Comments on: A Walk Around The Docks With Lew Tassell

By: Derek Smith

Derek Smith — Sun, 10 Nov 2024 19:04:02 +0000

10 November 2024 London Docks years ago. I am 90 now but I still remember my Dad taking me round the East end docks as a young boy. We walked from Tower Bridge to Shadwell basin, it was just before the war. Perhaps even at the start of the war. Dad’s family lived in the Commercial Road. Parfett Street. I had a sense of smell in those days and I remember Dad telling me what spices we were smelling. I recall the overhead gantries that crossed the street from the ships side to the warehouses on the left. We went into the Prospect of Whitby pub. It had a metal of some sort covering the wood of the bar. Dad said the metal was to stop the old time sailors from sticking their knives into the wooden bar.
Just after the war he took me down there again because a submarine was visiting and we queued up to go down into it. It might have affected me because I later joined the Navy and served 14 years in submarines. I am going back to London just before Christmas (2024) for what will probably be a final look round.

By: Marcia Howard

Marcia Howard — Sat, 02 Oct 2021 19:20:09 +0000

What sad sights those Docks became. My eldest brother now in his 80s, worked on the Docks back in the 60s. Said huge spiders as big as a man’s hand used to arrive along with the Ffyfe bananas

By: Herry Lawford

Herry Lawford — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 07:31:12 +0000

I came to this entry via today’s (14th April 2021) entry about Lew Tassell and the TV programme that I certainly intend to watch, but was fascinated but his photos from Britannic House and now these from the docks. How fortunately to be able to visit places like this with a camera. It would be impossible today. My offices were in St Mary Axe, when the the CU Building (now Aviva) was being built opposite and I remember walking in unchallenged and taking the lift to the top floor and sitting in one of the chairs in the boardroom before the building was in use. No chance of doing something like that today. I suppose the IRA are responsible for much of the tightened security as they bombed the Baltic Exchange in 1991 (believing it was the Stock Exchange) and killed a security guard. I had glass strewn over my desk. The damage to our building was so great that it was taken down – and became the Gherkin.

By: Mario

Mario — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 06:29:58 +0000

In the early 80s, I had a band, and we used to rehearse in cheap studio-space in these areas, and it was like walking back into Dickensian England. Lots of areas still looked bombed-out and in recovery from WW2.

Like an HG Wells story, it seemed as if one could walk from the present directly into the past, through some ruined door, and find scattered remains of past eras thrown on the floor of long lost spaces, forgotten by time and money.

My God, it was full of character, so sorely lacking now.

By: Georgina Briody

Georgina Briody — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 06:20:56 +0000

My father knew this area well and, as a child, would listen to his stories and often drive through the area en route to family further out.

It was a sad time to see the decline and demolition of the area but, in recent years, I have returned and it gladdens my heart to see its regeneration, bringing life back in a different way albeit I still thankfully retain memories of the ‘old life.’

Yes, I also remember when City of London Police had to be over six foot tall, not the case today I fear.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 14:05:21 +0000

Proud Past

You look amazing in your special City of London Police helmet and uniform and l too, am happy to read that those 18 photos of your girlfriend were the beginning of a happy lifetime together.
Please include one of your engagement in another posting.

l was fascinated all my life by the truly exciting atmosphere of the CITY and seeing the Docklands traditional trades and proud way of life of the busiest port in the world. It is worth watching Bob Hoskins in THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY to see Docklands on film 50 years ago.

Yesterday l visited Docklands Museum and was sad l could no longer find that excitement in the area, nor many leftover signs of the life l knew, so a big thank you Lew for your enquiring curiosity in your heyday and for posting that nostalgia for all of us.

You can tell how appreciated and meaningful your stories and photos are today. Well done.

By: Julia

Julia — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 22:55:15 +0000

I live in Wapping and it is amazing to see how this neighborhood used to look like. Thanks for sharing

By: Marie-Anne

Marie-Anne — Fri, 24 Aug 2018 06:35:47 +0000

I have a memory that I hold on to very tightly and it is as vivid now as the day I first recorded it.

My parents were very good friends with a couple (sadly, both no longer alive) and one day, Charlie (or Uncle Charlie as we called him) took me and my sister to see the wharves of Wapping. I don’t know why but I guess that he wanted to show us a piece of London’s past before it ceased to exist.

This was in the 1970’s so no start had been made on their transformation yet and the buildings stood proud and empty. I was fascinated, and in awe of these magnificent buildings, beautiful and industrial, dirty, forlorn and unwanted and even at my tender age, I fell in love with them.

As we walked around listening to Uncle Charlie talking about them, even in the relative silence, I could almost hear the noise of the busy docks and I was sad to get back in the car and leave.

I have told this story to friends and some family many times and the memory of that day is still clear, and may it always remain so. The only regret I have is that I didn’t have a camera then so was unable to take photographs.

By: Colin Cohen

Colin Cohen — Thu, 23 Aug 2018 16:15:52 +0000

What an amazing stroke of luck, I assume the images are from the negs, prints back then were usually so poor and lacking in contrast

By: Kate Hayes

Kate Hayes — Thu, 23 Aug 2018 15:07:29 +0000

I love the map fragment as well to show how the docks were originally laid out. Is it possible to know the source of this, as I would be very interested in viewing more maps of this era. Lovely job as ever, thank you!