Cash in at London's oldest pawnbrokers

Attenborough Jewellers claims to be London's oldest pawnbrokers, with shops in Islington and Bethnal Green having opened in 1835 and 1892 respectively.


They are a fairly traditional business, specialising in good service, and running a pawnbroking outfit side by side with retail of secondhand jewellery and watches from their traditional shops from 9.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Saturday.

They also offer an instore jewelery workshop with a qualified goldsmith, and, of course, are more than happy to give you cash for any old gold you might have hanging around. For more information and contact details, click here.

Walk in Paradise Gardens

Not quite as poetic as the name suggests, Paradise Gardens is a small area of grass in Bethnal Green, bordered by fronts onto a line of 18th and early 19th century Grade II listed terraced housing called Paradise Row.



The park was once part of the original larger piece of open land, which was the original Bethnal Green, and now is a rather tired piece of green characterised by a few benches and its proximity to Cambridge Heath Road.

For more information, click here to download a pdf.

Have breakfast at Pellicci's

A classic cafe in every sense, E. Pellici's is a celebrated cafe at 332 Bethnal Green Road, E2, which has since 2005 been Grade II listed by English Heritage.


The cafe combines a greasy spoon with classic Italian cafe, with pastries and an Italian menu on offer, all served in a space created by carpenter Achille Capocciin in 1946.

The history of the cafe dates back further than that, however, and it has been run by the Pellicci since 1900, and with the late Nevio Pellicci passing away in 2005, it is now in the hands of Maria Pellicci.

Past visitors have included Dizzee Rascal, David Schwimmer, Su Pollard and anyone who has ever been on Eastenders, as well as, obviously, the Krays.

For more information, try http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article5320868.ece

Browse the Columbia Road Christmas Tree Market

Your author usually tries not to mention the same road twice in a week, but we are right in the middle of Christmas-tree-buying season, and so he thought readers might like to know that, this time of year, the weekly flower market in Columbia Road also gets Christmassy.


It's not a great time for flowers, so the sellers tend towards wintry plants, holly wreaths and Christmas Trees, and they sell like hotcakes. As readers might imagine, the prices are a little steeper than at your local B&Q, but Columbia Road has always been more about the experience than the value and you can pick up a tree for less than £20.

For more, and directions, see http://columbiaroad.info/map.html

Go late Christmas shopping on Columbia Road

There are some great little shops on Columbia Road, in East London, and every year for the past five they have been opening late in December to encourage after-work shoppers to the area.


Today marks the second late shopping evening of the season, with around forty stores on the street flogging their wares from 6pm until 9pm, accompanied by seasonal foods, music and fun.

Your author has always been especially keen on independent shops, and Columbia Road is one of an ever-increasing number of streets in our city claiming to be wholly made up of independent outlets. As such, it is the perfect place to pick up unusual gifts for friends and family, visit a fantastic pub, or just relax and enjoy the festivities.

This year's late openings are on December 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd, in Columbia Road, E2. For more information, see http://columbiaroad.info/

Take a walk in Haggerston Park

Often overlooked due to its funny shape, sports pitches, and proximity to nicer parks, Haggerston Park was previously an industrial area, and the northern half of the site only became a public park in the late 1950s, whilst the southern half wasn't developed for public use in the 1980s.


The industrial part of the park was, according to Wikipedia, once home to derelict housing, a tile factory, and the old Shoreditch gasworks, which had been damaged by a German V-2 rocket in 1944.

One slightly bizarre footnote to its history is that this park was apparently once used by Michael Jackson to land a helicopter with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse whilst visiting the now closed Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children.

For more of information, see http://www.hackney.gov.uk/cp-haggerston.htm

Search for a hat at Laird London

If you're searching for a decent hat, and have plenty of money to spend, you should probably have a check in Laird London.


From Bowlers to Trilbies, Bowlers to Pork Pie Hats, and flat caps to Deerstalkers, they claim to add a contemporary twist to older styles to keep them in touch with current fashion trends.

Laird is open Monday to Saturday, 11am to 7pm and Sundays from noon until 6pm. They have three shops, situated at 23 New Row, WC2, at 128 Columbia Road, E2, and at 6 Royal Exchange in the City.

For more, and to browse a range of hats, see http://www.lairdlondon.co.uk/