Comments on: William Henry Knapp’s Memoir

By: Dr Brian Edwards

Dr Brian Edwards — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 11:20:55 +0000

A wonderful taste of cockney life. My parents lived in Catford and my Dad worked at Bricklayers Yard in Old Kent Road. He often talked of his time there just before and after Second World War but never wrote it down. But we have Henry Knapp’s account as a consolation.

By: Marcia Howard

Marcia Howard — Mon, 14 May 2018 21:20:54 +0000

A beautifully written account. Fascinating.

By: Brenda Wordsworth

Brenda Wordsworth — Sat, 12 May 2018 09:01:29 +0000

Chris Webb according to Wikipedia The Phoenix Park Murders were the fatal stabbings of Lord Frederick Cavendish and Thomas Henry Burke in Phoenix Park in Dublin on 6 May 1882.

By: Terri

Terri — Tue, 08 May 2018 20:19:27 +0000

I so enjoyed reading this. But oh! how casually he mentions the demolition of an ancient bit of old City wall!

By: Chris Webb

Chris Webb — Tue, 08 May 2018 16:52:46 +0000

Is the rest of this enough for a book? If so I would definitely buy it. The stationers was Straker, not Straker. They had several branches in London up to perhaps 20 years ago, and Spike Milligan used to work for them. I have some idea they were taken over by Rymans.

I don’t know anything about the Phoenix Park Murders; that’s the tiny park round the back of Charing Cross Road isn’t it?

By: James Crowe

James Crowe — Tue, 08 May 2018 16:33:30 +0000

How lovely. A portal into a bygone era. Old photos and accounts like this are a very important way for us to understand and appreciate the way things were before the inevitable onset of modernisation.

By: Gary Arber

Gary Arber — Tue, 08 May 2018 13:52:42 +0000

Fantastic ! A record of history as it was lived. Historians serve us as well as possible but an example of history seen through the human eye is much more vivid. Thank you for showing us this rare account GA..
Gary

By: Michelle

Michelle — Tue, 08 May 2018 13:11:57 +0000

A fascinating and enjoyable read. Mr Knapp’s personality really comes through. I wish he had written more of his memories down!

By: Helen Breen

Helen Breen — Tue, 08 May 2018 12:06:56 +0000

Greetings from Boston,

GA, what a delightful memoir of William Henry Knapp and his escapades as a young man as a provisions agent in the City. Loved the part about his upbringing and education that prepared him so well for the real world of work which he embraced with enthusiasm. Every day was an adventure. No doubt, his boyish charm endeared him to those working in the kitchens that he service. And the real turtle soup!

My sense is that William was quite a reader in his spare time, as evidenced by his sketch of Mr. Straker, the stationer on Ludgate Hill. Such recollections are truly to be treasured…

By: Adele

Adele — Tue, 08 May 2018 11:32:23 +0000

What a vivid picture of Central London at that time! Have a very clear picture in my mind of the frontage of The Old Cheshire Cheese pub as I worked across the street for a solicitors and passed it daily. The name fascinated me, and I had no idea til reading this that
a wheel of cheese sat on the counter. Oh for a plowman’s lunch here in NYC!