| The Spice of Life | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The Spice of Life in 2012 | |
 Interactive map of The Spice of Life | |
| General information | |
| Coordinates | 51°30′54″N0°07′19″W / 51.5149873°N 0.1220735°W /51.5149873; -0.1220735 |
The Spice of Life is a pub atCambridge Circus inLondon'sCharing Cross Road. The pub was founded asThe George & Thirteen Cantons[1] in or before 1759,[2] and later becameThe Scots Hoose. By 1975 it had been renamed The Spice of Life.[3]
As the Scots Hoose in the 1950s and 1960s, the pub had one of Britain's most celebratedfolk clubs in its upstairs room,[4] run byBruce Dunnet,[5] that featured some of the greatest names of thefolk revival, such asBert Jansch,Al Stewart,Davey Graham,Ralph McTell,Roy Harper,[6]Sandy Denny,[7]Ewan MacColl[8] andThe Young Tradition.[5] The club operated under various names, including "The Young Tradition".[3]
In the 1970s and beyond the pub was regularly frequented by members of many rock groups including; The Stranglers, Buzzcocks, Stiff Little Fingers, Sex Pistols, Spandau Ballet, The Faces, UFO even the comedy group The Rutles. Film Directors including Jim Parsons, James Russell, Alan G Parker and Don Letts have also been regular visitors since the mid-nineties.
Members of the Monty Python team have also been among the pubs regulars over the years.
The pub features as a location inBen Aaronovitch’s novelMoon Over Soho, part of the “Rivers of London” series.
