Comments on: Dennis Anthony’s Petticoat Lane

By: Emma Clements (nee Coulter / Ferman)

Emma Clements (nee Coulter / Ferman) — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 11:34:10 +0000

I am fascinated to come across this! My Grandparents Nita and Hymie Ferman used to run the jewellery and copper art stall right next to Marks Deli – could this possibly be a photograph of their stall???? I am now running markets and events and even doing some jewellery making workshops – I was always fascinated by the odd bits boxes when I was younger and have a lot of cool jewellery from my Nana – it must be in the blood!

By: martin pover

martin pover — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 11:18:12 +0000

Hi Tristan. Re Gentle Author’s ‘mysterious photographer’, I’m so pleased to hear that Dennis is still with us – (or was when you wrote in 2012..). I was a student of his when he taught Photography in Guildford School of Art in 1969, and later – in 1997, his colleague when I took over as the Course Leader of the same course when it moved to Farnham. If he’s still with us, I’d love to chat..

By: Rick

Rick — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 21:38:30 +0000

My Grandfather was Henry (known as “Lou”) Necchi and he owned the café. Various relatives including my mother and late father worked in the café.

By: Phil Hertz

Phil Hertz — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 13:08:05 +0000

Mike was also my great uncle — and I did have the pleasure of meeting him in 1971 shortly before his passing. Mike was wonderful and the stories went on for hours entertaining me and my fellow European traveler, David Gubow.

By: Leba Hertz

Leba Hertz — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 21:43:46 +0000

Mike Stern was my great uncle. I never got to meet him but I had the pleasure of having high tea with his wife, my Aunt Faye, in 1976. My dad (who died in 2007) had wonderful stories about Uncle Mike and somewhere in the house I have loads of photos of him (that is definitely him) and the family.

By: sheila butt

sheila butt — Sat, 16 Aug 2014 18:41:57 +0000

Hi I worked in wentworth st opposite Mossy Marks he was such a lovely man used to make jokes with me all the time because lunchtimes I used to go across and buy latkas for the girls lunch.

On Sunday we only worked half day and my friend and I used to work in the sister shop in Middlesex st loved every single minute and a very good friend of mine had a stall outside Mossy Marks selling tights his name was Benny Josephs sadly passed away many years ago.I remember very well the lady with the pickled cucumbers.

By: Tristan Anthony

Tristan Anthony — Sat, 19 May 2012 16:56:58 +0000

Dennis Anthony is my father, and I am very proud of him. He is still alive, too!

By: Mick Adams

Mick Adams — Tue, 01 May 2012 19:37:51 +0000

Exchange buildings were off of Houndsditch. It led to the rear of the jewellers shop which was burgled at the start of the Siege of Sydney Street. See this section of this brilliant website!

http://spitalfieldslife.com/2010/12/16/murder-in-houndsditch/

By: London Sound Survey

London Sound Survey — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 10:19:55 +0000

Excellent photographs, many thanks for putting these on the web.

I have a 1937 BBC recording of Mike Stern on my website. You can hear him in full flow on this webpage:

http://www.soundsurvey.org.uk/index.php/survey/radio_recordings/1930s/1425/

Cheers
Ian

By: Olga S (nee Kronby)

Olga S (nee Kronby) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:14:51 +0000

As a resident of Wentworth Street for 22 years it is definitely Mike Stern in that picture Though I am not sure where the other photo’s were taken. They were not in Wentworth Street or as far as I can remember Middlesex Street (Petticoat Lane) I have never heard of Necchi’s Cafe or Exchange Buildings and do not know the location. I also would like to know who the photographer was wonderful pictures.

Does anyone remember Mary Green who sold pickled cucumbers and herring from a barrel in Wentworth Street ? How about Barnett’s for salt beef ,or Mossy Marks for schmaltz herring and smoked salmon and best of all Kossoff’s for wonderful cheese cake! and don’t forget Prince Monolulu for “I gotta horse !”

What wonderful memories