Pictures of east end of London

[Nearly Sane]

As a place I have spent a lot of time in, these are fascinating



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-43141667

[ad_orientem]

I have fond memories of my chilhood in the East End in the late 70's and early 80's (Canning Town and East Ham). Of course, never the most prosperous of places but I feel proud of where I came from. I love looking at old photos of there. Nothing could beat the markets of that area and of course the Boleyn ground and Green Street when West Ham were playing at home.

[Walter]

As a place I have spent a lot of time in, these are fascinating



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-43141667

have you watched the TV program Back in time for Tea. I saw the on last Saturday , life in a northern home in the 60s, and to be honest when they showed the blokes and told their stories of working down the pit I found myself with tears rolling down my face. Although life must have been hard for my parents they gave me the most loving and motivational upbringing any kid could wish for . I loved my childhood .

[SteveH]

Fascinating.

[Rhiannon]

As a place I have spent a lot of time in, these are fascinating



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-43141667

My family are from around here. I think these photos speak of the loss that East Enders endured. My mother and grandmother couldn’t speak of it but I think that was because to even begin to would have meant ceasing to function. So it all got buttoned up and came out in other ways.

I strongly suspect my generation are still dealing with the consequences of WW11 and what that meant post war.

[Nearly Sane]

I was see to work very near Gardiner's Corner in the pictures but only a very few people referred to it as that. I never thought till these pictures that the name wasn't probably just a throwback to a person owning a house. In fact it was a department store

http://stories-of-london.org/spokes/

[Nearly Sane]

My family are from around here. I think these photos speak of the loss that East Enders endured. My mother and grandmother couldn’t speak of it but I think that was because to even begin to would have meant ceasing to function. So it all got buttoned up and came out in other ways.

I strongly suspect my generation are still dealing with the consequences of WW11 and what that meant post war.

Over the time I've known the area, the change has been, as ever, both good and bad. The City pushes ever outward and the poverty becomes contrasted with more and more money. Yet the history is of a place adaptive to change and capable of renewal. I do worry, though, that to echo Vlad's criticism of Stephen Pinker elsewhere that the rate of change is such that community might not survive. And yet, a luvvie friend of mine restores over many years a house in Fournier St and the layers of wall paper are saved and comment on the changes.

The closing of City Airport a couple of weeks ago is an indication of the huge amount of bombing of the area, and even when I first wandered the area in the early 80s there were still a few bombsites.

[Rhiannon]

Over the time I've known the area, the change has been, as ever, both good and bad. The City pushes ever outward and the poverty becomes contrasted with more and more money. Yet the history is of a place adaptive to change and capable of renewal. I do worry, though, that to echo Vlad's criticism of Stephen Pinker elsewhere that the rate of change is such that community might not survive. And yet, a luvvie friend of mine restores over many years a house in Fournier St and the layers of wall paper are saved and comment on the changes.

The closing of City Airport a couple of weeks ago is an indication of the huge amount of bombing of the area, and even when I first wandered the area in the early 80s there were still a few bombsites.

I went back to where I grew up on the edge of East London a couple of years ago (Romford/Hornchurch) and found that it had become like the East End proper used to be - it felt like the community had upped sticks and moved itself out by a few miles, even bringing its pie and mash shop with it.

The whole idea of an 'East End community' is itself a nebulous one. My family settled there during the mid 1700s and 1800s due to poverty, enclosures acts and, of course, the Irish famine. They never were Londoners until they had to be. Today's East End is all made up of migrants of all kinds. I have arty cousins born and raised in the West Country by parents who headed out as soon as they could, just as I did, who now live in a top floor flat in Bow.

[Nearly Sane]

Lovely post, Rhiannon, and you are right the idea of such a community is nebulous and part of it was always about change. An area beyond the strict rules a city, The City might demand, filled with people removed from full restrictions. The migrants have always been there and their history is written on the wall paper and buildings, the names of streets drip with the social history.


As an aside you might be interested in a novel called Rotherweird by Andrew Caldecott, a slightly odd alternative history  magical take

[Robbie]

Great pics NS.  The first one shows a VW Beetle which is what my mum had when I was little, I remember it and the colour was called "Petrol".

Don't know the East End that well though have visited someone who worked at the London Hospital (now Royal London), many years ago.

Does Canary Wharf, E14, count as EE or is it too near the City?  Have a relative who owns a very nice property there which I have been to a couple of times.

PS:  Eastenders often move to Essex.  I have been to Saffron Walden a couple of times, my mum and her sister went to Friends school there during war.  War ended when mum was 13 and my aunt 16- aunt left and did Highers at school in Bromley, mum chose to stay until 16 & did school cert, after which she followed her sister for HSC.  A lovely place and great school, closed last year I think.

[Nearly Sane]

Canary Wharf counts. Most of the pictures are just next to the City border,

[Humph Warden Bennett]

Thankfully Bromley Council keeps the further expansion of "London" at bay.

[Robbie]

I love London. Glad Canary Wharf (which is in Tower Hamlets) is considered 'East End'.

[Humph Warden Bennett]

I love London. Glad Canary Wharf (which is in Tower Hamlets) is considered 'East End'.

You are just trying to wind me up.

You are not a real Londoner, you are just a wannabe.

Remember Orpington, Xmas 1977?

[Robbie]

No. What happened there then?  All I know about Orpers is it used to be a Liberal constituency & I had a friend from school who lived there, can't remember the name of the road but apparently Brian Matthew (or Matthews) lived in it. Warren Road? Maybe.

[Humph Warden Bennett]

No. What happened there then?  All I know about Orpers is it used to be a Liberal constituency & I had a friend from school who lived there, can't remember the name of the road but apparently Brian Matthew (or Matthews) lived in it. Warren Road? Maybe.

So you do not remember mistletoe in December 1977?

[Robbie]

No. Went to NW grammar school in Orpington but got 'bus to Bromley straight after school so wasn't that familiar with area except for my friend who lived in, I think, Warren Road.

You don't know me Humph, I'm pretty sure of that, unless you went to St O's in which case our paths may have crossed at joint ventures, so stop talking as though you do.