As the nights draw in and the days get colder, I confess I find it harder and harder to budge from the cozy confines of my flat. But yesterday, the chapter meeting of the Romantic Novelists' Association motivated me to move from my sofa and head down the Central Line to Bloomsbury -- to The Lamb pub on Lamb's Conduit, to be precise.Although I've been to Russell Square countless times, I'd never been down this small stretch. Partly pedestrianized and lined with independent shops and galleries, it's a feast for retail-hungry eyes. The street is named after William Lambe to recognize the donation he gave to rebuild a nearby conduit in 1564 (source: Wikipedia).
At the end of the street, The Lamb (photo: Wikipedia) is chock full of charm. Built in the 1720s, Charles Dickens is said to have been a frequent punter. What better place, then, to hold a literary lunch?
Take a stroll through the street with Monocle.
6 comments:
Definitely a nice literary lunch space. There's a street in Harvard Square I always forget about. Now I'm inspired to go eat somewhere in that area.
The pub has an unspoilt interior from Victorian times, which is very unusual. The most notable feature are the 'snob screens' that line the bar -- which are frosted glass panels that swivel at right angles. Apparently they were used to give privacy to the wealthy Victorian customers who only opened the screen to get service from the bar.
There's a lovely little secluded courtyard at the back where I had a few drinks in the summer with a fellow novel-writing friend.
Dickens is associated with quite a number of pubs in London (and elsewhere in the country). I'm writing a novel that starts with a picaresque pub crawl round Clerkenwell and on towards the river so I've done quite a bit of research.
London has some great street names. What camera took the picture,please, I'm undecided what to buy.
Theresa - Do it! :) There's nothing like a cozy lunch in a historial pub!
Mike - Thanks for the info! Sounds like a great job - researching pubs.
Grumpy Old Ken - Sorry; it's a Wikipedia photos!
Eee! This just makes me want to live in London even moooore!
Seems like the appropriate place for your meeting to me. No question there.
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