Comments on: The Return Of Gemma Brooker https://spitalfieldslife.com/2014/03/05/the-return-of-gemma-brooker/ In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London Fri, 12 Oct 2018 14:22:28 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1 By: Patricia Hudson https://spitalfieldslife.com/2014/03/05/the-return-of-gemma-brooker/#comment-1231089 Fri, 12 Oct 2018 14:22:28 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=108877#comment-1231089 My memories of Gun Street are not good ones! I was born in 1954.
There were five of us kids, my mum and step-dad and we lived in the hostel for a few months, although I dont think my stepdad was allowed to stay there with us. Think this might have been Providence Row? Not sure it had a name, I was about 9 at the time. I remember it being a drab, miserable, cold place…the first “flat” we had I remember as consisting of 2 rooms, one was a bedroom where we kids slept in the same bed and the other was, I presume, the living area. The bathroom area was at the top and was communal as was the kitchen. At night if you wanted to spend a penny you had to climb the freezing concrete steps up and hoped nothing would run over your feet! We eventually “upgraded” and went further up the building where we had a three roomed “flat”, of which one room led onto to the fire escape, which eventually was to be our escape route! While we were living there I had the “pleasure” of attending the catholic school attached to the hostel, there was a doorway from inside the hostel to the school but we were not allowed to use it, had to go out the hostel and then back in to the school. I hated my time at the hostel and at the school, my family were not catholics, so found school miserable. Thankfully, we escaped but I was left with a lifelong nervous disposition.

]]> By: George Colonna https://spitalfieldslife.com/2014/03/05/the-return-of-gemma-brooker/#comment-1142941 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 15:39:43 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=108877#comment-1142941 Hi Gemma…
Unbelievable…just put grandfather’s name…Battista Giovannoni into Google and this popped up…
Hope we can get back in touch…Im in Houston Texas…
On Facebook as …Geo Coll…
Found Cousin Evalyn of Chingford…..but no others…sadly…
George

]]> By: Harold Ullah https://spitalfieldslife.com/2014/03/05/the-return-of-gemma-brooker/#comment-1121705 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 20:39:29 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=108877#comment-1121705 I was just browsing this site looking at old buildings when I stumbled across this page.Just a year ago I had to get a copy of my birth certificate and found that I was born at No 52 Gun St.I thought I was born in London Hospital.I don’t have many memories of Gun St though as we moved when I was 4 years old.I definitely remember my older sister taking me to the sweet shop though.I was born in 1953.

]]> By: Slice of London Life https://spitalfieldslife.com/2014/03/05/the-return-of-gemma-brooker/#comment-255324 Thu, 06 Mar 2014 00:03:31 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=108877#comment-255324 How lovely to read about childhood memories. I can picture the ladies plucking their chickens on the steps.
The family photos really bring it to life. I love Gemma’s stern expression in the first family photo.

]]> By: Nicola Baird https://spitalfieldslife.com/2014/03/05/the-return-of-gemma-brooker/#comment-255169 Wed, 05 Mar 2014 13:39:14 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=108877#comment-255169 Fabulous, love that story. Nicola http://islingtonfacesblog.com

]]> By: valerie-Jael https://spitalfieldslife.com/2014/03/05/the-return-of-gemma-brooker/#comment-255150 Wed, 05 Mar 2014 12:22:18 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=108877#comment-255150 A trip down Memory Lane, so glad Gemma discovered some of her childhood haunts. Ladies sitting outside plucking their chickens was a common sight in the East End, and always fascinating to watch! Valerie

]]> By: Brian Weaver https://spitalfieldslife.com/2014/03/05/the-return-of-gemma-brooker/#comment-255112 Wed, 05 Mar 2014 10:09:55 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=108877#comment-255112 I really enjoyed reading about your memories, thanks for sharing them. Brian

]]> By: Achim https://spitalfieldslife.com/2014/03/05/the-return-of-gemma-brooker/#comment-255099 Wed, 05 Mar 2014 09:36:01 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=108877#comment-255099 One more moving lifetime story. — Childhood places remain ever-present!

Love & Peace
ACHIM

]]> By: Rosemary Hoffman https://spitalfieldslife.com/2014/03/05/the-return-of-gemma-brooker/#comment-255049 Wed, 05 Mar 2014 06:22:37 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=108877#comment-255049 Samuel Stores-I used to go there every day in the late 50’s.My parents managed the Kings Stores pub in Widegate Street at the other end of Artillery Passage and it was a stones throw away. I remember Mr Samuel very well. The shop was an incredible sight, plied high with lots of advertising matter, I believe that when the shop was cleared in the 70s they found 1920s ephemera there as well

]]>