Comments on: Cries Of London Playing Cards https://spitalfieldslife.com/2013/12/13/cries-of-london-playing-cards/ In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London Sat, 14 Dec 2013 00:35:24 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.2 By: Ellen in NEW London, NEW England https://spitalfieldslife.com/2013/12/13/cries-of-london-playing-cards/#comment-222952 Sat, 14 Dec 2013 00:35:24 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=103885#comment-222952 I lived in Savernake Rd, Gospel Oak, in the winter of 1977 – 1978, and a man with a cart and horse drove by, calling out for something. That kind of thing ended here in the USA long before that, so it was a bit of a thrill to hear and see him.

There was a legally blind man in Wickford, Rhode Island 25 years ago, whose pony carted him and his lawn-mower around town to do the lawns. He couldn’t drive a car, but his pony knew where to go!

I notice that the adults pictured on these cards all have shoes and decent clothing, while the children are in rags and bare feet. Sad times for poor children.

]]> By: mlleparadis https://spitalfieldslife.com/2013/12/13/cries-of-london-playing-cards/#comment-222840 Fri, 13 Dec 2013 17:37:08 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=103885#comment-222840 “dust ahoy” and “catch ’em alive, oh!” puts a completely different complexion on jack sparrow and fly paper. lovely! did not know that ahoy could be used when on dry land, or that shell strips existed back then!

]]> By: elizabeth Mellen https://spitalfieldslife.com/2013/12/13/cries-of-london-playing-cards/#comment-222753 Fri, 13 Dec 2013 12:43:07 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=103885#comment-222753 Lovely to see these and be reminded of the characters we used to see around or knocking on the door when we were growing up in the 60’s in Worcestershire. Not just London! We also had regular tramps who walked from village to village and my mother used to give them a meal. And sometimes gypsies with real bunches of heather or pegs to sell. The knife grinder and the pot mender were regular and very useful.

]]>