Comments on: Eleanor Crow’s East End Fish Shops

By: Patricia

Patricia — Fri, 01 Nov 2013 21:37:08 +0000

Just stumbled across your website and have been fascinated by it.I have no connection with London or Spitalfields other than that my brother-in-law is descended from Huguenots. May have started out in Spitalfields-no idea . They lived in Kent and were successful sheep farmers. I like to think their family may have lived in one of the buildings you photograph so well. I also like to think of immigrants making their mark on society and contributing to it.

Also, me and my husband ran a chip shop for 20 years,we loved our customers,yes,but we made money from them-MONEY…is that a dirty word? We gave them a fair price and never ripped people off.

By: Elli Chortara

Elli Chortara — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 01:01:50 +0000

Wonderful illustrations!

By: Cherub

Cherub — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 19:41:03 +0000

I used to work at Monument St and our offices backed on to Lower Thames St where the old Billingsgate Fishmarket was. When it was being gutted by Brent Walker all of the mice migrated across the street to the offices and we were overrun. One of our bosses used to be in the habit of piling up copies of the FT at the side of his desk – his secretary nearly fainted when she moved them and mice were nesting there lol

Not so funny were the rats that migrated to our basement…………..

By: margaret21

margaret21 — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 18:43:14 +0000

Lovely and evocative images.

By: Annie

Annie — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 18:30:05 +0000

Eleanor if you’re reading, please publish your work in a book, it’s so beautiful…

PS I tried to take a photograph of the front of the Victoria fish shop once, but the owner was very grumpy and came out to tell me off!

By: Alison Sye

Alison Sye — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 16:36:34 +0000

Wonderful, I would never tire of looking at these.

By: Sonia Murray

Sonia Murray — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 14:21:34 +0000

Brilliant! Thank You, Eleanor, for evocative paintings which bring back happy memories of fish and chips dinners with Gran, as a girl growing up in England. And Thank You, Gentle Author, for sharing Eleanor’s pictures with us. If I’m ever able to go home again I’d love to have a meal in every one of these fish and chip and pie and mash shops!

By: Pete

Pete — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 12:20:47 +0000

Lovely illustrations. Great to see the end to the decline of these important outlets. The fishmongers especially seemed to have a terrible time over the last 20 years with so many of them closing following the never ending expansion of the supermarkets with their vastly inferior selection and knowledge.

Indeed, there appears to be something of a fishmonger revival with several recent openings including one, the excellent Meek & Mild in my patch in Highbury Barn – started by former staff of the imperious Steve Hatt of Essex Rd.

By: Peter Bailey

Peter Bailey — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 11:50:10 +0000

More lovely drawings from Eleanor. She is building up a historical archive.

By: Natalie Zaman

Natalie Zaman — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 11:35:21 +0000

Well, I know what I shall be having for lunch…