I’m here wondering how many others have done or will do (or are doing) a similar project to mine, i.e. working their way through all your blogs – well, I did make a promise!
For the first time and maybe not the last, (time will tell), I have noticed some are missing around the period of this particular ’stop-off’ in time! The clue was in your text where you referred to yesterday’s account using the same pot in the photograph – the 24ths entry was noticeable by its absence, as are a few entries coming up.
I just hope I didn’t miss anything good…