Brick Lane Street Sign With It’s Bangladeshi Translation
The beginning of the week was return to Uni time for The New Londoner. I piled all his clean laundry and tech equipment into the boot of the car and packaged up a Coca Cola cooked ham and a bottle of wine to take back with him. I know bread, milk and eggs would have been more sensible, but there really is nothing like the Nigella ham.
Vintage Homeware From Blitz Vintage
I knew this would be an opportunity to re-visit Brick Lane. An old student haunt of wonderful vintage, genuine beigels (bagels) and now fabulous Bangladeshi restaurants. This one street illustrates the diversity in communities in London, each leaving a little of itself on the way. The Flemish who brought brick making and brewing, then the silk weaving Hugenots in the 17th century, leaving elegant rows of Georgian town houses.
Cheshire Street and The Corner Of Brick Lane – Georgian Terrace With Shops
The Irish arrived, fleeing from poverty and persecution and joined the expanding tailoring and weaving industries in the area. The Yiddish jews then found refuge, bringing hat making, button making and the furrier trade.
Sclatter Street (Off Brick Lane) Bird Market 1900
For years this was a centre of the ‘rag trade’. I remember, during my first design job, coming here to have mother of pearl buttons dyed. That trade has gone now, along with the furriers, hatters and button makers, but a few of the salt beef shops and infamous Kosher bagel bakeries still survive.
Bagel bakery Serving Hot Salt Beef
Brick lane is now home to Bangladeshis, filled with the aroma of spices, sounds of Bangla rock, vibrant neon signs and fragrant curry houses. At night, alive with ‘pullers’ each telling you that theirs is the best food in town. This is the south end of Brick Lane -Banglatown.
Banglatown Brick Lane London
Although only a mile long this is a street of such diversity that it feels much larger than that. At the north end are the private clubs with roof terraces and spas. Haunts of the celebs such as Sienna Miller, victoria Beckham and Madonna had a birthday party here. Despite the gentrification this is the end that is most like the Lane of 50 years ago. Still hosting the market, that the jewish community were given dispensation from Sunday trading laws to run. A thriving secondhand affair, open both Saturday and Sunday, selling everything from furniture and jewellery to bicycles and boots and a host of vintage.
Vintage Rajah Sign
Vintage Push Along Dog
This time, I discovered the Taj Stores. An immense double fronted supermarket supplying, easily, both the restranteurs and the public. Red and cream on the outside with a huge, wall filling neon sign on the inside. This store promised a plethora of exploring. Long aisles of spices in small tubs and large bags. Multi coloured sacks of rice and flour.
Enormous chest freezers filled with huge slabs of whole fish the size of small tuna, most of which I didn’t recognise and the names made it no clearer, Chital, Boal, Ayer and Mrigal all local Bangladeshi fish. A vast choice of prawns, boxed and frozen, from the ridiculously large to the tiny and sweet. Shells on, shells off, all perfect for currying. The Halal butcher standing behind his counter with arms crossed, watched the customers meandering through the vast choices of oil, and gold and green tins of gee as large as a stock pots and small as cans of beans.
Stock Pots Stacked To The Ceiling
If it is stock pots you’re after, they’re stacked at the back of the store, shelves of them, five high, pyramiding to the ceiling starting with one that could hide a small child and topped with one that would fit on my hob. This is the start of rummaging in bright coloured plastic baskets, heaps of stainless steel, glass topped spice tins. Some as small as thinbles and some made to fit spice collection tins, on the shelves above. Dangling ladles and serving spoons hang above crates of chapatti rolling pins. Towers of dull grey granite mortar and pestles, contrast with the shiny teapots stacked above.
Dangling Ladles And Babies Dummies
This store isn’t only about the bagged and frozen, but also stocks an array of fresh fruit and vegetables. Chow Chow, like huge buds from the man eating plant in the Little Shop Of Horrors movie.
Chow Chow Like Buds From The Man Eating Plant In The Little Shop Of Horrors Movie
Chilta, which look like a squash, Turia, which I think are bitter melon, large white beans the size of small shallots, long beans, spinach and tomatoes.
Whole Turmeric Or Haldi
Dark purple, fresh green and bright red all reflected in the woven stools balanced three high and six wide in the window.
Brightly Coloured Woven Stools Stacked In The Window
This is a street of such lively variation, with fashion food and vintage for everyone. Well worth exploring. Brick Lane Market Sunday 8-3. Shops and restaurants open all week
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I got all excited when I saw the title of your post! I remember going every now and then but we didn’t go often. We used to get our stuff from Hendon. It’s so nice to see the bustling Banglatown. I think I would have a field day at the Taj store!
Nazneen xx
I just loved the Taj sore, but I wish I knew a little more about the things they sold! Where did you go in Hendon? GG
Wow!
It really is a great place to explore. GG
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have enjoyed several recent trips to Brick Lane and the surrounding areas but have not had many tips to go on. Can’t wait to check out Taj Store and wondered about the Beigel Shop.
I’m so pleased you found it so helpful. The two bagel shops are very good; it’s hard to choose which is best. And if you get there early in the morning you can see them making the bagels and chollah in the back. GG
What a great street. I love how all the pots are stacked. While reading your post though I was distracted by the coca cola ham you mentioned – I would have loved to have seen it xx
I should have photographed the ham before packing it up, but that is a great excuse for making another. Such a great recipe. GG
Love this post. The spice isle in Taj stores looks like my local supermarket in Dubai
The ‘chow chow’ look like banana flowers to me – also sold here sometimes. Great to see how parts of the city evolve.
Thank you Sally that means a lot coming from you. Ah yes banana flowers, now i’ll have to look up what to do with them. GG
I always wanted a push along dog! My mother told me that was for children who didn’t have a real dog. (we did not have a real dog)
I love this street!
I finally got a push along dog when I was almost too old for it, but I loved that toy. GG
I feel like I have been on a nice little trip…what a fantastic store.
I’m pleased you enjoyed the trip. It is a fantastic store. GG
What a lovely place my friend, I definitely wish to go there some time
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
It’s great to wander around, the diversity makes for a fun afternoon. GG
I loved this post – thank you for sharing your pictures and the history of the area. It’s such a famous area in some ways but I know quite little about it at the same time. I think I’d love to spend an afternoon wandering about.
Thank you for visiting my blog, I’m delighted you enjoyed the post. This is a great place to wander around, there’s so much to explore. GG
I remember seeing the movie Brick Lane years ago and wanting to visit it to see what it was like! Thank you for taking us there GG!
Brick Lane is an exciting part of London with so much to see and wonderful food to try. Well worth a visit. GG
It’s ages since I went to Brick Lane and I must make another trip to see out Taj stores. I spy that they stock my favourite spice brand – Natco with the jolly useful double hinged lids!
Some how it’s easy to forget some of these exciting and changing places. Now that the New Londoner is at Uni in Hackney I’m re-discovering all sorts of old haunts. (After I’ve been delivery driver naturally). GG
Thanks for a lovely trip to Brick Lane without leaving my desk during the lunch hour! Must go there soon in person. Lots of love Jenny x
Thanks for reading. I love Brick Lane and Columbia Road etc. It’s all so lively. GG xx
oh man! what i would do to visit this place… i can use so many of those things as props in my photographs!
It’s a great place to find all sorts of props for pics. GG
Thank you for the fascinating walk through Brick Lane. I only know it from the book bearing the same name and, well… you imagine I didn’t dream of visiting it when I went to London
If I finally get there on my visit to UK I definitely shouldn’t go to the last shop. I would have to pay a fortune for excess luggage.
Brick Lane is so diverse it is all the things in the book, but much much more. A fun buzzy place to visit especially at weekends. GG