This and That – Good morning from London and Jack the Ripper!

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It’s a bright, sunny morning. I’m sitting in the dining room of our lovely, old hotel, The Tavistock, enjoying the passing parade of Londoners rushing off to work. I enjoyed my traditional English breakfast—minus the baked beans. (Big smile.)

Yesterday, we went to the Palace to see the massive floral tributes to the Queen, which I’ve written about in a previous post. Later that evening, we went on a Jack the Ripper tour. Seeing the period taverns and the old church and knowing Jack and his victims saw these same buildings caused a chill to run down my spine. Our guide was very knowledgeable but had little praise for Patricia Cornwall’s Ripper books. Oi Vey! Cheerio, dear friends.

Sam’s Post: Jack the Ripper is undoubtedly the best-known serial killer. He terrorized the East End of London between August 31 and November 9 of 1888. The grisly murders ceased after November 9, 1888, and he was never caught.

The Whitechapel section of London was the poorest of the poor at that time, and five women were brutally murdered, usually with their internal organs removed. These five women are known as the “Canonical Five,” as their murders were definitely the work of Jack the Ripper. Authorities feel there could have been earlier Ripper victims, but his murderous hallmarks had not yet been fully formed when these first murders were committed.
Almost all of Whitechapel today is unrecognizable as it was in the 1880s, but our wonderful tour guide pointed out any number of things that would have been there when Jack the Ripper and his victims walked the dirty, dangerous, and poverty-stricken streets of Whitechapel.

The start of our Ripper Tour.
Our excellent, very knowledgeable guide.
The period Whitechapel cobblestones. Wonder if ol’ Jack trodded along these very stones?
The Frying Pan tavern, which Jack and his victims would have frequented.
The period signage above the bar.
Christ’s Church which both Jack and his victem’s saw.
The Ten Bells is another bar frequented by Jack and his victims, with Christ’s Church to the side.
Door to alley where Jak wrote a cryptic message to the London Coppers. The brickwork is the same as when he was there. Creepy.
One of the few remaining Whitecapple streets from Jack’s days. Our guide told us it’s been used in many movies over the years. It was deserted by the time we arrived, and it was most eerie.
Yum-yum!!!!