In 2010, journalist Claire Cohen wrote a newspaper article comparing old photos of London with the same locations then. The old photos had been discovered in the archives of English Heritage, and she asked photographer David Crump to take images of the identical places to compare … | Continue reading
This is the fifteenth part of a fiction serial, in 765 words. Over the phone that evening, Marian told Ros what had happened with Denise. “To be honest, I’m excited. Once I find out where Lee is working, I can send the stuff to his boss, then get Denise to complain to the Social … | Continue reading
Many photographers seek out situations where the subjects are not posed, or perhaps completely unaware of the camera. These are generally known as ‘Candids’, and there are many to be found on the Internet. Here is a selection, covering a long period of London’s history. 1873. A f … | Continue reading
This is the fourteenth part of a fiction serial, in 801 words. By the time Denise was halfway down the third can of lager, Marian was well and truly stuck to the seat of the greasy sofa. But she had found out quite a lot. Lee was working on a no-hours contract for a security … Co … | Continue reading
My thanks to Gavin for his guest post about the changing attitudes in society. Major turning points in society. We all see the wonderful pictures Pete sends us, and you laugh or cringe at the noticeable societal changes. Less smoking is a classic. On the other hand swear words ar … | Continue reading
This is the thirteenth part of a fiction serial, in 804 words. (Contains some swearing.) Before going to stay with Amanda, Marian decided to pay Denise Fowler a visit. Lyndsey had suggested doorstepping her, and provided the address on a council estate in Hatfield. The estate was … | Continue reading
One feature available on WordPress is that a blogger can ‘Invite you to follow’ their blog. During the past ten years of blogging, I have received an ‘Invite to follow’ email on more than sixty occasions. The latest one appeared on Sunday evening. To this date, I have NEVER follo … | Continue reading
The weather changed this week, and became much nicer. Sunny mornings, warmer temperatures, and a hint of an ‘Indian Summer’. Dry walks with Ollie were a nice bonus. ————————————————————————————— Ollie started shaking his head yesterday morning, a tell-tale sign of an ear infectio … | Continue reading
This is the twelfth part of a fiction serial, in 805 words. After closing the door behind them, Amanda slid two large bolts across it before double locking the expensive Banham latch. Marian looked at her sister, and Ros raised her eyebrows. This was a woman who took her home sec … | Continue reading
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the streets of London were full of people selling their wares to anyone passing by. To get themselves noticed, the sellers would invent cries, which were often elaborate rhymes which they hoped would attract customers. Many of these are now lost to … | Continue reading
This is the eleventh part of a fiction serial, in 723 words. On the long drive back to Hackney, Marian and Ros hardly spoke. It had been a long day, and so much had already been said. But as they crossed the river, Ros broke her silence. “I can’t let you do it, Mal. I … Continue … | Continue reading
Part of a collection of photos, all dated 1890. They were taken in East London during that year, but the photographer was unknown and not credited. (Some of the photos can be further enlarged by clicking on them.) Factory girls outside a cafe during their meal break. They wore th … | Continue reading