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Nick Cook
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Monday, February 16, 2004 - 7:10 am: |       |
i visited whitechapel hoping to walk round myself looking for the sites but was put off.
On getting the underground train there, the whitechapel station was more grotty than others, more graffetti etc.
I came out of the subway infront of the hospital where a market was and was suprised to see i was the only white guy there and the streets were packed too. I walked down the street a little way as was going to look for the 10 Bells pub but felt a bit uncomfortable and out of place. I was wondering if all of whitechapel is like that and why did the ethnic communites start settling there in the first place? And is it an unsafe place, whats the crime rate like. I got to the end of the street and turned back, i couldnt wait to get out of there. A shame as I am very interested in it all.
I wouldnt like to walk down any alleyways there!
Just incase anyone gets the wrong impression im not racist just i felt out of place and noticed a few dodgy characters staring. |
John Savage
Inspector
Username: Johnsavage
Post Number: 152
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Monday, February 16, 2004 - 8:47 am: | |
Hi Nick,
Of course Whitechapel is a bit "grotty", and has attracted immigrant populations to settle there since the Hugenots. The present community does consist of many Asians, but honestly, they are mostly harmless.
If you find Whitechapel unsafe and threatening, you must have lived a very sheltered life, so broaden your horizons, stiffenen up the sinews,or simply have a stiff drink first.Do it. The most dangerous thing in Whitechapel is trying to cross the road.
Best Regards,
John Savage |
Andrew Spallek
Inspector
Username: Aspallek
Post Number: 385
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Monday, February 16, 2004 - 12:21 pm: | |
I have walked through Whitechapel during daylight within the past year or so. While it is rather dis-sheveled, this I think is largely due to the markets that still operate. For example, Petticoat Lane is a mess with rubbish. Also, roads and pavements are not kept in quite as good condition as elsewhere in London.
However, I cannot say that I felt a bit unsafe during the daylight hours. Of course, I did not go poking around into back alleys and out of the way areas.
As I have said many times, there are places in my own US city that I would not walk around on a bet even during daylight -- and I hesitate even to drive through. In London, I have never really felt unsafe anywhere.
Andy S.
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Richard Brian Nunweek
Chief Inspector
Username: Richardn
Post Number: 689
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Monday, February 16, 2004 - 1:30 pm: | |
Hi,
Whitechapel , has a reputation, of being a tough area, it has been described as the home of many a villian, and because of its mixed races, the whole area can seem scary to people who are not used to the atmosphere.
It just reflects east end life, and if one visits the area , to walk the streets of 'Jack' ones imagination, can increase the tension.
To the people who spend their lives in whitechapel, it is purely home.
I used to walk the streets, at night in the sixties , retracing the steps of the victims , on the exact dates of their deaths, I must admit walking down Bucks Row at 330am in the morning in darkness, knowing that exactly seventy seven years earlier, Nichols was killed on the spot you were standing on, can step up the heart beat, exspecially as Bucks row in 1965 , resembled the original site, like a lot of the murder spots.
Still it was an experience, if somewhat frightening.
Regards Richard. |
Alan Sharp
Inspector
Username: Ash
Post Number: 445
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2004 - 5:53 am: | |
Nick
Whitechapel may look a bit tatty but then what inner-city area doesn't? Wandering around during the day the worst thing that is likely to happen to you is you will be persuaded to buy a load of old tat by a dodgy market trader! At night might be a little different but I find that if you adopt a policy of walking around everywhere looking as if you own the place, nobody ever bothers you, whereas if you look nervy and out of place that's when the dodgy characters will start to target you. |
Chris Michetti
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2004 - 12:21 am: | |
Richard,
That would definitely scare the bejeezus out of me, that's for sure.
Nick,
I'm sure the people who live there are sick of tourists coming to see the Ripper murder scenes and maybe that's why you were getting some nasty looks.
Chris |
Nick Cook
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2004 - 8:33 am: | |
Thanks for your replies, Maybe one day I will attempt another visit. I wonder if the Mary jane kelly site is possible to get to as thats a private carpark now.
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Monty
Chief Inspector
Username: Monty
Post Number: 737
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 18, 2004 - 4:20 am: | |
How do?,
i felt out of place and noticed a few dodgy characters staring.
As an ex resident I resemble that remark.
You are more likely to be a victim of violent robbery in Westminister than Whitechapel.....FACT
Monty
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Andrew Spallek
Inspector
Username: Aspallek
Post Number: 402
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Monday, February 23, 2004 - 12:32 am: | |
As to inner cities, the East End is nothing compared to US cities. I literally wouldn't go anywhere near inner city St. Louis after dark. Guns are rampant and shootings are commonplace. Even if you are not being shot at, you can easily get caught in the crossfire. Whitechapel is pretty tame in comparison.
Andy S. |
Glenn L Andersson
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Glenna
Post Number: 1173
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2004 - 11:43 am: | |
I have just returned from a trip to London (which was my debut in England) and I must say I felt quite secure -- I would say even more than at home. And especially I felt East End surprisingly secure. I agree on that the strong foreign influences in the area can make you feel out of place (the Henrique Street sign even had an Arabian translation), but never I felt threatened or uncomfortable. And believe me, I feel that every day here at home, unfortunately.
Speaking about the Ripper sites, I was surprised to see how small and narrow Mitre Square really is (I almost missed it!) -- not much larger than an ordinary back yard, when I actually thought it was a large square. Indeed how the camera can deceive you...
All the best
Glenn L Andersson
Crime historian, Sweden |
Monty
Chief Inspector
Username: Monty
Post Number: 799
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2004 - 12:13 pm: | |
Glenn,
Good to have you back old chap...and in one piece.
Mitre sq....did you mange to find the outline of Church passage ?? (along Dukes Passage) Very narrow.
Monty
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Natalie Severn
Inspector
Username: Severn
Post Number: 324
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2004 - 1:06 pm: | |
Hi Glenn nice to have you back on the threads!Sorry I didnt manage a time to meet in the end but glad you enjoyed London.
Best Natalie |
Richard Brian Nunweek
Chief Inspector
Username: Richardn
Post Number: 714
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2004 - 2:56 pm: | |
Hi Glenn,
Did you manage to get to St patricks cemetary, and locate kellys grave?. and see all the murder locations, How did you manage to find Mitre square, on my last visit, i was utterly confused, i had not been to aldgate in years, and the office blocks had the same effect as being in Hampton court maze.
Richard. |
Glenn L Andersson
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Glenna
Post Number: 1175
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2004 - 3:05 pm: | |
Hi Natalie,
Thank you. I had a lovely time and I can't wait to get back. It was better than I had ever imagined, although I must admit I am not used to that much traffic and rough tempo. It certainly is a big city.
Monty and Richard, thank you both. It is not nice to be back in Sweden, but it is nice to be back on the Boards.
All the best
Glenn L Andersson
Crime historian, Sweden |
Glenn L Andersson
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Glenna
Post Number: 1176
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2004 - 3:20 pm: | |
Hi Richard,
Well, it certainly wasn't easy. I was a bit short of time, so I had to follow Whitechapel High Street on the map and then turn off at Mitre Street. I couldn't afford to try and reach it through the narrow passages as the Ripper and Eddowes may have done. And since Church Passage didn't seem to exist anymore, that wasn't a difficult decision. However, S:t James' Passage and Dukes Passage (yes, Monty!) gave me a fairly good picture of what those narrow passages looked like.
But you are right, Richard, I consider myself being quite a good map reader but I actually went wrong a couple of times, mostly because I wasn't thorough enough and also misinterpreted the distances. And yes, the office blocks doesen't make it any easier.
Mitre Square lies quite far off, and so does the Polly Nichols site, which I never managed to reach at all.
But as I said, to find Mitre Square such a little and crammed place was indeed a surprised. I had always pictured it as a very large, open and desolate place, but it felt more like a minimal back yard. Strange place.
No, Richard, unfortunately I didn't manage to find time to reach any of the grave sites -- I had quite a tight schedule -- but I certainly will next time. Because I certainly will be back as soon as possible, I really enjoyed it and felt quite at home immediately (although the costs for my One Day Travel cards on the subway nearly ruined me -- London isn't just big, it also rather expensive...).
Thanks for the nice reception, you guys.
Natalie,
We'll take a rein check, eh? I think I spotted that café you were talking about.
All the best
Glenn L Andersson
Crime historian, Sweden |
Christopher T George
Chief Inspector
Username: Chrisg
Post Number: 637
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 9:33 am: | |
Hi, Glenn
Nice to hear about your trip to Whitechapel and I am glad that your tour of the murder sites was successful.
All the best
Chris |
Glenn L Andersson
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Glenna
Post Number: 1181
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 9:47 am: | |
Hi Chris,
Thank you very much. It was indeed a great experience (and quite a number of good pubs along the way also, I might add )
All the best
Glenn L Andersson
Crime historian, Sweden
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