A few hundred yards North of a bustling Shoreditch, next to Hoxton station, lives the Geffrye Museum – The Museum of the Home. Seemingly caught in time, this wonderful building and courtyard previously stood as an Elderly person’s care home and now, with the aid of the London City Council, this great building exists as a museum of past living spaces. Its many rooms are home to a number of re-creations of the family living room dating back from as early as the year 1600 to the present day. What may seem at first to be just an assembly of antique furniture is in-fact an extremely interesting window into the past.
Whilst sauntering through these chronologically arranged living spaces, each with their individual 
charm, there is a distinct feeling of time moving on consistently. Changes in how people live that seem to go unnoticed soon become apparent once explored in retrospect. Each space holds its own snapshot of the past – a family piano from the 1800s or an old family portrait, every detail tells us something about the times that may have been had in these spaces many years ago. This may seem irrelevant considering the times we live in today, but on the contrary, it’s a valuable and worthwhile pass-time to take a look at how the ways that we live and entertain ourselves have evolved over the years.
The Geffrye museum is a good piece of history that’s worth a relaxing visit on a pleasant winter afternoon. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s certainly interesting. Even if for no other reason, go and take a walk through the courtyard and enjoy the wintery vibes (plus it’s free so you’ve got nothing to lose). If you’re open to an interesting experience and have a few hours to kill, take a walk down to Hoxton and enjoy some snapshots of the past at The Geffrye Museum.
Overall Rating: 4/5
Individuality Rating: 3/5
Price: Free
Gems of the East End 