Borough Markets - Foodtastic & Globe Theatre

Could the day get any better? We were both bouncing from the happy and yet somewhat frightening experience. Gossiping about the actors, so much effort put into their performance. I decided that I would find out how to get one of those jobs – ohhhh what fun it would be!

Kelly and I headed up to cross London Bridge and looked across, cringing, at Tower Bridge. We knew the truth, poor London Bridge, no one knew what a life it had had, horrid Tower Bridge took all of the attention. We had put down our flag on London Bridge and be-damned Tower Bridge – all of its pretence!

Standing on top on London Bridge we wondered which way to go – the plan had gone horribly wrong. We had been on the tour for over an hour… and we were both starving…
“Well”, said Kelly, looking sheepish and naughty at the same time, “Borough Markets is just over there”, and she pointed diagonal from the direction we had come from.
“Hrrmmm” I said, with a sly smile erupting on my face. I had heard of Borough Market. Mark had said he would take me there but he had been so busy with work of late. And here we were, so close! My stomach rumbled encouragingly.
“Why not!”
We took a photo of ourselves with the Gherkin Building in the back thinking of Nigel. When in Australia Nigel and I were obsessed with ‘The Apprentice’, the English version ofcourse with billionaire Alan Sugar (whose daughter strangely enough was one of Mark’s IT clients). The Gherkin is a powerful image in the introduction and to me, it is all very strange to see it with my own eyes and not through a television screen. I’m still yet to get up really close to it, but I seem to be able to see it where ever I am in London.

Off we wandered like school children, skipping with delight toward my favourite of all earthly wonders… food!

I didn’t think I would be THAT impressed, but here was heaven. My mother would fall over, we would have had a ball, she and I, trying this and that, scoffing on chocolate and all the gluttonous delights of London and beyond. Kelly and I almost filled ourselves up before actually buying anything. The cheese stands blew me away, Italian and French men standing behind tire sized rounds of smelly delicious cheese… ohh cheese, beautiful cheese! All different types, more than the colours of the rainbow. We tried this one, oh and that one, can we have a piece of that please?
“Here – this is more mild, a hint of flower”
“No, you will like this one. It is a special parmesan that has matured for 18 months”
I had to buy a slither to take home and my heart was singing with happiness.

Borough Markets is divided in two my a small cobble street road. Along one portion which is out in the open are stalls upon stalls, all neatly set up, the wares for sale perfectly placed on tables behind which stand men and women smiling in anticipation of telling you the relative fortunes of their particular food article. Dips from Spain, Oils from Italy, Mushrooms from the North of England and chocolates from Belgium. All you have to do is look for a period for 3.5 seconds before the lovely stall holder offers you a taste of this and a taste of this. Dip your cracker into this one, try an almond or a stuffed olive. Here! Have a taste of this wonderful mushroom dip, secret ingredients!

There is such a hubbub and everyone seems so happy. I could smell a sausage on the wind and decided that I would purchase a monstrous bratwurst very shortly. But first, we had some serious investigation to do.

Borough Markets has 250 years of history, it was established by the Romans and has since become one of London’s most well renowned markets (potentially, also, one of the most expensive). It has won various awards including “Best London Shopping Experience”, which I whole heartedly agree with! All of the stalls are dressed red, then yellow, red, and again yellow so it is all very pleasing to the eye. It is clean and has the most welcoming vibe to it. It is located right next to one of London’s most beautiful Gothic cathedrals (which Kelly and I took the time to view before crossing into the market. I cannot describe the sense of reverie upon entering the Cathedral, but more important the awe at its structure. I’ve always been a huge fan of Gothic architecture. Those were the days when a person truly cared about every singular aspect of a building. There was love put into those walls, those stainglass windows, even the warn pews were overwhelming in their insignificance compared to the building as a whole. I do love my churches).

Walking into the second section of the market, the stalls open out before you, rows upon rows of culinary delights. I was in heaven. This area is all covered over and located in what used to be a train station. The roof is bright green steel with large windows between allowing in natural light. The brick and cobbles allow for the noise of people coming and going, and men shouting from their stalls, to be carried up, providing a pleasant, warm and welcoming atmosphere – as if you had entered a village rather than being in the heart of London.

We tried some warm mulled wine and chatted to the French man selling it, moved across to the chocolate stall and bought a white one, a champaign one, something with a nut and caramel – basically what ever we could stash into our little bags. It was brilliant, we were giggling with one another – its always lovely to go to a place like this with someone who also appreciates the importance of taste buds and the magic that food can bring to a day. I just wished that Mark had some time – he would have loved showing us around his old haunt as well.

After purchasing our chocolates we sadly turned the corner to find the chocolate stall to end all chocolate stalls. These fine young gentlemen were dipping everything you could imagine into white, dairy and dark chocolate from pineapple to pomegranate, cherries and… well you get the picture. We just pointed and suddenly the tiny piece of perfection was in our hand, and shortly there after in our mouths. I had to film it! This was a moment to be memoraxed.

After filling ourselves up on chocolate and dips we headed off to claim our prize – for me, a bratwurst straight from Germany, and for Kelly, a French stuffed potato with rich matured cheese and pickled everything. Along the way we smelt the fish section and were shocked at the size of a fish’s tongue, then some hens and rabbits caught our eye – hanging upside down and very very dead. Kelly was once again glad that she was a vegetarian, meanwhile my mouth was still watering for my pig in a tube.

After chatting at length with the French potato guy we headed down to the Gothic cathedral garden and munched away with glee. The day was going marvellously well and Borough Markets was added to my redo list (times 10… needed to come here as often as possible!)

It was time to continue our walk as the sun was heading down. Our plan needed reconsideration, there was no way we would make St Pauls Cathedral or St Katherines Dock today, but we could certainly make it to Tower Bridge and cross it – so atleast two things would be accomplished.

We headed along the South Bank where I’d been previously. Chatting about our experiences and things that I still wanted to do. Along our walk we came across a replica Victorian ship and took a few happy snaps. Again, this is the miracle of London, being able to turn a corner and see a ship! Strange and shocking. I understand now that people can say that they have lived in London 20 years and still haven’t seen everything. It is a constantly transforming entity, moving at a pace beyond what one would expect of a city. Today, the sun was even shining and I almost felt that it had come out just for me, to make me smile even when the people you love the most feel so far away. I grasped onto my moments of happiness with both hands and appreciated every second of my fortune.

Along our journey to Tower Bridge… it was most unfortunate, most concerning… and at the same time exceptionally glorious – The Globe Theatre. Here it was. Kelly looked at me. I looked at Kelly. She knew my emotional attachment to our dear Shakespeare and appreciation for theatre generally speaking. Together we moved toward the Globe and decided to take a guided tour around the historic building.

After Kelly convinced the lady at the front desk that we were both students and should therefore get a discount even though neither of us held student cards at the time, we headed into the Museum section of the Globe. This alone was worth seeing.

The Globe theatre was originally constructed in 1599 and was situated some miles from the current Globe Theatre. It was the home of many Shakespearian plays, when writing certain scenes Shakespeare took in the various elements of the Tudorian stage, and he also performed here. It was also a renowned brothel and gambling house. At the time South London was looked down as the Sodom & Gomorrah of England and was infact more of a country side than the city it is today. During Elizabethan times plays were advertised on flag poles and the very small theatre (by todays standards) infact seated (in the looses possible meaning of the word) 350 000 people. There would be stalls and markets set up outside the theatre, bars and ‘restaurants’. It was a hubbub of culture assuming you had no intention of running for office (the attached connotations to visiting the theatre were of the more obscene nature and therefore ladies and gentlemen would disguise themselves before attending a play). The arrangement of the audience was as fascinating as the performance itself, with people spitting and drinking in the ‘stalls’ area, above were seats for the more economically fortunate, and in the ‘gods’ were those ladies and gentlemen that braved social condemnation for the sake of culture and entertainment.



Then in 1613 a fire broke out at the Globe (due to a cannon that was actually being used for special affects that resulted in the thatch of the roof to catch alight and burned the whole theatre to the ground). The theatre was rebuilt but soon to be demolished again.

Because of the Queen Mary puritanical movement plays and performances were eventually banned, actors and patrons were named heretics and the theatre was abandoned and eventually fell to disrepair.

The theatre was rediscovered in the 20th Century and it was an American (bizarrely) that was distraught in 1947, that the theatre had not already been reconstructed. He moved to England and created the New Globe Theatre some distance from the original site and tried to ensure that all the elements of the original Globe Theatre were taken into consideration. It is built as it would have been during Shakespeare’s reign and has been maintained to present day.

Walking around the museum I was able to caste an eye over 200 year old costumes, touch wood that would have been used during the first productions of King Lear and Hamlet. It was fascinating and I felt so fortunate to be there at that moment. Reading the inscriptions on the museums walls about what had happened, who had stood there, the literature of Shakespeare himself… imagining what the actors went through to maintain their art… and actually work during that time, they really fought for what they did. There were miniatures of the Globe and surrounding village (including London Bridge which Kelly and I were most excited about).

Eventually we were hailed by a bell and feeling most like cows, were ushered toward an exceptionally well spoken and woman who thought exceptionally well of herself. She escorted a group of a about 20, including Kelly and I, toward the Globe itself. Stopping to advise us of the importance of the structure and wow us with her knowledge. Personally, I felt like I was being spoken down to and wanted to tell her a thing or too. More so when she advised that ‘no, you are not allowed to walk on the stage’ (which was all I actually wanted to do) and ‘no… please don’t film that’, at which point I looked at Kelly with utter distaste and tried to force myself to remain seated – a strong desire to walk out after explaining that everything she had discussed was out of a 2bit history book I could get out of any bookstore in a common street and she therefore had no right to put a pretence of superiority on at this point in time… urgh! It was not so much what she said but how she said it that really got to me and I thought… If I am ever in your position, I hope that I can develop a bond with those I am explaining things to, rather than ensure a hierarchical divide!

Regardless of the horrid woman, the experience was well worth while. Walking into the theatre you stare up and see the stars coming out to play. The performance area is out in the open, if it rained or hailed or even snowed, the players would keep on playing. The poorer patrons were situated in the stalls where they would throw things at the actors if they had had one too many beverages. The thatch roof was infact, thatch (apparently the theatre had to get special permission to make the roof with thatch because a law had been passed post the 1666 fire of London that thatch roofs were forbidden in order to prevent the same devastation ever occurring again). The only issue I had was the pillars. The original pillars were made of marble ordered from Italy… these pillars were made of wood and laminated to look like they were marble, sadly the laminate was coming off which made it appear somewhat tacky.

I looked on, awe inspired and dreaming of being on the stage one day. I considered possibly if I really wanted to be on stage if I had to encounter people like my tour guide, and resolved to the fact that it was probably worth it.

When Kelly and I emerged from the Globe Tourist Shop after discussing the pro’s and con’s of me spending a small fortune on things I would probably never use, wear or look at again, the sun had come down. We still had to get across Tower Bridge – we needed to atleast accomplish some part of our original bridge to bridge plan!

We pulled our scarves tighter around our throats to ward off the impeding frost and headed in the direction of two magnificent ornate towers and in the opposite direction of every working person in the city as they made their way home.

The buildings looked magnificent in the darkness, lights beaming upon their stony presence transforming them. It is amazing how between day and night a city can take on a whole new entity. It was as if I’d never seen these streets before, a whole new experience opened up before us. The chill in the air seeped through our clothes, but with smiles on our faces and a desire to move forward in the direction of the tower over ruled the strong wish for a warm cup of tea and fresh dry socks.

Before getting to the tower itself we were fortunate to take an unexpected turn and found ourselves in a grand hall with high steel embraced window arches ceiling. Inside was a boat-shaped water fall. I could imagine during the day this would be inhabited by all the office workers of London, frequenting the different coffee shops that made the two sides of the grand hall leading out to the river. There was a market, a young Asian lady was just closing down her stall. My eyes darted to the apparel and discovered my new favourite friend. I had been wanting a smaller wallet, something I could keep in the front pocket of my jeans rather than in my bag – incase those pick pockets decided that my bright green bag was exactly what they wanted… I could almost hear and see a little person saying “yonk!” and grabbing the bag from my shoulder before dashing down the street, me looking on in bemused silence. And now, here, before me was a tiny yellow Betty Boop wallet. Just the right size… and with Betty Boop! Oh how I loved Betty Boop. I had to have it. Kelly laughed at me as I handed my six pound over and came away with a new purse and a very proud smile.

We came through the hall area, complaining that the time had come for us to eventually get home, such were our thighs, ankles and feet hurting – as much from the cold as from the walk we had taken. There had only been 15 minutes of sitting time during the whole day. But we were going to make it, it was our mission – never underestimate a womans determination!

Out along the river the trees were lit with tiny blue fairy lights, the river swept quietly on the river bank, people chitter chatted as they went passed and the click clack of heels were heard as women made their way from the office to the nearest tube station longing to get home after a long days work. Finally we came to the stunning Tower Bridge that was shining out, lights pouring over its ornate edges and it was seemingly beaming. It is impeding and beautiful. So marvellously constructed, set amongst the modernity of 21st Century London. It’s a juxtaposition in itself. To the South of the Bridge the Gherkin sheds its shimmering glass façade, and to the North a grand snail-shell-like office building creates a mix of old and new, history and the promise of future. I was most excited by the understanding that the bridge could split in two to allow large ships through – oh, what a feat. The bridge looked rock solid. I am desperate to actually see it raise up but apparently it hasn’t done so for a decade – I have every intention of writing a letter to complain and ask that it be raised so that I can see it, because otherwise, those who remember it being raised may die and then as far as I’m concerned, no one will believe that it can be raised. So in the sake of holding onto any sense of dignity, the English must raise the bridge! The petition will be sent out shortly, please have your pen at the ready.

Walking past HMS Belfast we proceeded to cross the bridge, looking left and right and left again, trying to take in all of the river views that we were lucky enough to be observing. St Katherine’s Dock that I decided I would visit another day, the Tower of London which would also need to wait until another day, with its ability to evoke a sense of reverence just by being in its presence.

It was such a day. In such a small expanse of London there is so much to see, and still more to experience. The day only gave me a renewed desire to get up early and dash about from here to there as quickly as possible, to grasp onto everything I could see. To take a little bit of London from London, and hide it deep within me.