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Christopher Dobson

1 Lea River Valley

With evidence of Bronze Age and  Iron Age settlements along the River  Lea dating  from as early as 2400BC, the area's historical significance has long been acknowledged. The name Stratford derives from the Roman street that forded the Lea at its shallowest point, an area now known as Old Ford. The river originates in Bedfordshire and passes through Stratford before entering the  Thames opposite the Millennium Dome. Much of the valley has been blighted by  industrial development, but all that  is about to change.

2 Stratford City

One of the capital's least developed areas, Stratford City is about to be transformed into one of the largest urban parks created in Europe in more than 150 years - thanks to the 2012 Olympic Games. The remodelling, stretching from Hertfordshire to the  tidal estuary of the Thames, will be based around Stratford Channel Tunnel Rail Link international station, which will open  next year. Construction of Stratford City will begin this year, with the town centre to be finished by 2009. Redevelopment will continue until 2020, by which time Stratford will have 2,000 new hotel rooms, five million  sqft of commercial developments, a new school and 4,500 new homes.

3 Canal boats

For a millennium or more, travelling by water was the easiest way to move around London. From Roman times until the 18th century there was only  one bridge across the Thames. In the early 19th century a proliferation of canals was built in and around London, but they eventually lost out to the railways. The backwaters of the River Lea, the Bow Backs, are London's least-known waterways. Rarely explored,  they offer contrasting views of the  city. The adventurous can hire canal boats  (www.british-waterways.co.uk  or www.riverleecruises.co.uk).

4 Three Mills

About the time of the Domesday Book there were up to nine tidal mills on the River Lea and connecting channels, where corn,  grain and flour were milled, and gunpowder was made. Of the two remaining mills, the  heritage-listed House Mill, built in 1776, is one of the most powerful tidal mills ever built.  Last used in 1941, it's open to visitors  on Sunday afternoons in summer.  Opposite stands the Clock Mill, rebuilt  in 1817 from an earlier mill and now  a heritage-listed  building. Next to  that is the Three Mills Studios, where television programmes and films  such  as Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels were made. Nearby  is the Abbey Mills pumping station, unofficially known as London's Cathedral of Sewage, which was part  of a Victorian solution to London's growing sewage problems.

5 Theatre Royal

This  Victorian theatre, set amid  grey towers blocks, was opened in  1884. It became  well known in the 1950s and 60s as the home of the Theatre Workshop Company under the direction of Joan Littlewood. With limited funding, Littlewood's productions of A Taste of Honey, The Hostage and Oh, What a Lovely War put Stratford on the theatrical map, although it fell into decline after her death. These days, the Theatre Royal is known for its popular community-orientated drama, musicals and  reviews. And its future is more certain because it's now part of the Stratford Cultural Quarter, along with the performing arts centre at Stratford Circus and the Picture House.

6 The Hammers

Founded in 1895 as the  football  team of the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company,  the club is still known by its nickname the Hammers (and Irons). West Ham United moved to Upton Park, just south of Stratford, in 1904 - although its official name is the Boleyn Ground, the stadium having been built on the site of Green Street House, a residence said to have been owned by Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII. The club joined the Football League in 1919 and gained promotion to the top division in 1923. Despite being described by various commentators as perennial cockney bridesmaids because of their under-achievements, West Ham have won the FA Cup three times (1964, 1975 and 1980) and the European Cup Winners' Cup.

7 Green Street

If you want to see the changing face of the East End take a stroll along Green Street. Once famous for its cockney rhyming slang, it's now a bustling multi-cultural community where you're just as likely to hear Urdu or Hindi. From small cafes offering authentic Pakistani cuisine, to stores filled with spices, incense sticks and henna, and shops selling a dazzling range of jewellery and clothes, the area is alive with colour.  If you're into Bollywood movies go to the Boleyn Cinema, on  adjacent Barking Road, for the latest releases.

8 Jellied eels

Like much of this part of London, this traditional dish is disappearing as tastes and demographics change. First appearing in pies as a type of fast food  in Victorian London, jellied eels remain an acquired taste for most Londoners. Eels became hard to find during  the second world war, when minced meat was used as an alternative in pies. After the war, jellied eels  were relegated to a side dish. The eels are cooked for  30 minutes, then allowed to cool, during which time the juices solidify, forming the jelly. They're served with mashed potatoes and peas, with chilli and vinegar  for flavouring. Nathan's (established 1927) on Barking Road, close to Upton Park, is one of the few remaining traditional pie and eel shops.

9 (New) Spitalfields Market

Spital is an old English abbreviation of hospital. The original market was founded in the 13th century in a field next to the Augustinian hospital and priory, St Mary's Spital, which stood  on the edge of the city. In 1682, King Charles II granted silk thrower John Balch a Royal Charter that gave him the right to hold a market on Thursdays and Saturdays in or near Spital Square. The market's reputation for excellent fresh fruit and vegetables grew down the years - as did traffic congestion. The market was forced to move and in May 1991  it opened its doors in Leyton, near Stratford. The new Spitalfields Market now covers more than 12.5 hectares   and its operators claim it offers a wider choice of exotic fruit and vegetables than any other market in Europe.

10 Docklands Light Railway

One of the first light-rail systems in Britain, with one of the world's safest and most advanced automatic train-control systems, the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) has expanded faster than any British network. It opened in 1987  to serve London's Docklands, starting with an 11-vehicle fleet and 15 stations. Today the DLR is a GBP1 billion ($13.4 billion), 27km railway with 34 stations and 94 trains, and is a superb sight-seeing vantage point because long stretches are above ground. You can take the DLR from central London to Stratford, Docklands (home of London City airport) and south of the Thames  to Greenwich.



Stratford