by Helen East
‘Apparently her son had been at a party at Blackheath somewhere. Sort of thing that goes on all night and a bit into the next morning too. So anyway he was ready to come home around lunchtime; he’d even phoned to say when he’d be back. But there was another Stratford lad at the party who was going to hitch home, and he’d already set off quite a bit earlier, but he hadn’t had any luck at all getting a lift, even though he’d made himself a sign and everything. So this woman’s son had stopped when he saw his mate still sitting by the side of the road, and had offered him a lift. The problem was that the friend was a really bad passenger: he kept on leaning the wrong way, nearly having them over. “So somehow or other,” the woman said, “he persuaded my son to swap over, and let him drive – you know, be at the front, and my son went behind him. Damn stupid thing to do, but maybe they had done it before, I don’t know. And of course there was only one helmet. You didn’t have to wear one then, you know, but my son always did when he drove, because I’d always insisted on it. So he handed over the helmet to his friend. And they got on alright until they got to the Blackwall Tunnel. But about halfway through that, there was an accident. The other boy survived.”
‘But her son hadn’t. He’d been killed outright. At 4:25 p.m., the police report had said, apparently. Exactly the same time as my friend was passing through the tunnel.’
“‘It was ten years ago,” the woman said. “Ten years ago today. That’s why I’m here at home and not at work. Although I usually don’t open the door to anyone.”’
‘Well, my friend stayed as long as he could, and listened to her talking about her son. And drank his cold tea. He felt it was the least that he could do. She told him the cemetery where her son was buried too. And he promised he would stop by to pay his respects. Then he went. He’d had enough. He just wanted to get away, and to try to forget about the whole thing. He was really shaken up about it. But somehow he couldn’t let himself go past the cemetery without having a look. He’d promised, and he kind of felt he owed it to the young lad too.’
‘It was quite a big cemetery and hard to find the grave. But when he did, he was in for another shock. Hanging on the headstone was his girlfriend’s helmet.’
29
SECRET COOKING POT
We were in Southwark, swapping stories – tales of coming to London, too. Some had come there in the 1950s and ‘60s from the Caribbean, others a little later from Africa.
‘It was hard,’ one woman said. ‘The food – oh! We couldn’t get things from back home, like you can now. It was different then! But I had a friend, she was from Jamaica too. We worked at the hospital. I came as a trained nurse, you know. And we lived in a hostel. Mmmm! Somewhere to sleep, but no kitchen or any place to cook. So, what we did was, we cooked at night in our room, with some of the other girls. We had a little stove. Big trouble if we’d been caught! But that’s what we did. But we couldn’t always wash the cooking pot, because we only had the bathroom. We were afraid someone would see us! But it added to the taste! Yes, it all got sunk into the pot.’
‘That’s like the story of the magic cooking pot,’ I said. ‘It loses its power if it gets washed.’ ‘Isn’t it an Anansi story?’
‘Ananse’s from Ghana!’ someone exclaimed.
‘Jamaica too,’ another added.
So we tell the story between us all. How there is hunger all around, and everybody tightening their belts and chewing their cheeks. But Anansi finds a magic pot that cooks by itself, and fills up with food. All Anansi has to do is say the words. And remember never to wash the pot. Easy – Anansi is lazy. And greedy. He keeps the pot secret. But his wife sees he’s getting fat when they’re getting thinner. She follows him, and she sees and she hears the words too. So next day she uses the pot and everybody eats. But then she washes it. And all the magic is cleaned out.
London is like that pot. Layer upon layer of story going in – one on top of another. Each tastes different. Variety is the spice of life. Each adds to the others. Better and better the more it’s mixed up … let’s hope no one ever tries to clean it out!
NOTES
*Asterisks are used to refer readers to books in the Bibliography.
Introduction
‘I saw’ – adding mid-line semi-colons makes sights plausible. Illustration: Hobbs Barber, Borough Market.
Alba to Brutus (BC)
Story mixes giant lore, Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britannia, and Lord Mayor’s account of Gog and Magog. London Stone was also said to be the milliarium, and heart of the city, where oaths were sworn, debts paid, and Lordship of the city claimed (e.g. Jack Cade). Illustration: Railings round London Stone, Cannon Street.
Bran the Blessed (BC)
From the Mabinogion – 2nd Branch. Bran’s buried head was one of ‘three fortunate concealments’ in the Welsh triads. Illustration: ‘Colin’. Steel sculpture by Luke Morgan (2009). Beneath Old Operating Theatre, Southwark.
Boudicca (AD 61)
Written for this collection by storyteller Xanthe Gresham; ‘spirit’ location details added by H.East from local oral beliefs (Epping Forest/Waltham Forest Arts Project 2003), internet and archaeological paper on Kings Cross area excavation revealing Roman camp. Illustration: door detail Bank of England.
London Bridge (100–present day, Romans–Elizabeth II)
A string of stories, related to London Bridge and rhyme. Sources: oral – ‘Southwark Storyswap’*; Lady Gomme regarding sacrifice/fair lady link; Jon Lewis* regarding Olaf. Hay’s Wharf Company’s St Olaf House replaced church of St Olave (cf mural). Illustration Boss Badge of the Priory of St Mary Overie reproduced by kind permission of The Chapter of Southwark Cathedral
William I and Sons (1066–87)
Bird Story – tale type 920 B, retold from Briggs*. Illustration: Emblem St Olave’s Court – 3 birds.
Rahere (1100–54, Henry I–Stephen and Matilda)
Sources: Leonard Clark’s church pamphlet; Internet; George Worley’s ‘Short History’; translations of William of Nangis and William of Malmesbury (regarding the White Ship), ‘No ship ever brought so much misery to England’. Rahere was close friends with Bishop Richard de Beaumis (probably I). Smithfield was then Smedfield or Smoothfield. Illustration: Priory church of St Bartholomew the Great, archway shield.
Witch Well (AD)
Rare specifically London folk tale with rhyme heard from Essex borders schoolgirl, learnt from her grandmother. Bagnigge was an old name for River Fleet.
Gilbert Becket’s Crusade (1087–1135,William II–Henry I)
Sources: medieval legends ‘without foundation in fact’ including: the Golden Legend and ‘Young Beckie’ ballad; also Hugh (Pye) de Kopeck family tales. Local lore claims Becket’s parents were married and buried at St Paul’s. History agrees Gilbert was a mercer. Illustration: Mercer maiden, Mercer Hall, Ironmonger’s Lane.
Thomas à Becket Legends (1154–89, Henry II)
Sources: Oral – Joan Cottle, Lambeth Palace guide. Written Golden Legend and others, York Minster and Canterbury Cathedral’s stained-glass windows. Westwood and Simpson*. Grim’s personal testimony. Internet (especially Rebecca Howard on pet starling miracle. Caught by kite it invoked St Thomas. Kite dropped dead!) Illustration: Becket birthplace marker, Cheapside.
Blind Beggar’s Daughter (1272–1307, Edward I)
Source – pub lore. Briggs*.Thomas Percy (1765) added ‘Henry, son of Simon de Montfort’ twist to older ballad, ‘The Beggars Daughter of Bednall Green’. I used earlier name, Bethen Hall, and avoided naming the son, because some did survive the baron’s revolt and were pardoned by Edward.
Dick Whittington (327–1413, Edward III–Richard II–Henry IV–Henry V)
Much is legend, but Richard Whittington existed, was apprentice to Fitzwarin, and married his daughter, Alice. Thrice Lord Mayor of London, he left bequeaths and laws as described. Coal barge, Lea and Bow details from internet and historian Rosemary Taylor. Sites: Highgate Hill marker, Whittington Hospital. Illustra
tion: Cat. Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths churchyard of St John Zachary.
Ghosts in Good Company (1483–present day, Richard III–Elizabeth II)
Oral source. Site: Tower of London. Illustration: Church of St Bartholomew the Great, shield.
St Uncumber’s Shoes (1558–1603, Elizabeth I)
Expanded from brief reference in Briggs*. The condemned man’s right to ‘address the crowd’ still exists as Speakers Corner, Hyde Park. St Uncumber’s statue was lost with Old St Paul’s in the Great Fire of London, but Westminster Abbey’s bearded lady figure may be her. Inscribed stone commemorates public declarations at St Paul’s until 1640s. Illustration: The Cross of St Paul’s
The Inns Of Court (1558–1603, Elizabeth I)
Sources: O’Donnell* and Guildhall Library notes. Sites: Lincolns Inn; the Temple (church of Knights Templar). ‘Inns of Court students are sons of persons of quality, those of inferior rank not being able to bear the expenses.’ Fortescue.
The Lambeth Pedlar (1558–1625, Elizabeth I–James I)
I interwove the (earlier) Swaffham folk tale and the church of St Mary Lambeth legend (detailed in Briggs*) to make sense of the storyline and character of the hero. Such a meeting of minds might have happened … The original 1608 pedlar window was replaced after Second World War bombing. Illustration: The George Inn.
Rebecca and the Ring (1603–49, James I–Charles I)
‘The Cruel Knight’ ballad/legend became attached to Dame Rebecca Berry because of fish and apparent ring on her monument, St Dunstan and All Saints church (actually her second husband, Elton’s coat of arms). ‘The Devil’s Tavern’ built 1543 was notorious for smugglers. Rebuilt as ‘The Prospect of Whitby’ it is one of London’s oldest pubs. Illustrations: Billingsgate fish market, weathervane and railings.
Light-Hearted Highwayman (1603–25, James I)
Source: Alison Barnes* and oral (Epping Forest Project, 2003)
Tyburn was the boundary stream; executions took place from 1196–1783; Tyburn (Triple) Tree was built 1571 allowing many to ‘Go West’ to ‘dance the Tyburn Jig’ simultaneously. Illustration: Tyburn Marker, Marble Arch, Edgware Road.
The Lodger of Soho Square (1702–14, Anne)
Source: Westwood and Simpson*. Charles II’s statue was removed, but returned to Soho Square in 1938. Illustration: Priory church of St Bartholomew the Great, archway shield Weave Well.
Becky of Bedlam (1760–1820, George III)
O’Donnell* and other sources; oral claims of sightings – Internet. Becky’s ghost most recently reported ‘looking for her sovereign’ in Liverpool Street station, which stands on the site of St Mary of Bethlehem Priory, the original Bethlem Hospital. Part of Bedlam’s specially built premises in St Georges Fields were used for the Imperial War Museum.
Lucky Sweep (1760–1820, George III)
Many sources; 1814 was the last frost fair, because London Bridge was rebuilt 1831 with wider arches, facilitating tidal flow. ‘Sweeps are Lucky’ saying ascribed to George II. Illustration: Dragon, emblem for City of London.
Wonderful Wife (1830–37, William IV)
Sources: Westwood and Simpson* and O’Donnell* who says the story was on woman’s gravestone, parish church of St Giles-without-Cripplegate. This is now part of the Barbican; I’ve not found the gravestone (yet). Cobblers mend, shoemakers make shoes; ‘64 stitches to the inch’ marked shoemakers’ superior craftsmanship in battle against mechanisation. Illustration: Blacksmith Emblem, All Hallows by the Tower (by permission of the vicar).
Tea-leaves, Oysters and Shysters (1837–1901, Victoria)
Oyster-girl song – broadside ballad; I learnt this version from traveller Duncan Williamson. Story – London joke extended using Mayhew interview with young thieves. Thanks also to Old Operating Theatre (of Old St Thomas Hospital) and the Internet for details of Victorian operations and mesmerists, and Andrew Duncan’s Favourite London Walks on Saffron Hill. Illustration: Smithfield market railing.
Tosher’s Tale (1837–1901, Victoria)
Westwood and Simpson. My version has some details from Mayhew, but is mostly told fom oral source (Liz Thompson recorded for Southwark Storyswap – look out for her forthcoming book. Her Tosher relative grew up in the Snow fields and Borough riverside area). Illustration: Gutter creature, Talbot Lane.
Room for One More (1901–10, Edward VII)
Retold from Briggs*, Selfridges details etc. added. Illustration: Beehive, Gresham Street.
Gadgets and Old Girlfriends (1910–36, George V)
Retold from Roud*. Cemetery associated with ghosts – Cowdell (FLS) heard from someone who saw a knight in full armour nearby. Illustration: In Loving Memory, Kensal Green cemetery.
Streatham Wife (1952–present day, Elizabeth II)
Retold as remembered from Gertie (Southwark Storyswap). Illustration: Southwark Tavern, Borough Market.
Snakes Alive and Pubs Past (1952–present day, Elizabeth II)
Retold from oral source – Debbie Guneratne. Site Borough Market and Bromley. Illustration: Priory church of St Bartholomew the Great, archway shield.
Bike Hikers (1952–present day, Elizabeth II)
Source Westwood and Simpson*. Site Blackwall Tunnel.
Secret Cooking Pot (1952–present day, Elizabeth II)
Oral sources. Illustration: Old and New, Dragon and Plane, St Mary-le-Bow.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Barnes, A., Essex Eccentrics (Boydell Press, 1975)
Briggs, K.M., A Dictionary of British Folk Tales Volumes I & II (Routledge, Kegan Paul, 1971; 1970)
East, H. & Corkery, K. In Search of the Spirit of Southwark Southwark Storyswap (Southwark Festival, 2000)
Lewis, J.E., London the Autobiography (Constable, 2010)
Mayhew, H., London Labour and the London Poor (1861)
O’Donnell, E., Ghosts of London (Philip Allan & Co. Ltd, 1932)
Roud, S., London Lore (Arrow Books, 2008)
Rutherfurd, E., London (Arrow Books, 1998)
Stow, J., A Survey of London 1598 (The History Press, 2009)
Vale, G., London Fairy Tales (Pitman, 1949)
Westwood, J. & Simpson, J., The Lore of the Land: A Guide to England’s Legends, from Spring-heeled Jack to the Witches of Warboys (Penguin Books, 2005)
COPYRIGHT
First published in 2012
The History Press
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