As well as serving drinks to revolutionaries, the original Crown Tavern pub on Clerkenwell Green has the dubious reputation of having exhibited a mummified cat. Apparently during the 17th Century the cat “which some mason of John or Richard’s reign had cruelly buried alive in one of the walls of St. James’s Church, used to be solemnly shown there”.

Other mysterious events in and around Clerkenwell include the Cock Lane Haunting. The elaborate tale as thick as a modern day Eastenders plot began in 1762. It centred on a userer named Michael Kent who became romantically involved with his sister Fanny. After Fanny’s death from smallpox, Kent’s landlord Richard Parsons claimed to be haunted by the ghost of Fanny. She appeared to tell Parsons that Kent had poisoned her with arsenic. Samuel Johnson investigated the claims that led to Kent being suspected of murder. Eventually it was determined that Parson’s daughter had faked the haunting. Parsons was motivated by an ongoing financial dispute with Kent and was sent to prison for two years.

Ghost stories like this were probably an inspiration for the writer Charles Dickens who grew up in nearby Camden in the early 19th Century. Dickens father was sent to debtors prison and as a child Dickens experienced harsh poverty in London, which influenced his writing. At the time of writing Oliver Twist in the late 1830s Dickens was living in Holborn, and knew Clerkenwell well. He banked at the Finsbury Savings Bank, which you can see on Sekforde Street. Scenes from Oliver Twist when Fagin and The Artful Dodger introduce Oliver to the trade of picking pockets were set in Clerkenwell Green. Tribute has recently been paid to Dickens in Clerkenwell by the naming of The Betsy Trotwood pub on Farringdon Road after one of his characters from David Copperfield.

We have barely scratched the surface of the rich history Clerkenwell has to offer in these posts, other intriguing and creepy sites include the currently fairly uninspiring Spa Fields, which used to form part of the pleasure garden experience that made Clerkenwell such an attractive resort. But it gained a bad reputation by the 17th century so that the gentry required escorts to pass through. It became a burial ground in the 1780s, which was eventually shut down after fifty years by which time 8000 bodies had filled the tiny space.

As multilingual typesetters here at WorldAccent we were curious about the naming of Sans Walk. Does it have any connection to the history of sans serif fonts, given the connections locally to printing? Sadly our research has not uncovered any evidence of that. But nearby is the site of the Clerkenwell House of Detention, which between the 17th and 19th century was the site of various prisons, was destroyed by fire during the Gordon riots in 1780 and where a terrorist attack killed several people in 1867. Amongst its 18th Century inmates was Jack Sheppard, the notorious burglar and thief. Largely demolished in 1890, the prison’s perimeter wall and warden’s residence were left untouched along with the prison’s underground level. These underground cells were used as air raid shelters during World War Two. The site has more recently been used for filming of Oliver Twist, Sherlock Holmes and Spooks as well as a theatre production of Macbeth. Unsurprisingly, ghost stories abound here too with one telling of a little girl whose “heart-rending sobs reverberate from the inner depths of the jail”.

That concludes this round up of Clerkenwell history for now. We hope you’ve found it as enlightening as we have, and will see Clerkenwell’s streets and buildings in a new light. The EC1 Local History Trail [pdf] takes you on a tour of many of the sites mentioned, and is well worth a wander on a fine day. Also well worth a look is this map of The Clerkenwell Historic Trail [pdf]. Enjoy!

Illustration top from Oliver Twist: James Mahoney (1810-1879) (Scanned by Simsalabim) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons [CC-BY-SA-2.5], via Wikimedia Commons

Where would you find Russian revolutionaries in the early 1900s? The biographies of the future leaders of the Soviet Union show that they were men well travelled as it was not easy to organise left-wing parties in Tsarist Russia, and radicals were often forced into exile. I wrote last week about Clerkenwell’s radical history, and in 1902, the leading Bolshevik Vladimir Lenin came here. He set about publishing the revolutionary newspaper Iskra (The Spark) to be shipped back to Russia.

Lenin worked from an office at 37a Clerkenwell Green. The building had originated as a Welsh charity school and was later occupied by socialist publishers The Twentieth Century Press. Artist William Morris initially helped pay the rent. In 1933 the building became The Marx Memorial Library to mark fifty years since the death of Marx. The founders felt that a library would be an appropriate memorial as the world was then witnessing the sight of Nazis burning books in Germany. The library is still maintained today, holding an impressive collection and Lenin’s office has been preserved for visitors to take a tour.

The diaries of Lenin’s wife have been preserved for history and indicate that he hated it here at first, having no appetite for English food:

“We found that the Russian stomach is not easily adaptable to the ‘ox-tails,’ skate fried in fat, cake and other mysteries of English fare.” [quoted in Islington Now]

However Lenin reportedly grew to enjoy having a drink in the pubs around Clerkenwell Green in addition to riding on London’s open top buses. Some claim he took the young Joseph Stalin for a drink in 1903 at Clerkenwell Green’s The Crown and Anchor (now The Crown Tavern). Stalin was in London to attend the Second Congress of the Russian Democratic Labour Party but it has to be noted that these accounts are somewhat sketchy. The pub’s history also includes the filming in 2006 of scenes from ‘Notes on a Scandal’, with Dame Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett; a fact that is probably more easily verified!

Not a movie star or a revolutionary, but a very notable and fascinating figure from Clerkenwell history is “the musical small-coal man”. Thomas Britton lived near Clerkenwell Green in the decades either side of 1700. Britton did his coal round in the morning before joining local literati to discuss books and learning at a booksellers on Paternaster Row.

His home was a former stable at the corner of Aylesbury Street and Jerusalem Passage. The ground floor was used to store coal while he lived in a single room above, reached by an external ladder. From this home he ran a musical club on Thursday evenings for about forty years. In October 1714 a contemporary newspaper, The British Mercury, described him as “universally known to all Lovers of Musick, of what Quality soever”.  Coffee was served while music was performed, attracting great musicians as members including the composer Handel. The influential royalist pamphleteer Roger L’Estrange was among the founder members of his ensemble.

Jonathan Swift, the author of Gulliver’s Travels, alludes to Britton in his poem “A Description of the Morning”:

“The Smallcoal-Man was heard with Cadence deep,
‘Till drown’d in Shriller Notes of Chimney-Sweep.”

Nineteen century author John Hawkins later pointed out the historic significance of Britton’s “musical club” in molding the concept of the public concert:

“The truth is, it was nothing less than a musical concert; and so much more does it merit our attention, as it was the first meeting of the kind, and the undoubted parent of some of the most celebrated concerts in London.”

Perhaps the next time crowds gather for a gig in Victoria Park, they should reflect on the legacy of Britton the musical coal-man. He died in 1714 leaving behind a large collection of books, fine musical instruments and sheet music.

Enjoyed this? Read our previous posts on Clerkenwell history: ghosts, cows, medical monks and revolution and Clerkenwell Green: radical centre & relaxing spa springs

Coming up next the next instalment of our history of Clerkenwell: pickpockets, a mysterious mummified cat and a feigned haunting…

Ever wondered what lies behind the name of the area you live or work in, what history is held by the streets you tread daily? In a rush to get around much of the time we remain unaware of the dramas of the past. Our office is based in Clerkenwell, a busy part of central London with plenty of fascinating stories to tell. The area has connections to the Knights Templar, historic revolutionary figures, legendary literary pickpockets, a notable musical coal-man and faked ghost appearances.

In this series of posts about Clerkenwell’s history I will reveal the identity of these coal-men, revolutionaries, pickpockets and more.

Clerkenwell has long been a centre of commerce and trade. You may know Cowcross Street, a thoroughfare that connects Smithfield Market with Farringdon station, which is now full of fashionable bars and eateries. The road’s name derives from being a route for cows to be taken to Smithfield market, where you could buy live animals till the 1850s. The meat market remains though, housed in an imposing building, inspired by Italian architecture and designed by Victorian architect Sir Horace Jones. In fact, this is one of London’s oldest markets having been in operation for over eight hundred years. The market buildings also house the Cock Tavern – an underground pub that opens at 6am and is well known for its devilled kidneys washed down with a pint.

The area also has strong connections to religious orders. The name Clerkenwell derives from The Clerk’s Well where Parish clerks would gather to perform biblical mystery plays. The site of the well was formally within St Mary’s Nunnery of the Benedictine order. It was founded in 1100 and remained till 1539 when Henry VIII disbanded the monasteries and convents. The well fell out of use in the mid 19th century, only being rediscovered when unearthed in 1924. You can see it today at 14–16 Farringdon Lane by peering through the windows of the building that now houses it or joining a Clerkenwell walk with an official guide.

Nearby is St John’s Gate where now stands the Museum of the Order of St John. This was the site of Clerkenwell Priory from the 12th Century and the base of the Knights Hospitaliers of St John of Jerusalem. They were part of a larger religious order founded in Jerusalem known as The Order of Hospitaliers. In 1237 a group of thirty of the Knights Hospitaliers of St John of Jerusalem set out from Clerkenwell Priory for the “Holy Land” to provide medical assistance to the Crusades where they served alongside the legendary Knights Templar. The Venerable Order of St John went on to found the modern day St Johns Ambulance Association established in 1877 to teach and practice First Aid internationally. Their distinctive black and white insignia echoes the design used by the original Knights Hospitaliers.

Coming up in the next blog post: Clerkenwell the rural retreat and radical hotbed…

Picture top: St John’s Gate, Clerkenwell, Islington. Photographer: Fin Fahey [CC-BY-SA-2.5], via Wikimedia Commons

Artwork by Noureddine Daifallah

London has a sizeable Arabic population, and a few areas of high density (the area around Edgware Road is the best known, with a long established Arabic community). So it’s surprising to find out that the Shubbak festival this month is London’s first ever Arabic arts festival.

The festival of contemporary Arabic arts will take place in 30 different venues across the city, and encompass literature, film, visual art, music, performance and discussions – and promises to be a fascinating window onto Arabic culture for all Londoners, Arabs and non-Arabs alike.

As London-based journalist Nahla Al-Ageli puts it:

London has for many years been fully engaged with the deeper exchange of cultural, artistic and sometimes even political understanding between the Arab world and Britain… [Shubbak] is an opportunity not just for the Middle Eastern curious, but for resident Arabs keen to learn more about their own region and share in its accomplishments.

At WorldAccent, the manager of our typesetting studio told me that he was interested in seeing Khatt, an exhibition of contemporary Arabic calligraphy by Moroccan Noureddine Daifallah, and a double-bill of modern Arabic dance at the Lilian Baylis Theatre. “I’m interested in calligraphy and choreography,” he explained, “so those were the events I homed in on.”

Calligraphy and choreography? At first I thought: that’s an unusual combination. But then he went on to explain: the cursive, fluid letterforms of Arabic calligraphy seem almost to be in motion – they make you think of rhythm, stress and flow. For him, Arabic calligraphy seems to have the spirit of dance within it.

Flow and continuity seem inherent in Arabic script – and of course, that has made the development of Arabic typesetting systems much more difficult that for scripts based on separate letterforms. But these qualities are integral to the beauty of the script.

• Shubbak: A Window on Contemporary Arab Culture takes place at various locations across London from 4 July until 24 July 2011. TimeOut London have produced a handy guide to the festival [PDF]

Pic: Annie Mole (under CC BY 2.0) who also writes the excellent Going Underground blog

“Poems on the Underground” has been sharing poetry with London’s travelling public since 1986. Poems are displayed in lieu of adverts in Tube carriages. The latest round of posters highlight the work of Polish poets.

The Polish poems featured include “Blacksmith Shop” by Czesław Miłosz, “Nothing Special” by Zbigniew Herbert and “Star” by Adam Zagajewski.

The Polish connection marks the centenary of the birth of Miłosz, an internationally renowned poet.

Judith Chernaik, the founder of Poems on the Underground, said:

“We hope that Londoners and visitors alike will enjoy this latest collection of poems which celebrate one of the greatest Polish poets of our time.”

It’s a pity that the poems only appear in their English translation, rather than being side by side with the Polish original. The Polish would have been interesting to see the structure and “shape” of the original text, even for those of us who don’t speak Polish. Presumably, there just wasn’t space to fit both on. Luckily, a quick search online reveals the Polish text.

As part of the celebrations, an event is planned for tonight (6 June) called Czesław Miłosz: A Centenary Celebration. It starts at 6.30pm at Europe House, 32 Smith Square, London SW1. Admission is free. Guests include Eva Hoffman with readings of the featured Polish poets, and music from Apollo Chamber Players

A free leaflet featuring the poems is also being produced. It will be available from 10 June from five Tube stations: Embankment, Covent Garden, South Kensington, Russell Square and Moorgate.

I’ve pointed out before how translating British English across the Atlantic isn’t always straightforward but I have to say this summary is “not bad at all”…





• In addition to multilingual translation, WorldAccent provides British English translation including localisation from American English.

(Click for professional American to British translator)

Even when two people apparently speak the same language, regional variations or a lack of local knowledge can lead to total misunderstanding.

The BBC recently reported that 1990s rap star Vanilla Ice will be appearing in a pantomime version of Peter Pan in Chatham on the north Kent coast.

In an age of globalisation, this news spread rapidly around the internet, especially in the United States. But you might expect that the US news reporters could have double checked what a pantomime in the UK actually involves.

For the benefit of non-British readers, pantomime is a raucous musical comedy, usually of traditional children’s stories, usually performed in the Christmas season. As wikipedia describes pantomime:

“a popular form of theatre, incorporating song, dance, buffoonery, slapstick, cross-dressing, in-jokes, topical references, audience participation, and mild sexual innuendo.”

The audience is encouraged to join in, with cries such as “He’s behind you” or “Oh yes, it is!”. The lead roles in these slices of Christmas slapstick are often taken by household names who have been famous in other fields such as TV, singing or even boxing. For example Anthea Turner, David Hasselhoff, Leslie Grantham, Jane Asher and Nigel Havers have all taken a turn in this popular brand of theatre entertainment.

Unfortunately for transatlantic commentators, pantomime of this type is not common in the US – leading them to assume that Vanilla Ice will be performing a silent mime version of Peter Pan:

“As a pantomime, Ice can only use his bodily and facial contortions and moves in order to act out the role.”

“The musician has signed on to play a silent version of Captain Hook in a performance of ‘Peter Pan’ at the Kent Central Theatre in England.”

“Learning the art of being a mime is the only logical move after effectively slaughtering the rap game and reality television… If you’re not excited to see Vanilla Ice communicate the role of Captain Hook using only facial expressions and hand movements than you obviously don’t have good taste in theater.”

“Vanilla Ice is taking one old adage to heart: silence is golden!”

“Playing a mime villain definitely trumps Ice on Dancing On Ice”

While pantomime itself is often seen as a bit laughable, here at the office we can’t help finding the mental image created by this total misunderstanding even funnier… “Oh yes, it is!”





• In addition to multilingual translation, WorldAccent provides document localisations into American English, British English, etc.

Pic: © Bob Collins, Courtesy Museum of London



An exhibition of “London Street Photography” opened last week at the Museum of London. It provides a fascinating glimpse of London life throughout the last 150 years, using street photography largely from the museum’s archive that has not been widely exhibited before.

London Street Photography brings together the work of almost 60 photographers. Some of the interesting inclusions are by the less well-known ones, including the first female photojournalist to work in the UK.

From the faded blurry images at the beginnings of the new technology of the camera to the sharp colourful images taken with digital cameras today, we can examine fleeting moments captured in London’s streets. Though the photography styles and technology have changed dramatically, it struck me that there are common threads throughout the decades. Images show people’s changing looks and lifestyles, areas changed and rebuilt. But they also show the consistently multicultural character of London.

I was struck by the scenes of Chinese New Year – a celebration we captured with some of our own images this year in London’s Chinatown. Also captured are Portuguese community celebrating football victory, along with images of everyday street life and occasional tensions such as hippies and skinheads crossing paths in the late 1960s.

The exhibition documents the city through times of change and conflict – highlighting the importance of photography in providing us with a connection to the past.

The museum has also recently launched a London iphone app which shows you glimpses of London’s past as you move around the present day city:

“Streetmuseum gives you a unique perspective of old and new London whether you’re discovering the capital for the first time or revisiting favourite haunts. Hundreds of images from the Museum of London’s extensive collections showcase both everyday and momentous occasions in London’s history, from the Great Fire of 1666 to the swinging sixties.”

Both the app and the exhibition are well worth a look in my opinion.

The “London Street Photography” exhibition is free and runs until 4 September at The Museum of London, 150 London Wall, London EC2Y 5HN.

a series of events, each organised around a particular theme, with a diverse range of practitioners invited to participate including poets, musicians, architects and artists.

It takes place from 7pm at:
Centre for Creative Collaboration
University of London
16 Acton Street
London WC1X 9NG

Being a self-styled London translation pundit, I’d love to attend but, sadly, won’t be able to make it. Do let me know how it goes if you go…

Although we tend to talk about English as if it is something monolithic, there are numerous Englishes. Tune into the conversations happening around you in a café or on the Tube, and you’ll make out a mosaic of variants.

So claims an interesting article entitled “Language can’t stay still – just listen to London” in London’s Evening Standard earlier this week. The author Henry Hitchings has just writen a book on “proper English” and relays a story which will sound familiar to many Londoners:

One reason for this is the large number of other languages spoken by Londoners – at least 300. Among the more prominent of these are Punjabi, Bengali, Urdu and Gujarati, as well as Caribbean creole, Cantonese, Polish, Arabic, Tagalog and Greek. On a recent hour-long bus journey, I heard Russian, Portuguese, Turkish and Yoruba. As passengers flitted between native and adopted languages, it was clear these had become intertwined.

As the article points out, English has always adapted and absorbed other languages producing a rich and varied vocabulary. There are perhaps fewer attempts to regulate English useage than, say, French usage. The Oxford English Dictionary might be ultimate arbiter in a game of Scrabble, but it tends to reflect widespread rather than desired or “pure” usage. There is no English language body which attempts to roll back “invaders” once they have become widespread.

English has prospered through assimilating terms from other languages, and engagement – in London and beyond – with speakers of foreign languages has enabled this, while also propagating hybrids such as Hinglish (a blend of Hindi and English).

This is all very well but where does this leave me professionally? My company expends a lot of time and effort trying to get language right: not just “sort of understandable” but absolutely correct. If you like, the “letter of the law” is absolute in our working lives, as we constantly strive for correct grammar and perfect punctuation. Does this run counter to the belief that language develops, is a living entity? Well, not entirely. Hitchings contends:

A descriptive approach to language change does not eclipse the cogent arguments for teaching in schools a standard form of written English. But the spoken language will always be elastic. It is the spoken language that is the great driver of change, and in London scarcely a day goes by without our noticing some addition or adjustment. This can be disconcerting, but English draws strength from being mobile and protean.

Hitching’s book, The Language Wars: A History of Proper English expands on this argument historically. As one reviewer puts it “[Hitchens] gleefully explains, over 28 chapters, organised pretty much chronologically while covering areas such as spelling, punctuation, pronunciation, obscenity and slang, that all attempts to prescribe ‘correct’ usage have always been outrun by ceaseless change in the language itself.”

I like to think of this as accepting that, while we always try to get language right, we also accept that what is “right” can – and must – evolve.