BEEEEENG

DLR stands for Docklands Light Railway. It serves the eastern outskirts of London, Limehouse and Shadwell and the old docks where once East India ships unloaded their cargoes, a place of opium dens and quayside brothels, of lurking gangs, lascars, shrunken heads in the beer, Sherlock Holmes, Fu Manchu and in latter days, a questing boot. Once upon a time, a gentleman would be taking his life in his hands to venture alone here, and a lady didn't even know it existed; No self respecting den of iniquity would situate itself anywhere else in the city or all the other buildings would laugh: If you weren't East End notorious you were probably just another grim granny's cellar smogged out and leaking.

It's got a monorail. A clean and sparkling monorail swerving around the clean and sparkling buildings, all glass and determinedly new, except for the 1980s winebars built under the warehouse arches. Where the quays once creaked and stank now sit pretty marinas, yachts and speedboats shining bright, blue water, pointless weedy tin drums come islets on which swans nest. It shines. It's clean. It's pretty. It's peaceful. Another century and it may even have a bit of soul...

Don't think it lacks hustle and bustle; just accept that all activity is restricted to the monorail itself, more specifically, to the intercom.

( Hidden under here because of the BEEEEENG! )