Bordered to the north by Victoria Park and a canal, and containing the fine Georgian terraces around Tredegar Square, Mile End could almost become respectable. Happily, it never will. The acres of public housing and the raffish Roman Road will see to that. Running up to Old Ford in Bow, the Roman Road daily market, especially busy on a Saturday, is best known for its brand name clothing, either surplus production, last year's lines or straightforward disappearances from the sweatshops of Whitechapel (cabbages). Roman Road is the East End at its best. Loud, tatty, a totally mixed community.

For reasons known only to someone in the council, a bridge has just been built over the Mile End Road, on the top of which is… a brand new park!