Comments on: So Long, George Cossington the Steeplejack

By: Christine Ellerbeck.

Christine Ellerbeck. — Sun, 19 Oct 2025 15:12:49 +0000

I was interested in this because my granddad was a steeple jack on tall chimneys in London. I have never been able to locate a tall chimney that he told my brother he worked on in London in the 1920s. His name was Henry William Ellerbeck and he was born in 1879. He said it was the tallest chimney in London. Would you have any records of this chimney? I would love to hear.

He lived to the ripe old age of 87 despite fighting for his country in the in the Boar War and taken prisoner and being shot twice and losing a lung in WW1, where he also suffered from ‘shell shock’.

Those were the days when men were real men!

Yours sincerely.

By: Stephen Guy

Stephen Guy — Sun, 02 Jan 2022 13:46:09 +0000

Dear gentle author,

The foreman (to the far right in one of the pictures above) is my grandfather Thomas Guy, and my grandparents raised a family of nine children partly in the East End of London and then later at the Heathway in Dagenham. My father (Richard Guy) and all his brothers were at some time steel erectors, and I remember three of them working together on the NatWest Tower (now called Tower 42).
I recall one story my father telling me about how much he enjoyed eating his sandwiches, whilst sitting on the hand of the Savoy Hotel clock, when it was being repaired and stuck in the horizontal position.
In answer to Peter Holford’s question, my father started in the trade at 14 years old, and just got used to the work over time and treated it all as normal. He was proud of his work and was interviewed by the BBC in the 1960’s about his life as a steel erector. If there was one thing he and my uncles were always worried about, it was chains falling from cranes, nothing to do with heights!

I hope the above is of interest, and any details on the photograph, when, where, and the name of the company, would be very much appreciated.
With kind regards,
Stephen

By: Michael Sassen

Michael Sassen — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 20:25:31 +0000

I just googled George’s name to see what he was up to these days and found this republished article as an obituary to him. Anyone who knew George in his later years would describe him as a proper London ‘character’ of a type that without intending a pun, could be described as a dying breed. I knew George through Camden Passage antiques market in the early 2000’s and he never failed to raise a smile on a freezing cold morning when I really just wanted to be back in bed. I’m sorry to have missed the chance to say hello and goodbye to George one last time. I’m sure he is still greatly missed by his family and close friends and I’m glad that this article stands as testimony to someone who had a LOT of stories to tell! He’ll be up there still polishing his knobs (Camden Passage reference) and laughing at and with us all down here.

By: Ernie Detrinidad

Ernie Detrinidad — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 16:19:36 +0000

My condolences to Mr. Cossington family.
I’m a crane operator from California.
When breaking in I was fortunate to have a few fine gentlemen from UK and Ireland,show me the ropes of rigging in and running a guy derrick.
I was one of tge last to run a guy derrick in SF and enjoyed the men who worked around those types if jobsites.
i can see Gearge climbing the rig and the iron in the sunrise, a gloriuos site.
Thank you for bringing back some memories and for tbe writing of a great article.
many blessings to you all.
Ernie DeTrinidad
Operating Engineer Local 3

By: Ian Silverton

Ian Silverton — Sun, 16 Nov 2014 19:04:38 +0000

RIP George, we used too drink in the Westminster Arms,in Bethnal Green,many years ago,we had many laughs and good times. Ian Silverton

By: Claudia

Claudia — Fri, 05 Sep 2014 09:46:42 +0000

Very sad news.
I have know George for 25 years. He was a brilliant neighbour and friend. Will miss his jokes. The street won’t be the same without him.
Claudia

By: Anne

Anne — Mon, 01 Sep 2014 19:57:41 +0000

A sterling tribute to an accomplished man whose skill now belongs (in our culture of Health and Safety) to another era; thank you. But, Gentle Author, I was very much struck by your phrase, “…I recognised a continuum with those that once climbed the spires of cathedrals, trusting their lives in the application of a skill which now exists only in the strictly controlled conditions of sport” – in particular, your choice of words: “the application of a skill.” In so many of your posts you give us a glimpse of so many people who conscientiously meet day to day life in constructive ways, applying their varied skills unstintingly, with grace, determination or courage, as here, to their craft, trade or vocation – always uplifting. These lives, your writing, much appreciated.

By: Roger Carr

Roger Carr — Mon, 01 Sep 2014 15:41:10 +0000

When I left Chelsea School of Art ,at nineteen, in the late 1960’s with a Dip AD in sculpture, the only real marketable skill I had was as a welder, so I worked for the Peabody Trust for a while and then on many building sites in the East End. I met lots of old timers like George who got me out of s..t when I screwed up, showed me the ropes, and took me home to Hackney or Whitechapel for a proper family dinner when they realized I lived alone. It was a good time and I heard wonderful stories. They were great people and I doubt that hospitable community exists much any more. Thanks for another really interesting story Gentle Author.

By: Peter Holford

Peter Holford — Mon, 01 Sep 2014 13:45:37 +0000

£1 million would not have got me to do that job. I once worked at a power station and the maintenance team went up to see to the top of the chimneys – over 300 feet high. I couldn’t look! Did they have courage or did they just treat it as normal because of their upbringing?

By: Achim

Achim — Mon, 01 Sep 2014 07:39:56 +0000

*** R.I.P. MR GEORGE COSSINGTON ***

Love & Peace
ACHIM