The book had a wonderful send-off at the Devonshire Club, a members-only (men and women) club in the curious hinterland between Liverpool Street and Aldgate. I walked from Aldgate East through familiar territory round Middlesex Street and then spotted a little alleyway by the dustbins through to Devonshire Square, former warehouses of the East India Company which stored textiles from Bengal. Taken over by the St. Katharine Dock Company in 1836, they were bought by the Port of London authority in 1909. Sold in 1978, they were redeveloped by an unlikely combination of Richard Seifert and Quinlan Terry. The Club is the brainchild of Brian Clivaz, who used to run the Arts Club and symbolises the revival of this bit of the old East End:-
| Charles | Saumarez | Smith | 
Nobody I talked to had any idea that that little enclave of glamorous City ‘regeneration’ existed – it became a major topic of conversation. The room worked very well for the party, and the speeches were all excellent, though CSS’ phlegm-induced cracks added a perhaps unwarranted note of high emotion – he sounded as though he was about to burst into tears.
It wasn’t intended to be so melodramatic ! Charles
Dear Charles I am so looking forward to the arrival of my copy . Thank you for the endless little blogs which I truly enjoy. I too first came to the East End 45 years ago ( in my case as a student at QMC) and have never lost my connections. I have lived in a number of places , and was also a “gentrifier” in Hackney earlier in this century and played my part in that Borough’s Improvement. I’m looking forward to us having a foothold in Limehouse very shortly and being able to make even better use of my RA membership than I do now ! Great good wishes for the book. Thank you . Pen
Penelope Thompson CBE Barbrook Cottage Nether End Baslow Derbyshire DE45 1SR
Mobile: 0776 205 2277
https://penthompson.blogspot.co.uk Twitter : @penny_thompson https://uk.linkedin.com/in/pennythompsoncbe
Penny Thompson Consultancy Ltd Reg no:09866863
>
It, and the whole evening, was a complete delight. I presume that any follower of the Blog will be buying it, but get multiple copies – it’s beautifully designed, by Harry Pearce, and is altogether an exceptional piece of publishing by Thames and Hudson / Sophy Thompson.
Great book, great evening. Next book please – West End !