Where to park in Stratford?

[Andy_Pagin]

I'm appearing as a witness at Stratford Magistrates' Court next month. Anywhere nearby to park a bike with a better than average chance of it still being there when I leave?
____________________
They're coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa, hey-hey,
the men in white coats are coming to take me away.
Yamaha Vity -> YBR125 -> FZS600 Fazer -> FZ1-S Fazer

[M.C]

Westfield?

[hellkat]

Okay, so the Court is on the high street which = no parking, tedious one way system. And Stratford does indeed seem to be a fairly scummy area to the outsider, I wouldn't want to live in central Stratford.

But if you go round the back of there, (round the one way system and into the A112/West Ham Lane), then you come to Bryant Street on your right, which is where the Police Station is, and also down to Chant Street, which is a sort of dead-end street behind the court. Bryant Street has pay-for-parking bays, so you can park in one of those and walk round to the high street for the front of the court building. Pretty sure it's well camera'd up, due to rozzers.

I vaguely remember having to go to a council tax non-payment hearing once, and batting my eyelashes at someone at the side-barrier, and being allowed to park my bike inside the barrier. But I did have red lipstick on ...

If you're feeling REALLY cheeky you could park in the East Thames bike parking spaces on Victoria Street, just behind the Secret Weapon pub. It looks like you're entering a standard council estate, and most non-Londoners would think it might be dodgy, but in fact if you park inside behind the wall (there are secure bike parking bays) nobody really bothers you, and if anybody asks, just say you "have business at East Thames Housing on the Third Floor, and that you've been told by the receptionists to park here".

There's a good coffee shop across the road from the police station: Sawmill cafe: fresh decent grub and decent coffee/cakes. My favourite place to hang out in Stratford when I have biz at East Thames.
____________________
Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[hellkat]

Then again, that's me assuming you mean Stratford in London, rather than Stratford upon Avon, for which I'd have to recall my old attendance-at-Bulldog-Bash days, and I can't say I know central Stratford upon Avon well enough to think of anywhere.
____________________
Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[V2]

Best get yourself some red lipstick Andy...

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSk4X3bDka3KaufR9vsPB2dDvM_fPoaAKF2KaamG4jvZRSZI5nyFq3Yhg0

[J.M.]

My flat's pretty safe behind a key-fobbed gate, but you'd have to turn up when I leave for work and pick it up when I get home

Would feel generally uncomfortable parking on the roads in Stratford, but in all honesty, Westfields with a decent lock I wouldn't be too worried about for the day.
____________________
2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[Keir]

opposite the bus station, behind the mall. theres usually a row of bikes there.
westfield bike parking will be a bit of a walk.
____________________
Current : '08 Yamaha FZ1s
Previous: '99 Honda CBR 600FX, 03 ZX636 B1H, 99 Fazer 600 (red), 02 GSX-R 600 K2, 00 SV650s (red), 2008 ZX10R, 97 Bandit 1200N, 04 ZX6RR K1H, 04 GSX-R 1000, 98 Fazer 600 (gold), 05 Madness 110 Pit bike, 04 CR125R, 00 SV650s (black), 06 KTM 625 SMC, 99 SRAD 600 track bike, 03 SV650, 98 Bandit 1200N, Bandit 600SY, 03 GSX-R 600 K3, 01 GSX-R 600, 01 Fazer 600 (black), VFR 400 NC30 x3, 78 Honda Dream, 00 Speedfight 50