How grim was mid 1970's London?
Discussion
NDA said:
P5BNij said:
Isn't that the road where Michael Caine catches a lift on a milk float in 'The Italian Job'?
Pointless factoid.... I used to use the office that was used in the Ipcress File as the bosses office. It was a boardroom, which I sat in many times. Grosvenor Gardens.lockhart flawse said:
NDA said:
P5BNij said:
Isn't that the road where Michael Caine catches a lift on a milk float in 'The Italian Job'?
Pointless factoid.... I used to use the office that was used in the Ipcress File as the bosses office. It was a boardroom, which I sat in many times. Grosvenor Gardens.I spent 71-75 on the Isle of Dogs, first part of my childhood growing up in my uncles pub, fuzzy memories before we moved to Dagenham which was actually nice at the time. I remember my mum taking us into the city a lot as kids, never felt nervous or at risk of trouble, now when I visit Im very aware of how it's changed, tubes a lot more rammed for starters. I spoke to one of my uncles last week, still in Dagenham, fond memories of him telling me about his misspent youth in the east end, some rough blokes he worked with, he never once said anything bad about the conditions, but it was post war era.
lockhart flawse said:
NDA said:
P5BNij said:
Isn't that the road where Michael Caine catches a lift on a milk float in 'The Italian Job'?
Pointless factoid.... I used to use the office that was used in the Ipcress File as the bosses office. It was a boardroom, which I sat in many times. Grosvenor Gardens.It was 20-22 ... I also had the Mews at the back (Grosvenor Gardens Mews North) just off Ebury Street. I was there for 15 years. The Ipcress File bosses office was on the 1st floor at the front - it was completely unchanged when I was there... although in the film, the ground floor was very different being partitioned off.
The Mews was connected through the basement to the front.
early 90s my dad had a garage in limehouse under a bridge, then moved to one under the rail tracks in bow, next to bow court. to me i just remember the whole area being dirty. all the areas around bow, hackey, and between bow/stratford were pretty dirty. anywhere that had garages were grimey.
also remember as a kid going with him to breakers yards in rainham, to me it seemed like endless mile upon mile of breakers yards, like doomsday in terminator.
also remember as a kid going with him to breakers yards in rainham, to me it seemed like endless mile upon mile of breakers yards, like doomsday in terminator.
ambuletz said:
early 90s my dad had a garage in limehouse under a bridge, then moved to one under the rail tracks in bow, next to bow court. to me i just remember the whole area being dirty. all the areas around bow, hackey, and between bow/stratford were pretty dirty. anywhere that had garages were grimey.
also remember as a kid going with him to breakers yards in rainham, to me it seemed like endless mile upon mile of breakers yards, like doomsday in terminator.
That breakers in Rainham was epic, spent many an hour trying to find bits for my MK2 escort and Caprialso remember as a kid going with him to breakers yards in rainham, to me it seemed like endless mile upon mile of breakers yards, like doomsday in terminator.
Fozziebear said:
I spent 71-75 on the Isle of Dogs, first part of my childhood growing up in my uncles pub, fuzzy memories before we moved to Dagenham which was actually nice at the time..
It was probably nice compared to the Isle of Dogs, but let's be honest, it was never Primrose Hill 
TwigtheWonderkid said:
It was probably nice compared to the Isle of Dogs, but let's be honest, it was never Primrose Hill
Don’t have to go too far back for Primrose Hill not to be “prime”:https://www.londonpicturearchive.org.uk/zoom-item?...
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Fozziebear said:
I spent 71-75 on the Isle of Dogs, first part of my childhood growing up in my uncles pub, fuzzy memories before we moved to Dagenham which was actually nice at the time..
It was probably nice compared to the Isle of Dogs, but let's be honest, it was never Primrose Hill 
but yes your right, just looked and The North Pole is now closed 
Fozziebear said:
ambuletz said:
early 90s my dad had a garage in limehouse under a bridge, then moved to one under the rail tracks in bow, next to bow court. to me i just remember the whole area being dirty. all the areas around bow, hackey, and between bow/stratford were pretty dirty. anywhere that had garages were grimey.
also remember as a kid going with him to breakers yards in rainham, to me it seemed like endless mile upon mile of breakers yards, like doomsday in terminator.
That breakers in Rainham was epic, spent many an hour trying to find bits for my MK2 escort and Caprialso remember as a kid going with him to breakers yards in rainham, to me it seemed like endless mile upon mile of breakers yards, like doomsday in terminator.
Funnily enough I was thinking about this thread again a couple of weeks ago when watching 'The Long Good Friday'.
As an illustration of how much has changed since the '70s, I took this photo at Battersea back in December 2021 during a break in shunting our train, behind the hideous new construction is Battersea Power Station, completely hidden from view...
The row of flats on the right beyond the railway boundary were previously occupied by much older flats that featured in the 1971 film 'All Coppers Are', as mentioned way back in thread.
As an illustration of how much has changed since the '70s, I took this photo at Battersea back in December 2021 during a break in shunting our train, behind the hideous new construction is Battersea Power Station, completely hidden from view...
The row of flats on the right beyond the railway boundary were previously occupied by much older flats that featured in the 1971 film 'All Coppers Are', as mentioned way back in thread.
Edited by P5BNij on Wednesday 1st March 13:31
I am only just old enough to remmeber that stuff on the telly in the late 70s but what I do know now is that my father in law moved my wife and the rest of his family down to the Isle of Wight from E13 area because it was so crap. They lived in a two floor maisonette with his parents on the ground floor and the five of them in the two rooms upstairs. He worked at the British Oil and Cake Mills & the docks until there was no work and no prospects. They lived on a holiday camp in a chalet for two years before getting a place here. The grass was certainly greener down here than London at that time. Having said that if they had stayed there and done the old right to buy they would be sat on £350/£400k now .....
Fozziebear said:
I spent 71-75 on the Isle of Dogs, first part of my childhood growing up in my uncles pub, fuzzy memories before we moved to Dagenham which was actually nice at the time. I remember my mum taking us into the city a lot as kids, never felt nervous or at risk of trouble, now when I visit Im very aware of how it's changed, tubes a lot more rammed for starters. I spoke to one of my uncles last week, still in Dagenham, fond memories of him telling me about his misspent youth in the east end, some rough blokes he worked with, he never once said anything bad about the conditions, but it was post war era.
I remember when the only way on and off of the Isle of Dogs was via a swing bridge.I still own a building at Limehouse on the Commercial Rd.
I lived in London until 1972 when aged 13 we moved to South Wales. My strongest impression when I go back to visit is how many people there are now. I just don't recall it ever being that crowded.
I started grammar school in 1970 and used to get the tube every morning from Finchley Central to Victoria - lovely old Northern Line 1938 tube stock. We used to get on at the back carriage and see if we could run the length of the train using the connecting doors between one station and the next - there was literally nobody standing at all even in rush hour. I doubt it's the same nowadays.
Finchley was always considered a leafy suburb (not so much now given that all the front gardens have been concreteds over for extra parking) but areas of London not far into town were still bomb sites. The amount of development is staggering.
I started grammar school in 1970 and used to get the tube every morning from Finchley Central to Victoria - lovely old Northern Line 1938 tube stock. We used to get on at the back carriage and see if we could run the length of the train using the connecting doors between one station and the next - there was literally nobody standing at all even in rush hour. I doubt it's the same nowadays.
Finchley was always considered a leafy suburb (not so much now given that all the front gardens have been concreteds over for extra parking) but areas of London not far into town were still bomb sites. The amount of development is staggering.
Blib said:
I remember when the only way on and off of the Isle of Dogs was via a swing bridge.
I recall in the mid 80s Thames News or whatever it was then interviewed a woman in her mid 70s who had never been off the Isle of Dogs. Not once, in her whole life. It was weird, like one step down from those Japanese soldiers who were still fighting WW2 on some pacific atoll in 1975, and they wouldn't stand down until the TV crew had tracked down their commanding officer and got him to tell them to give it up! 
Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff