What the Dickens!

As I was wandering around Old Holborn, I stumbled upon this wonderful building. It bore the name 'Furnival's Inn'. I thought to myself, what a magnificent Inn! I peered inside and noted that it belonged to DeVere's Group, but as I took myself a photograph of this magnificent entrance, a fella in a fluorescent yellow jacket started making speedy movements towards me....so I scarpered!

But I was fascinated by the building and set about some research. A rather lavish Inn was built on the site in the early 1800's. In 1834-7, Charles Dickens lived in Furnival's Inn while working as a 22-25 year old reporter on the Morning Chronicle.

Pickwick Papers, was started during his stay at Furnival's Inn.

However, Lincoln's Inn would not renew the lease for the Furnival's Inn and it was eventually sold, demolished and rebuilt in a larger form in 1897...as headquarters for the Prudential Insurance company. At what point in time it was converted to bars, now run by the DeVere Group, I could not discover, but suffice to say that I am glad the building is being keep in peak condition for us all to enjoy and decorated with very tastelessful placards in the archway in keeping with the building.

I guess they could have been worse.