Comments on: In Old Finsbury

By: Jan Whitehead

Jan Whitehead — Sun, 14 Dec 2025 14:35:25 +0000

I’m trying to find a WHITECROFTS PLACE, FINSBURY. Must have been buildings there as my ancestors lived in 5 C BLOCK!!??

By: Terry Gibbard & Janet Gibbard ni Mercer

Terry Gibbard & Janet Gibbard ni Mercer — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 21:12:16 +0000

All my life was brought up 40 hall street just between city road and goswell road the Company opposite my house was the Initel towel service serving the city with there laundry products still going today. Early School was Moorland street oppsit Gordons Gin Factory Both Janet and i attended this School which is still there both of us where moved out on the 50s with slum clearance the area greatly changed with the high rise flats being erected myself to Michael cliff house St John Street Janet to Dagenham all our routes can be traced around Kings Sq. Rahere Street , Mine around seward street my nan at Barts Blds no8 my aunt Em further along in another part of Barts Blds shopping was done through the war Central st. Lever street The Famous Gunners shop was in Lever street faggots and pease pudding was Fridays dinner i wonder what meat went into them of to the Baths in Ironmonger row past the B&A tobacco factory stay safe.

By: Louise Perrin

Louise Perrin — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 14:35:11 +0000

I am trying to locate York Road, Albion Road East, Finsbury. In the 1841 census it is home to Joseph Tylor and his family, including Edward Burnett Tylor then age 8 who was to become the first professor of Anthropology at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford.
I cannot locate the address on a map, it may have been demolished so an approximate location would help, if you can. Thanks

By: John Cunningham

John Cunningham — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 21:24:50 +0000

I was born in 18 Ironmonger Street 1947, I spent 27 years of my life living and playing in Finsbury, before I married and moved to Chingford.
The street was like many in the area a “village” it is not there now, the houses were demolished and an adventure playground put in its place, I believe it has changed again. There is so much history in and around the area, I try to get back and walk around as often as I can.

I wish all well,

John

By: robert cash

robert cash — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 09:01:56 +0000

Born in Finsbury Middleton Place off Leaver street 1938 . After the war we lived in a Prefab down Topham Street off Farringdon Road , Exmouth Market , Chapel Market, the Bombed ruins , the water tank that they built to fight the fire,s during the war . Angel my old hunting ground we would call it in the old days . Lovely times ,thank you very much. Bob Cash.

By: Rosa

Rosa — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 14:03:59 +0000

Wonderful to read all these accounts from former residents!
I lived there in the 80’s & early 90’s & feel lucky to have done so – a truly magical area with a human scale, layers & layers of history & interest, it had a mix & balance of people & elements that made it such a great place to live, as others here have said (waves cheerily at former residents).
I still have a towel from Merlin street Baths – you could have a steaming hot bath in a (mahongany)? panelled cubicle with a huge cast iron tub. I remember the lovely warm lady who dispensed said sturdy towels with ‘Islington Baths’ in blue which you’d deposit in a ginormous hamper after you were done bathing to the accompaniment of her singing “Chattanooga Choo-Choo”. I half inched the towel when the baths were sadly to close & have it as a cherished relic today.
I miss so much about it all & want the access, good sense, variety, ordinariness & sense of community back. Being poor etc… was better when neoliberalism was in it’s destructive infancy. Much now is unreachable, sterile & lacking soul.
So many good things to look back on & build forward with.

By: Sue Cox (nee Casey)

Sue Cox (nee Casey) — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 19:35:36 +0000

Lived at No 72 Myddelton Square from 2 weeks to 17 years of age, in 3 rented rooms, no heating other than coal fires. Roller skated round most of this district. Received “Sunlight Treatment” at the modern art deco Finsbury Health Centre prior to going to Clerkenwell Parochial School. Living conditions all round were appalling by today’s standards but we knew no different and had no alternative. Attended Dame Alice Owen’s Girles” school, which thankfully set me up for the rest of my Life. Thank you Mr Attlee and your Labour Government, you raised us all eventually from permanent poverty. I have a wealth of memories of Finsbury from those times, too many for this space.

By: John Lipnicki

John Lipnicki — Wed, 18 Jan 2023 22:11:59 +0000

Mu sister had a bedsit in Wilmington Square in the 70s Pushed out by the landlord who refused to repair the leaking butterfly roof. Lovely square open to all which most London squares are not.

By: Paul Garcia

Paul Garcia — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 13:30:12 +0000

I lived in Wharton Street no 14 1951-1973. The photos also bought back memories long forgotten. my playground was old bomb sites, Granville square, Percy Circus, so many place to get up to mischief. Many a day a Sargent Robinson would deposit me back to my Dad with stern warnings. But great days none the less. My primary school was St Peter and St Paul’s in Amwell Street.
I remember Exmouth Market so well and practically lived in Solly’s Toy Shop. Everyone was so friendly, days you could leave your door on the latch and never make appointment’s to see anyone. I was fortunate enough to be raised in the Italian community, Never hungry that’s for sure.

Thank you for the Memory Jog

By: Thelma Hobden

Thelma Hobden — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 08:48:11 +0000

I too was brought up in Finsbury in the 1950’s. I lived in Compton Buildings off Goswell Road, two rooms, a scullery and a toilet. It’s lovely reading all these reminiscenses. It’s just as I remember all these places. It was a time when there was still a close community in London.