East End Memories

AND

OTHER LONDON TALES

OF YESTERDAY AND TODAY

CHARLES S.P. JENKINS

'So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.'

From The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

A series of memories of a childhood spent in the East End of London
(Bethnal Green, Stepney, Whitechapel, Hoxton & Hackney)
together with a number of tales of other areas of London

www.eastend-memories.org

I am grateful to all readers who visit this website and I hope that it will be an enjoyable experience.

If you did enjoy this site, you might also enjoy my other site:

STORIES OF LONDON

stories from the East End to the City ..... from north of the river to the south .....
a series of stories of past and present times

www.Stories-of-London.org

Follow additions to the websites at FACEBOOK

LATEST ADDITIONS TO THIS SITE

CARVE THEIR NAMES WITH PRIDE

VIOLETTE SZABO

ODETTE

WOMEN AT WAR

THE BETHNAL GREEN UNDERGROUND DISASTER

INTRODUCTION

Born within the sound of Bow Bells
and brought up amongst costermongers,
pie ‘n’ mash shops, jellied eels & tailors,
this site is lovingly dedicated to
my parents, Mr. G.
and
to all the other people that I knew
during those years

Within this site, I have endeavoured to offer a collection of stories, photographs and musical clips together with links to other related sites for your pleasure. I would ask that the reader remembers that this presentation consists of personal accounts of my area of the East End and other areas of London. As a result, I cannot always vouch to the strict accuracy of all facts including technical ones. However, I have done my best to be as truthful as possible. Perhaps I am guilty of not always seeing the past as it was. This may well be the case at times, but as far as I can recall, I have been as honest as my memory permits. Please remember that the site is not intended to be a truthful history, but a reflection of what I remember. However, should you feel that I have made an error, gross or minor, please right the wrong by contacting me and your comments and corrections will be included here. Finally, if you have a story to tell or a contribution to make from your own personal memories of London, please feel free to contact me. Perhaps your story can find a home here.

CONTENTS

WHO IS A COCKNEY?

BETHNAL GREEN - THE ROUGH DIAMOND IN THE CROWN

AROUND BETHNAL GREEN

REMEMBERING THE HACKNEY EMPIRE (1948-1956)

PART ONE - THE THEATRE

PART TWO - THE FIRST HALF

PART THREE - THE INTERVAL

PART FOUR - THE SECOND HALF

PART FIVE - THE GREAT CHRISTMAS PRODUCTION - THE PANTOMIME

PART SIX - CONCLUSION

MUSICAL EVENINGS

REMEMBERING THE EXCELSIOR, BETHNAL GREEN

PROLOGUE - THE EXCELSIOR - FROM SIMPLE SOCIAL CENTER & KINO TO CINEMA & SHRINE

PART TWO - THE EXCELSIOR - CONSTRUCTION & HISTORY

PART THREE - THE EXCELSIOR - A PERSONAL TALE

PART FOUR - THE CINEMA IN THE GARAGE & ITS INSPIRATION

- MEMORIES OF THE PREMIER CINEMA, ENFIELD

- THE CINEMA IN THE GARAGE

MEMORIES OF THE EAST END CINEMAS

GOING TO THE PICTURES

EAST END CINEMAS

(including an appeal to save the KENNINGHALL CINEMA on Lower Clapton Road, Hackney)

PICTURE PALACES PHOTO GALLERY

REMEMBERING THE ESSOLDO, BETHNAL GREEN (1948-1956)

PART ONE - HISTORY: FROM CELLULOID TO TRIMMINGS

PART TWO - EARLY DEALINGS

PART THREE - DESPERATE TIMES, DESPERATE MEASURES & 3-D

PART FOUR - CINEMASCOPE - A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO SPECIFICATIONS

PART FIVE - THE ESSOLDO, CINEMASCOPE AND ME

PART SIX - POSTER GALLERY OF ADDITIONAL FILMS SHOWN AT THE ESSOLDO, BETHNAL GREEN

REFLECTIONS FROM READERS

THE EMPRESS, MARE STREET, HACKNEY (1953-1956)

PART ONE - THE BECKONING SIRENS

PART TWO - MAY I HAVE A PENNY, PLEASE?

PART THREE - THE EMPRESS, HACKNEY

PART FOUR - THE JOURNEY TO HACKNEY

PART FIVE - HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE

PART SIX - THE EGYPTIAN & THE RISE OF SOCIALISM

PART SEVEN - CARMEN JONES, PORGY & BESS and CARMEN MUSICAL & PHOTO GALLERY

PART EIGHT- A WHITE FEATHER, A MAN CALLED PETER & A VIRGIN QUEEN

PART NINE - POSTER GALLERY OF FILMS SHOWN ON THE ESSOLDO & GRANADA CIRCUITS

MEDICINE & THE KID FROM LEFT FIELD

CONNECTIONS

AN AMERICAN IN LONDON

THE FILM

JAMES & THE CASE OF THE UNANSWERED QUESTION

READERS' COMMENTS

BUBBA and ZAYDE

TO GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE WE GO - INVITATION TO HIGH TEA

RADIO LUXEMBOURG : 208-ON-THE-DIAL : STATION OF THE STARS

RADIO BEFORE RADIO LUXEMBOURG

208 - RADIO LUXEMBOURG - THE EARLY YEARS

208 - RADIO LUXEMBOURG - THE STATION OF THE STARS

AFTER THOUGHT

THE HISTORY OF THE FOOTBALL POOLS

DRAIN PIPE TROUSERS - ROCK MY SOUL

AFTERMATH

INVITATION TO THE DANCE

SUNDAY MORNINGS IN THE EAST END

SUNDAY NEWSPAPERS, MEETING PARENTS & IRONING

DOWN THE LANE - SPIVS, WIDE BOYS & COSTERMONGERS

SUNDAY MARKETS - BRICK LANE, PETTICOAT LANE - BUYING RECORDS

SUNDAY MORNING MARKETS - COLUMBIA ROAD FLOWER MARKET

SUNDAY MARKETS PHOTO GALLERY

DO YOU BELIEVE IN REINCARNATION?

PETS & CLUB ROW MARKET PHOTO GALLERY

A FEW COLOURFUL CHARACTERS

THE PRINCE

THE PHANTOM

MA'S SECRET

CATARI! CATARI!! - THE POWER OF AN UNGRATEFUL HEART

SEASIDE EXCURSION

A TRIP TO GAMAGES

THE MIRACLE IN HOMERTON

A PLACE LOST & NO LONGER REMEMBERED

PROLOGUE

DAWSON'S - A DEPARTMENT STORE - PAS COMME LES AUTRES

OUT OF THE BLUE – A READER’S MEMORIES OF DAWSON’S

A PERFECT DAY

PART ONE - THE ROAD TO LONDON FIELDS

PART TWO - THE LITTLE RED BUS

PART THREE - THE ROAD TO RIDLEY ROAD

PART FOUR - THE RIDLEY ROAD MARKET

PART FIVE - THE PLAZA DALSTON

PART SIX - AFTERMATH

WOMEN AT WAR

VICTORIA PARK

THE BETHNAL GREEN UNDERGROUND DISASTER

CARVE THEIR NAMES WITH PRIDE

VIOLETTE SZABO

ODETTE

EPILOGUE

I am grateful to all readers who have visited this website and I hope that it has been an enjoyable experience.

LINKS PAGE

Other works by the author:

NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH FAMILY OR FRIENDS

CHAPTER ONE - A GOOD LIFE, A GOOD NAME

to be continued....

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Since this website is still under construction, please return periodically to see the new material uploaded.
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Charles S.P. Jenkins, unless otherwise stated, and must not be reproduced, copied
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Copyright Charles S.P. Jenkins 2009-2012. All rights reserved.

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