Category
Routes start
- 00 London Fields Park, ground to the south of London Fields Lido
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51.541938, -0.061165 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
Stage 1
- 01 1-6 Carlisle Walk
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51.544647, -0.072482 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Find a fence east of the house (see the map). Sign under the “Do not climb” sign
- Word in green
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Passionfruit
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Historical background
London Addresses and Postcodes
London addresses are a code of their own. A street sign will bear the name of the street, square or lane; then the official name of the area or district underneath it (for example, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea). In the left bottom corner there will be the first part of the post code. In Victorian times London was divided into East Centre (EC), West Centre (WC), East (E), West (W), South-West (SW), South-East (SE), North (N) and North-West (NW). In each sector number “1” marked the area nearest to the centre (after numbers they go by letters) so SE2 will be miles away from SE1. The second part of the postcode includes a number and two letters to describe the precise location of an addressee.
There is another distinctive feature — many houses in London have their own names instead of numbers so the traditional number and name can mean a house number, name of the street, flat number, or the name of a block of flats. Numeration is not always continuous, house number 337 may be followed by house number 468. You can also find old street names on the fronts of old houses, so look out for them. Enjoy your city orienteering event!
// by Leonard Bentley (Postcard) [PD-Old-100], [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)], via Flickr - 12 48 Grand Union Crescent
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51.539348, -0.063161 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- East side of the building. Signs and boards
- Achtung. Number of wild boars
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3
- 16 1-28 Livermere Court, Livermere Road
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51.538201, -0.070612 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- South side of the building
- Number of air vents on the wall
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7 (7+1/7+2)
- 67 45A Almorah Road
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51.540769, -0.086687 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Almorah Community Centre building across the road. Graffiti on the wall
- Brand of the drink in a tin can
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Dr Pepper
- 78 End of Orsman Road
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51.536471, -0.081666 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Red arrow sign on the corner of the building
- How many teeth does the comb have?
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16
- 83 End of Hoxton Street
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51.535412, -0.082229 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Walking signpost sculptural composition
- Whose face is depicted on the backpack carried by the trailing child?
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Mickey Mouse
- 96 Junction of Forest Road and Greenwood Road
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51.544185, -0.063257 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Pear trees near the junction. The plaque in front of the westmost tree
- Top line
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Pick Date Sep/Oct
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Historical background
The Passion for Gardening
British gardening dates back to the Romans who had left behind beautiful gardens. They were followed by monasteries that started to cultivate herbal gardens for medical purposes and kitchen gardens with vegetables and fruit for domestic use, bringing new varieties of plants from Europe. Royalty and nobility became happy owners of lavish gardens after the monks. Rich bourgeoisie began to copy the noble gardens. The beginning of the 19th century saw the emergence of the Royal Horticultural Society that turned out to be a tremendous success. Miraculously gardening helped to erase class barriers!
Ordinary people created a new type of garden. The “English garden” maintains and emphasises the beauty of nature and at the same time has all fruit and vegetables you need. Apple and cherry trees, currant and goosуberry bushes, strawberries grow along with wild trees and grass. Amature selectionists work hard to improve the quality and taste of crops. There are numerous periodicals on gardening, useful tip are published in newspapers, radio and TV programmes attract large audiences.
English show their “green thumbs” with pride. Gardening is an art and science at the same time. It is also a good way to relax and stop worrying. A housewife rushes to weekly local market to sell her amazing carrots, a businessman keeps his front lawn in pristine condition, a floodgate guard plants colourful flower beds near the gate, a postman gets an award for the biggest pumpkin at a seasonal exhibition and you can find a “communal” vegetable patch in the centre of the town where everyone can plant anything and reap the harvest.
The story of Conference pears is a good example of the national passion for gardening. The name of this fruit has an unusual and prestigious origin. In 1885 at the National British Pear Conference in London showcased a new type of pear which won the first prize and was named Conference. Now people grow Conference pears far from Britain and buyers can easily recognise its shape all over the world.
// by Richard Follow (England 1938 RHS Garden) [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)], via Flickr - 50 33 Linton Street
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51.536119, -0.093395 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- The Hanbury Arms pub
- Signature of an official
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Detailed answer
Answer: Signature
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Signature
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Historical background
Regent’s Canal
Hidden behind the local houses this 14-kilometre canal is a real gem of central London. It links London City Docks and Birmingham in the Blomfield Road area and was called Little Venice by poet Robert Browning who used to live here. Arched bridges, slow floating narrow boats lavishly painted and decorated with colourful potted flowers and watering cans on their roofs reminds of Venice. Some of the narrow boats are inhabitable and some used as a displays for paintings and art objects.
For over 150 years, since fully opened in 1820, the canal was used for the transporting of goods mainly timber, coal and other materials. But around the 1960’s almost all cargo was shipped by rail and other land transport. The canal faced an uncertain and grim future. However it survived and in 1979 the government found a new purpose for the canal, its water being used for cooling down the underground high-voltage cables of The Central Electricity Generating Board. The quiet and picturesque embankment is Londoners’ favourite place for walking, jogging and cycling.
Stage 2
- 05 164 Whitecross Street
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51.52447, -0.09381 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Ornate metal box next to the south wall of the building
- Number of illuminated windows
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1
- 14 Junction of Fleet Street and Saint Dunstan’s Court
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51.514227, -0.108262 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Memorable sign on the pavement
- How many “eyes” does the topmost space invader have?
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4
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Historical background
Fleet Street
Fleet Street is named after the River Fleet, the biggest underground river in London. It links together the business part of the old town, the City of London, and the royal part, the City of Westminster. Fleet Street has been one of the most important streets since the Roman times.
The street became famous in the beginning of 16th century when printing businesses flourished here. It started when William Caxton's apprentice, Wynkyn de Worde, set up his printing business in Fleet Street. De Worde wanted to be closer to his customers, lawyers, living in the nearest inns, and the most educated people of the time, the clergy of St Paul’s Cathedral. Following de Worde, a lot of his colleagues and competitors, printers, writers, editors, and their customers established their businesses in Fleet Street. 200 years later, in 1702, the first English newspaper, the Daily Courant (no longer exists) was printed here. Since then Fleet Street has become the centre of London’s periodic press. Building No. 135 was occupied by the Daily Telegraph and No. 121-128 by the Daily Express. Across the road from the Daily Express was Reuters agency whose history started by pigeon mail. Reuters was the last printing agency to leave Fleet Street in the spring of 2005. Today, a lot of publishers have moved their offices to the cheaper districts of London. Despite the fact that the best printing and publications time was over, Fleet Street remains the symbol of British National Press.
// by Jon Doe (Own work) [CC BY-ND 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/)], via Flickr - 56 Gough Square
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51.515058, -0.107806 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Hodge sculpture. Memorable sign with a heart-shaped vignette
- Second line from the top
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A very fine cat indeed
- 82 Building east of the junction of Fann Street and Viscount Streets
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51.521681, -0.09531 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Sign to the left of southwest entrance
- Last word in the 10th line from the top
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MAWRTH
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Historical background
Languages and Dialects of the United Kingdom
It is common knowledge that British and American English are two dialects of the same language. So it is no surprise when you meet an enthusiastic American or ecstatic Australian in some remote place in England travelling with purpose to learn English.
British English is in use in all four parts on the country. Yet in each part it has its distinctive differences: pronunciation, speech melody and local slang. Sometimes it is not so easy for Londoners to understand a Scotsman with rolling “r” in every word even if it is not there. The melodious and steady pronunciation is typical for the Irish and Welsh but an Irish affirmative sentence can be mistaken as a question by an Englishman. A great number of large cities as well as counties have their own dialects. Proper Yorkshireman reading this text for our “Running City London” might say “I don’t know, maybe they talk like this in London”. Sometimes in the same town you can hear the dialects of the different classes of society: rhyming Cockney in London, Pitmatic used by miners’ community in the counties of Northumberland and Durham, Liverpool Scouse or Birmingham Brummie.
In addition to the vast variety of dialects there are other languages in Britain, for example Welsh with its history beginning in the 6th century. Though a minority language, it is alive and still in use. At the beginning of the 20th century the number of native speakers was so small that it seemed that it would be a dead language in a couple of generations. British laws supporting Welsh alongside English, Welsh radio and TV programmes helped to save the language and now one fifth of the population in Wales can speak Welsh. The Presbyterian Church of Wales in Fann Street is one of a few of a kind in London. During the last few years the church was on the verge of closing due to a very small congregation but the Welsh community put a lot of efforts to save the church. In all English towns the service in Presbyterian Church of Wales is conducted in both English and Welsh. - 89 88 Golden Lane
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51.523114, -0.09435 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Extension on the west of the house.
Graffiti on the west side of that extension - Slogan on the protest sign
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NO BEES NO FOOD!
- 114 Smithfield Market, Grand Avenue
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51.519315, -0.101232 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Information board titled “Rationing”. Boxout titled “Could you survive for a week?”
- Finish the line: “8 oz of …”
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sugar
- 60 Lincoln’s Inn Fields Park
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51.51592, -0.117234 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Fields Bar & Kitchen café
Attention! The park is open until 7:30 pm. After it is closed the game officials will be waiting for you at the north-west corner entrance
- Signature of an official
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Signature
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Historical background
Lincoln's Inn Fields
The oldest building on Lincoln's Inn Fields dates back to the beginning of the 16th century. The square is named after the lawyers’ society Lincoln's Inn whose office was situated in this square. The poet John Donne, who also was a Dean of a local church, left his remarks about an existing tradition: when one of the judges died, the bell tolled and somebody sent a clerk to find out the judge's name. It is assumed that this tradition has connection with Donne’s famous phrase “...and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee".
Lincoln's Inn Fields looks like a small area in the city centre but in reality it is the largest square in London. Many believe that Lincoln's Inn Fields was a model for Central Park in New York. There are a lot of homeless people and beggars sunbathing on the grass of Lincoln's Inn Fields. Just round the corner you can find The Old Curiosity Shop, a 16th-century building holding a title of possibly the oldest shop in London. It is thought that the shop was the inspiration behind Dickens’ novel of the same name. One of the best London’s museums is also situated in the Lincoln's Inn Fields — the Museum of Sir John Soane, a great architect and a true English eccentric fellow.
// by Fondo Antiguo de la Biblioteca de la Universidad de Sevilla (The adventures of Oliver Twist/ by Charles Dickens with fifty-nine illustrations) [PD-Old-100], [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)], via Flickr
Stage 3
- 18 South bank of the Thames Walkway under Blackfriars Railway Bridge
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51.50856, -0.103319 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Bridge pillars
- Number of mosaic birds
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4
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Historical background
Blackfriars Bridge
Blackfriars Bridge was named after Dominican monks whose 13th-century monastery was situated nearby. Black Friars, or “black monks”, is a common name for the Dominican Order of friars because of their black cloaks. The banks of the Thames were first linked here in 1769 by an Italian style stonebuild pedestrian toll bridge, the third bridge in central London between London and Westminster bridges. It was originally named after the prime-minister Pitt but the name did not stick and was soon forgotten, however the informal name after the “black monks” is still in use.
Despite the seemingly solid structure of the first Blackfriars Bridge its reconstruction began in 1833. A new bridge was rebuilt in wrought iron in 1869 and it is still in use today. This arched bridge has four piers and is painted in red and white. On the piers are stone carvings of water birds. By these carving you can determine the cardinal directions — on the east side (towards the North Sea), the carvings show seabirds; those on the west side (towards the source of the Thames) show freshwater birds. On the north side of Blackfriars Bridge is a statue of Queen Victoria which completes the compass analogy.
The bridge has quite often been involved in present day history. In the 1980’s it was the venue for Italian mafia showdowns. 20 years later it was featured in a Harry Potter franchise when the Order of the Phoenix flew under the bridge on its way from number 4 Privet Drive. In 2009 prince William organised a social action to support homeless people and spent a night in a sleeping bag near the bridge. In 2011 4,400 solar panels were installed on the roof of the railway bridge next to Blackfriars bearing the same name and became one of the biggest solar power stations in London. Solar energy makes the power station on Blackfriars Railway Bridge environmentally friendly and reasonably cheap to maintain, at the same time making the bridge a facility of the future.
// by Dun.can (Own work) [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)], via Flickr - 55 4 More London Riverside
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51.504993, -0.079769 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Volumetric map to the north of the building
- Head of which creature is engraved on one of the roofs?
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A unicorn
- 63 Bengal Court
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51.512902, -0.086272 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Image on the pavement near the exit to Birchin Lane
- What is “scattered” between George Yard and Lombard Street?
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Coffee beans
- 69 John Watkins Plaza
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51.514837, -0.116137 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Plaque near the figure of a little elephant at the entrance to the library
- City mentioned on the plaque
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TORONTO
- 72 West end of Trump Street
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51.514381, -0.093228 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Corporation of London bollards
- Year on the bollards
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1999
- 101 88 Union Street
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51.503945, -0.096931 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Information plaque under the volumetric picture on the wall
- Last line
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Detailed answer
Answer: Raw King and Queen
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Raw King and Queen
- 102 Junction of John Carpenter Street and Victoria Embankment
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51.511162, -0.106283 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Information plaque next to the sculpture at the junction
- Word followed by the year
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Taxi
- 40 Silk Street, Barbican Centre
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51.519799, -0.092922 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Barbican Kitchen restaurant on the ground floor of the Centre
- Signature of an official
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Signature
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Historical background
Barbican Centre
Barbican has an ancient history. It began in the 1st century AD when Romans built their forts (Barbecana), some of which still remain today. These forts gave the name to the area. Centuries later, in the Elizabethan era, London’s bohemians settled this area and turned Barbican into a cultural centre. During World War II this part of London was severely bombed and largely destructed so all storage facilities and workshops were in ruins and the full area was in need of total reconstruction. The Barbican Centre, designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon in the Brutalist style, was officially opened to the public by Queen Elizabeth II in 1982. The Barbican Centre's design — a concrete ziggurat — has always been controversial. It was voted “London's ugliest building” in a Grey London poll in 2003. Despite this the Barbican Centre became a national cultural legacy as a Grade II listed building. This place has a big architectural value not only for its grand scale but for its unity and atmosphere.
Nevertheless since opening till now the Barbican is one of the biggest European centres of classical and modern arts: a lot of exhibitions, performances, film screenings, concerts, plays, shows and other events are held at this venue. The Barbican Centre is a complicated multi-level complex with a great number of entrances, walkways, and passages. Many of the premises here look the same so it is easy for visitors to get lost, to avoid this all walkways and paths have information pointers.
Stage 4
- 02 North end of Swimmers Lane
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51.535437, -0.071661 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Vertical stone slab with carving
- Symbol in the right bottom corner
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Drawing
- 04 Buildings north of the junction of Shoreditch High Street and Calvert Avenue
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51.526648, -0.077757 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Façade of The Clerk’s house
- House number according to the address plaque
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118 1/2
- 25 Junction of Pitfield Street and Boot Street
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51.526697, -0.083853 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Mosaic panel with images of dogs on the wall. The grid at the bottom of the panel
- Word in the second cell of the topmost line
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MAX
- 46 28 Redchurch Street
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51.524393, -0.0759102 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Pole with a bicycle hoop nearby
- Copy the shape of the hoop
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Drawing
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Historical background
Redchurch Street and Shoreditch
The East End of London nowadays is one of the most popular place among hipsters. However, this area has a long and amazing history. It started with a narrow strip of road which ran from Shoreditch to Bethnal Green but around the 17th century it gradually became a built up area. A lot of silk and textile industry workers were in desperate need of homes so the building boom of cheap houses hit the place in 1730’s. The sense of bygone poverty is still present in this area, in the churchyard and above the upraised round square called Arnold Circus. The main square, still unnamed, is pinpointed with romantic spire of the Palladian style church of St Leonard. The main character of “1984” keeps singing a nursery rhyme in which the bells of St Leonard toll, “When I grow rich...”
Redchurch Street has had a lot of ups and downs but recent restoration has brought it to the high standard as a culture centre of East London and attracts the attention of the visitors and local bohemians. During last decade undergoing rapid gentrification completely changed Shoreditch — lots of “creative class” people settled here. Old factories and plants have been refurbished into offices, IT-startups and studios; a lot of bars, pubs, art-galleries and modern coffe-shops were opened. Shoreditch is very famous for its art-street culture so look out for some masterpieces.
// by Garry Knight (Own work) [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)], via Flickr - 64 Junction of Chance Street and Redchurch Street
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51.524191, -0.07525 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Grafitti to the south of the junction
- Name of the magazine
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COMICS PARKOUR
- 68 Audrey Street
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51.533657, -0.066098 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
- Building in the end of the street. SEBRIGHT writing on the wall
- How many kids are wearing glasses?
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4
Routes finish
- 99 London Fields Park, ground to the south of London Fields Lido
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51.541951, -0.061181 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)
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Historical background
London Borough of Hackney
Hackney is the North part of London’s East End. It once was marshland covered with oak and hazel woodlands. A lot of job seekers from different areas settled here with hope to find any job in workshops and factories. The Industrial Revolution brought a new lease of life to this area at the end of the 19th century. The first plastic, parkesine, was produced here. It was here that the oil company Carless, Capel & Leonard released their trademark Petrol, a well known name that now stands for fuel. During the Victorian age aniline dyes, fertilisers, perchloroethylene (still in use) and shellac were created here. For a long time Hackney was a run down area with poor working class occupants. The Olympic Games of 2012 helped improve the quality of life and attracted new businesses. Built on the territory of the old slums, the Olympic park and stadium turned this district into a pleasant and attractive area for investments. The last years brought about more popularity because of the large number of telecommunication companies headquarters. Intensive cultural life keeps bringing more and more young people here and this area keeps changing for the good.
Graffiti street art galleries are a symbol of Hackney, they attract a lot of tourists and street art fans from different parts of London. Large groups of young people walking along Hackney streets is a common sight nowadays. Usually they discuss street art, go to various parties, and then display photos from these parties in the streets. Hidden behind the tall buildings near Bethnal Green Tube station the idyllic Hackney City Farm with huge black pigs and fluffy rabbits. Starting here, Goldsmith Road turns into Broadway Market near the Regent's Canal where a big live market takes place every Saturday. Situated on the entryway into the city it has been a market place since the 1890’s but declined with time. Over the last ten years it was brought back to life thanks to huge popularity of “EastEnders”. Despite this the market takes place only once a week but there are many pubs, cafes, authentic shops and stores open every day. Broadway Market is first of all an organic market but it is also a place for the East End population to socialise: testing homemade cheese and enjoying vegetarian food, future designers and filmmakers discuss their plans for Saturday night.
// by Cristian Bortes (Own work) [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)], via Flickr