So Petticoat Lane doesn’t exist anymore, except that is, in the name of the market which takes place most days in and around the area of Middlesex Street. In fact the original name of Middlesex Street was the Petticoat Lane of legend. Legend has it that it received a name change in a bid to remove the stigma that the market had brought to the area on account of it’s racy name which offended Victorian sensibilities, the jury seems to be out on that one though. In actual fact the name itself, Middlesex Street, was chosen as it represented the boundary between the city and the county of Middlesex and which today is more recognisable as the boundary between the city and the East End.
But the name of Petticoat Lane Market still exists and actually intrudes on a number of streets including Wentworth Street, Goulston Street, Cobb Street and of course Middlesex Street. It generally remains true to the sort of market stalls that contributed to it’s name and as such tends to sell a lot of clothes. Historically the area had a strong association with textiles, in particular weaving and dyeing. It therefore made sense that the place to go for clothes would be here.
Art wise, the place is littered with street art adorning shutters and walls of the area. Most prominent is the work of Ben Eine whose signature letters make up the entire alphabet on shutters along Middlesex Street. Also, the likes of Malarky, ROA and Mr Fahrenheit can be seen. The ROA piece in New Goulston Street is particularly impressive featuring as it does a rat crawling out of the bricks on the side of a building. For a few more posts about art in around the area see ‘Crone Devel and Friends‘ and ‘Ben Eine, Freddie Flintoff and the Jacamo advert‘
I suspect I may need to visit the area of Petticoat Lane again but for now here’s a few images from the area.
