The Because Guide To: London Fields

Brains : Love

14 July 2020

In the busy lives we lived – before we were forced to slow down ‘cause of Corona – spending time in your local area was often limited to weekends or days off. Even since lockdown has lightened, the temptation to travel far has quickly been shot down with the thought of germ-ridden public transport and spending hours with our mouths and noses covered. With that in mind, and because the team have revelled in spending time in their neighbourhoods as opposed to our central London headquarters, we thought we’d create a mini guide to each location we reside in.

First to show what’s going on in her ends, and to inspire those of you within the residing areas to shop local, is our Junior Fashion Editor, Carmen Bellot, as she shares her hotspots around London Fields.

Firstly, I should admit that I don’t actually live in East London – as much as I want to. Despite spending most of weekends in the area, and having had a housing stint there as I locked down with my boyfriend (who does live there) for a couple of weeks, I officially live in North London. Rest assured, many days spent in pub gardens pre-lockdown and many walks in local parks during it, have me well versed in what is worth going to and what isn’t around the London Fields area. We’re also moving there when my tenancy runs out, so I promise my opinion can be trusted.

One of my favourite things to do is to go for walks that include spontaneous stop-offs for food and drink, which is something that I've revelled in during in lighter lockdown. Firstly, whether I’m planning on walking far or not, one of my favourite spots to start said journey is Pophams. On the Hackney Central side of London Fields park, you’ll often spot many a caffeine addict sleepily order there coffee and croissant on a Saturday morning. As someone who particularly enjoys partaking in any breakfast-based activity, you’ll be able to find me amongst the crowd, chewing the ear off of my accompaniment, as someone who's been newly injected with coffee does.

Pophams Hackney is located at 197 Richmond Road, London, England, E8 3NJ.

Once hydrated with said beverage and adequately fed, I’ll often continue my walk and pass through London Fields. During lockdown, this beloved park was as popping on a sunny Saturday night as Fabric was during the 90s, with so many people congregating to drink here that alcohol has now (temporarily) been forbidden on the premises. During the daytime, the place is a hub for families and dog-walkers, which makes for a more pleasant walk. My boyfriend often gets us to go there on a Sunday, where he can enjoy watching a game of cricket by the local team, and I’ll enjoy watching the various breeds of pampered pooches that trot by.

Artwords Bookshop is located at 20-22 Broadway Market, London, E8 4QJ.

At the end of the park lies Broadway Market; a street that’s also known as ‘Porters Path’, is riddled in history as an essential trading passageway, dating as far back as 1000BC. Nowadays, it’s a thriving hotspot for artisanal bread and European condiments, with an actual market running on a Saturday. One of my favourite book/magazine shops is housed nearer the end of the street, named Artwords. If you’re ever in need of literature-based present, this is the spot to buy it from. I already spotted How to Drink Wine by Grant Reynolds and Chris Stang as future birthday presents for many of my friends – the irony being that we already do that quite well.

If you continue walking, you’ll quickly come across a bridge that runs over a canal. You can find some steps down the the canal to the left, and a delightful little path to walk along that (if it wasn’t for the amount of people) would make you think you’re in the countryside in Norfolk.

My boyfriend and I took a break from our walk and perched on a waterlock. This is where we had a sighting of the common East London kayaker, who makes many appearances during the summer seasons and is often found speeding past the pedestrian traffic on water with a self-righteous glow.

Once arising from the canal a bit further on, after a quick walk through Haggerston Park, you’ll end up at Columbia Road Flower Market. Thinking back to attending pre-pandemic, my socially-distanced conditioned mind can’t bear to imagine being in said situation ever again. Any green-fingered fans will be glad to know the flower market is back open, in a socially distanced manner that makes it a whole lot more enjoyable than ever before. The one way system makes for no opportunity to be within kissing proximity of someone who annoyingly would go against the current of people, and with only one side of the road being filled with stalls, there’s actual space(!!!) to walk on the street. There are a lot less stalls than before, but still a wonderful selection of greenery to purchase – in my opinion, I hope it always stays this way.

The Prince George is located at 40 Parkholme Rd, Hackney, London E8 3AG.

If you’re reading this thinking, this is a Sunday well spent, you would be correct on two occasions: it all being conducted on a Sunday and that the day was well spent. But a Sunday wouldn’t be a Sunday without a roast, and if you’re wondering what over-priced London roast you should have, The Prince George gets my vote for being more delicious than it is expensive. Located on Parkholme Road, this pub is a winner for delivering true English pub ambience, and has often been frequented with style icon, Alexa Chung.

After completely stuffing my face with food, you’ll find me waddling back to my BF’s flat and plonking on the sofa, having explored the day away.