Managed to find these 2 when i was there yesterday, someone sent me the info on the John Dolan George the dog one and then i found Ben Wilson AKA Chewing gum man laying in the street painting the sky on some gum and he took me to the other one.


John Dolan and George the Dog hangin tough in Rivington Street





2 geezers called Bryan and Lee loading beer into a cellar. 

Before you write it off, check out what Dr Cream has done. I didn't realise why his paste ups were numbered until now.


Rolling Fool

Shoreditch is great, leake street pedestrian tunnel under Waterloo Station is also worth a look www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186338-d5555207-Reviews-Leake_Street_Tunnel-London_England.html

Chewing gum man mentioned above has a lot of works on the millennium bridge by the tate modern.

I did a Shoreditch Street Art Tour recently and would highly recommend it. Its what got me interested in street art and urban art.

OK

Thanks Tobi187, haven't been here in a while.  Nice to return to a view of London through fresh eyes!  You took in a few of my old  stomping grounds!  Savile Row / Shoreditch!  Always loved the invader on Burlington Gardens / Vigo st!  Nice work!

Excellent time to visit.

You arrive shortly before the exhibition Picasso 1932: Love, Fame, Tragedy at Tate Modern closes on 9 September. Renting an accompanying audioguide next to the show's entrance would be a good additional investment.

Also currently at Tate Modern is Magic Realism: Art in Weimar Germany 1919-33. Haven't seen it yet but look forward to doing so, especially with the inclusion of paintings by Otto Dix and George Grosz.

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Regarding pubs and bars, disclosing the types of venue you're looking for may increase the chances of getting recommendations that are bespoke, tailored to your preferences:

(i)  Relaxed and informal or self-conscious, so-hip-it-hurts vibe?
(ii)  Calm or noisy and heaving?
(iii)  Clean and elegant (i.e. more expensive) or rough-and-ready?
(iv)  Do you require a wide selection of spirits, wine, ales, etc. or is standard lager on tap fine?
(v)  Are you comfortable drinking at places where most of the other customers are younger than 25?


It's worth confirming as well whether you've been to Shoreditch before.

The entire neighbourhood is one bar/pub/restaurant after another. To the point where it's become a London nightlife destination like Soho. Along with the local characters that made the location distinctive (or easily-ridiculed), there's now a mainstream crowd that arrives en masse (office parties, stag dos and the like) particularly on weekend nights.

For an overview, tour around the Shoreditch Triangle (the east side of Old Street, Shoreditch High Street and Great Eastern Street). Just to the north, see also Hoxton Square and the first 150 metres of Kingsland Road (up to the bridge, before reaching the Vietnamese restaurants further north).

You'll want to explore Spitalfields and Brick Lane too, located further east and to the south. From Shoreditch High Street, a good route is to walk east along Redchurch Street, then south all the way down Brick Lane, then west along Whitechapel High Street, and north again up Commercial Street.

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A handful of names for you:


1.  For a proper Shoreditch institution, go to The Bricklayers Arms (63 Charlotte Road, EC2A 3PE .) in the middle of the Shoreditch Triangle.

It's small and grotty. The toilets are dingy, with walls covered in graffiti. The music selection on the jukebox is pretty good. Along with Cantaloupe (now-closed), this was the first place I discovered in the area circa 1995 which made me think, "I definitely need to come back here."


2.  Haven't been for about a decade now, but you may want to check out Jaguar Shoes (a.k.a. Dream Bags) on Kingsland Road (32-34 Kingsland Road, E2 8DA .).

At the time, it had an art-school crowd and DJ. Music was played so loud that you'd finish your drinks at twice the normal speed — partly out of social awkwardness, because you'd have difficulty actually hearing the person who was screaming right in front of you. The murals and wall art used to change every one or two months. This is where JR had his first London show (2006) before he joined the Lazarides roster.

[No idea whether it's still the case but, in the early 2000s, Jaguar Shoes had a 'No neckties' policy. I was once forced to remove my tie. It left me in an uncomfortable, compromised position: The sartorial halfway house that is "office worker after 5 p.m. trying to look chilled". The result was a far greater visual crime. So I asked the manager whether, if they entered the premises, he would tell The Hives to take off their ties. His reply was, "You're not The Hives." That seemed fair enough, even back then.]

Given my experience with this bar is about 10 years out of date, another London-based forum member may be able to offer a more recent review.


3.  When I first drank at The Owl and Pussycat (34 Redchurch Street, E2 7DP .), it was still an old man's pub. Since then, it's become somewhat of a hipster-central venue. But still potentially enjoyable, depending on your age and mindset.

Redchurch Street has undergone a remarkable transformation and gentrification over the last 10+ years (reminds me slightly of what the west half of Westbourne Grove in Notting Hill turned into). Until fairly recently, it showcased some of London's best street art and graffiti. The times they are a-changin'.


4.  Despite my republican convictions, I appreciate the cosiness, design and history of The Golden Heart (110 Commercial Street, E1 6LZ .). Haven't tried myself but, apparently, criticising the monarchy or Diana Spencer in this venue can get you barred.


5.  The Ten Bells (84 Commercial Street, E1 6LY .) is a historical pub. But as I've only been during the day when it's quiet, I don't know what the crowd is like in the evenings. Perhaps someone else can chime in on this point.

I discovered the place another lifetime ago, as the final stop for a Jack the Ripper walking tour — which I had agreed to go on against my better judgement, although the experience turned out to be enjoyable.

The Ten Bells is now my go-to spot after visits to the Whitechapel Gallery. If you're in the area, one of the current small exhibitions might be of interest — Killed Negatives: Unseen Images of 1930s America. The photographic prints of negatives destroyed by hole-punchers brought to mind the work of John Baldessari. In case you do visit the show, make an effort to also read some of the correspondence. Letters sent to the photographers (usually reprimanding them for their images) were insightful, amusing and a bit sad.

The Ten Bells is one of my favourites. If you want atmosphere, the upstairs bar is nicer than the downstairs one. It can get crazy busy on weekday evenings, mainly the after work crowd, but it's less busy on weekends. Plus its near a lot of the street art.

Madam Twoswords and take lots of selfies next to the Donald Dump waxwork. Thats all you need for a good time in Landan.

I am thinking of visiting London more often. Not only because I like being there and because it takes only a few hours to get there, but also because there were a lot of interesting shows in the last few months.

I searched for an overview of upcoming shows and exhibiotions, but really couldn’t find a proper one.

Can one of the members on here help me out?

I couldn’t agree more with the above. I’d only add the Royal Academy (good stuff going on always), Tate Britain (Turner prize time - btw, become a Tate member if you plan to visit regularly, and you also get a discount on the boat connecting to the Modern 😊), the Hayward Gallery (the best installations happen there), the White Cube (I know...) and the glamorous previews at Saatchi can be fun (albeit, if you are like me, you might be one of the very few focusing on the art pieces).

also, 180 The Strand have some great shows on in the old office building. The Vinyl Factory are putting one on currently there called Strange Days that I might check out soon

Ben Eine solo show coming up at Stolenspace. The opening night on 25th October 6-9pm is free for all to attend, no need to RSVP.