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A sad tale accompanies the curiously
named Widow's Son in East London. Prior to it becoming a pub
a poor widow lived in a cottage on this site about 200 years
ago. Her only son was a sailor and as he was due to return home
from sea one Good Friday his mother baked him some hot-cross
buns. Unfortunately he never returned home and nothing was heard
of him again, but his mother continued to have a new bun waiting
for him every Good Friday thereafter - which was subsequently
added to the buns she had kept from previous years. When she
died the buns were discovered hanging from a beam in her cottage
which became known to locals as 'Bun House' and, although the
cottage was eventually replaced by a pub around 1848, this delightful
story and tradition was continued by successive landlords. Every
Good Friday a Royal Navy sailor arrives to present a new bun
which is added to the mouldy shrunken collection that hangs over
the bar, and today, sailors from all parts of the country call
in from time to time to pay their respects to the widow - in
addition to having a good time at this plain and unassuming East
London pub. |
