How grim was mid 1970's London?
Discussion
CoupeKid said:
My old man told me once that London's "Roman" wall was actually built in the 70s.
He's not given to BS so I'll try to remember to quiz him about it next time I see him.
I expect what he meant was that he remembers seeing it being patched up when Tower Bridge tube station was being remodelled. On the other hand I've always thought it surprising that all that flint and brick wasn't plundered for building materials in the 2000 years since the Romans left.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_WallHe's not given to BS so I'll try to remember to quiz him about it next time I see him.
I expect what he meant was that he remembers seeing it being patched up when Tower Bridge tube station was being remodelled. On the other hand I've always thought it surprising that all that flint and brick wasn't plundered for building materials in the 2000 years since the Romans left.
Sunny in Dubai said:
Lived in Whitechapel and Bow 84-87, drank in Blind Beggar and my favourite just down road was Artichoke run by a guy with two sons ginger hair, and my favourite personality Keith who looked like Frank Carson!
Remember working a Walthamstow 1987 and everyone went to pub next to tube station at 10am for morning pint several at lunch and again at 3pm, all pissed by home time at 4!
Flower seller at Walthamstow station was really fit
At 10am or at 3pm? Remember working a Walthamstow 1987 and everyone went to pub next to tube station at 10am for morning pint several at lunch and again at 3pm, all pissed by home time at 4!
Flower seller at Walthamstow station was really fit
Johnnytheboy said:
Sunny in Dubai said:
Lived in Whitechapel and Bow 84-87, drank in Blind Beggar and my favourite just down road was Artichoke run by a guy with two sons ginger hair, and my favourite personality Keith who looked like Frank Carson!
Remember working a Walthamstow 1987 and everyone went to pub next to tube station at 10am for morning pint several at lunch and again at 3pm, all pissed by home time at 4!
Flower seller at Walthamstow station was really fit
At 10am or at 3pm? Remember working a Walthamstow 1987 and everyone went to pub next to tube station at 10am for morning pint several at lunch and again at 3pm, all pissed by home time at 4!
Flower seller at Walthamstow station was really fit
We walked up to Stratford a different way today via Temple Mills for the first time in years and have to say we were quite shocked at this E20 we didn't really know anything about.
Lovely looking apartments, green spaces, clean and with the lovely sunny day it felt like some cosmopolitan European city. Lively, friendly with nice looking bars and cafes. Going to back in the week when it's less crowded to try something to eat there.
Like being on our holidays. In Stratford!
A far cry from when I was at school and we went cycling over Eastway for PE.
Lovely looking apartments, green spaces, clean and with the lovely sunny day it felt like some cosmopolitan European city. Lively, friendly with nice looking bars and cafes. Going to back in the week when it's less crowded to try something to eat there.
Like being on our holidays. In Stratford!
A far cry from when I was at school and we went cycling over Eastway for PE.
Thread resurrection, indirectly resulting from Dennis Waterman’s passing and my googling.
I was born in Essex in ‘63, and raised there. Dad had a job that often based him in the rougher areas of London, and he also seemed to do a bit of buying and selling of clothing.
For me, the still-present bombs sites stand out in my
Memory. I joined the RAF in ‘81, and didn’t really go back to the bombed out areas until the noughties. It took me a while to realise that it all felt different because the bomb sites had all disappeared.
Walking over one of the Thames bridges, looking down, and seeing the thick, grey, polluted water flowing past. Nothing could live in it.
Every historic building was black and dirty.
My nostrils and ears would be coated in particle of gawd knows what. A good wash was needed once I got home.
I’ve not been to London for a few years now. Only three visits since 2009. I only live in suffolk, but I don’t like public transport, driving in London, crowds, and feeling like a foreigner to be ripped off in my own country.
And that’s a shame.
I was born in Essex in ‘63, and raised there. Dad had a job that often based him in the rougher areas of London, and he also seemed to do a bit of buying and selling of clothing.
For me, the still-present bombs sites stand out in my
Memory. I joined the RAF in ‘81, and didn’t really go back to the bombed out areas until the noughties. It took me a while to realise that it all felt different because the bomb sites had all disappeared.
Walking over one of the Thames bridges, looking down, and seeing the thick, grey, polluted water flowing past. Nothing could live in it.
Every historic building was black and dirty.
My nostrils and ears would be coated in particle of gawd knows what. A good wash was needed once I got home.
I’ve not been to London for a few years now. Only three visits since 2009. I only live in suffolk, but I don’t like public transport, driving in London, crowds, and feeling like a foreigner to be ripped off in my own country.
And that’s a shame.
RichB said:
Totally agree Tony, I was born in Ealing in '56 and we would play around bombed out houses and dumped cars! Health and Safety would have a nightmare these days!
In my part of Essex we had no bomb sites, but there were always building site to play on. We found them fascinating, but looking back we never wrecked anything. It was just a playground for us. No fencing to prevent entry, so signs saying “No hi-viz: no job”… Such a different era. 
Sunny in Dubai said:
Lived in Whitechapel and Bow 84-87, drank in Blind Beggar and my favourite just down road was Artichoke run by a guy with two sons ginger hair, and my favourite personality Keith who looked like Frank Carson!
Remember working a Walthamstow 1987 and everyone went to pub next to tube station at 10am for morning pint several at lunch and again at 3pm, all pissed by home time at 4!
Flower seller at Walthamstow station was really fit
The flower seller at Waterloo Station was Buster Edwards, one of the Great Train Robbers.Remember working a Walthamstow 1987 and everyone went to pub next to tube station at 10am for morning pint several at lunch and again at 3pm, all pissed by home time at 4!
Flower seller at Walthamstow station was really fit
I am thoroughly enjoying re watching 'The Sweeney' starting back from series one episode one, hard to believe that its coming up for 50 years since it first aired.
Picking up on some minor details, such as the reference to the 'jago' in S1E1, something that must be lost to the majority of Londoners today.
Picking up on some minor details, such as the reference to the 'jago' in S1E1, something that must be lost to the majority of Londoners today.
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