When We Went Down Hopping, Hopping Down in Kent - 2013
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When we went down Hopping, Hopping down in Kent - 2013 Yet more memories of Hopping down in Kent by residents and staff of Tower Hamlets Community Housing produced to celebrate the 2013 THCH Hop Festival in Cable Street, Shadwell Sponsored by Olli Construction Foreward Once again I am delighted to be writing the Foreward for the THCH souvenir Hop Festival Booklet. I know how much the booklet is enjoyed by its readers every year. As I have said before the THCH Hop Festival in Shadwell is always one of the highlights of the year. Jim Fitzpatrick MP This year is the Seventh at the 2010 THCH Hop Festival Annual Hop Festival; where have all the years gone! It seems like only yesterday, when my predecessor, Mildred Gordon opened Thirza House in 2006 when Mike Tyrrell explained that as part of the development, THCH promised to build a hop garden in the courtyard for not only the new residents of Thirza House but also the blocks in Devonport Street and Cable Street that surrounded the courtyard, and in addition it was to be the venue for an annual Hop Festival. The Hop Festival is such an enjoyable day not only because there is always plenty to eat and drink, or the fact that there is a live band; but because I love to hear the fond memories that East Enders have of the hard work they put in, to earn some welcome money and have a bit of a break in the Kentish countryside. In producing yet another booklet of East Enders photographs and memories of the years that they spent in Kent to add to those that was produced in 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012, THCH have made yet another great contribution to the historical record of East End life and culture. This booklet is really welcome and I hope everyone enjoys reading it as much as I have done. Jim Fitzpatrick MP for Poplar & Limehouse Photos from the 2012 THCH Hop Festival Page 2 of 48 Introduction Today is our seventh Annual Festival and it all started as an idea for residents to get together from all of THCH's estates to have a bit of fun and remember when they spent September hop picking in Kent. It has now become the biggest community event in Shadwell and THCH are proud to be involved with something that brings our residents from Bethnal Green and Shadwell together as well as others from Roger Booth neighbouring estates in Stepney that THCH have built up a warm relationship with over the years. In the 2008 booklet, Mike Tyrrell our Chief Executive explains what hopping was all about. If you would like a copy of that booklet or the follow up booklets from 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012, they are still available, just contact the THCH Community Development team. At each of our festivals we have had an exhibition of old hopping photos and at this year's festival we have an even bigger exhibition. In the week commencing 23rd September 2013, the exhibition will be on show at our offices at 285 Commercial Road, Stepney, London E1 2PS. We are always looking for more photos to add to the exhibition. If you have any you can add to our collection of hop picking photographs please contact Andy Coleborn on 020 7780 3070, and Andy can make an appointment for you to come in so that he can copy the photographs while you wait. The new photographs for this year’s booklet have in the main come from six families and we are very grateful to them: Kitty Tyrrell formerly Outram who lives in Limehouse; the late Kit Ayres, Celia Lacey formerly Doree, Maureen Bardwell formerly Brown, Sally Watt from Shadwell and the late Charlie Cushway. Photos from the 2012 THCH Hop Festival Photos from the 2012 THCH Hop Festival Page 3 of 48 Finally I would like to thank Dean Hollington from Olli Construction who is sponsoring this year’s event. I hope that you enjoy yourselves and that this souvenir booklet helps to remind you not only of the 2013 Hop Festival but also of many years of hard work and good times in the Kentish countryside. Roger Booth Chair, Tower Hamlets Community Housing 4th September 2013 Photos from the 2012 THCH Hop Festival Photos from the 2012 THCH Hop Festival Photos from the 2012 THCH Hop Festival Page 4 of 48 A word from our Sponsors – Olli Construction Olli Construction are proud to be sponsoring the 2013 Hop Festival for the third successive year. Last year’s event was wonderful and I am sure that those who also attended have fond memories of that lovely afternoon. Olli Construction has worked with THCH for nearly twelve years. We are currently carrying out day to day repairs. We are very proud of the work we have carried out over the years and we’re delighted to be asked to sponsor THCH’s flagship community event, as Olli Construction like to make a commitment to the communities in which we work. As I have said before, my own family are from Canning Town, but like most people from that area, they were originally from Stepney and all Dean Hollington of Olli went Hop Picking. I therefore know what hop Construction at the picking means to East Enders and I am very 2012 Hop Festival proud to be involved with THCH’s 2013 Hop Festival. Dean Hollington Managing Director, Olli Construction 4th September 2013 Some of THCH’s Board Members with the Mayor at the 2012 Hop Festival Page 5 of 48 Please note that in all the following photographs all the women are referred to in their single name where known, as is common practice in the East End. Pat & Ron Bromfield with Kath Heath at Greatness Farm, Sevenoaks, Kent. Page 6 of 48 Sally Watt’s Hop Picker’s account book from Jack Thompsett’s Den Farm, Collier Street, Kent in the 1950s Page 7 of 48 Pat Bromfield with Peter & Kath Heath at Greatness Farm, Sevenoaks, Kent. Page 8 of 48 Peg Reardon at Greatness Farm, Sevenoaks, Kent. Page 9 of 48 Boy McGregor, Pat Bromfield & Dennis Yems at Greatness Farm, Sevenoaks, Kent. Page 10 of 48 Dennis Yems and Kath Heath holding Peter at Greatness Farm, Sevenoaks, Kent. Page 11 of 48 Kitty Outram at the water tap, probably at the farm the Potten family from Limehouse went Hopping in Kent, in c1953 with Charlie Outram (1936-2006) in the background. Page 12 of 48 Bill Thomas and his wife Annie, outside their huts near Cranbrook, Kent Page 13 of 48 Tom & Polly Gales, Pete & Kath Heath, George McCarthy and Lil Brain at Greatness Farm, Sevenoaks, Kent Page 14 of 48 At the front of this picture outside the huts at Diamond Place Farm (also known as Honey’s Farm), Nettlestead, Kent, are Kit Webber and her husband Harry Ayres to the left are Kit’s daughters Carol Ayres and Eileen Ayres. At the back are Kit’s Mum, Emmie Rist, and borther-in-law and mum-in-law. Page 15 of 48 Some of the huts at Jack Thompsett’s Farm at Fowl Hall, near Paddock Wood in Kent in 1974. Page 16 of 48 Polly Gales, Sheila, Maureen & Pat Bloomfield, Dennis Yems, Kathleen Heath and the Drew children outside the hop huts at Greatness Farm, Sevenoaks, Kent Page 17 of 48 Julie Mason, Mary Brown, Brenda Brown, Lizzie Gilbey at Hoathleys Farm, Hook Green, near Lamberhurst, Kent. Page 18 of 48 Sarah Watt, Mrs Hopkins, Steven Allen, Ann Allen, Tom, Albert Allen & Sally Watt, now Ellames in the hop gardens at Jack Thompsett’s Den Farm, Collier Street, Kent in c1943. Page 19 of 48 Polly Gales, Kath Heath, Diddy Bloomfield & Family at Greatness Farm, Sevenoaks, Kent. Page 20 of 48 Harry Hales from Stepney inside the huts at common at Jack Thompsett’s Farm at Fowl Hall, near Paddock Wood in Kent in the 1960s. These were corrugated tin huts and to make them more homely hardboard was pit up between the timber supports and then wallpapered. Page 21 of 48 Julie Mason, David Mason and Annie Smith at Hoathleys Farm, Hook Green, near Lamberhurst, Kent. Page 22 of 48 Harry Watt, Tom Shuffle, Mary Shuffle, Sally Watt now Ellames, Julie Callagher, Ada Watt and Sarah Watt, formerly Hitching in the hop gardens at Jack Thompsett’s Den Farm, Collier Street, Kent in the 1950s. Page 23 of 48 This is Maryann Lowry’s, (formerly Murphy) Nan Maggie on the left with her Great Grandmother Maryann in the check shirt in the hop garden. Page 24 of 48 Peggy & Jean Reardon outside the huts at Greatness Farm, Sevenoaks, Kent. Page 25 of 48 Celia & John Doree from Kirks Place, Limehouse at a Hop Farm, near Cranbrook Kent in the early 1950s. Page 26 of 48 Harry Ayres a pole puller in the hop gardens at Diamond Place Farm (also known as Honey’s Farm), Nettlestead, Kent. Page 27 of 48 Polly Gales, Pat Bromfield, Diddy Bloomfield, George Sears, Dennis Yems at Greatness Farm, Sevenoaks, Kent. Page 28 of 48 Teddy Brown, Joe Smith & Terry Collins at Hoathleys Farm, Hook Green, near Lamberhurst, Kent. Page 29 of 48 Harry Watt, Sally Watt now Ellames, Sarah Watt, formerly Hitching holding Terry Ellames in the hop gardens at Jack Thompsett’s Den Farm, Collier Street, Kent in c1957. Page 30 of 48 Polly Gales, Ann Morris, Mrs King, Lil Brain and friends at Greatness Farm, Sevenoaks, Kent. Page 31 of 48 The huts at Den Farm, Collier Street, Kent in 1979 Page 32 of 48 Polly Gales, Diddy Bloomfield, Cissy McCarthy, Nell Yems, Ginny, Violet, Bert & Lil Brain at Greatness Farm, Sevenoaks, Kent.