https://spitalfieldslife.com/2010/03/15/a-raucous-party-in-shadwell/ In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London Tue, 01 Dec 2015 00:43:03 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://spitalfieldslife.com/2010/03/15/a-raucous-party-in-shadwell/#comment-445 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:02:56 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com.s83288.gridserver.com/?p=5878#comment-445 This really takes me back. It feels very familiar. Most of my childhood/teenage years were taken up with nights at the Vaughan Club on Lukin Street (just off Cable Street). This was before karaoke and club nights then were a mix of disco (my kids were appalled at my singing along to ‘Tie A Yellow Ribbon’ on Desert Island Discs this week) and Irish set dancing (The Siege of Ennis, the Walls of Limerick). And there was always a raffle and, if you were lucky, spot prizes for best dancer etc. They were all age affairs and I can remember the agonies of hoping that a particular altar boy or member of the parish football team would ask me to dance while all the time being aware that if my wish did come true parents and various disapproving honorary aunts would be watching to see that the dancing didn’t get too close. I can’t imagine going to such a gathering now (I guess I’m one of many of those who left the East End to go to university and became distanced from parts of my origins) but I’m glad to see that the remnants of such a communal culture are being recorded and enjoyed.

]]> https://spitalfieldslife.com/2010/03/15/a-raucous-party-in-shadwell/#comment-444 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:55:56 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com.s83288.gridserver.com/?p=5878#comment-444 Brilliant. I love the East Enders.

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