The anonymous Gentle Author of the deeply creative and soul-embracing blog The Spitalfields Life recently posted on a clown gathering in London:
"The first Sunday in February is when all the clowns arrive in East London for the annual service to honour Joseph Grimaldi (1778-1837), the greatest British clown – held since 1946 at this time of year, when the clowns traditionally gathered in the capital prior to the start of the Circus touring season."
You can read the rest of the report at this link.
"SpitalFields" is a shortened form of Hospital Fields -- [from Wikipedia]: "The name Spitalfields is a contraction of 'hospital fields', in reference to the open land which lay behind and to the east of "The New Hospital of St Mary without Bishopgate" erected on the east side of the Bishopsgate thoroughfare in 1197...."
The Spitalfields Life blog is a compiliation of daily reports about the doings, people, happenings, and history of this small London district. The writing is splendid; the observations poignant, keen, and appreciative; and the images colorful, exceptionally well-composed, and expressive.
The Gentle Author says "It is my custom to walk everywhere in London and I discover things on my walks, so you will also find stories here from places that are within walking distance of Spitalfields. Like Good Deeds and Everyman in the old play, let us travel together. I promise to keep writing to you every day and it will be an eventful journey we shall have together."
One of the blog's readers posted sometime in 2009 that she found her hope restored reading these entries. You will too.
