Another place a bit off the tourist trail in London this week. Having been grappling with the WordPress new block editor, I finally seem to have managed to to restore the classic editorial style for the time being.
This week’s post will be more pictorial though than I’d planned but another in my series of “Off The Tourist Trail in London”. This particular Sunday Mlle took me to Camden Passage Islington a really quaint pedestrian-only thoroughfare right up my street. There were pretty shops aplenty, antique stalls, street cafes and a pleasantly relaxed vibe.
Beforehand we had checked out nearby Colebrook Row to try and find my great grandmother’s old family home. Her parents ran a mission school here for the many poor children in the area – she was born in 1869 and the school certainly existed to the later 1890s. I know she helped her widowed father run the establishment (her mother died young in 1881). I didn’t know the exact number so we walked up and down trying to figure out where the house must have stood. Later I was doing further research and realised it had been at number 68 and was demolished some years ago. The gap where it once stood now leads into Camden Passage adjacent to an art shop on one side at 66-67 and a bar (69 Colebrook Row) on the other! I did find an article on the street’s history here and it appears certain well-known politicians have called Colebrook Row their home – hmmm enough said! St Peter’s Church Islington, which I found in online family records, has now been turned into upmarket apartments although the facade of the old church remains.
Later we wandered round more shops including spending a fair time browsing in Waterstone’s book store by Islington Green, an attractive area of communal gardens surrounded by a wrought iron fence. We finished off a lovely outing with some afternoon tea and a glass of French wine at the adjacent brasserie, Bellangers, which alas permanently closed its doors in August 2019 just 3 months after our visit (no connection I’m sure!). There are still plenty of bars and eateries in this area though!
Copyright © 2020 Rosemary Thomas Le Chic En Rose. All rights reserved
Le Chic En Rose 
I love going ‘off piste’ in London, and you have encouraged me to explore the northern part of the city, I’m from Sahf London myself, and my son and family live there too. Time to extend my frontiers! Well done for kicking the dreaded Block Editor into touch. Does anyone like it and use it willingly?
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Thanks Margaret – glad to have given you a few ideas and these less well known parts are beloved by locals but not so many tourists 🙂 We lived in North London for 9 years in the 80s and hardly ever ventured south of the river! It did take a while to sort out the Block Editor problem – it still wants to default to it but I just press the “switch to the classic editor”button and this week it allowed me to! 🙂
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Phew!
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It is lovely to uncover some family history. Can be a lot of fun. I really like North London, since I have a best friend who lives there I love visiting this area. Also I did my Postgraduate at London Metropolitan University, near there. Gorgeous photos 🙂
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Thanks Gilda it is a lovely area. I really enjoy family history – it’s a major hobby! I went to UCL near Euston Road and we lived in London for 9 years in the 80s so always enjoy visiting. Hope your South Eastern Asian travels are going well! 🙂
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Yes, we are loving SE Asia, just arrived in Cambodia today.
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Enjoy and stay safe! 😃
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I clicked the link to see who had lived in Colebrooke Row – yuck! I associate Islington with New Labour and the Blair/Brown pact at Granita. Equally yuck! Despite all the political connotations, this was another nice stroll and some interesting family history.
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Well, not equally yuck, I was filled with hope at the time.
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Quite Anabel – I couldn’t bring myself to say who 😦 And yes I would have associated the area more with the New Labour movement but apparently it appeals to all colours of the political spectrum! It is a lovely area to stroll round despite all that and I had the family history interest too 🙂
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A nice bit of family history accompanied by a lovely stroll and a cuppa. What could be better? It’ll be in tomorrow’s walks, Rosemay 🙂 🙂
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Thanks so much Jo! It was certainly a lovely afternoon – sort of place you can wander for hours, browse round antique and art shops and enjoy refreshments 🙂 Hope all’s well with you and I’ll be along later for a Monday Walk! 🙂 🙂
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Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Islington area was where I lived when I made a trip in the 1980’s working and less travel back then. It is fun and, fascinating, connecting our history with the present.
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So glad to hear that Suzanne – it’s a very attractive area 🙂 Yes I love visiting places that link the past and present – I love history and the story behind people and places too 🙂
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