Comments on: Sarah Ainslie, photographer

By: Judith Bonner

Judith Bonner — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 21:31:15 +0000

Couldn’t see how to edit my other esponse. My mate lived inPedley Street At the time in 1987 there was nothing except the old red brick block he lived in and land around it. There was a huge garden to the block we would set up dinner tables in it

And an old station that had a pulley.We always cycled there from south London and sometimes drove!
I have a vague memory of a station above Pedley Street having a winch on the Pedley street side. But every one tells me there was only the Shoreditch station there?

By: Judith Bonner

Judith Bonner — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 21:20:32 +0000

I used to go shopping in Brick Lane in the 80s – so it was great to see these photos. I still have some lovely wall lights I picked up on the second hand market It was greaat People used to pitch up – with tables or just put stuff on the floor.

I’d buy fabrics form a very stern Jewish lady. Can’t remeber the name – but the shop looked small from outside but was a warehousee inside. And lovely soft long cotton t shirts and sunspel underwear!

My mate ended up living in a block of flats next to the Sptialfields City farm in 1987 when it almost closed! The street has now gone along with the old railway station that served the goods yard also gone. Pity I didn’t photo any of this!

Sad it’s such a pastiche of itself now.

By: shell rubin

shell rubin — Fri, 01 May 2020 21:38:18 +0000

brings back a lot of memories, used to go down club row and the rest of the market , right upto the carpenders arms , goldfish in plastic bags, old clothes , the smell of roasted chesnuts, dalkins apple fritters, couldn’t wait to eat them but had to wait or you would burn your lips on the apple skin.
the biegal shop , guy used to sell cassette tapes and records always playing max miller really loud, the pet shop , that used to sell tortoises with the price painted on their shells, he was a tall albino guy, really quiet nice man, sold parrots and other birds too. the better antique stuff was on stalls inside the clothes recycle warehouse ,right next to the railway , if I remember righty, nearer the carpenders arms. seems like yesterday. driving back through the city , dead as a donut empty with the stuff we had bought lol .. well happy ….

By: John Bailey

John Bailey — Sun, 16 Jun 2019 15:27:33 +0000

Great photos. Interested that your studio is in Ezra street. My family lived at 21 Ezra Street, next to Megan Jone’s dairy. My parents wedding reception was upstairs at 21. Some of the family were killed while sheltering in Columbia Road on 7th Sept 1940, first night of the blitz. We must hang onto our history.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Sat, 15 Feb 2014 18:20:20 +0000

Wow, looks like Berlin street markets in the late 70’s… impressive!

By: MARIA

MARIA — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 19:31:07 +0000

the first photo is particularly eye-opening
it makes me feel that 1980s london markets must have looked kind of third-worldish

By: Anne

Anne — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:27:29 +0000

Like the photos.I’ve always loved the simplicity of monochrome images, they appear less complicated and my house is full of them.
They could easily be from the 1950s, they have a timeless quality. I grew up near to the centre of Manchester in the 1950s and 60s and photos i’ve seen from that era have the same atmosphere. Markets were more like that in those days.

By: Maggie

Maggie — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:31:35 +0000

Wonderful photo’s! I’m glad to hear you and Sarah have teamed up. Also ditto to the above comment by amalie, I would love to own a book with these photo’s!

By: amalie

amalie — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:04:33 +0000

love your photos.is there a book available?