Brian, I lived in Les Halles when the central market was in the wonderful Baltard buildings (your previous comment just above). Pokey fifth-floor flat with no lift above a wholesale pork butcher. At the time, the meat was pushed around in open metal bins with metal wheels running over cobbles. I leave you to imagine the noise and the smell. Didn't put me off meat though. Just stopped me sleeping very well. But what a place to be at night with the "Chien qui fume" and its famed soupe à l'onion where market porters mixed with late theatre goers in evening dress. And the magnificent Ste Eustache church. All gone now, except for Ste Eustache.
Is there some kind of association between markets and these churches and what went with them? Berlin's old meat marker was in Lichtenberg, Landsberger Allee junction with Altenhofer Straße. The Althof, was actually a monastic place where all of the incurably ill people were 'interned' to... There was once a massive cemetery which the doings of a bloke with a funny moustache made disappear but history books say was for a large part mass burial pits. Kind of all puts me off meat :-(
Great place for trainspotting in the old steam days, Farringdon St :p
Your story made me think of the old Les Halles in Paris, with the Charnier des Innocents just beside it...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Innocents%27_Cemetery
I had a temporary job in Cowcross Street which is between Farringdon tube station and Smithfield Meat Market as it was. The streets were nothing like now, just meat porters with handcarts everywhere on the way in and out of the cold rooms of the people who had sold the meat at the market, stored and then delivered it. Never seen so many not living beasts in my life. Anyway, the market's own 'canteen' that was open to anybody needed a team of interpreters to get you a slice of bread, set alone a meal. Cockney, woah... At it's prime I think. Even the Italian café (run by an Italian but egg and chips style) owner switched between screaming Italian to his cook and impenetrable Cockney with the punters. To boot, Smithfield has Newgate which was where the infamous prison was and a gallows in what is now Christchurch Greyfriars Market, plus Charterhouse, St Sepulchre's and other church places had hospices that were full of lepers and took in Black Death victims in thousands until there was nobody left to look after them... That's an area where mortality seems to be a bit unimportant, compared to proppa Cockerney!
:)
I knew a geezer from Brick Lane (when it was "East End") who had the thickest East End accent I ever heard, can still imitate it now. He used to drive new Ford cars out of Halewood down to London, all of them in a long convoy, would tell tales of how 15 came out but only 12 got delivered :)
I was known as El Tel when I worked in London with some east enders.
I used to work just opposite Mortlake Cemetery when I was down working in London, and lived in Barnes.
Hi David,
I was the manager of the Tongue Hotel almost 30 years ago and understand your wish to have your ashes sprinkled there. A beautiful place.
My ideal place would be the churchyard at Luss on Loch Lomond. Hopefully that event will be a long time coming!
We want the whole process to be as simple as possible,our ashe to go in the river.The river will take us where it will.
English rugby is increasingly taking in foreign players, a few in Scotland and Wales too. But yes, how do they select a national team when half the selection is playing somewhere else?
If just for a moment.
On a brighter note....
Peter, in my yoof I too was a Spurs supporter, and even followed but never played, football. It ws in the days when you actually 'knew' your team, or felt you did, unlike today when they seem to change every season at least and see 'your' players suddenly playing for the opposition! Anyway from what little I observe there don't seem to be that many home-grown stars anyway - all foreign nationals, so how can you pick a top national side on that basis?
Not that I really care, being a Rugby nut through and through.
This is defintely drifting off-topic - or is it? Death of English Football, or is it still just the Wake?
I like the idea of my ashes being compressed into a firework and sent up into the skies:
http://www.heavenlystarsfireworks.com/
at least you go out with a bang!!!
Technically more accurate Norman, as that's two bangs. Well spotted.
Yes Norman, especially with Tottenham Hotspur FC !
Re-useable coffins for me every time, ecological, practical & CHEAPER !
Mike,
I am with you there! I think most of 'oldies' are not over-concerned about dying - although I suspect the Woody Alllen expression of 'I just don't want to be there at the time' has some application.
But yes, I also believe that most of us do give more than passing thought as to HOW we die. From what read and see a pretty good accelerator sems to be going to a hospital these days!
A swift and painless passing seems to be something to be hoped for, and it is one of the reasons I am non religious as I can't get my head round a 'merciful and loving God' who lets all the pain and suffering in the world continue. And I can't accept the old 'moves in mysterious ways' bit, as that is just a load of proverbial.
If there IS a God, I hope to have the opportunity of having a word with Her on the subject!
Curious how death and English Football are somehow linked?
Boom-boom!
I'd settle for just one, no point in writing cheques my body couldn't cash!