Comments on: In Old Holborn

By: John Cuningham

John Cuningham — Sun, 05 Mar 2023 22:47:20 +0000

The picture of Holborn Bars featuring the former headquarters of the Prudential Assurance Company struck a real chord with me. As a former “Man From The Pru”, the “Pink Palace” as it was affectionately known by Pru emoyees has a huge resonance for me.

Leaving a dead end job in my mid twenties back in the 1970s to become a Prudential Agent was the start of a life transformation for me. The Pru was famed for giving people a leg up. It certainly gave me one.

I was with the Pru for twenty years, making much progress career wise. When I reluctantly moved on following a change of direction by the Pru I enjoyed much success in other organisations, wholly down to what I learnt at Prudential.

I was in London last year and wandered around the forecourt of the Pink Palace. I’m now fairly old and retired but as somebody who left school at fifteen with zero qualifications, I managed to end my career as a senior manager with a global corporation and build a great life for my family and myself. Its all down to the chance that I was given by the Pru almost fifty years ago.

By: Marcia Howard

Marcia Howard — Sun, 05 Mar 2023 19:02:37 +0000

I have an old Lloyds’ Old Holborn tobacco tin too. Mine contains Paper Clips! More wonderful photos so thank you again GA.

By: Christy

Christy — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 17:04:03 +0000

Your love of the city is (always) contagious

By: Richard

Richard — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 11:53:43 +0000

Wandering round Leather lane I went into St Albans church for the first time. Quite interesting.
A lot of artwork by Hans Feibusch. The church itself stand out above the surrounding buildings.
Bit of a Victorian monstrosity by Butterfield. Thanks.

By: Susan Locke

Susan Locke — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 22:31:56 +0000

Sent round the corner shop for “half an ounce of Old Holborn” many times from about the age of twelve so the building was always so familiar.
Sue

By: Milo

Milo — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 09:57:29 +0000

That was a fun little poke around a fascinating area. Thank you.

By: Paul Loften

Paul Loften — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 09:13:29 +0000

Thank you for revealing the mysteries and history of this wonderful area of London. I have been situated in or around Holborn in various jobs throughout my working life and some photos trigger a memory of an event or even an occasion of meeting a family member who worked nearby for lunch or to go somewhere after work . In particular the photo of the bridge in Shoe
Lane at the rear of Fleet Building in Farringdon Street where I would occasionally meet my father .
It was not always so peaceful a place . I worked in an office in Bow Bells House then situated in Bread Street when a bomb went off at the Old Bailey in 1973 and the tremendous bang shook the building . We guessed it was a bomb and my first thought was for my father who worked in Farringdon and I phoned his workplace . He was ok and I remember our phone conversation was interrupted by a voice that said . “It was the IRA . We bombed the Old Bailey “. In those days a crossed line was a common occurrence so apart from ending the call there wasn’t anything we could do. Later on we learned from news reports it was actually the IRA who had tapped into the telephone lines in the area and there were other reports of people hearing this voice . I don’t know their purpose for doing this .

By: Jeremy Rogers

Jeremy Rogers — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 08:10:40 +0000

In your blog today you mention the International Magic Store. In 1973 I remember being taken from Smithfield Market (where I was working) to a magic shop nearby which was run by an old lady. The shop was on a cobbled street – possibly since paved. Does anyone remember the shop and its name? We got so many practical jokes from there….!

By: Christine Swan

Christine Swan — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 07:53:25 +0000

Correction- my tobacco tin was Golden Virginia, my sister’s was the white and orange Old Holborn tin!

By: Christine Swan

Christine Swan — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 07:44:53 +0000

Wonderful photos, thanks GA. I walked through Holborn last week and I too associate the Staple Inn with tobacco tins filled with buttons, badges, nails, screws and other items which are unlikely to ever be used again but kept ” just in case. My father soldered a spider, fashioned from a piece of foam rubber attached to a spring, to the inside of an Old Holborn tin ( I had the later green painted version). My sister and I both had one to terrorise our classmates with. I wished I’d kept it.