We had a map: one of Graham Barker's East End walks packed with interest. We also brought our stories – family tales, childhood memories and the places we've called home.
We paused at the Albion Yard brewery, its cobbles still ready for dray horses. We looked up at The Blind Beggar's pub signs, through the railings of the Trinity Green almshouses and we were treated to a peek into a hidden row of cottages where there were glorious Autumn colours.
We heard the story of the Spiegelhalter jewellery shop punctuating what was once Wickham's department store. There were the two statues, facing each other, of William and Catherine Booth, founders of the Salvation Army. Across the way, the passageway in to East End institution Rinkoff bakery and the gates where Captain Cook set off.
Towards Stepney Green we admired a ghost sign and walked on to Dunstan House, once home to the marvellously named anarchist Rudolph Rocker. Then, the clock tower commemorating Stanley Atkinson, local councillor and guardian of the poor, and a water fountain with a touching tribute to Leonard Montefiore.
A walk through Stepney City Farm (its goats striking a pose) led us to St Dunstan's and All Saints Church, the church of the high seas. At the pretty Mercers' Cottages, we had fascinating insights from one of the residents on their layout and history, social housing for over 300 years.
On, then, to our final stop for the day, the Ragged School Museum's café.
Fancy joining us for a walk? Look out for our next coming up blogpost.
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