https://spitalfieldslife.com/2025/04/03/at-kts-the-corner-ii/ In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London Thu, 03 Apr 2025 19:19:58 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://spitalfieldslife.com/2025/04/03/at-kts-the-corner-ii/#comment-1707661 Thu, 03 Apr 2025 19:19:58 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=202770#comment-1707661 Sic transit gloria mundi!
A generation ago, when many premises were empty as a result of the war, my father rented 522A Kingsland Road, an empty shop and basement, just about opposite to this shop, and established there his small furniture factory. It lasted a few years while I, a schoolboy, was employed at half a crown per week to earn my packet money by removing sawdust from the circular saw in the basement and burning it in the back yard. Saturday mornings that I have never forgotten.

]]> https://spitalfieldslife.com/2025/04/03/at-kts-the-corner-ii/#comment-1707477 Thu, 03 Apr 2025 08:15:30 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=202770#comment-1707477 I love shops like this. When I lived out at Upminster years ago we had one in a side street called Jarvo’s, it sold just about everything you could think of for DIY jobs and the staff know exactly where to find everything. They even had items like door handles I remember from the 60s if you were after a retro look 🙂

]]> https://spitalfieldslife.com/2025/04/03/at-kts-the-corner-ii/#comment-1707463 Thu, 03 Apr 2025 07:36:43 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=202770#comment-1707463 Fascinating. Loved this article. Long may shops like this continue to floursh.

]]> https://spitalfieldslife.com/2025/04/03/at-kts-the-corner-ii/#comment-1707439 Thu, 03 Apr 2025 06:44:17 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=202770#comment-1707439 Reading this article instantly made me want to visit the shop. How fortunate was Tony to have a dad that passed on his skills to his son. It made me smile reading of how his mum wanted everything changed every year or eighteen months. It also left me thinking about the thousands of diy projects that have been completed with the help Tony and his team , if photos were taken and assembled of the outcomes , imagine the historical document they would provide . Here’s wishing Tony and his team continued good fortune as they continue to serve the community.

]]> https://spitalfieldslife.com/2025/04/03/at-kts-the-corner-ii/#comment-1707437 Thu, 03 Apr 2025 06:42:11 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=202770#comment-1707437 Another East London hardware institution is Wakefield’s Walkaround on Lea Bridge Road, at the Bakers Arms – it’s unchanged in over 70 years to my knowledge.

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