Morrocan boy ?

[gnasher16 30,186]

On 08/02/2022 at 05:20, FLATTOP said:

I haven’t I don’t visit London much at all these days my cousin helps run the Island History Trust which is a really good organisation which keeps all the past history alive they have a book for sale on their site called Bridgers  Bompers & Boozers by Con Maloney it’s well worth a look, it’s a bit of a trip down memory Lane for me because all the old pubs the Blue bridge kings bridge etc are all mentioned in the book as you probably remember I was brought up on the Island.

When the trust have their next open day I promised my cousin I’d come down for the day so I will definitely check that sculpture out.

Friends Of Island History Trust

WWW.ISLANDHISTORY.CO.UK

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The group formed on the 7th June 2014; following on from the Island History Trust, to continue recording and sharing the History of the Isle of Dogs. To register for...

 

Interesting post that mate nice one.....i have a few copies of a book called Cargoe's and Capers tucked away somewhere i,ll dig one out if you'd like it,im not much of a book reader myself and only got given them by a boxing pal who is on the front cover !.....but yes its a fascinating area full of tradition ok its nothing like it used to be but in my biased opinion has to be one of the most impressive urban transformations in the nations history.....i spent most of the 90's as a Towner but never really got over to the island much beyond some of the pubs where you'd find all manner of skullduggery i remember doing a bit of minding as a teenager for a Jock film director i forget his name now as they were filming a load of scenes for The Long Good Friday at The Watermans Arms......are you old enough to remember The Glass Bridge ?....what a mad structure that was i think it got vandalised beyond repair in the end....the old Docklands Arena a distant memory as well....solid little community back then,good people.

[mackem 26,800]

I lived on the Isle of dogs, 1990 I think?Looked totally different then to how it looked the last time I visited, got locked up in Limehouse police station once, it was quite a colourful area compared to west London where I lived years later,I saw my brothers brother in law get his face striped with a Stanley knife, quite a decent mars bar, which is why he always grew a beard after that, just for having a petty argument. 

[FLATTOP 4,495]

25 minutes ago, gnasher16 said:

Interesting post that mate nice one.....i have a few copies of a book called Cargoe's and Capers tucked away somewhere i,ll dig one out if you'd like it,im not much of a book reader myself and only got given them by a boxing pal who is on the front cover !.....but yes its a fascinating area full of tradition ok its nothing like it used to be but in my biased opinion has to be one of the most impressive urban transformations in the nations history.....i spent most of the 90's as a Towner but never really got over to the island much beyond some of the pubs where you'd find all manner of skullduggery i remember doing a bit of minding as a teenager for a Jock film director i forget his name now as they were filming a load of scenes for The Long Good Friday at The Watermans Arms......are you old enough to remember The Glass Bridge ?....what a mad structure that was i think it got vandalised beyond repair in the end....the old Docklands Arena a distant memory as well....solid little community back then,good people.

I remember the Watermans well amongst all the other great pubs,The Queens what it was known as back then as you entered the Island from the Blue Bridge end, my aunt em, fell out of the pub and died lol sad but funny everyday she used to drink Gold label and Guinness a real East End Character who used to live about 100yds from the pub, they changed the name to the Queen of the Island when they gentrified the place.

I used to live right opposite the Glass Bridge in John McDonald house with my Nan & Grandad who was the Docker, which was right near the George Pub me grandad was a regular singer in there, when the council rehoused us we were moved over the other side of the Bridge Tiller Road/ Alpha Grove area, the bridge was terrible never any glass in it a huge drop into the locks or onto the concrete the lifts never worked it stunk of piss always and was notorious for glue sniffers until they changed the recipe lol, as kids we used to watch the Black watch and the Blenheim Cruise ships come in and new year was great because they all used to blow their horns which deafening as a youngster.

The Docklands arena I remember going to a 18/30 reunion there and it was what only can be described as a modern day orgy lol Gary Glitter was headlining before he got outed for all his noncey goings on .

It was a solid community I haven’t been back in years I keep saying I’m gonna take my son who has an interest in my upbringing on the Island.

Great memories and some bad ones but I wouldn’t change it for anything it makes you what you are.

I would love a copy of the book mate that’s very generous thanks if you let me know postage costs I will send it to you as you prefer, I will send you a PM.

[FLATTOP 4,495]

41 minutes ago, mackem said:

I lived on the Isle of dogs, 1990 I think?Looked totally different then to how it looked the last time I visited, got locked up in Limehouse police station once, it was quite a colourful area compared to west London where I lived years later,I saw my brothers brother in law get his face striped with a Stanley knife, quite a decent mars bar, which is why he always grew a beard after that, just for having a petty argument. 

I lived there in the 70s/80s Limehouse nick with the Opporto pub right next door yep I’ve spent a few uncomfortable nights in there lol the nick not the pub

I moved out when the LDDC started pouring money into it and it became yuppy heaven big phones posh flats own bits of river and all that.

Stanleys were the weapon of choice even back then when I lived there, people did get striped left right and centre but as you know nowadays they skip that and just kill you

I must say you’ve been about a bit. 

[mackem 26,800]

4 minutes ago, FLATTOP said:

I lived there in the 70s/80s Limehouse nick with the Opporto pub right next door yep I’ve spent a few uncomfortable nights in there lol the nick not the pub

Just across from the DLR station, lived on Grenade Street and rich Street, my brother lives in Deptford now, his wife's from canning Town. Poplar was bengali central the last time I was there,the area has totally transformed. 

[FLATTOP 4,495]

4 minutes ago, mackem said:

Just across from the DLR station, lived on Grenade Street and rich Street, my brother lives in Deptford now, his wife's from canning Town. Poplar was bengali central the last time I was there,the area has totally transformed. 

Bloody hell I know Grenade street well my mate used to live just up the road from there in some very old flats there probably gone now, I lived in Sturry street Poplar for a while right opposite the baths & fire station if they still exist.

There was a grammar school called George Greens I used to go to it until they turned it into a comprehensive it was a lovely building styled like a ship on the inside.

And your right about the Asians they’ve got it nailed down there they used to stick to mainly to Aldgate East Watney market area back in the day but that’s another topic well covered on this forum . 

[gnasher16 30,186]

47 minutes ago, mackem said:

Just across from the DLR station, lived on Grenade Street and rich Street, my brother lives in Deptford now, his wife's from canning Town. Poplar was bengali central the last time I was there,the area has totally transformed. 

You say that and yes the docks side of the A13 has changed beyond belief.....but Canning Town,Poplar,Plaistow and suchlike really havent changed much at all.....ok the Olympics tore through Stratford but Barking Rd for instance still looks exactly the same as it did.....someone sent me pictures of the old Royal Oak Pub back years ago with the boxing gym above....and how it is today as a Turkish Restaurant......a lot of these old buildings are Grade 2 so unlikely to change very much and the people,well there was always plenty of tribes the only difference now is East Europeans.....but theres still always been small pockets of strong white communities around there of people who simply couldnt afford to move out.

 

[mackem 26,800]

2 hours ago, gnasher16 said:

You say that and yes the docks side of the A13 has changed beyond belief.....but Canning Town,Poplar,Plaistow and suchlike really havent changed much at all.....ok the Olympics tore through Stratford but Barking Rd for instance still looks exactly the same as it did.....someone sent me pictures of the old Royal Oak Pub back years ago with the boxing gym above....and how it is today as a Turkish Restaurant......a lot of these old buildings are Grade 2 so unlikely to change very much and the people,well there was always plenty of tribes the only difference now is East Europeans.....but theres still always been small pockets of strong white communities around there of people who simply couldnt afford to move out.

 

I will have a walk around the area again one day, good times and memories. 

[Ken's Deputy 4,460]

Derelict London.

[FLATTOP 4,495]

3 hours ago, gnasher16 said:

You say that and yes the docks side of the A13 has changed beyond belief.....but Canning Town,Poplar,Plaistow and suchlike really havent changed much at all.....ok the Olympics tore through Stratford but Barking Rd for instance still looks exactly the same as it did.....someone sent me pictures of the old Royal Oak Pub back years ago with the boxing gym above....and how it is today as a Turkish Restaurant......a lot of these old buildings are Grade 2 so unlikely to change very much and the people,well there was always plenty of tribes the only difference now is East Europeans.....but theres still always been small pockets of strong white communities around there of people who simply couldnt afford to move out.

 

Lovely old pub that was right opposite Rathbone street market used to be a really nice Pie & Mash there, bit of mixed feelings to what it is now really, Wetherspoons would have been perfect as they go for the big buildings.

[gnasher16 30,186]

6 hours ago, FLATTOP said:

Lovely old pub that was right opposite Rathbone street market used to be a really nice Pie & Mash there, bit of mixed feelings to what it is now really, Wetherspoons would have been perfect as they go for the big buildings.

This was upstairs late 70's it was a great combination of rough old boys and spiteful young kids .....its a shame really its been a cash converters,estate agents,now a restaurant........money is creeping into the area now but yes you're right it should go back to being a pub.

 

[FLATTOP 4,495]

5 hours ago, gnasher16 said:

This was upstairs late 70's it was a great combination of rough old boys and spiteful young kids .....its a shame really its been a cash converters,estate agents,now a restaurant........money is creeping into the area now but yes you're right it should go back to being a pub.

 

That’s a very good picture the old teaching the young whose the young lad his face looks familiar ain’t you is it , typical old boy of the time cardigan wrist watch fag hanging out of his mouth.

Didn't Frank Bruno used to train there back in the day ?

[Arry 22,005]

15 hours ago, gnasher16 said:

You say that and yes the docks side of the A13 has changed beyond belief.....but Canning Town,Poplar,Plaistow and suchlike really havent changed much at all.....ok the Olympics tore through Stratford but Barking Rd for instance still looks exactly the same as it did.....someone sent me pictures of the old Royal Oak Pub back years ago with the boxing gym above....and how it is today as a Turkish Restaurant......a lot of these old buildings are Grade 2 so unlikely to change very much and the people,well there was always plenty of tribes the only difference now is East Europeans.....but theres still always been small pockets of strong white communities around there of people who simply couldnt afford to move out.

 

Now I'm not saying it is that Pub but don't half look like it, probably loads like it in London on a corner. It brought a memory back in a flash. Now reckon it was early 80's and I was a little hippy type at the time, would had been up the smoke to see either Frank Zappa at Wembley pool or Crosby, Stills Nash and Young at Wembley. Christ know where we was in town but went into a pub just like that sat at a round table in the middle and decided to have a game of cards. So asked for a deck no problem and sorted 25 cards we needed out from the pack to play a game called Euchre. Well Euchre was played in just about every Pub at the time in the West Country at that time not so much now but still a bit of league. As we started to play we drew a circle of mostly older chaps all around us that started to get a bit stroppy as they thought we was students on a wind up. They had never seen the game so we gave up playing laid the hand on the table an explained how the game worked to get us out of trouble, most went back to the bar. Half a dozen stay and we had a bloody good laugh with them. Funny how things turn out sometimes.

Cheers Arry

[jukel123 8,248]

6 hours ago, gnasher16 said:

This was upstairs late 70's it was a great combination of rough old boys and spiteful young kids .....its a shame really its been a cash converters,estate agents,now a restaurant........money is creeping into the area now but yes you're right it should go back to being a pub.

 

Alan Minter?

[jukel123 8,248]

It's weird how the old boys held power in the pubs and in the workplace. Their opinions were sacrosanct.  The "spiteful" kids also held power because of their  sporadic violence. Now both groups are pretty much redundant.   Big business holds the power now in the form of fast food joints, bookies and massive  car parks. I often wonder about kids sense of self identity nowadays. In the old days we had 'uniforms__ Ben shermans stay press trousers brogues or boots. Kids these days seem to recycle fashions and have no distinct look.

Edited February 10, 2022 by jukel123