07 December 2007

Jack the Ripper

A couple of nights ago I went with a group of friends on a London WalkJack The Ripper. Led by our guide Steve we assembled at Tower Hill tube station before heading into the East End of London to be entertained with stories of the Victorian terror that was Jack the Ripper. And it was fun.

The thought did occur to me whilst we were standing outside modern buildings listening to Steve’s stories, just how much this part of London has changed. It’s become a mix of chic and modern, and old yet trendy. Particularly around Spitalfields Market. Of course, it’s the stories we came for, but it would have added to the atmosphere to have stood outside the actual house where Mary Kelly (the Ripper’s last victim) met her end, rather than a multi-story car park.

I’ve been on other London Walks, around other parts of London and I can recommend them all. Most of others take you to places that still exist, but I guess even when the last of the old Ripper-era buildings are gone, people will still be following a guide to hear about the horrors of those days. And so they should.

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