Comments on: In Old Bow

By: John Woodland

John Woodland — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 17:52:41 +0000

Bow technically lays outside the traditional East End as it was in the former borough of Poplar and was in fact once a suburb before the 60s!

By: Amos Julien

Amos Julien — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 09:57:51 +0000

The tour of Bow is great especially for a local like me. There’s a lot to recognize and cherish.

Altogether it is an interesting mix of the old and the new. Keep up the good work GA.

By: Marcia Howard

Marcia Howard — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 15:56:15 +0000

What beautiful images, perhaps with the exception of the refurbished Crossways Estate, and so interesting to know about the clock connection with Angela Lansbury’s Mother, albeit with a sad ending. Keep ’em coming Gentle Author, you’re a bloomin’ marvel

By: Keith

Keith — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 13:52:40 +0000

Bow is a lovely place to see as it’s filled with magnificent buildings of all ages and styles. My family on my maternal great grandparents side lived in the areas of Campbell Road, Tredegar Road, Old Ford Road, Astley Road, and my maternal 4th great aunt and her husband were Licensed Victulars of The Roman Arms Pub, 260 Roman Road, Bow from 1861 to 1891, But sadly, no photographs of The Roman Arms exists to view. My paternal grandad was born and brought up in and around Poplar, and his cousins too. They moved around Poplar a lot and resided in Ellethorpe Street, North Street, Sabbarton Street etc. I like Tredegar Road as it’s very well kept, has a lovely little Tredegar Square Gardens and Tredegar Square is so posh!

By: Tom Andrews

Tom Andrews — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 11:30:30 +0000

…led me on a stroll around the parishes of Bromley and Bow last week…

Please, please always include the route you took on these magnificent walks. Many of us, your readers would love to take that/those same routes and see these sites ourselves. Your photos just whet the desire to take such a walk.

Many thanks indeed.

By: Ian Johnson

Ian Johnson — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 10:24:30 +0000

I was very interested to see these pictures as my grandmother was born at number 216 Bow Road in 1890, in premises that I think may have been a small dairy, but I am not sure if the buildings still exist. Anyway your pictures give an interesting insight into Bow Road as it must have appeared at the time. I am attempting to construct a brief written history of my family’s life in the East End at the time. You might find some of the material of interest, and if so I would be happy to share it with you.

By: Cherub

Cherub — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 09:47:58 +0000

This part of East London has some very elegant and fine turnings, you also find some lovely gems behind Queen Mary University at Mile End.

Sadly, I fear locals are priced out of the area which is very sad. When I was studying as a mature student at Queen Mary in the mid 90s, 2 young undergraduate friends of mine were renting a bright and airy maisonette on Bow Common Lane, an Edwardian property. I saw a property like that listed for 500k on the same street recently, a stone’s throw from Mile End Park and wondered who could afford it.

By: Frances Bulwer

Frances Bulwer — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 08:03:14 +0000

Minnie Lansbury’s imprisonment in Holloway in 1921 was not connected to her being a suffragette. She was one of 30 Poplar Borough Councillors convicted of refusing to set the rate required by the LCC, felt to penalise residents of a poor borough unfairly.
Although the women councillors had more comfortable prison condities in Holloway than the men in HMP Brixton, Minnie caught pneumonia and died several weeks after their early release. Her widower remarried and their daughter is actor Angela Lansbury who contributed to the restoration of Minnie’s clock a few years ago.
There are wonderful photos of the Poplar Councillors being accompanied by a brass band and a huge crowd of Poplar supporters on their way to prison, on the Island History Trust website.