This pub is located at #25 Roupell St. London.

We came here today to have lunch with a young cousin who lives nearby.

It is a very short, 15 minute walk at most from our hotel to this pub. We are just across the Putney Street Bridge at The Strand Palace Hotel.

The pub serves very good Thai cuisine and has a pleasant charm. They have a fine Ginger Beer as well. It is a cozy place with history emanating from its old brick walls.

I was a builder and plasterer in my working life so I notice the construction of buildings everywhere I travel. Perhaps I notice and appreciate these details more than most people.

This neighborhood was created by John Rupell in 1824.

John Roupell was a metal merchant trying to establish a property empire. The streets on bis land were named for his family members. They were named after John of course, his wife Catherine and his son, Richard. Sadly, those names have disappeared over time.

One of my uncles did the same thing many years ago. He is long gone now but I can still go to that neighborhood and see the street signs with my departed family members still standing there.

Can you imagine the large families crammed into these four room homes? Not four bedrooms, four rooms. And remember that the transportation was by horse and wagon or on foot. What must this area smelled like and looked like. We don’t have to walk in or over the waste from horses any longer thank goodness.

We complain about smog now, but coal was the fuel of choice back then with its dark black smoke and soot. Our air is immaculate compared to the air of those Georgian days.

All different types of tradesmen lived in this Georgian-Victorian neighborhood just steps from the river Thames.

These buildings have survived the bombing of London and the ravages of time and look as they did nearly two centuries ago. Notice the lack of wood trim which requires much maintenance and does deteriorate over time, especially near water. These brick buildings require little to no maintenance and remain unchanged over time.

This neighborhood is often used for period movie and television settings.

Notice the plaques with the crown and the two hands clasped in a handshake. Those plaques indicate that the building had fire insurance centuries ago and those private fire fighting brigades created by those insurance companies would try to save your building. If your building didn’t have a plaque, you were out of luck.

I you are interested in the London Fire Department, I will put up another post later today about that institution and how it began.

Please remember that the first chapter of each of my novels are here on my website to read at your leisure.

“Grandpa Ernie’s Secrets” is a fast paced romantic spy thriller with a female lead unfolding in sunny Italy. It is a tale told about dangerous events happening in a fascinating country with many historic details included along with fun events in cafes and on the road.