BERMONDSEY and LEADENHALL MARKET AND MORE PIE

PIE WEEK MARCH 5-11

After our breakfast we made our way to Bermondsey Station and met for a London Walks tour of Undiscovered London. This walk took us throughout Bermondsey and Southwark. 

London Walk offers many walks of various themes to cover many interests. The are lead by excellent  Blue Badge Guides. Here are some highlights of this walk.  

Bermondsey was a Socialist neighborhood and redeveloped to provide housing. The problem was they did not develop enough housing for those who were displaced.

Located along the Themes 

In this area Bryan Donkin acquired the patent for canning and preserving food in 1810. Strangely enough the can opener was not patented until 1855, prior to which a hammer and chisel and bandages were used on ones picnics. 

Being along the Thames this is an area of many warehouses. These overhead walkways were used to move the cargo from ships to warehouses further inland. 

The philanthropy of the Guinness Family stretched here to Bermondsey as they built this area of housing. 

The photo of the plaque explained this tunnel. 

During WWII Bermondsey and Southwark were heavily bombed. The residence pictured below was hit during one of the bombing raids and rebuilt with red brick rather than the yellow brick as a reminder it’s destruction and rebuilding. 

After this walk we were off to St Paul’s Cathedral to catch another walk. Sadly we became sidetracked and walked about on our own. 

St. Pauls is amazing to me as the resting place of Lord Nelson. 

I can not walk by these steps with out recalling the Mary Popping song Feed the Birds. 

Early each day to the steps of Saint Paul's

The little old bird woman comes

In her own special way to the people she calls

Come, buy my bags full of crumbs

Come feed the little birds, show them you care

And you'll be glad if you do

Their young ones are hungry

Their nests are so bare

All it takes is tuppence from you

Feed the birds, tuppence a bag,

Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag

"Feed the birds, " that's what she cries

While overhead, her birds fill the skies

All around the cathedral the saints and apostles

Look down as she sells her wares.

Although you can't see it, you know they are smiling

Each time someone shows that he cares

Though her words are simple and few

Listen, listen, she's calling to you

"Feed the birds, tuppence a bag

Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag

We found a coffee shop and decided to head to Leadenhall Market , as Lynn was looking for a hood for her Barbour Coat. 

The last meat shop in Leadenhall Market. 

Leadenhall Market dates back to the 14th century and is situated in what was the centre of Roman London. Originally a meat, poultry and game market, it is now home to a number of boutique retailers, restaurants, cafes, wine bars and an award-winning pub.

Starting as the site of a manor, Leadenhall has survived changes in use, rebuilding, and even the Great Fire to become a popular destination for city residents, visitors and workers.

In the 19th century the market was redeveloped by the architect Sir Horace Jones from its original stonework into the charming wrought iron and glass structure we know today. 

During this time, one of Leadenhall Market’s most popular residents appeared. This was Old Tom, a gander from Ostend in Belgium who is said to have arrived in the Capital having followed a female member of his flock who took his fancy! Despite the swift dispatch of the other 34,000 members of his party, somehow Tom miraculously managed to survive the dinner table and became a regular fixture at the market and the surrounding inns, who kept scraps aside for him.

Tom went on to live until the ripe old age of 37 when he died of natural causes and was buried on the market site. Pretty impressive for a gander living in such close proximity to a poultry stall, some might say very ‘plucky’ indeed!

So beloved was Old Tom that he even made it into the Times Newspaper! Below is his obituary, published on 16 April 1835:

In memory of Old Tom the Gander.

Obit 19th March, 1835, aetat, 37 years, 9 months, and 6 days.

‘This famous gander, while in stubble,

Fed freely, without care or trouble:

Grew fat with corn and sitting still,

And scarce could cross the barn-door sill:

And seldom waddled forth to cool

His belly in the neighboring pool.

Transplanted to another scene,

He stalk’d in state o’er Calais-green,

With full five hundred geese behind,

To his superior care consign’d,

Whom readily he would engage

To lead in march ten miles a-stage.

Thus a decoy he lived and died,

The chief of geese, the poulterer’s pride.’

From the market we walked to the area of London Tower for an obligatory tourist stop and photos. We did stop from some Cadbury Eggs and Chocolate. Yes these are way better than the Hershey's US Cadbury eggs in the states. 

We arrived at a favorite pub of ours, The Minories to have a pint and a pie. After all, it is National Pie Week here in London.

Then it was back to the hotel having gotten in 23000 steps for the day.