Onion ) Volume 3 Issue 03 Spring 2009
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T 0 ast P NEWSLETTER onion_) Volume 3 Issue 03 Spring 2009 /C, C William Whiffin photograph of boys following Poplar Borough Council water cart, 1919 CONTENTS: Editorial Note 2 East End Photographers 5 — William Whiffin 6 Memorial Research 2 Notes and News 9 Obituary — Mary Cable 3 Strange or What!!! 11 Programme Details 4 Bookshelf 13 Bancroft Library Update 5 Mementos of Tower Hamlets - Website 16 ELVIS Newsletter Spring 2009 Editorial Note: MEMORIAL RESEARCH I At the Annual General Meeting, held on 30th October 2008, the following Committee Doreen and Diane Kendall, with Doreen members were re-elected: Philip Mernick, Osborne and other volunteers continue their Chairman, Doreen Kendall, Secretary, Harold work in the Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park Mernick, Membership, David Behr, meticulously researching graves and recording Programme, Ann Sansom, Doreen Osborne, memorial inscriptions. They would welcome and Rosemary Taylor. All queries regarding any help members can offer. Their work has membership should be addressed to Harold grown into a project of enormous proportions Mernick, 42 Campbell Road, Bow, London E3 and complexity, with an impressive database 4DT. of graves researched, with illustrations attached. Enquiries to Doreen Kendall, 20 Puteaux House, Cranbrook Estate, Bethnal Green, Unfortunately, due to pressure of work, London E2 ORF, Tel: 0208 981 7680, or Philip Doreen and Diane cannot undertake any Memick, email: philmernicks com research on behalf of individuals, but would welcome any information that has been Check out the History Society's website at uncovered through personal searches. Meet www.eastIondonhistory.org.uk. them in the Cemetery Park on the 2nd Sunday of every month at 2 pm, where you can Our grateful thanks go to all the contributors receive helpful advice and suggestions on the of this edition of the newsletter, with a special best way to conduct your searches. mention to David Webb, for his fascinating series on East End Photographers. We trust By the time this newsletter goes to print, the our members will enjoy reading it as much as I Cemetery Park Open Day and Woodlands have, whilst compiling the newsletter. Letters Craft Day on Sunday 3"I May will be over, but and articles on East End history and we would appreciate any feedback from those reminiscences are always welcome and we who attended. make every effort to publish suitable material. Whilst hand-written articles are acceptable, items of interest, and any queries can be emailed to Philip Mernick. lrAt f:•/24:t. The Newsletter is edited and typeset by Rosemary Taylor with assistance of Philip Mernick, and an editorial team comprising, Doreen Kendall, David Behr, and Doreen Osborne. N Trust we will have better weather than this! (Membership Secretary photographed on February 2"°) ELHS Newsletter Spring 2009 Obituary Message from John Cable : Mum passed away peacefully on the morning Mary Cable (1939-2009) of Sunday January 25 th at St Raphael's Hospice. Both her children - myself and Juliet We were truly saddened to hear of the death of were there, along with our partners (Cathy and Mary Cable, a stalwart member of the East Bob). As was her husband Ken, who had been London History Society. She regularly there with her all the preceding night. attended the Lectures, and enjoyed the coach outings with the ELHS, seldom missing the The previous Sunday we had a party to opportunity for an excursion. celebrate her 70th birthday. Which was a great success, attended by many of her close friends Mary was very active in the community, and and family - standing room only! She spent did some sterling work for the Ragged School her remaining week in comfort at the hospice, Museum. She was made a Life Member for with no pain. She had been as happy as can be her dedicated years of service when she finally expected, maintaining her sense of humour moved from Stepney. Her other interest was until close to the end. the William Morris Society, where she was an enthusiastic member. Mary taught for many While it is of course very sad to see her go. I'd years at Ben Jonson Primary School in Essian like to remind everyone to remember her as Street Stepney, this was very close to her flat the vibrant and adventurous soul she was. on The Ocean Estate. Mary moved Over the last week or so it has been very from Stepney and lived for several years in uplifting, talking to some of the great variety beautiful Arundle, before moving back to her of friends that she has accumulated throughout flat in the East End. Finally she moved again her life. They have reminded me of what an to Surrey, until her final passing. This was amazingly accomplished woman she was. Not close to The Royal Marsden Hospital where only in the pursuit of her own varied interests, Mary received good care during her illness. from art and design, through architecture to botany and travel - just for the sake of Mary was 70 years old, dying one week after adventure. She has worked hard in support of her birthday. The day before her birthday she charity, principally The Royal Marsden cancer held an open house at her home in Surrey, hospitals, of which she had been a patient. where 40 of her friends and family joined her But also in leaving such a positive - apparently to celebrate her birthday and life, as she knew deep and enduring impression on so many the end was imminent. Mary was in good individuals and families. She will be missed spirits and enjoyed seeing people from various by many. connections of her life and it was a joyous occasion. One of her friends from the East End Muni chose to leave her body to medical contacted as many people who knew Mary research and education. So there will be no from the East End, who now live in many funeral. Eventually her remains will be corners of England and abroad, and everyone cremated and the ashes scattered at the bases sent her a special birthday card. Mary was of two trees: One in London - an apple tree in amazed to think so many old friends and the gardens of the Geffrye museum, which she contacts had remembered her 70th birthday. had planted in remembrance of her parents (Robert and Esther Barker). The other - a She was very active in the Over 50s Youth Pi5hutukawa, which she planted herself (as a Hostel Association and was joined by another large sapling) on our property in New Zealand, East End friend in touring New Zealand in in December 2007. 2008. 3 ELHS Newsletter Spring 2009 East London History Society Programme 2009 Olympic site Thursday 14th May 1009 Since August 2007 we have been recording the construction of the Olympic stadium Open Evening from the one publicly accessible viewpoint (on The Greenway). You can see the images Talking about shops and Trades that on the ELHS web site at: are no more. httn://www.mernick.org.uk/elhs/Stadium/St adium.htma The lectures are held on Thursday evenings at 7.30 pm in the Latimer Congregational Stop Press Church Hall, Ernest Street, El. Ernest Street is between Harford Street and Robert (Bob) Barltrop died on Sunday 26 of Whitehorse Lane, off Mile End Road April. Robert Barltrop who was born in 1922 (Opposite Queen Mary and Westfield wrote a weekly column for The Newham College). The nearest Underground Stations Observer for more than 18 years. From a long are Mile End and Stepney Green. Bus No. line of blacksmiths, his father was a horse 25. fodder dealer, and as a boy Robert used to go all round the East End with him on a horse and Suggestions and ideas for future topics and/or cart, delivering fodder. He was educated at Sir speakers for our Lecture Programme are George Monoux School in Walthamstow and always welcomed. If you can suggest someone served in the R.A.F. during World War Two. or indeed if you would like to give a talk He had been a professional boxer, a labourer, a yourself, please get in touch with David Behr, strip cartoonist, a schoolteacher and a sign- our Programme co-ordinator, either at one of painter – among other things, he said. He our lectures or, alternatively, email our wrote several books The Monument: Story of Chairman Philip Merrick with your comments the Socialist Party of Great Britain (1975), and suggestions. Email: phil@',inernicks.com Jack London: The Man, the Writer, the Rebel (1977), Muvver Tongue with Jim Wolveridge (1980), A Funny Age (Growing up in North East London between the Wars) (1985) and Note from Philip Mernick: Yes Mush: A Cockney Dictionary: The Cockney Language and Its World (2004). Short videos. My attempt with the part of He was married with three grown-up sons Morning Lane, Hackney now under a Tesco (two in the circus and one a policeman), and store was an interesting experiment and the lived in Stratford. offer is still open, although I have to admit I haven't yet finished one for Ernest Street. Google Streets (pretty good cover of Cover picture London) might render the offer redundant William Whiffin photograph of boys but they don't get down all of the back following Poplar Borough Council water cart. streets. Please email your requests to me at Bancroft Road has three different versions of phil(mernicks.com this. For details see page 6. 4 ELI IS Newsletter Spring 2009 PROJECT AND PROPERTY BANCROFT LIBRARY MANAGEMENT CONSULTANCY. Peter is UPDATE - April 2009 already drawing up a short list of suitable conservation architects to specify and Thanks to the continued support of the Leader supervise the works.