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London Literary Walks #2

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Sheffield Terrace | London 2013

just a cool old building (with lions!) on Sheffield Terrace | London 2013

Last {tuesday travels}, I described how I stumbled upon the home of George Bernard Shaw and Virginia Woolf, whilst traipsing around London in July. Today, we continue our literary journey through London, but this time go a few miles southwest of Fitzroy Square and amble into the mysterious realm of the Holland Park area.

As Ali mentioned on Gimme Some Life, a group of our friends visited England over the holidays to attend a wedding. On Sarah and I’s final day in London, we went on a blue plaque search for a few of our favourite authors and artists, near the Kensington area, where we were staying. (Our hotel was right next to the home of Alfred Hitchock!)

153 Cromwell Road, South Kensington, SW5 0TQ

153 Cromwell Road, South Kensington, SW5 0TQ

our literary mission

One of our targets was a particular house on Sheffield Terrace. En route, we popped into a delightful antique bookshop, where I was able to purchase a photo prop for our next stop: the home of Dame Agatha Christie.

Agatha Would Approve: Seven Dials at #58 | London 2013

Agatha Would Approve: Seven Dials at #58 | London 2013

The blue plaque reads:

DAME AGATHA CHRISTIE 1890-1976 Detective novelist and playwright lived here 1934-1941.

Home of Dame Agatha Christie: 58 Sheffield Terrace, Holland Park, W8 7NA | London 2013

Home of Dame Agatha Christie: 58 Sheffield Terrace, Holland Park, W8 7NA | London 2013

As soon as we turned down the street where she lived (well, actually, it was after we turned, and as soon as I sated my obsession with lions, by taking the photo of the 1898 brick building [above]), I spotted this mailbox and thought: I bet Agatha posted her mail here.

perhaps Agatha posted her mail here | London 2013

Agatha’s mailbox | London 2013

who doesn’t love a good British mystery?

I have long been an avid fan of British mysteries — novels, tv shows, and films. Last year I suddenly became obsessed with watching every Poirot and Miss Marple movie on Netflix Streaming. (This may have been instigated by the fact that I discovered Benedict Cumberbatch was in one of the Marple episodes…) I started to see signs of Agatha everywhere; even in Sweden and Estonia, all the bookshops seemed to have shelves stacked full of Christie mysteries.

Agatha Christie novels at Raamatukoi | Tallinn, Estonia 2012

Agatha Christie novels at Raamatukoi Bookshop | Tallinn, Estonia 2012

bookshelf confessional

Okay…I need to come clean. I have not [yet] read an Agatha Christie book. Not one. How have I been so remiss?? My sad neglect ends this year. I am adding my newly acquired Seven Dials Mystery to my Reading List for 2013. But I’m open to further suggestions (and well-deserved chastisement).

what is your favourite Agatha Christie book?
which book would you recommend as a good introduction to Christie?

» Don’t miss previous {tuesday travels}: London Literary Walks #1, Hobbiton, Those Who Wander, An Introduction.

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bet mercer

Bet Mercer is a poet-photographer who writes at Gimme Some Reads and Everyday Poetry. She loves quotes, reading her favourite books over again, great conversation, laughter, trees, films, and travelling the world. Follow along with Bet on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Flickr, Etsy and Google+.

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0 comments on “London Literary Walks #2”

  1. Love this! And sadly, I’ve never read an Agatha Christie novel either. Maybe that would be a fun summer book club idea!

  2. You NEED to read And Then There Were None. That was my favorite of my hometown library’s collection of Christie. That’s how I spent my summers pre-internet-movie-streaming. All Christie, all the time.