Alfred Hitchcock Presents...

A few days ago, I ventured to Leytonstone, which is Alfred Hitchcock's hometown. Like many, I am a MASSIVE Alfred Hitchcock fan and after realized that Hitchcock lived not too far from me, I felt compelled to complete a mini "Alfred Hitchcock" tour. I had so much fun admiring the lovely mosaics that like the Leytonstone tube station, paid a quick visit to the Sir Alfred Hitchcock Hotel, and got to see what remains of this auteur's home! 

The Leytonstone tube is on the central line and in zone 3. The tube station has a rather long subway that is lined with 17 mosaics, each depicting either scenes from famous Hitchcock films or moments from this prolific filmmaker's life. It's funny, despite these amazing mosaics, Leytonstone is a simple suburb town, rather unassuming. Whereas I was admiring each mosaic, taking my time and snapping pictures, most people walked on by, seeming to not care. How sad! 
"Young Alfred Outside His Father's Shop"
"The Pleasure Garden"
"Number 17"
"Hitchcock at Work"
"Strangers on a Train"
"Psycho"
"Vertigo"
"Suspicion" 
"Saboteur"
"The Skin Game"
"The Birds"
"North by Northwest"
"To Catch A Thief"
"Rebecca"
"The Wrong Man"
"Rear Window"
"Hitchcock and Dietrich"

A few feet away from the tube was a plant box and the three sides were painted with Hitchcock related images. The paintings were actually pretty good!
Jimmy Stewart from "Rear Window"
Hitchcock and some birds
Murder scene from "Rear Window"

After admiring the Hitchcock mosaics at the Leytonstone tube station, I hoped on a bus and 10 minutes later I was at the "Sir Alfred Hitchcock" Hotel. This is a full functional hotel with a pub and restaurant. 
I didn't stay at the hotel very long since there wasn't much to see. My next and final stop on my Hitchcock tour was this gas station. Now, you might be wondering, "why on earth did she visit this gas station?" Well, the answer is simple. This is the site of Alfred Hitchcock's childhood home. Sadly, the house no longer exists, but there is a nice plaque that commemorates the site and the existence of his childhood home.
Although it was really sad that Hitchcock's childhood home no longer exists, I really loved the mural on the building next door to the gas station. Clearly, someone really likes "The Birds"!
My Alfred Hitchcock pilgrimage was very modest and by no means official. Despite the informality of it and the fact that I was basically just running around to random places in Leytonstone, I still had a great time. My favorite part was without a doubt the mosaics that lined the tube station. If you love Hitchcock, you HAVE to visit the Leytonstone tube to see these amazing homages to such a brilliant filmmaker!


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