How grim was mid 1970's London?
Discussion
Wildcat45 said:
Not just London. I live where the 1980s kids TV show Supergran was filmed. (Tynemouth) It's always been regarded as a nice place, but when you watch reruns it really looks shabby and unkempt, unlike today.
Staying with filming locations, shows from The Sweeney through to The Bill often used a certain style of pre-war flats with walkways in the front of the buildings. I guess it was easier to film the cops turning up at a villain's drum, the Mrs in curlers answering the door and the subsequent foot chase? As well as the Mrs always looking the bleeding same, the flats did too. Was this the same block used in different shows?
And minder, there's one where Pete postlethwaite goes to some flats find his ex wife, grim doesn't come close. It's the same actors in sweeney-minder- professionals, sweeney and the professionals in particular both suffer appalling film and sound quality, being shot on 16mm cameras all on location. Quite often watching the sweeney you have to dive for the remote control to turn it down when the adverts come on, with it being mono sound. Being self employed I catch those three shows a fair bit if I'm at home, seen them all loads of times , but they are all bloody fantastic, and just as entertaining as the day they aired. Staying with filming locations, shows from The Sweeney through to The Bill often used a certain style of pre-war flats with walkways in the front of the buildings. I guess it was easier to film the cops turning up at a villain's drum, the Mrs in curlers answering the door and the subsequent foot chase? As well as the Mrs always looking the bleeding same, the flats did too. Was this the same block used in different shows?
Great episode of minder on the other day, with Arthur running a bookies from some phone boxes (remember them?). Gangs of kids on bmxs swarming round his car. I was explaining to my mates lad how we used to stay out all day on our bikes in the school holidays, he didn't really understand why.
vixen1700 said:
Stratford Centre in 1980, how I remember it.
Got a West Ham rosette from a seller there on Cup Final day five years earlier.
Plus my first single in 1978 from HMV Shop just to the left. Oh Bondage Up Yours!
Lots of derelict factories and whatnot which made great playgrounds.
No hipsters in those days and gentrification were years away. There was an honesty about the area with no pretentiousness. Everybody was really in the same boat (unless you from the DeBouvier or Victoria Park areas who thought they were better than everyone else
).Born in Clapton, raised in Dalston.
Thankyou4calling said:
Robbo 27 said:
Central London was fine, no issues. There were areas where you wouldnt go to if you were white being Tottenham and Brixton there were other areas that you wouldnt go to at all unless you lived there, Shadwell, Poplar, Mile End and loads of others.
There were less drugs than nowadays, more thefts, more fights, more glassings, no lezzies, more hookers on corners, many more widows, not many divorced people, loads of children playing in the streets, food choice was poor, restaurant food was not good at all compared to now, pubs had closing times, people drank fast for a couple of hours, more bribery, a lot of people on the fiddle, nobody ran for fun, you playted football if you were poor and cricket of you were posh.
There were always abandonned factories for film sets and houses being demolished, as there is now.
Not a bad summary. London was a much edgier place then. Interestingly I’d say that it was more violent then than now .There were less drugs than nowadays, more thefts, more fights, more glassings, no lezzies, more hookers on corners, many more widows, not many divorced people, loads of children playing in the streets, food choice was poor, restaurant food was not good at all compared to now, pubs had closing times, people drank fast for a couple of hours, more bribery, a lot of people on the fiddle, nobody ran for fun, you playted football if you were poor and cricket of you were posh.
There were always abandonned factories for film sets and houses being demolished, as there is now.
Edited by Robbo 27 on Monday 6th April 15:48
One of the notable things about the sweeney was how the cops had small time crims as informers. Don’t know if that happens now.
How aggressive the police were. Definitely not now.
How easy it was to drive round. Not now.
And we’re there more guns?
Robbo 27 said:
Eric Mc said:
I first visited London in 1977 and was struck by how dirty and grimy it looked. The main problem was the state of the fine buildings - most of which were covered in 150 years worth of soot and dirt and the after effects of World War 2. From the early 1980s onwards, there was a huge amount of cleaning up on and most of these great buildings now look a lot better than they did 40 years ago.
Good point, I used to travel in to London by train in the early 70s, I can remember going home and seeing soot in my handkerchief when I blew my nose, the air was fithyCool thread.
TCEvo said:
catweasle said:
irocfan said:
Back on topic - Docklands was used as a Vietnam stand-in for some of Full Metal Jacket
Was that Beckton dumps? OT but most (if not all) of FMJ was filmed in the UK - 'Marine' barracks were in Cambs.
TCEvo said:
catweasle said:
irocfan said:
Back on topic - Docklands was used as a Vietnam stand-in for some of Full Metal Jacket
Was that Beckton dumps? OT but most (if not all) of FMJ was filmed in the UK - 'Marine' barracks were in Cambs.
I was born and brought up in Wanstead and also lived in Leytonstone. Wanstead was and still is a bit of a haven but the further you went into East London the rougher it got but obviously some vast changes over the last 40 years.
kuro said:
I was born and brought up in Wanstead and also lived in Leytonstone. Wanstead was and still is a bit of a haven but the further you went into East London the rougher it got but obviously some vast changes over the last 40 years.
Born in and went to school in Leytonstone and now live back there. Got to its lowest point about 20 years ago, when there were real 'no-go' pubs in the High Road and we moved out to Epping and the onto a villiage outside Saffron Walden.
The Red Lion is back to being a cracking boozer where in normal times we'd be in there a few times a week.
Wanstead has always been lovely, The George was our go to pub on a Friday night in the late 80s. Too expensive to live there though.
But we can walk there when we want to.
vixen1700 said:
kuro said:
I was born and brought up in Wanstead and also lived in Leytonstone. Wanstead was and still is a bit of a haven but the further you went into East London the rougher it got but obviously some vast changes over the last 40 years.
Born in and went to school in Leytonstone and now live back there. Got to its lowest point about 20 years ago, when there were real 'no-go' pubs in the High Road and we moved out to Epping and the onto a villiage outside Saffron Walden.
The Red Lion is back to being a cracking boozer where in normal times we'd be in there a few times a week.
Wanstead has always been lovely, The George was our go to pub on a Friday night in the late 80s. Too expensive to live there though.
But we can walk there when we want to.
I remember the red lion, went a few times. The Heathcote on the corner of grove green road was my local as I lived in Richmond Rd.
Brother still lives in Wanstead near the church. It is expensive but even the small 2 bed terraced houses in Leyton and Leytonstone are now selling for stupid money.
Alan Johnson's memoir of his childhood is a very good read.
He grew up in North London, now the site of the Westway. It was pretty grim at times.
This Boy https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0552167010/ref=cm_sw_r...
It isn't political, for those who might be concerned.
He grew up in North London, now the site of the Westway. It was pretty grim at times.
This Boy https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0552167010/ref=cm_sw_r...
It isn't political, for those who might be concerned.
I remember Liverpool in the early 80s being noticeably run-down, even as a child visiting my grandparents. Burned out buildings, fenced off derelict sites, broken windows, litter, graffiti seemingly everywhere. Horrible concrete buildings that werent old, but grim.
We lived in suburban St Helens, which was hardly beautiful, but it was in a better state at the time.
My grandad (an Urban Explorer when it was still known as "trespassing" - he also, in his 70s, went from Walton to watch the Toxteth riots! I'm not sure what he told my grandma) took me to see the garden festival grounds being built. One of Heseltine's projects that kicked off a lot of regeneration.
I went along the Liverpool Dock Road about 20 years ago and it was like something from the Sweeney. Dodgy and grim. My ancestors worked there in the late 1800s/pre WW2 era.
Manchester was quite run down too.
We lived in suburban St Helens, which was hardly beautiful, but it was in a better state at the time.
My grandad (an Urban Explorer when it was still known as "trespassing" - he also, in his 70s, went from Walton to watch the Toxteth riots! I'm not sure what he told my grandma) took me to see the garden festival grounds being built. One of Heseltine's projects that kicked off a lot of regeneration.
I went along the Liverpool Dock Road about 20 years ago and it was like something from the Sweeney. Dodgy and grim. My ancestors worked there in the late 1800s/pre WW2 era.
Manchester was quite run down too.
Edited by MC Bodge on Monday 6th April 23:38
kuro said:
Small world, I ended up moving to loughton in 2002 and then down to Devon.
I remember the red lion, went a few times. The Heathcote on the corner of grove green road was my local as I lived in Richmond Rd.
Brother still lives in Wanstead near the church. It is expensive but even the small 2 bed terraced houses in Leyton and Leytonstone are now selling for stupid money.
The Heathcote got quite a refurb about three years ago, it's now the Heathcote and Star. Went there for the opening night but never really warmed to it. Something not right about ping-pong tables in pubs. I remember the red lion, went a few times. The Heathcote on the corner of grove green road was my local as I lived in Richmond Rd.
Brother still lives in Wanstead near the church. It is expensive but even the small 2 bed terraced houses in Leyton and Leytonstone are now selling for stupid money.
The Northcote is now a lovely little pub from the dingey place it was twenty years ago. Harry Northcote the pub cat who sits on the bar has his own Facebook page.
Saw Glen Matlock with Earl Slick upstairs at the Red Lion at the end February, cracking night.
I always think of 60s London in terms of black and white!
Then in 1972 my Dad bought a used car from a bomb-site car lot on the Balham/Tooting borders in 1972 and there was finally some colour, but still plenty of dereliction.
In 1977 my best school mate got a place at South Bank Poly (now a Uni) and was sharing a flat in Tulse Hill. I visited that area quite a few times, but it really was grim.
Then again parking in the street wasn't a problem!
Then in 1972 my Dad bought a used car from a bomb-site car lot on the Balham/Tooting borders in 1972 and there was finally some colour, but still plenty of dereliction.
In 1977 my best school mate got a place at South Bank Poly (now a Uni) and was sharing a flat in Tulse Hill. I visited that area quite a few times, but it really was grim.
Then again parking in the street wasn't a problem!
MC Bodge said:
Alan Johnson's memoir of his childhood is a very good read.
He grew up in North London, now the site of the Westway. It was pretty grim at times.
This Boy https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0552167010/ref=cm_sw_r...
It isn't political, for those who might be concerned.
Thanks for reminding me. I've always meant to read that. He grew up in North London, now the site of the Westway. It was pretty grim at times.
This Boy https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0552167010/ref=cm_sw_r...
It isn't political, for those who might be concerned.
AC43 said:
MC Bodge said:
Alan Johnson's memoir of his childhood is a very good read.
He grew up in North London, now the site of the Westway. It was pretty grim at times.
This Boy https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0552167010/ref=cm_sw_r...
It isn't political, for those who might be concerned.
Thanks for reminding me. I've always meant to read that. He grew up in North London, now the site of the Westway. It was pretty grim at times.
This Boy https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0552167010/ref=cm_sw_r...
It isn't political, for those who might be concerned.
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