Comments on: At Itchy Park with Jack London

By: Dorothy Piper

Dorothy Piper — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 12:23:55 +0000

The graffiti on the wall in the fourth photograph puzzles me. Surely that style of graffiti wasn’t seen until much later. I couldn’t see any graffiti in the other photographs.

By: John Dallman

John Dallman — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 08:42:45 +0000

Growing up in the Spitafields area during the 1960s, Flower and Dean Street to be precise, Itchy park was my local childhood hangout. We knew it as itchy Park because of the fur like balls that grew on the trees. If you broke these balls up in your fingers and put a pinch of it down someones back, they would itch like mad.
There was the down and outs who had fallen prey to alcoholism often crashed out on the grass with a bottle of metholates spirit or cider next to them.
At night the prostitutes would come out in Commercial Street, plying their trade to the lorry drivers who were delivering to Spitalfields Market.
This is not hearsay or research, this is my experience.

I don’t think Jack London was exaggerating.

John

By: Pat

Pat — Mon, 02 Jul 2018 23:18:44 +0000

The Small Faces were East Enders, but the story always was that Itchycoo Park was a park in Ilford where the boys would go. “Itchy” came from the stinging nettles that abounded.

By: Jon

Jon — Sat, 26 Aug 2017 08:44:10 +0000

So is this the original source for the Small Faces’ Itchycoo Park? I’ve been told it was, it was a place where they used to go to smoke dope and the basis for the song of that name. But other sources suggest it was a park they used to play in in Ilford. Does anyone know?

By: John Cole

John Cole — Sun, 24 Jan 2016 01:08:35 +0000

Like many here, my family came from that part of London, in the time. When I was growing up the book and film “A Kid for Two Farthings” by Wolf Mankowitz came out. I chanced upon an old copy of it recently and Itchy Park is mentioned.

By: James Frankcom

James Frankcom — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 13:14:36 +0000

Interesting article. I for one hope that the whole of Itchy Park will one day be designated a “village green” to protect this valuable green space forever.

By: Terry

Terry — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 09:35:53 +0000

My family lived in the area in the 19th Century, and several were married in Christ Church. I studied musical instrument making at the London College of Furniture (Commercial Road) in the 1980s, and lived in a squat in Sly Street (off Commercial Road). We looked at the empty houses in Fournier Street when we were searching for a derelict house to squat, but they were all too far gone for us, apart from Gilbert and George’s house which was a beautifully restored dwelling in a great row of decay.

I have watched the restorations going on over the years since then, and have written pieces of music for the Spitalfields Festival, and although it is good to see the houses looking cared for, I dislike the fact that they are all now £1M + properties and occupied largely by over-paid city partners. As the Gentle Author says, the London we first know and love is soon lost.

When we lived and studied there, itchy park was the name given to the piece of land near White Church Lane, opposite the Art Gallery, that is now called Altab Ali Park. It is referred to as such in a novel I once bought in a charity shop solely because it was set in that area; the name of which I have unfortunately forgotten. It wasn’t a very good book.

I’m enjoying the articles immensely. Thanks.

By: mikey the mouse

mikey the mouse — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 20:27:37 +0000

What a beautiful article. i walk past frying pan alley and love a stroll. Each time i read your snippets i feel happy.
Thank you.

By: time watcher

time watcher — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 06:33:43 +0000

my grandmother lived in frying pan alley in 1902,i believe my father was born there,thankfully he was taken out of those surroundings in 1908,and went on to a very fullfilling life, sadly many didn’t.

By: Michael Willoughby

Michael Willoughby — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 06:33:00 +0000

It’s a kind of sanctuary.