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Carnival, Racist Deportations & more Naked Cyclists – 2009

Carnival, Racist Deportations & more Naked Cyclists: I began work on Saturday 13 June 2009 photographing a carnival procession in Carshalton in the south of London, travelled to Islington in north London for a protest against Britain’s racist and inhuman immigration policies and finally covered the uncovered cyclists taking part in the 2009 London World Naked Bike Ride, photographing the preparations in Hyde Park ad the start of the ride there and then on the ride at Waterloo and in the West End.

Carshalton Carnival Procession – St Helier – Carshalton

Carnival, Racist Deportations & more Naked Cyclists - 2009 — *Sutton’s May Queen 2009 came to look at my cameras*

My account of this event on My London Diary begins with a slightly unkind description “of the St Helier estate, a huge sprawling area built by the LCC 1930 to a kind of debased Garden City plan almost entirely without the charm of those earlier developments on what had previously mainly been the lavender fields of Mitcham.”

The procession began next to the “St Helier Hospital [built] in the modern style of the 30s, facing the imaginatively named St Helier Open Space” outside the Sutton Arena leisure centre and as usual I found the more interesting pictures were those I took there rather than on long procession to Carshalton where it was to end at a fair in Carshalton Park.

I’d come to the carnival largely because I was then working on a project on London’s May Queens, with several groups of them from across south London taking part in the procession, along with various other local organisations. And a Dalek and others in fancy dress.

The Rotary had brought their Father Christmas coming out unseasonably from the chimney of a small four-wheeled house towed behind a car at the rear of the procession. He’d been there too when I photographed the carnival previously in 2004.

It was a long an hot trek to Carshalton from St Helier, and the procession paused at Carshalton College for a break. I’d walked enough and made my way to the station missing the rest of the event and the funfair in Carshalton Park.

Carshalton Carnival Procession.

Speak out against Racism and Deportations – Angel, Islington

Britain’s major political parties at the prompting of our mainstream press have long promoted myths about migrants and asylum seekers, the more rabid of our tabloids in particular promoting the views of clearly racist columnists who publish stories about them getting homes and huge benefits, depriving the working class of housing, pushing down wages, taking “our jobs“, making it impossible to see doctors and more.

Nothing could of course be further from the truth. It’s the greed of the wealthy and government policies that have led to these problems – and without the migrants we would be in a considerably worse position. It’s something that is glaringly obvious when we need to make use of the NHS which would have collapsed entirely without them, but also in other areas. Demonising migrants is a deliberate policy divert public attention and anger away from the real problem of our class-based society. Divide and rule by our rulers,

Most of those who settle here from abroad want nothing more than to work and contribute to our society, though we make it hard for many of them to do so. They want a better life, particularly for their children and often work long hours for it. Migrant workers who clean offices are often more qualified than those who work in them – but their qualifications are not recognised here, and asylum seekers are unable to work except in the illegal economy.

Some facts:

Over a quarter of NHS doctors were born abroad (and others are the sons and daughters of migrants);
Immigrants are 60% less likely to claim benefits than people born in Britain;
Studies sho immigration has no significant effect on overall employment, or on unemployment of those born in Britain.

This campaigning protest in a busy shopping area outside one of London’s busier Underground Stations was organised by the Revolutionary Communist Group and was also part of a campaign by the Suarez family to prevent the deportation of John Freddy Suarez Santander, a 21 year-old father with a 3 year-old son. He came here from Colombia when he was six and grew up here. As a teenager he committed an offence and served 7 months in a young offenders institution.

Two years after he had served his sentence, the New Labour government passed a law to deport all immigrants with a criminal record, and an order was made for him to be sent back to Colombia, where he has no remaining relatives. His case in 2009 was still being considered at the European Court of Human Rights. The ECHR generally asserts that juvenile offences should not be seen as a part of a criminal record, but the Home Office decided the month before this protest to deport him anyway, and this was only stopped by his family going to the airport.

Speak out against Racism & Deportations

World Naked Bike Ride – London

I’ve written rather often about this event, intended as a protest against the domination of our lives by ‘car culture’ which has resulted in our towns and cities and transport networks being designed around the priorities of motorists and road transport rather than us as pedestrians and cyclists – and to serve the interests of the companies that make cars and lorries. And it has resulted in illegal levels of pollution causing massive health problems.

Although it’s certainly an eye-catching event, it isn’t always very clear why it is taking place to those standing on the pavements, gazint at it in amazement, laughing and recording it on their phones. It’s probably good for our tourist industry, though I rather think London has too many tourists anyway, particularly as I struggle to walk over Westminster Bridge.

Heres one paragraph of what I wrote in 2009 – you can read the rest on My London Diary.

Some riders did have slogans on their bodies, mainly about oil and traffic, and some bikes carried A4 posters reading REAL RIGHTS FOR BIKE and CELEBRATE BODY FREEDOM or had flags stating ‘CURB CAR CULTURE’ which made clear the purpose of the event to the careful onlooker, but for most people it seemed simply a spectacle of naked or near-naked bodies. Though of course also a rare treat for any bicycle spotters among them.

I didn’t censor the pictures I put on line from the event though I’ve carefully selected those in this post. I think that there is nothing offensive about the naked human body but I included the following statement with the link to more pictures I posted then and which you can still see online.

Warning: these pictures show men and women with no clothes on. Do not click this link to more pictures if pictures of the naked human body may offend you.

Many more pictures at World Naked Bike Ride – London.

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London’s Canal Walk: 2007

London’s Canal Walk: On Saturday 26th May 2007 I walked across London together with my wife and older son on canal towpaths from Mile End in the east to Old Oak Lane in the west, from where we made the short walk to Willesden Junction for a train towards home.

I’d walked and cycled along many shorter sections of these canals before, but this was the first time I’d done the whole roughly 12 miles in a single stretch. Most of the way we kept to the towpaths, but there are two tunnels around which we had to detour on roads, and a few places where walking along a road was more convenient than using the tow path, particularly around Little Venice.

Probably the definitive book on English canals was written by a photographer, Eric de Maré, (1910 – 2002), one of a now largely forgotten generation of British photographers, and illustrated with many of his fine photographs, as well as some by others. He was one of the finest architectural photographers of the mid-20th century and also someone whose popular Penguin book ‘Photography’ published in 1957 introduced many of us to the history, techniques and aesthetics of the medium. Others since have looked better on the coffee table but have lacked his insight.

de Maré and his first wife lived on a canal boat for some years and travelled around 600 miles along them while writing and taking the pictures for the book ‘The Canals of England’ published by Architectural Press in 1950 which remains the definitive publication on our canals, though in some obvious ways outdated. The canals – which had played an important part in the war effort – had been nationalised under the National Transport Act on 1st January 1948 and part of the book is an impassioned plea for the UK’s transport policies to be revised to update the system and make fuller use of our great canal heritage.

But of course that didn’t happen, thanks to huge road transport lobby, and instead of canals similar to some in the continent we got motorways. The canals were encouraged to bring commercial traffic to an end, and with a few isolated examples most was finished by 1970 with the canals being given over to leisure use.

Not that de Maré was against leisure use and his work actively promoted this for many of England’s narrow and more rural canals as well as making an argument based on the commercial possibilities of schemes such as the ‘Cross or Four River Scheme’ proposed earlier by a 1906 Royal Commission for wide high volume commercial canals linking Bristol, Hull, Liverpool and London with the Midlands cities of Birmingham, Nottingham and Leicester.

The book came out in a second edition in 1987 and copies of both are available reasonably priced secondhand – my copy of the first edition with a handwritten dedication from de Maré was at some point marked by a bookseller’s pencil for 6d but I think I paid just a little more. I can find no individual website showing more than a small handful of his pictures – though you can see many by searching for his images online.

It’s still interesting to walk along by the canals in London, and easy to do in smaller sections – or to add a little at either end should you want to and perhaps walk from Limehouse to Southall or Brentford. I didn’t write much about the walk in 2007, but I’ll end with what I did write back then – with the usual corrections.

On Saturday I accompanied Linda and Sam on a walk along some of London’s canals, from Mile End on the Regent’s Canal and along that to join the Grand Union Paddington Branch at ‘Little Venice’, and west on that to Willesden Junction.

When I first walked along the Regents Canal I had to climb over gates and fences to access most of it. The towpath was closed to install high voltage lines below it, but even the parts that were still theoretically open were often hard to find and gates were often locked. The public were perhaps tolerated, but not encouraged to walk along them.

Now everybody walks along them and there are those heritage direction posts and information boards that I’ve rather come to hate. And from this weekend, you no longer even theoretically need a licence to cycle the paths – though mine is still in my wallet, several years since I was last asked to show it.

Now, as walkers, the constant cycle traffic on some sections has become a nuisance. And although most cyclists obey the rules, riding carefully, ringing bells and where necessary giving way, we did have to jump for safety as one group chased madly after each other, racing with total disregard for safety.

But for the rain – the occasional shower at first, later settling in to a dense fine constant downpour, it would have been a pleasant walk.

Many more pictures on My London Diary

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Jobs, Services, Education, Yemen, Rev Billy, Police Violence – 2009

Jobs, Services, Education, Yemen, Rev Billy, Police Violence: Saturday 23 May 2009 was another busy day for protests in London. I began with the March to Defend Jobs, Services and Education in North London, moved to Whitehall for a protest by Southern Yemenis calling for independence and met the The Reverend Billy and his ‘Life After Shopping’ Gospel choir for a performance in front of the gates of Downing St. Later I met the Rev again on a march against police violence prompted by the killing of Ian Tomlinson by a police officer at he G20 protest at the start of the month.

March to Defend Jobs, Services and Education – Highbury Fields to Archway

Jobs, Services, Education, Yemen, Rev Billy, Police Violence - 2009

The march by around 500 workers in Islington from Highbury Fields to Archway followed the loss of 1500 jobs in the area, including 550 mainly support workers from London Metropolitan University, 500 civil servants from Archway tower and more at City University, where adult education is under threat.

It was supported by many local groups including the Islington National Union of Teachers, the Public & Commercial Services Union, London Metropolitan University Unison and the University and College Union. Among the speakers at the Archway rally were local MP Jeremy Corbyn and local trade union leaders.

Education in the area has been particularly important in giving people who have missed out in various ways in their schooling a chance to gain qualifications, and the cuts threaten the future of many of these courses as well as the support such as nurseries which enable many mature students to continue education. Islington has the highest population density of any local authority in England and Wales and a third of its residents live in poverty – well above the London average.

March to Defend Jobs, Services & Education

Southern Yemenis Demonstrate For a Separate State – Downing St, Whitehall

Southern Yemenis from the Southern Democratic Assembly (TAJ), based in London came to protest following protests in Aden the previous week on the 15th anniversary of the attempt by Southern Yemen to break away from the North which began the 1994 Civil War, a short but brutal conflict which ended in July 1994 with defeat for the South.

Southern Yemen, until 1967 the British protectorate of Aden, was granted independence and in 1969 became the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen. Although a decision to unite with North Yemen – the Yemen Arab Republic – was made in principle in 1972 this only happened in 1990 when the Republic of Yemen was formed. South Yemen contains most of the reserves of oil and other resources and TAJ accuse the government of grabbing land and property and of human rights abuses.

Since 2004 the rise of the Houthis has dominated politics and armed conflict in Yemen with a full-scale civil war between them and a Saudi-led coalition backed by the US and the west since 2015.

Southern Yemenis Demonstrate

Rev Billy Performs at Downing St

*“Officer, I can see you have a shopping problem”*

The Reverend Billy and his ‘Life After Shopping’ Gospel choir from New York were busy in London today on their 2009 UK Shopocalypse Tour.

Police obviously had no idea of how to handle the Reverend and his green-robed choir when the came and gave a brief performance on the pavement in front of the tall gates with their armed guards.

As I wrote, ‘The Church of Life After Shopping believes that we need to “back away from the product” and resist the way that advertising and the media persuade us to live only thorough consuming corporate products, and get down to experiencing life directly. We can live more by consuming less – and at the same time help save the planet and put an end to climate change, which is a result of our excessive consumption. ‘

Consumerism is at the root of our government’s economic programme with its emphasis on growth but this comes at the expense of both personal fulfilment and the future of the planet, driving catastrophic climate change as we pursue this false God.

“As Billy says, following the G20 summit and the pathetic waste and greed shown in the continuing parliamentary allowances scandal, our government and MPs are clearly in need of the Life After Shopping Gospel.

Amen indeed brother!”

Rev Billy Performs at Downing St

National Demonstration against Police Violence
Trafalgar Square to New Scotland Yard

The United Campaign Against Police Violence was set up after the G20 protest at Bank in London where Ian Tomlinson died following an assault by a police officer as he tried to make his way home from work through the area where the demonstration was taking place.

*Who Killed Ian Tomlinson? And Sean Rigg?*

Thee organisers included trade unionists and activists who had organised the G20 protest and campaigners against police violence, particularly those involved with the United Families and Friends Campaign by friends and the families of people who have died in police custody. Among those taking part were the families of two men who died in Brixton Police Station, Ricky Bishop and Sean Rigg.

In all these killings the police reaction to the deaths was to issue a number of highly misleading statements and to try to protect its officers by failing to make proper and timely investigations. This march attracted far more police attention and resources than any of these deaths where families have had to fight to get any information from police.

Leading the start of the march was a coffin and the red ‘Horse of the Apocalypse’ one of the four which headed the G20 protests – and gave the clear message at that protest that the intention was street theatre rather than the kind of insurrection that the police anticipated and then went on to themselves create.

Sean Rigg’s two sisters were on the march and making their views felt, and the Rev Billy came with his giant non-powered megaphone.

At Scotland Yard the mood became more solemn for a period of silence for those who had died and people linked hands to surround New Scotland Yard in a symbolic “kettle”.

Chis Knight spoke with Sean Rigg’s sisters on each side of him. A police officer stands impassive as people prepared to release black balloons in memory of the dead.

The mood was somber, solemn as we remembered those who have died. Suddenly the whole mood changes as an officer reads out a warning from her chief over the loudspeakers interrupting the ceremony.

For a few moments an angry crowd looks likely to attack the van – and it did seem an incredibly provocative action in what to this point had been a well ordered and restrained – although angry – demonstration against police violence.

Fortunately the moment passes and the release of balloons continues. It’s impossible to understand why police took this action at this time – unless they really wanted to provoke a riot. I can find no other explanation and it remains another of the many actions that has resulted in a loss of public confidence in the police as we drift relentlessly towards a police state.

Many more pictures from the protest on My London Diary at Demonstration against Police Violence.

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Crouch End & Upper Holloway – 1989

The final post on my walk on Sunday 19th November 1989 which had begun in Highgate. You can read the previous part at A Reservoir, Flats, a Cockerel and a Café.

Gateway, Albert Mansions, Crouch Hill, Crouch End, Islington, Haringey, 1989 89-11i-61 — *Gateway, Albert Mansions, Crouch Hill, Crouch End, Haringey, 1989 89-11i-61*

I walked down Haslemere Road and then turned down Vicarage Path, following this to Crouch Hill.

Albert Mansions, described by various estate agents as “a hidden gem in Crouch Hill” dates from 1903. Although the driveway is clearly marked ‘PRIVATE residents only‘, Vicarage Path goes past the building and emerges at the side of the left gatepost in my photograph. I clearly found this gateway more interesting than the actual mansion building where three and four bedroom leashold flats now sell for approaching a million.

House, Heathville Rd, Highcroft Rd, Crouch End, Islington, 1989 89-11i-64 — *House, Heathville Rd, 6, Highcroft Rd, Crouch End, Islington, 1989 89-11i-64*

I walked down Crouch Hill and turned west down Ashley Rd. When I reached Highcroft Road I saw an interesting roof a short distance down and walked up to take this picture. Taken from just across the street it rather fails to show clearly the pyramidal cap to the roof, which is more evident in the previous frame (not on-line) taken of the row along this side of the street. But does give a good idea of the architectural detailing, including a fancily written date which I can’t quite read but is perhaps 1897 or 9 and a rather striking head – I wondered who was the model for this intense face. I’m rather suprised that this building does not appear to be locally listed

*House, Highcroft Rd, Crouch End, Islington, 1989 89-11i-65*

This locally listed house at 3 Highcroft Road was built in 1875 as the vicarage to St Mary’s Church opposite, and has rather fine porch with a somewhat ecclesiastical look. Like many of the large vicarages provided for Victorian clerics who were expected to have large families and servants I imagine it was sold off some years before I made the picture.

*Houses, Hornsey Rise, Upper Holloway, Islington, 1989 89-11i-66*

I returned to Ashley Road, walking past St Mary’s church without photographing it. Most of our Anglican churches seem to have been photographed time after time from the Victorian period on, not least because many vicars with time on their hands took up photography as a hobby. I seldom chose to add to the multitude.

There is a line of similar fine houses between Ashley Road and Shaftestbury Road, at 2-20 facing Elthorne Park, but I chose to photograph these because of the wall with its sculptures and irorwork in front of what I think was 6 Hornsey Rise. The wall and ironwork are still there but the figures next to the pavement have long gone. At the right of the picture you can see the Shaftesbury Tavern.

*House, Hornsey Rise, Upper Holloway, Islington, 1989 89-11i-53*

Hornsey Rise was developed from 1848, although it only got the name almost 40 years later replaceing the different names of various short lengths such as this. This picture gives a closer view of one of the two ornamental gates and the house , with the doorway to number 4 at the right of the image.

*The Shaftesbury Tavern, Shaftesbury Rd, Hornsey Rise, Upper Holloway, Islington, 1989 89-11i-54*

This pub at 534 is the last building on Hornsey Road, which becomes Hornsey Rise beyond Shaftesbury Rd. According to its local listing it “was built in 1858, by speculative builder Thomas Beall, as the area around it began to be developed. It is a handsome well-preserved building with contrasting brickwork in red and London stock, and pilasters and arches at the upper storey level. “

I choose to photograph not the main pub building but its “1897 addition” on Shaftesbury Rd. However CAMRA states that the pub itself was built “in 1897 with rich wood and glasswork, so typical of the golden age of pub-building.” Looking at the pub exterior I am inclined to believe them and the current building probably replaced or significantly altered Beall’s. As they also state, “The pub was restored in 2014 from a ‘very tired’ state by the small pub chain Remarkable Restaurants Ltd“.

*Shops, Fairbridge Rd, Hornsey Rd, Upper Holloway, Islington, 1989 89-11i-55*

I continued walking down Hornsey Road I photographed this handsome late Victorian building at 471 Hornsey Rd on the corner with Fairbridge Road. Then it was a timber merchant with T C TIMBER on the first floor corner blind window and a rather jaunty-looking painted figure of a town crier in ancient dress looking like a poor piece of advertising clip-art in that above it on the second floor. The shop is now Hornsey Carpets and that figure now looks very washed out and on the first floor is some strange image I make no sense of.

*Kokayi, Supplementary School, Hanley Rd, Upper Holloway, Islington, 1989 89-11i-56*

Further down Hornsey Road I went down Hanley Road where I photographed the doorway of the Kokayi Supplementary School. A charity of this name was later registered in 1997 “To advance the education of children and young people particularly children and young people of African and Afro-Caribbean descent by the provision of a supplementary school: By the provision of advice and guidance in matters concerning their education and career development; And by such other charitable ways as the charity through its trustees may from time to time decide.” The charity was removed in 2014 as it had ceased to function.

I was at the end of my walk and made my way to Finsbury Park Station. It was several weeks before I was able to go out and take photographs again.

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A Reservoir, Flats, a Cockerel and a Café

A Reservoir, Flats, a Cockerel and a Café: More from my walk in Highgate on Sunday 19th November. You can read the previous part at Churches, Flats, Houses & a Pineapple – Highgate 1989

*New River Company, Reservoir, Engine House, Hornsey Lane, Haringey, 1989 89-11h-43*

Beyond these large red-brick buildings that line the north side of Hornsey Lane is the grass covered reservoir built by the New River Company and just beyond that across Tile Kiln Lane is their Engine House dating from around 1859. Now called the Pump House the site includes the base of a large chimney for a steam-driven pump. This reservoir and pump and others in the area became necessary as higher areas in Hampstead and Highgate were developed. The locally listed building has more recently been converted to residential use.

*Northwood Hall, Flats, Hornsey Lane, 89-11h-35*

A few yards further east I crossed the Archway Bridge, where perhaps surprisingly I didn’t take any pictures of the view down the road. I did take three photographs of one of the ornamental lamposts but haven’t digitised any of these. The two at the east end seem rather similar to some of those on the Thames embankment with entwined fish swimming around them. About 5 years ago the fairly low ornamental fence on each side of the bridge has been augmented with a tall metal fence to prevent people jumping to their death on the road below.

Further east of the bridge is Northwood Hall, an art deco block built as “ultra modern labour-saving” luxury flats in 1935 and designed in a cross shape by George Edward Bright who had earlier worked as an assistant to Herbert Baker, Edwin Lutyens and Guy Dawber. The almost 200 flats were set in extensive gardens with “a restaurant for residents, guest rooms and outdoor amenities including a tennis court. Indoors, there were uniformed porters available 24/7 and an optional maids’ service charged at hourly rates. In kitchens, double door cupboards opening onto the corridors were used to provide additional services including rubbish collection, shoe cleaning and delivery of papers, food and even cooked meals.”

Sat on a hill overlooking London the residents on all but its ground floor have extensive views across London ‘on a clear day as far as Crystal Palace‘ and the building is a landmark visible from much of north London.

*Cockerel, Bronze, John Willaas, Ashmount Primary School, Hornsey Lane, Crouch End, Islington, 1989 89-11h-24*

This sculpture was commission by and paid for by the architect of the LCC’s Ashmount School, H.T. Cadbury-Brown. Built in 1954-6 it was an important early example of an all-glass curtain wall construction.
The cockerel now stands on top of the wall outside the Whitehall Park School, built on part of the Ashmount site with the rest being used for housing.

*Crouch End Hill, Crouch End, Haringey, 1989 89-11h-13*

Advertising for Nautilus Fitness and Tree Surgery on Crouch End Hill, immediately south of the former Crouch End Station – where the old track is now the Parkland Walk. I wondered what the large letters BSG on the wall stood for but could come up with no sensible solution. I think the picture is looking down Stroud Green Road.

Crescent Cafe, Crouch End Hill, Crouch End, Haringey, 1989 89-11h-15 — *Crescent Café, Crouch End Hill, Crouch End, Haringey, 1989 89-11h-15*

The Crescent Café was in part of the former Crouch End Station buildings. A Cafe continues here – with a name change to Sercem Cafe for a couple of years before going back to being Crescent Cafe again until around 2021-2 and is now Merro. The station probably dates from when the line opened in 1867; the station closed in 1954 but goods traffic along the line continued until 1970.

The Café was closed on the Sunday I took this picture. At right you can see one of the tall brick pillars on top a a curved wall that go beside and across the bridge across the former railway. I’d photographed the cafe and these twelve years earlier but hadn’t put the wall picture online.

*Monkridge, Crouch End Hill, Crouch End, Haringey, 1989 89-11h-16*

I turned north up Crouch End Hill and photographed another mansion block, Monkridge, just a few yards further on. This was apparently built between 1912 and 1935 with around 40 flats and a lower building. The two blocks are very similar in design with this being slightly large actually on Crouch End Hill and the other behind on Haslemere Road.

The final post on this walk will follow shortly.

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Crackers & Paper Hats

Crackers & Paper Hats: A Happy Christmas to you all.

Perhaps this is not the most obvious of Christmas pictures, but if you’ve pulled a cracker and put on a paper hat you have enjoyed the legacy of Tom Smith, whose wife and company are remembered in this memorial.

*Martha Smith Memorial Water Fountain, Finsbury Square, Finsbury, Islington, 1992, 92-10e-33*

This water fountain states it was ‘Erected and presented to the Parish of St Luke by Thomas and Walter Smith (Tom Smith and Co) to commemorate the life of their mother, Martha Smith, 1826 – 1898.’

Thomas J Smith (1823-1869) invented the Christmas Cracker in 1847 and the company made enough from their sales and the paper crowns introduced into them by his son Walter to move to premises in Finsbury Square where they remained until 1953. The fountain dedicated to their mother was erected by Thomas’s sons Tom and Walter in 1898.

You can still buy Tom Smith crackers both in the UK and the USA and the company has “been the proud holder of a Royal Warrant to The Monarch since 1906” – including our current king, and you can view their catalogue online which also includes gift wrap, display units and tags, gift bags and cards. You can get some of them from various charities in boxes of six at around a pound a cracker as well as in various shops. However I suspect those they produce to be pulled around the royal Christmas dinner table are considerably more expensive.

On another site you can read a fairly detailed story of how the cracker came about – and my short summary based on this and Wikipedia.

Tom Smith began work as a small boy in a “a bakers and ornamental confectioners shop in London, selling sweets such as fondants, pralines and gum pastilles” and enjoyed making new “new, more exciting and less crude designs in his spare time.“

In his teens he set up his own shop in Goswell Road, Clerkenwell selling wedding cake ornaments and confectionery and on a trip to Paris in search of novel ideas in 1840 found the ‘bonbon‘, a sugared almond wrapper in a twist of tissue paper, and he began making and selling these in London. He had the idea of increasing sales by adding love messages in the wrappers.

Chemist Edward Charles Howard had discovered silver fulminate in 1800 and in 1802 Luigi Valentino Brugnatelli found a “a safe way of using it in amusements and for practical jokes.” I think schoolboys made use of it ever since (as I did) to put a trace on schoolmasters chalks to make a small explosion when they write on the board. I imagine whiteboard markers have made this obsolete.

Again according to Wikipedia, Smith bought the design and formula for the “snap” in his crackers from a chemist called Tom Brown who had worked for the Brocks Fireworks company. Smith added these to the now rather larger bonbons and sold them first as ‘Bangs of Expectation‘, later as “Cosaque (French for Cossack)”, but they became known popularly as ‘crackers’.

It was his son Walter, who took over the business after his father’s death in 1869 who first produced the cracker as we know it now, adding trinkets and paper hats, and these enjoyed a huge success, enabling him to move the business to much larger premises near this monument in Finsbury Square. In the 1890s it had 2000 employees and it remained there until 1953 when the company merged with Caley Crackers, then owned by toffee manufacturer John Mackintosh & Sons Ltd. The new joint company operated under the name of Tom Smith’s.

The picture to the memorial which celebrates both Walter’s mother and father is one of over 35,000 pictures, mainly of London, though also some of Paris, Hull and elsewhere. You can search the collection to find pictures of particular interest or browse the albums. As always, comments there are welcome on any of my pictures.

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Wine, Bingo, Market Tower and Houses

Wine, Bingo, Market Tower and Houses continues my walk in Islington on Sunday 15th October 1989 which began with the post Memorials, Eros and More. The previous post was Liverpool Road, Highbury Corner & Caledonian Rd.

*The Wine Press, Caledonian Rd, Lower Holloway, Islington, 1989 89-10h-26*

The Wine Press sold wine by the case at wholesale prices and its doorway had once been surrounded by 15 labelled barrel ends, but the lower four had been removed by the time I made this picture.

At the top you can just see the bottom of a large 2D representation of a wine bottle and out of picture to the right on the wall was a similar flat picture of a bottle of Anglias Brandy, a brandy from Cyprus. I took a second picture – not yet digitised – showing more of the frontage.

Wine was still very much a drink of the metropolitan middle classes and an establishment such as this very much a sign of the gentrification of Islington and other former working class areas of London.

*Top Rank Bingo, 474, Caledonian Rd, Lower Holloway, Islington, 1989 89-10h-13*

Designed by architect Frederick E Tasker and, opened in 1937 as Mayfair Cinema, it was briefly renamed The Eagle in 1942 but reverted after a popular outcry. Taken over by Essoldo in 1952, it became Essoldo Caledonian Road until 1965 when it became Essoldo Bingo Club. Later it was Top Rank Bingo and finally Jasmine Bingo, closing in 1996. Demolished in 1998.

*Clock Tower, Caledonian Market, Caledonian Park, Lower Holloway, Islington, 1989 89-10h-16*

Grade II* listed, built as the clock tower of the Caledonian Market in 1855, designed by James Bunstone Bunning, Architect and Surveyor to the Corporation of the City of London. The market was built on Copenhagen Fields which had been the meeting point for the crowd of 100,000 who marched from here through London to support the Tolpuddle Martyrs on 21 April 1834. 175 years later I photographed TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady unveiling a plaque on the tower to commemorate this on 25th April 2009.

The ‘Grand Demonstration‘ was I think the first mass demonstration by trade unions and the start of a successful popular campaign that led eventually to the men being released – a pardon was granted in 1835 (but it was 1837 before they arrived back in the UK.) The 2009 march that followed the unveiling was rather smaller, but colourful with some trade union banners including that of the Tolpuddle Branch Dorset County of the National Union of Agricultural Workers.

*House, 348-352, Camden Rd, Holloway, Islington, 1989 89-10i-65*

This remarkable Victorian property on Camden Road appears to have been built as three houses as the three entrances and street numbers suggest, with 350 having a much grander entrance than its two neighbours. 348 appears to be called ‘The Cottage’. Perhaps someone reading this will know more about the history of this building and enlighten us.

*Cambridge House, 354-6, Camden Rd, Holloway, Islington, 1989 89-10i-66*

The lettering on the front of this house has been changed since I took this photograph, with the addition of the word ‘Collegiate School’ in a central line. There was a Collegiate School at first in Camden St and then at 202 Camden Road before moving to Sandal Rd and Edgware, but so far as I can ascertain with no connection to this building which is now flats.

I think this large semi-detached residence dates from the mid-19th century but again have been unable to find any more about it.

*Macready Place, Holloway Rd, Holloway, Islington, 1989 89-10i-52*

This building has been demolished and replace by ‘The Arcade’ student accommodation with the Big Red bar at ground floor level on Holloway Road.

The lettering at top right appears to have once read CYCLES and was presumably a shop on the corner with Holloway Road. The posters on the wall below it are for an event at the Hackney Empire by the Campaign For Free Speech on Ireland on Tuesday October 17th 1989.

*Albemarle Mansions, 542-554, Holloway Rd, Holloway, Islington, 1989 89-10i-55*

The frontage of Albemarle Mansions stands out above the shops on Holloway Road and was clearly meant to distinguish these mansion flats built in 1898 from the various working class blocks of the same era built by philanthropic companies. Albemarle is a name brought over from France with the Norman Conquest and the title Earl of Albemarle was created several times over the century since then.

My walk on 15th October 1989 more or less came to an end here, and I made only one more picture – not on line – on the short walk to Holloway Road station on the North London Line on my way home.

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Liverpool Road, Highbury Corner & Caledonian Rd – 1989

Liverpool Road, Highbury Corner & Caledonian Rd continues my walk in Islington on Sunday 15th October 1989 which began with the post Memorials, Eros and More. The previous post was Shops, a Poly, Electricity, Church & Library.

*Samuel Lewis buildings, Samuel Lewis Housing Trust, Liverpool Rd, Islington, 1989 89-10h-63*

Samuel Lewis was born in Birmingham in 1837, started work at 13 selling steel pens, then opened a jewellers shop before becoming the most fashionable money-lender of his day. When he died in 1901 he left £2.6 million to his wife, with over £1 million going to charity on her death.

£670,000 of this – equivalent to around £30 million today – went to a charitable trust to provide housing for the poor, and these flats are on the first of eight large estates they built.

This estate was built in 1909-10 for the Samuel Lewis Trust, architects Charles Sampson Joseph, (1872-1948), Charles James Smithem and Ernest Martin Joseph (1877-1960) who worked as Joseph & Smithem until 1916. The two Joseph brothers were sons of Nathan Solomon Joseph (1834-1909) who as well as building many synagogues was the leading designer of social housing as architect for the Guiness Trust and the Four per Cent Industrial Dwellings Company and worked also for the LCC and other London councils and he may also have contributed to the designs for these buildings.

*Hampton Court, Upper St, Islington, 1989 89-10h-41*

I was amused by the contrast between this street and its namesake palace on the River Thames. This Hampton Court is a short street leading west from Upper Street at Highbury Corner, leading to Swan Yard, which is at the end of the street in my picture.

On the left wall is a sign for J Barrett & Sons, but I can’t make out what their business was at 250 Upper St, now a Starbucks. The posters on the wall at right are for a Socialist Party Public Meeting and I think we have four pictures of Maggie Thatcher; I can’t quite read the text but I’m sure it wasn’t complimentary.

The tall building on the right at the end of the street is now a printers and I think probably was when I made this picture. Those to the right of it have been replaced and I think those on the left considerably refurbished. Those in Swan Yard at the end of the street are still there but have lost their white paint.

I think Highbury Studios, at 15 Swan Yard and most other workshops on the street have been converted to residential or office use and there is now a new building at the southern end of the street, recently converted into coworking office space with a communal roof terrace overlooking Laycock Green, an urban green open space.

Swan Yard and the southern side of Hampton Court are included in the Upper Street (North) conservation area.

*Mallett, Porter & Dowd, North London Engineering Works, 465, Caledonian Rd, Lower Holloway, Islington, 1989 89-10h-33*

This warehouse and works was built in 1874. Its conversion to student housing for University College London was awarded the Carbuncle Cup for the ugliest building of 2013 from Building Design magazine. The red brick building was demolished with its frontage retained a short distance in front of a a new multicoloured building. The judges commented “The original frontage has been retained in a cynical gesture towards preservation. But its failings go deeper,” and said “This is a building that the jury struggled to see as remotely fit for human occupation.” The rooms lack adequate daylight, give little privacy and those behind the facade have no view outside. Islington council had refused planning permission for the treatment of this locally listed building but were overruled.

*Hubbards for Cupboards, 453, Caledonian Rd, Lower Holloway, Islington, 1989 89-10h-35*

Those musical among you can sing “We’re Hub-bords Cup-boards, We’re Hub-bords Cup-boards, We’re go-ing to fight, fight, fight – to get your of-fice right” to the tune shown on this shop, Hubbards for Cupboards Tables & Chairs, at Hubbards Corner on Caledonian Rd. 453 Caledonian Rd on the north corner with Market Road is now a large block of flats with a natural food shop at ground level.

*Caledonian Road Methodist Church, Caledonian Rd, Market Rd, Lower Holloway, Islington, 1989 89-10h-36*

Built in an Italianate style in 1870 as a Primitive Methodist Chapel, architects T & W Stone, it became Caledonian Road Methodist church in 1932 and is still in use. It was restored in 1953 and the exterior cleaned in 1980. Grade II listed.

*Market Rd, Lower Holloway, Islington, 1989 89-10h-24*

This building, at 18 Market Road opposite the bus stop at Market Road Gardens and the adventure playground was demolished between 2008 and 2012. Peter Darley in The Journal of the Islington Archaeology & History Society says it was a tripe factory when Czech refugge Otto Fischel bought it in the 1950s and made it Otaco Ltd, plastic injection moulders. His wife, artist Käthe Strenitz was fascinated with industrial London and produced many fine pictures.

You can read more in Jane’s London about J. L. Henson tripe dealer whose name was originally on the panel where E.Zee is in my picture. But the elephants and E. Zee remain unaccounted for, but were perhaps linked in some way with the playground opposite. Though I have a nagging feeling that somewhere in the past I have written more about them.

A private limited company EZEE Ltd, Company number 02564140, was incorporated in 1990, had its registered office for a year in 1992-3 at 14-18 Market Rd. Its business was given as Artistic & literary creation etc. It last filed annual returns in 1991 and was finally dissolved in 2015.

My walk continued and there will be another post shortly.

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Shops, a Poly, Electricity, Church & Library – 1989

Shops, a Poly, Electricity, Church & Library: Continuing my walk in Islington on Sunday 15th October 1989 which began with the post Memorials, Eros and More.

*Dorset House, 217-9, Holloway Rd, Lower Holloway, Islington, 1989 89-10g-45*

I walked back from Hornsey Road to Holloway Road and took this picture of Dorset House on the corner of George’s Road, then the Unique Butchers at 217 and Wai Shang Chinese Take Away at 219. This building had changed little by 2022, though the butchers was then a closed cafe up for sale and the Chinese take-away was now Green Jade.

I’m surprised that this building does not appear to be locally listed, though it is a shame that it has lost the balustrade on its left side. On Drawing The Street where you can see a more recent drawing of the building @ronniecruwys points out that the detailing of the balustrade is identical to that of Southwark Bridge, but that dates from 1921, when Rennie’s earlier bridge was rebuilt. A comment on that post states “My 2 x great grandfather lived here in 1881. His name was Henry Appleby and his father in law who was the head of the house in 1881 (census) was a retired Policeman named Walter Tovey.”

My guess is that this house probably dates from the early 19th century, but like others I have failed to find out more about its history. George’s Road was originally George’s Place, built by George Pocock.

*Polytechnic of North London, Holloway Rd, Hornsey Rd, Lower Holloway, Islington, 1989 89-10g-33*

Wikipedia tells me the Polytechnic of North London was granted university status to become the University of North London. It existed under that name until 2002, when it merged with London Guildhall University to form London Metropolitan University. It had been formed from Northern Polytechnic, founded in 1896 and North-Western Polytechnic in 1971.

This building mirroring its surroundings is on the corner with Hornsey Road and was rather appropriately I think next to a mirror shop and factory at left of picture, which later in 1994 was redeveloped as the Learning Centre library.

*Pyracrest Ltd, 71 Hornsey Rd, Caedmon Rd, Lower Holloway, Islington, 1989 89-10g-22*

This shop remained in commercial use until recently, though not for joinery, display and general woodwork but most recently as a glass merchant. It was sold in 2012 and extended. The garage on the opposite corner, shown here only by a Michelin Man poster on the wall closed around 2009 and was replaced by a new residential development with a ground floor café.

Caedmon Road was earlier called Spencer Road, renamed in 1938. Developed in 1866 it was renamed after Caedmon the earliest known English poet, a Northumbrian cowherd working at Whitby Abbey whose only known surviving work is the nine lines of Cædmon’s Hymn. You can read this on Wikipedia and will find only a slight resemblance to modern English – though possibly more to Geordie or the other impenetrable dialects of the north-East.

The Vestry of St Mary Islington, Electric Light Station, Eden Grove, Lower Holloway, Islington, 1989 89-10g-26 — *The Vestry of St Mary Islington, Electric Lighting Station, Eden Grove, Lower Holloway, Islington, 1989 89-10g-26*

Conveniently the title of this locally listed building at 60 Eden Grove is shown on its exterior along with the date of 1896. As the Islington Society states, Islington was one of the earlier local authorities to distribute electricity. The vestry’s work was taken over by the Metropolitan Borough of Islington in 1900.

At first this power station was only for street lighting, but soon the wealthier inhabitants of the borough could get power for their homes and they say by 1936 it was supplying “40,000 customers through 106 miles of mains.“

*Former St James, church, Chillingworth Rd, Lower Holloway, Islington, 1989 89-10g-12*

This Grade II listed Neoclassical church was built as St James the Apostle Church in Victoria Road (later Chalfont Road, later Chillingworth Road) in 1839, architects Henry William Inwood and E N Clifton. The east end was extended in 1840 by Hambley and he added the tower in 1850. The top section of this was later removed, possibly after bomb damage, in 1944.

The parish was united with St. Mary Magdalen in 1953-4 and a parish hall built in the shell of the church. Converted to offices and recording studio in 1980-82 and renamed St Mark’s Studios. Probably then the concave entrance shown here was constructed and the original pilasters on the facade were replaced by pillars.

Islington Central Library, Fieldway Crescent, Holloway Rd, Lower Holloway, Islington, 1989 89-10g-15 — *Islington Central Library, Fieldway Crescent, Holloway Rd, Lower Holloway, Islington, 1989*

This frontage on Holloway Rd dates from 1906, architect Henry T Hare; the building was enlarged in 1973-6, and has recently undergone considerable refurbishment. It is Grade II listed.

The library was built for the Metropolitan Borough of Islington and received funding of £20,000 from Andrew Carnegie and was opened in October 1907 by Sir Arthur Rucker, principal of the University of London. The bust at the left is of Spenser and that at the right, cruelly cropped, of Bacon. It remains open as a public library.

More to come from this walk later.

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Memorials, Eros and More – Highbury & Lower Holloway 1989

Memorials, Eros and More: On Sunday 15th October 1989 I caught the North London Line from Richmond to Highbury & Islington for the start of another walk in North London.

*Boer War Memorial, Higbury Crescent, Highbury Place, Highbury, Islington, 1989 89-10f-24*

There had been a series of conflicts between Dutch and British settlers in South Africa for some years as the Boers opposed the British annexation of African countries and resented British attempts to end slavery. The first Boer War in 1880-1 ended badly for the British who signed a peace treaty with Transvaal President Paul Kruger.

But the discovery of huge gold reserves in 1884 created a hug British interest in the area, and Britain again decided to try to take control of Transvaal and the Orange Free State. One of the earliest moves was a failed attempt thought up then by Cape Prime Minister Cecil Rhodes and Johannesburg gold magnate Alfred Beit to provoke an uprising in Johannesburg by an armed raid from Rhodesia, the Jameson Raid over the New Year in 1896. This was followed by an uneasy truce – and an uprising by the Matabele and Mashona peoples against the British South Africa Company whose forces had been greatly weakened by taking part the raid which was suppressed with many Africans killed.

British efforts continued and in 1899 after Britain rejected an ultimatum to withdraw their troops made by Kruger he declared what we generally call the Boer War, though now more widely known as the South African War, which continued until 1902.

The memorial was erected here in 1905 and the inscription reads:

HOW SLEEP THE BRAVE WHO SINK TO REST
BY ALL THEIR COUNTRY’S WISHES BLESS’D.
IN HONOUR OF
NINETY-EIGHT ISLINGTONIANS
WHO DIED FOR THEIR COUNTRY
IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR,
1899 – 1903.
ERECTED BY THEIR FELLOW-TOWNSMEN
JULY 1905.

as well as listing the names of the 98.

The war had repercussions and laid the basis for apartheid in South Africa. It also saw the first ‘concentration camps’ where Boers were imprisoned by the British. And Robert Baden-Powell who had been a scout in the war set up the Scout movement with a uniform and ideas based on his role there.

On the wall behind the cannons is the graffitied message ‘BRITISH STATE HEAR US SAY – IRISH PEOPLE WILL MAKE YOU PAY.

*The Court Gardens, Holloway Rd, Highbury, Islington 1989 89-10f-12*

This gate to The Court Gardens is, perhaps unsurprisingly, next to Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Holloway Road, which perhaps accounts for the uncompromising concrete wall at right. Underneath the name it states PRIVATE PROPERTY. A private road leads into the housing in Court Gardens from Liverpool Road,

*Thomas Judd, Memorials, 123 Holloway Rd, Highbury, Islington, 1989 89-10f-13*

Thomas Judd, Memorial & Marble Masons remained in this shop until around 2018. The shop had been open since the 1880s and was thought to have been the oldest business in continuous use on the street.

The Camden New Journal reported in 2018 that its owner, Kenneth Howard, was an 81 year-old who had retired and in 2016 had been suspended from the National Association of Memorial Masons register for a year. This meant the company was unable to work in many cemeteries. He was taken to court by some clients who had paid deposits to him for work he had been unable to deliver, claiming he had been let down by a sub-contractor, and was ordered to pay back the deposits with compensation, court costs and a victim surcharge.

*Bookbinders of London, Ronalds Road, Highbury, Islington, 1989 89-10g-61*

This company is still in existence but moved its registered office from 11 Ronalds Road in 2014 to Hertford and their name across the adjoining gates was replaced the following year by NET.WORKS.LONDON and later by UNCOMMON as serviced offices.

Although the neighbouring former Salvation Army Citadel is locally listed I was a little surprised to find this building is not mentioned.It is well-proportioned with fine doorways.

*Bookbinders of London, Ronalds Road, Highbury, Islington, 1989 89-10g-66*

According to the fine ‘Streets With Story’ by Eric A Willats, Ronalds Road was named “after Sir Francis Ronalds (1788-1873) who was, with Wheatstone, one of the pioneers of the electric telegraph. The name was suggested by a Mr. M.C. Sharpe who for years had lived at Highbury Terrace. Sir Francis’s father Francis Ronalds took over no.1 Highbury Terrace in 1796 and died in 1806. The new road had run alongside no.1 and the first electric wires ran from a coach-house of no.1 to a cottage in the immediate neighbourhood.”

Ronalds (1788 – 1873) built the world’s first working telegraph system in his mother’s back garden in Hammersmith when he was 28 in 1816. ‘It was infamously rejected on 5 August 1816 by Sir John Barrow, Secretary at the Admiralty, as being “wholly unnecessary“.’

Drayton Park, Islington, 1989 89-10g-53 — *Drayton Park Rd, Highbury, Islington, 1989 89-10g-53*

I think this fence and yard has long disappeared together with the figure on it, but is was possibly part of Drayton Park School close to the corner of Arvon Road. I think the picture shows a child holding something just above kitchen scales.

*Eros Fashions, Hornsey Rd, Lower Holloway, Islington, 1989 89-10g-43*

Much of this section of Hornsey Road close to the impressive Victorian School building at 30-36 has been replaced by modern buildings since 1989 and I think that the building that Eros Fashions occupied has gone. Certainly I can find no trace of it now.

Back then Eros Fashions was still in business, with vacancies for almost everyone involved in the manufacture of clothing:

“VACANCIES
MACHINISTS
FINISHERS
PRESSER
OVERLOCKERS
FELLING
CUTTER“

on the board beside the door, and shadowy mannequins inside.

This is the final picture in my book ‘1989’ still available on Blurb, though at a silly price for the print version, and the full set of pages is on the web site, including this image and this text:

“‘Eros, fairest among the deathless gods, who unnerves the limbs and overcomes the mind and wise counsels of all gods and all men within them.’

Created first out of Chaos, also son to Aphrodite, though argument rages as to whether his Dad was Zeus, Ares or even Uranus.

It must be a bit of a come-down to be running a fashion manufacturer (to be rude you could call it a sweat-shop) in North London. Though he was always a bit of a shady character – those different names for a start – Cupid and Amor – what was he trying to hide? And then there’s that business with Hymen, best not to say too much.”‘”

Which seems a suitable place to end this post, though my walk will continue in further episodes.

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Carshalton Carnival Procession – St Helier – Carshalton

Speak out against Racism and Deportations – Angel, Islington

World Naked Bike Ride – London

March to Defend Jobs, Services and Education – Highbury Fields to Archway

Southern Yemenis Demonstrate For a Separate State – Downing St, Whitehall

Rev Billy Performs at Downing St

National Demonstration against Police Violence Trafalgar Square to New Scotland Yard

Crackers & Paper Hats: A Happy Christmas to you all.

National Demonstration against Police Violence
Trafalgar Square to New Scotland Yard