Man in chains

[Marmora Man]

I drove back from Columbia St market this morning - laden with garden plants, past the Tower of London and across Tower Bridge.

I was reminded of my youth when my father would take me, and my sister, to watch the escapologist perform in the square outside the Tower. Wrapped in chains, passers by and the audience would be asked to try the strength of the chain and the padlocks and the complexity of the chain parcel he had wrapped himself in - then, within 2 minutes, he would "do a Houdini" and escape.

Anyone else old enough to remember this?

[Eliza.D]

I remember him. My Grandparents lived on Fleet St and my Grandfather would take me on a Sunday morning. would have been about 1968/69

[PeckhamRose]

MarmoraMan, apart from never being able to get up early enough on a Sunday to do that sort of stuff, may I ask where you park the car? I find it hard enough to park a bike in that area!

[Santerme]

I would have been about nine or ten, if it were '68/69, and often went with my Grandfather to the area around the Tower, it strikes a vague cord with me now you mention it.

[ibilly99]

Yup I do and he did sword swallowing and fire eating if I remember it rightly. Also used to love listening to Lord Soper at Speaker's Corner every Sunday - a shame cheap video wasn't around in his day - he was a wonderful man and a real fount of knowledge and inspiration.

[DulwichFox]

I remember him well.. 1971/2.

and his repartee...

Quote:-

" I asked for a piece of Silver." , "it's the first time I have ever seen Brown Silver"

" When my father died he left me a Million pounds. Where the hell he left it I'll never know."

end Quote.

That was at Tower Hill.

We used to hold our Union meeting there when we were on strike.

Post Office Engineering Union. POEU.

Fox.

[Marmora Man]

PeckhamRose Wrote:

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> MarmoraMan, apart from never being able to get up

> early enough on a Sunday to do that sort of stuff,

> may I ask where you park the car? I find it hard

> enough to park a bike in that area!

Queensborough Road - just off the Hackney Road opposite a pub called "The Marksman" and a road called Horatio Road - for some reason there's a Nelson theme going on in the area. You do need to be there early - say by 08.00, which means leaving ED at about 7.30. However, the area does great breakfasts - Brick Lane "real" beigels, or more locally more ordinary bagels with choices of fillings.

We usually opt for a quick first purchase of heavy stuff, take back to car - breakfast in Spanish cafe (chorizo, scrambled egg and patatas braves today) with the paper and then a final run past all the stalls. Highly recommended - it has changed character since we first went in 2003, now far more fashionable and chi chi with Lordship Lane style twee shops selling stuff you don't really need - but still good for competitively priced plants and cut flowers.

[computedshorty]

We used to get the 78 Bus to Petticoat Lane after looking at all the stalls we would get the bus back and stop off and watch him jumping up and down in a sack after being chained up and padlocked, after we would cross Tower Bridge and have a snack at the open cafe stall on the corner of Tooley Street.