My late father’s family lived there, and my husband’s mother was born in Hessel Street. My late uncle had a material shop nearly opposite the old London Hospital, and kept two huge Great Dane dogs upstairs where he lived.

I was a student nurse, at the London Jewish Hospital from 1952-1954 in Stepney Green. In, 1958 I had a Sunday morning job at a children’s and babies wear shop called Abrahams in The Lane. Fine people.

Sorry to say, the Anglo Jews of today are not up to the old timers. They appear timid, “shtoomers” and afraid to stand up for themselves. I lived in Israel from the sixties and only returned here for family obligations, and to me it is a foreign country. The old days were better!.

GA, thanks for yet another shard of the kaleidoscope that is the East End of London. Well written too:

“This is the source of the emotionalism in these photographs, seeing faded optimism still manifest in the confident choice of colours and the sprightly signwriting, becoming a palimpsest overwritten by the elements, human neglect and graffiti.”

And I had to look up “palimpsest” – “a manuscript page, either from a scroll or a book, from which the text has been scraped or washed off so that the page can be reused for another document.”

Good show…

That last photo, with the cement blocks “filling” the storefront? — A stunning conclusion.
The communication seems to be: “Go away – It’s over! ” And yet here we are, still observing and
witnessing; thanks to the photographer and GA.

Thank you.