Geffrye Street London E2, 1960s. Copyright Hackney Archives and taken from https://spitalfieldslife.com/2013/02/16/the-haggerston-nobody- knows/
I am currently working on a post about the Marquis of Lansdowne. It is taking me longer than I anticipated, as these things always do.
As part of my research I have looked again at the Spitalfields Life website. An excellent resource and full of interesting material. Some will recall that it was the focus of a lot of the campaigning to save the pub and included an article by George BARKER (1931-2019). One of the posts about the area started a long thread about the local area and the purpose of this post is to draw the attention to some of the comments and to the excellent photographs.
I do not remember Nicols Square but I do recall the building of Fellows Court. I don't know a lot about architecture but the photos suggest that some fine buildings were lost. The pictures of Nichols Square, Ormsby Street and Geffrye Street are particularly haunting I think.
In the thread there are lots of posts about the 1963 film A Place to Go. Although the story was based in Bethnal Green it was actually filmed in Appleby Street. The film is worth watching for the atmosphere alone and for the sight of many familiar actors. It available in full on Youtube (links below).
Quite a few of the people posting on the thread were pupils at Randel Cremer School. One recalls the 'Trendall twins', another makes mention of 'Rubber Dinghy'. The latter was the rather horrible nickname given to a disabled chap who pushed a cart around the area. Shamefully I remember the name calling that he suffered and which, as a young child, I participated. People describe the shops near the school (including Sid the barber) and the museum of course. Some of the school staff are mentioned including Miss Ambler.
The Spitalfields Life website is the best of its kind. An amazing collection of stories and images. We are lucky to have it.
Philip Trendall
January 2021
https://spitalfieldslife.com/2013/02/16/the-haggerston-nobody-knows/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYsieGxDHU0
#spitalfieldslife
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