Comments on: More of Phil Maxwell’s Old Ladies

By: Save The London Fruit and Wool Exchange

Save The London Fruit and Wool Exchange — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 12:53:41 +0000

Believe ‘Mile End, 1990’ 0r photo 23 with the ‘Save Mile End Hospital’ campaigners includes local legend Mildred Gordon. This lady became an MP for Bow and Poplar. Last year she supported the campaign to stop the demolition of ‘Mother Levy’s’ – not because it was still a local hospital – but as she is a child of Spitalfields, born in Mother Levy’s , the Jewish Maternity Home in 1923. She also campaigned at Parliament back in the 1980’s to stop the traders being moved out of Spitalfields Market, recalling the Spitalfields of her youth, with mulberry trees in the back yards of weavers’ houses. Mildred Gordon would make a great subject for Spitalfields Life and Phil Maxwell could take another photograph? (And of course, one wonders how she feels about the demolition of the 1929 London Fruit and Wool Exchange of Spitalfields Market?)

By: Clare

Clare — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 16:00:27 +0000

Wonderful pictures Philip, they all probably have many tales to tell! But still no mother!!!!!!

By: jy

jy — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 15:50:42 +0000

one is doris sheray nicest old i new she was alcholic but would when not drunk help you and be kind ,she love to talk and told old warm stories of here life .she went and got treated for alcohol problems and last years left the area of bethnal green ,a wonderful person and missed by all who knew her from the streets of bethnal green and onwards .except the police she didnt like them at all keplt picking her up .

By: jo watts

jo watts — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 11:18:50 +0000

*ruth* – i really enjoyed your comment. i am a trader and can also see myself ending up like if not then similar to No. 26 🙂

By: belle

belle — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 07:55:00 +0000

I like the women taking an unselfconscious moment to rest their weary limbs on the market carts.

By: Ruth

Ruth — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 07:07:41 +0000

What wonderful photos. They reflect the young women within those old bodies. They all have clearly had quite a journey, and each photo places them so very particularly in their current situation (struggling from A to B overladen with Stuff, or scraping a living by street-hawking). Some wear on their faces the surprise I sometimes feel at How It’s All Turned Out (Number 13), while others look as though nothing at all would surprise them.

And there I am! Well, not quite, but very nearly there (certainly my 70’s childhood dentist has helped me on the way to That Look). I’d like to think I am Number 1, with shopping bag on wheels and nice headscarf. But I’m probably more like Number 26 (same bag, minus wheels, looking slightly aghast).

Wonderful, and a great post.