We went for a short wander in Shoreditch, a very mixed area containing office blocks, apartment blocks, arts and design studios and much else besides. We took a 205 bus to Shoreditch High Street.

There isn’t a narrative with this, just a few photos and minimal comments.

Tower block, Shoreditch High Street

We left the bus in front of this tower block, one of many that have raised their ugly heads in this area in recent years. This one is residential and you might (perhaps with the aid of a magnifying glass!) be able to spot a man on one of the balconies.

Crown and Shuttle

This handsome pub, the Crown and Shuttle, has existed since the early 1800s. It’s looking rather shabby now and seems to be closed, a victim of the pandemic, perhaps. What does the future hold for it?

Indian lunch
Photo by Tigger

We went for lunch in an establishment in Bethnal Green Road that is a cinema with bar and restaurant attached. It is known, as far as I can work it out, as Indi-Go at Rich Mix. These days the restaurant also serves pizzas.

Street art dog

This street art dog was partially obscured by rubbish. Shoreditch used to be a very lively area for street art but has quietened down considerably in the last couple of years. Much of the surviving art is old and showing signs of decay.

Red and white stripes

This apartment block was probably built in the early 20th century, though that’s a guess. I photographed it because it looked so cheerful and pretty in the sunshine.

Rochelle Street School

We reached Arnold Circus , which, as the name suggests, is a roughly circular “square” of houses with a central garden. The odd thing about it is that the garden is raised and has two levels, reached by two flights of steps. (See comment by Ray Purdy.) Rochelle Street School, bearing a date of 1899, stands nearby.

Red and white

On a corner near the school is another red and white apartment block, not quite a match for the first one but similar. I wonder what it’s like living there?

Bandstand

On top of the mound that is the central garden of Arnold Circus is the bandstand. I have no idea of its age. Was it ever used for its alleged purpose? Today it is empty and we walked through it and down the other side.

Shoreditch Church (St Leonard’s)

This is as close as we came to what is known generally as the Shoreditch Church and, more officially, as St Leonard’s. Perhaps we’ll visit it another time. The original church dated from medieval times but its steeple collapsed in 1716 and so the church was rebuilt in 1736-40.

Street art by Stik

I don’t know who painted the dog but this piece can only be by Stik. His black and white figures were everywhere in Shoreditch (and beyond) but many have disappeared, often because the building on which they were painted has been demolished.

Rivington Street

This is Rivington Street which I assume is named after Rivington’s publishers, a multi-generation business running from the 18th into the 19th century.

More Rivington Street

For a narrow backstreet, Rivington is surprisingly long. Perhaps that is fitting as it reflects the longevity of the firm.

Great Eastern Street

Rivington Street runs into Great Eastern Street, one of Shoreditch’s main thoroughfares. This was handy for us because a nearby bus stop was for the 205 to take us home.