please empty your brain below
I really enjoyed this post DG, the last seven years of my working life were spent pounding these very streets and my office was bang in the middle of what is now Blackwall Reach, this bought back a few memories thank you.

fishislandskin | 15.03.18 - 7:28 a.m. | #

Robin Hood Gardens regeneration. Local campaigners have pointed out that the new flats are being marketed at property shows in the Far East. Further proof of how utterly dysfunctional the London property system has become.

IslandDweller | 15.03.18 - 7:33 a.m. | #

Superb piece of work: such a small area, such fascinating places.

Waterhouse | 15.03.18 - 7:38 a.m. | #

Great read. I do love a well done mural.

Kevin | 15.03.18 - 7:46 a.m. | #

Excellent and now a visit to here is on my to do list.

ganching | Homepage | 15.03.18 - 8:02 a.m. | #

How very interesting - and all in a 500m square. London is the most densely interesting city for someone who takes the time to look - thanks!

peter | 15.03.18 - 8:13 a.m. | #

'The Aces, a vintage Essex four-piece who only play songs that have been number one in the charts'

Imagine the conversation when they were deciding on a name for the band - "How about The Number Ones?" "Err, I'm not sure that's a good idea . . ."

RayL | 15.03.18 - 8:23 a.m. | #

Pedant alert: the site of the London & Blackwall Railway's Poplar station was somewhere between Poplar and Blackwall DLR stations.

It was the North London Railway's station, also called Poplar, that was on the site of the present All Saints.

timbo again | Homepage | 15.03.18 - 8:26 a.m. | #

Like fishislandskin, till I retired I was a frequent visitor to this area, and to all the local schools. I knew instantly that there were no end of local attractions: I used to love walking around the area, and there are LOTS more interesting pubs too!!

Brian | 15.03.18 - 8:37 a.m. | #

My mum passed the eleven plus and went to George Green. She had to leave at 14 as my nan (a single parent) couldn't afford for her to stay there. I don't know how much time she actually spent at the Poplar building since it was wartime and she was evacuated, along with the school, to Ross-on-Wye. But she loved the whole experience especially being evacuated to a lovely family who looked after her much better than my nan was in a position to do.

If ever you need a diversion off the Blackwall Tunnel approach road I can recommend the truly quirky Citywood enterprise with its carved animals which you can see displayed from the road. We went there to buy some wood to make a bench once and it was a fascinating place. Can also recommend an investigation of the Bromley Hall school which has languished empty for such a long time but which I believe is now being refurbished.

Joan | 15.03.18 - 8:43 a.m. | #

Great piece. You rose to and exceeded the challenge of writing about such a small area.

I notice that Google Maps suggests that All Saints DLR Station is an 'Edgy apparel line for men & women".

Steve | 15.03.18 - 10:10 a.m. | #

Memories! I used to house sit a mates huge manse on Mountague place just south of the church, off and on from the mid 90's right up to about five years ago when the selfish sod sold it. Would wander the area - and the Isle of Dogs - day and night drinking in the atmosphere.
You're right about the two pubs. While the 'Hope' was friendly i used to go into the 'Greenwich Pensioner' and sit in a corner nursing a pint just to piss them off. Probably thought i was a cop.

Milo Bell | 15.03.18 - 10:17 a.m. | #

I'm impressed - good luck with Potters Bar and its minute slither of the M25!

Raedwald | 15.03.18 - 10:43 a.m. | #

Just goes to show, eh?!

Andrew Bowden | Homepage | 15.03.18 - 11:46 a.m. | #

Thanks for suggesting me where to visit for my next visit to London! Can't wait for more!

Patrickov | 15.03.18 - 11:54 a.m. | #

I'm a little sad you weren't able to shoehorn some old sewing machines into the post somewhere...

Steve | 15.03.18 - 12:21 p.m. | #

Another interesting travelogue,DG. Amazing how anywhere can look inviting when the sun shines and the sky is blue. 😉😉

Jo W | 15.03.18 - 1:10 p.m. | #

George Green school was the venue of Tower Hamlets sixth form centre in the 80's.
I know because that's where I did my A-Levets.( In those days there weren't enough suitable candidates to justify each school having an actual sixth form, though we were technically still on roll).

John DLC | 15.03.18 - 3:14 p.m. | #

That's were my wife and I got married - All Saints - her old home, in Bromley Hall Road, is now part of the Blackwall Tunnel approach road, how things have changed. Great piece of reading, thanks DG.

Bob P | 15.03.18 - 6:03 p.m. | #

Excellent read DG. Re The Hope & Anchor, the 'Jack Beard's' prefix is a relic which I guess they've not got round to painting over. Jack Beard's was a brand applied by CC Taverns to a bunch of pubs in east and south east London which they took over the leases for via a management buy out from Courage, if I remember correctly. They made a singularly bad job of it all, running the pubs into the ground, not investing and rarely doing even basic repairs. They went bust 7 or 8 years ago and I doubt anyone mourned their passing. I think the estate was then split, but I don't know who has the lease on the Hope now.

Matt | 15.03.18 - 8:06 p.m. | #

The first time I nosed around there, in the late 80's, I was amazed to find the inscription on the outside east wall of Poplar church, indicating that Poplar was in Middlesex when the church was built.

scrumpy | 16.03.18 - 12:10 a.m. | #











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