Fitzrovia

[lankeela]

I was born in London and lived there till my mid twenties, worked in the West End and various places around there, but can honestly say I have never heard of Fitzrovia till today! And strangely, it has come up twice today in different settings. I had to look it up and was amazed I hadn't ever heard of it.

[Peter Pedant]

where the less well heeled of Evelyn Waugh's Bright Young Things lived innit?

[pastafreak]

I've heard of it...quite a posh area if I'm not mistaken.

[New Judge]

There's a few things "Fitzroy" in the area - The Fitzroy Tavern and Fitzroy Square. I worked in central London for many years and it has always been known as such for so long as I can remember.

[Peter Pedant]

v exp rather than v v exp

1975 One of the other students shared her fathers flat in Hallam st - the rest of us were with the Krays Clapton and hackney

I remembered being threatened by one young lad with a broken bottle. I was so possed I cdnt run away

[lankeela]

Fitzroy yes but Fitzrovia? Not ever heard of it.

[New Judge]

Then you might as well say "Belgrave" (as in the Square of that name) but not Belgravia (the area where the square is). There's also a Belgrave Tavern, but it's in Southsea (Hampshire) and there used to be one of the same name in Finchley. Surely you've heard of Belgravia?

[-SharonA-]

Yes just a stone's throw from Warren Street. I used to walk through Fitrovia to my job on Goodge Street.

[-SharonA-]

Also we got a cheap Indian lunch at the Indian YMCA.

[Captain2]

[Captain2]

Sorry, definitely wrong thread. ^^

[jno]

it was coined to sound like the much posher Belgravia, as I recall. The area was once the estate of the Fitzroys - which was the name given to kings' illegitimate children (from "fils", son, and "roy", king).

It's not an officially named area, though, more of a joke, so not everyone will have heard of it.

[calmck]

Know it well. Trained at the Middlesex Hospital and nurses accommodation was in Fitzrovia

[New Judge]

//Also we got a cheap Indian lunch at the Indian YMCA.//

Now you're talking, Sharon !

[lankeela]

I have heard of Belgravia, in fact one of my jobs was for a restaurant chain and they had a French restaurant there called Le Coq Hardi (which the staff referred to as 'The Tough Chicken'). Also I remember Upstairs Downstairs was set in Eaton Place.

[jno]

the hospital's gone but they left their chapel behind

https://www.fitzroviachapel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Fitzrvia-chapel-panorama.jpg

[calmck]

Yes at our last "set reunion" we arranged a visit to the chapel and John Astor House that was the nurses home. We were pleased the chapel was kept

[sandyRoe]

Was it the area where a lot of literary boozing went on?
Dylan Thomas and his cronies from the BBC wet their whistles there?

[calmck]

Also Greek restaurant The White Tower

[ladybirder]

Yes I worked in London for many years and knew of Fitzrovia.