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I told you there was more.... |
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My family, being the sympathetic souls they are, decided to take a trip to Europe in the summer of 2000 in which we were to visit London, Paris, and Rome. I was eternally grateful, and for the next school year (I was a junior at Michigan State) I was dieing with anticipation to finally get to England. For a week before the June trip, I drove everyone crazy by sleeping according to the time in England, in an attempt to avoid jet-lag - which meant going to bed and waking 5 hours off from what I usually did. Thankfully, everyone seemed accustomed to my eccentricities and took it in stride. I'm not sure if I should be relieved or worried by that....
The day finally came, and we flew over the Atlantic to the UK. We were unable to do much on the first day, as we couldn't check into our hotel room until 2pm (this resulted in my falling asleep on the floor of the lobby after an overnight flight...), although we did go to a performance of "The Phantom of the Opera" that night. Some things never change! The second day, My sister and I made the journey by tube out to Whitechapel, the district in London where Joseph lived the last four years of his life - the portion of his life which is the subject of plays and films. I was thrilled to walk out of the tube station and see the great facade of the London Hospital looming across the street. Many of the places that are a part of Joseph's story still exist today, and while the area is much cleaner and safer than it was in the 19th century, it isn't difficult to imagine how it would have been back then.
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I spent several hours exploring with my sister (who was a good sport, though obviously bored by the end). I took a number of pictures - my mom thinks of them as pictures of old bricks, but I assure you, they are, in fact, buildings. I walked circles around the courtyard known as Bedstead Square during the Victorian era - an area said to be between the East and West Wings of the hospital, and where Joseph's basement level apartment was located. I did my best locating the area based on what I'd read and seen in books. I also spent a fair amount of time walking around the garden, which is pictured on the right. |
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Gardens(looking to the East Wing) |
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I also explored St. Philips, the church which Joseph was said to have built a model of (though I have recently learned that the church he built was actually from a kit - thanks very much to Jeanette's site). The church isn't actually the original St. Philips, but a new church with the same name, built on the same site.I was disappointed to have come on a weekend, so their museum was closed, though we made our best effort to find a backdoor somewhere in the building (we were unsuccessful...). As an amusing side note, there is an odd sign at the intersection outside St. Philips. My sister and I found the idea of a 'humped zebra crossing' terribly funny, and had visions of zebras with humps parading through the streets. However, further inquiries proved it's only a british term for a pedestrian crossing with speed bumps. I still like our theory better... |
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museum entrance |
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We also walked around the basement of the hospital, which was a bit of an adventure as we came across what appeared to be an entire head of hair that had mysteriously departed from its body. It was funny, yet vaguely disturbing... We also found the "Superficial Therapy" room, which sounded to us like therapy for superficial people. I'm sure I could easily recommend some very qualified candidates! However, it's apparently a british term for the treatment of skin diseases (at least, this is my understanding, from what I later learned). We felt a bit guilty taking pictures inside, so had to wait for the hallway to be clear. There didn't appear to be much traffic in the area though - perhaps everyone was afraid of us, thinking we were responsible for the pile of hair.... I hope not! |
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Puzzling over superficial therapy... |
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After several hours, I gave in to my sisters increasing boredom and we left. We went back to Whitechapel that night for the Jack the Ripper walking tour, which was quite fascinating. For those who might be interested, there also happens to be a 'humps for 100 yards' road sign at the intersection outside the Ten Bells.
Despite the fact that I was utterly exhausted, I awoke very early the next morning and returned to the Whitechapel district, this time by myself. The previous day, Whitechapel Road had been bustling with traffic, and lined with booths of street vendors. However, that early Sunday morning, the street was empty, everything had been cleared away, and the sun just beginning to shine on the row of old Victorian buildings was breathtaking. I made my way around to the back of the hospital, to sit beneath a tree and enjoy the peace of the early morning, listening to music on my walkman and watching the sun rise over the garden. I walked around to the back of St. Philips, and staring up at the spire, I could feel the past as if it was tangible all around me. I felt as if it were part of me, and I were a part of it. I know it all sounds a bit cheesy, but that morning I felt a sort of spiritual connection that I don't think I've ever felt since, and I know it changed a part of me forever... |
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The end is in sight! |
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Joseph Merrick |
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