Comments on: George Dodd’s Spitalfields

By: Keith

Keith — Sun, 15 May 2022 11:50:08 +0000

Wow! Thank you for showing the amazingly and beautifully drawn sketches of a Spitalfields in times past. Pelham Street is of great interest to me as it is the street my paternal grandmother was born and brought up in towards the end of the 19th century. Her mother was also born and brought up in Spitalfields, albiet in the 1860s, and in what is now Jerome Street (formerly Little Pearl Street), and behind the former cigar factory (formerly on the site of the old music hall). Both my paternal Grandmother and Great Grandmother were children of Irish immigrants. But some of the houses and streets remain and the church they all attended still exists today – St Anne’s RC church in Underwood Road. Thanks for the beautiful sketches and the memory jog!

By: Frank Guest

Frank Guest — Sun, 15 May 2022 09:15:49 +0000

George Dodd’s Spitalfields was long before my time working there.. Started my working life at 16 in T J Pouparts Fruit stand on the north side of the market in 1962. Progressed from sales into importing starting our own company in 1968. Our office occupied an old building (now demolished) in the top end of Brushfield Street. Within 2-3 years we moved into offices in the London Fruit & Wool Exchange at the bottom end (Commercial road) of Brushfield St. Used to enjoy sometimes in the early afternoons walking in the lanes & places in the nearby city. To St Pauls, the Tower, Aldgate & all places in between. Eventually (1987) we bought & converted a corner shop in High road Leyton in anticipation of the market moving to its new site in which it did [eventually] in 1991. Circumstances [& businesschanges] meant that we sold the premises in the early 2000’s but I continued importing & trading until last year (2021) when it occured to me that 59 years working non stop was probably enough as, although enjoying excellent health, none of us know whats round the corner… The supermarkets now have probably about 80% plus of the grocery turnover in the UK & their suppliers have had to grow larger& larger to accomodate them. Very often times were tough but as my Mother used to say.. “its tough at the top, but even rougher at the bottom”! Do hope this adds to the collection of information & knowledge recorded & that in 50 or more years somebody may be reading this with interest!

By: Andy Strowman

Andy Strowman — Fri, 13 May 2022 05:34:55 +0000

Wishing all readers very good health.
The description fits my memories of another century that poverty was normality for the area, and yet among that many people did their best to survive and at times progress.

Best wishes,
Andy Strowman