Mile End's Ghostbusters

[dotinthesky]

Mile End has a cemetery right beside the tube station, called Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park. It's filled with victorian tombs, overgrowth, dead trees and crows that announce the rise of the undead. I feel ashamed for not visiting it before, in the nearly two years I've lived in this neighbourhood. Although it was muddy yesterday, and a figure dressed completely in black glided behind the trees like the spectre of death, I really enjoyed our brief wander down its many paths. I even managed to find my own grave. I was accompanied by i_love_craig and sarahofthedead, who were celebrating their shared birthday by lunching with me (at a fancy Fish & Chips restaurant) before I showed them the area.

I gave Craig and Sarah second-hand horror novels for their birthdays, which I bought at Fantasy Centre on Holloway Road (if you are ever in that neighbourhood, you must pop into this shop and buy something from them; let's help keep alive second-hand book shops!) I got Charnel House for Sarah (about a haunted house) and The Night Boat for Craig (about a haunted boat).

After the cemetery, we took a train to Walthamstow, where the undead never rise out of fear of the hooded figures gliding down its many dilapidated streets. They chose the pub the Pig & Whistle as a gathering place for many friends, who mostly arrived just before 8 p.m. Nobody got drunk, apart from dj_alexander, who insisted on visiting the theladiesloos as often as possible because of a bowl of pot pourri. I didn't get a chance to talk properly to many of those present, but it was great nevertheless catching up with some whom I hadn't seen in a long time.

Feeling Gloomy soon?

Comments

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Yes it is. And yes, I'd love to! :-)

[naturalbornkaos.livejournal.com]

I can't wait to read "The Night Boat". If there's one thing better than zombies, it's nazi zombies. Should be a treat! Sarah's already started "The Charnel House"! Thanks. :D

I don't remember Alexander going to the ladies! This explains the pot pourri picture on Suzi's photoblog...

I don't remember much about last night actually. Sarah says I was emphatically demanding that no one suggested I was at all drunk, for fear of being "made into a caricature" (what!?).

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

You were a very well-behaved, not-loud drunk, so you don't technically fall into the "drunk" category in my book. Alexander, on the other hand, kept insisting I agree with him that having pot pourri only in the ladies and not in the gents was some kind of crime. :-P

[moveslikegiallo.livejournal.com]

You were really going off on one about people turning you into a caricature. I asked you what of, and you said "A caricature of me, drunk!"

[dj-alexander.livejournal.com]

The ladies toilets were much nicer than the mens (including the pot pourri), so I started using the ladies loos. I think I'm going to start doing this in most places from now on.

[naturalbornkaos.livejournal.com]

BTW, i_love_craig is patently the best LJ ever.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I think it may be related to the second best LJ ever, craig

[despina.livejournal.com]

I would SO be up for feeling gloomy.

And I will email you re: Monday!

[sparkx.livejournal.com]

It's fantastic the cemetery park. I always had to walk through it to get to Mile End (technically if I walked now I still would). Love the place - though its a bit freaky after dark I have to say.

[naturalbornkaos.livejournal.com]

I'm very sold on the idea of going after dark! It was freaky enough in the day. That sounds like a good scary excursion.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

It's freaky during the day too!

I'm amazed that it's open all times of the day. I wonder what kind of going ons take place there at night...

[moveslikegiallo.livejournal.com]

Oh, oh, you know what we should do sometime? A ghost walk around London! naturalbornkaos and I did one last year for our birthday and it was awesome.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I've never done one of those, but I've always wanted to. I'd be well up for it; and I know Kevin would too.

[sushidog.livejournal.com]

I'd be up for Feeling Gloomy some time!

[frankeecymraeg.livejournal.com]

thats one of my favorite places in london.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I can't wait to explore it properly when the ground has dried up.

[sallypointzero.livejournal.com]

I'm going to have a look around one TWILIGHT...it'd be excellent if there really was a gliding black figure

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

But there really was a gliding black figure! Craig, Sarah and myself saw it. :-)

[purplethings.livejournal.com]

OOooooh I am so so totally going to that graveyard [AND BOOKSTORE!]

It seems from my friends page that someone else also got drunk but was just extremely good at hiding it ;D

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I think you'll love both places. ;-)

[yearning.livejournal.com]

good old tower hamlets! i've dug up some graves there (no kidding) last year and must have invited you a dozen times.

[yearning.livejournal.com]

and the keeper there found some guns at some point. and when I was working there one day we found a (probably stolen) suitcase full with folders and cloths and a lot of bugs inside.

[live-life-like.livejournal.com]

hahaaha....your grave is kinda...hmmm...humble!!!
and your hair is whiter.......
tinha que ver o meu!!
:D

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Poem foto no flickr! :-)

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Was good to see you too! Hopefully we'll have a better chance to chat next time. :-)

[kixie.livejournal.com]

So very up for Feeling Gloomy. NEED. INDIE.

It's getting so bad I'm listening to early 90s Chumbawumba!

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

You were missed Saturday night. I was looking forward to seeing you! :-)

[polstar-photo.livejournal.com]

I must go to Tower Hamlets Cemetery sometime .. I hope you don't mind me commenting - I just wanted to applaud your support of second-hand book shops!

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Don't mind commenting at all. :-)

[dj-alexander.livejournal.com]

Good for lunch today?

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Yup. What time and where?

[stormecho.livejournal.com]

I know I've read Charnel House (not as carnal as I thought, but I remember it had some gross moments), but can't remember if I read the Night Boat.

Did I notice some grey hairs near your grave?

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

The grey hairs were caused by the sight of death gliding behind the tombstones.