Comments on: In Old Rotherhithe

By: Wendy Lowe

Wendy Lowe — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 21:12:36 +0000

I love this area. I hope you managed to visit Sands – it is such an amazing company with amazing costumes and costume library etc. I hope one day you are able to interview them.

By: T. O. Clark

T. O. Clark — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 14:04:26 +0000

You have been able to flesh out the few remaining sites of old Rotherhithe and make it seem alive today. It will be easy to trace your steps – thank you. Fascinating about the tunnel! Hope to make it back to your great city.

By: Lynne Perrella

Lynne Perrella — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 10:20:34 +0000

Lovely! – I once saw a fascinating article (with photos) about Sands Film Company in World of Interiors magazine and was instantly captivated. What a repository of incredible finery — and now I’ve seen the surrounding neighborhood. I may need to pull up stakes and move there. You’ve given me something to daydream about today.
Many thanks!

By: Malcolm

Malcolm — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 10:13:57 +0000

A part of London that still looks like old London, if you know where to look…some of us do.
The Mayflower had a special licence to sell postage stamps, it was the only place not owned by the Post Office to have such a privilege and it still sells stamps today, the only pub in the country to do so.
Before the Surrey docks closed Rotherhithe was a dark and gloomy area, full of mysterious alleys and narrow streets, there were gas lamps until well into the 70’s. I used to ride my bike through Blackwall Tunnel to Greenwich, through Deptford, Rotherhithe and Bermondsey to London Bridge and then back through Rotherhithe tunnel to the Isle of Dogs back in the late 60’s. I wish I had a camera back then.
Sadly, almost all of the old streets I used to navigate have gone now, replaced by ever more blocks of flats that look as if they were designed by someone who hates people.
Omnia mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis…

By: Gary Arber

Gary Arber — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 08:57:55 +0000

The method used by Brunel to sink his shaft into the ground is the method used from ancient times to sink wells. The brickwork is built on the surface and undermined so that it sinks into the ground with brickwork being added on top as it sinks allowing wells to descend to great depths.
Gary

By: Helen Breen

Helen Breen — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 08:51:22 +0000

Greetings from Boston,

GA, thanks for yet another shard in the kaleidoscope that is London. The school looks very well preserved …

By: Sue

Sue — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 07:46:16 +0000

What a fascinating tour. I love the old school building.
Sue.

By: Jim McDermott

Jim McDermott — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 07:37:23 +0000

Lovely post. Two gripes though – 1. surely it’s time to change the name of the ‘Mayflower’ (no doubt an American-pleasing gesture at the time) back to the historically-appropriate Spread-Eagle?, and 2. Why can’t the ‘street-art’ (ugh!) that defiles public buildings – actually, any vertical surface – in our present age be nearly as elegant as graffiti was in previous centuries?

Old man rant over. Thank you.

By: John Barrett

John Barrett — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 06:37:22 +0000

Rotherhithe oozes history seek it out. Have laid off here in the Thames barge Reminder before going up river to St Katherine’s dock. Never went ashore this blog tells me all. This was a convenient place for ships with small pox on board to lay off and discharge victims. Poet John