Facebook timehop gave me this image this morning from exactly 10 years ago. It is an image of a young Hugo finding an empty shelf in a quirky antique/book/giftshop/cafe in Spitalfields, London.  The cafe was in the basement.

https://www.townhousespitalfields.com/

The cafe was a place I loved to visit after very long shifts in a hospital. Stepping down into the basement shifted the reality of a busy London life.

Spitalfields always felt like home. I had known this corner of London from the age of 18 when I first arrived in London as a student. The area was somewhat more gritty at that time.

But that cafe inadvertantly brought me to blogging as a daily ritual.

Knowing, that in a life of science, I had abandoned my love of inconsequential writing, I often looked at creative writing courses. I never bothered to apply because I was a little intimidated. Creative writing being something other people did.

I had dabbled at blogging but not  fully committed, or found my niche, when I saw a blogging course run by The Gentle Author.

https://spitalfieldslife.com/

There is no doubt in my mind that once again I would have thought that such a course was not for me. But by a gorgeous coincidence he ran his courses at the Spitalfields Townhouse. Finally, fate, kismet or simple serendipity kicked me into action.

And that my friend, is why we are both together today. Me writing inconsequentially and you reading something of no consequence.

From Hugo being cute in a cafe to theoldmortuary pondering.

Beyond blogging, Spitalfields is just the most tingle worthy part of London.

Great Architecture.

Gilbert and George.

Brick Lane.

Bagels

Art Galleries

Diversity

Street Art

I could go on but Google does it better.

I urge you to read the two links I have shared, the location and The Gentle Author are both a good visit

Below is a tiny taste of my Spitalfields fascination.

And, to end, two small stories.

The time my art filled the front window of a gallery.

And the after party.

And to finish on a blogging note. The Smoked Mackerel Moment

I was attending a very International blogging course and the lunchtime offering was a smoked mackerel salad. It turns out that smoked mackerel does not hold huge excitement for International bloggers. I love the stuff and the lovely hostess encouraged me to eat more than would normally be polite.

There is a reason smoked mackerel should be eaten in small portions.

Gluttony can be exceedingly painful. A bellyful of smoked mackerel is not a comfortable belly. Only large quantities of iced water could politely save the afternoon. My creative writing skipped a beat for a couple of hours. A different useful lesson was learned.