Victorian London back streets.

[benny1982]

Hi

I can easily argue about when people say London is so fast and rushed everyhwree. I have been into corner shops in Islington and Holborn and it is like a village shop, a very relaxed atmosphere. It is really the main streets that are rushed and hectic.

I walked down the street in Islington my great grandmother was born at in 1889. Even now the street appears to be quaint and relaxed with gorgeous Victorian London terraced houses. Yet the street is 10 miles away from the nearest bit of countryside.

In Victorian Times I would imagine back streets of London were quite quiet in many areas with the odd clatter of horses hooves.

Ben

 

[somerstown]

The flats I lived in in London NW1 in the 1950s not a single person had a car or motorcycle. The local corner shopkeeper knew everyone (and gave tick to those hard up till pay day! Try that in Tesco.) Very little traffic around Euston station except near the goods yard. I am not able to get there now but don't doubt all that has changed?

 

[benny1982]

Very interesting. As said even now I go into a back street grocery shop in Leather Lane Holborn or even in Soho and it is very laid back and relaxed in there.

London has a reputation for its peaceful areas.

 

[duckweed]

I'm not sure London as a whole was ever quiet even before cars, paintings show streets crowded with carts carriages etc. Even Elisabethan accounts talk of it being crowded noisy and smelly. The houses were so crowded most people when not working spent their time either in the pub or in the street.

 

[benny1982]

I'm not sure London as a whole was ever quiet even before cars, paintings show streets crowded with carts carriages etc. Even Elisabethan accounts talk of it being crowded noisy and smelly. The houses were so crowded most people when not working spent their time either in the pub or in the street.

I think some areas were like that. In the 1880s my great, great, great grandparents lived in a dingy part of Holborn right in central London. They lived at Evelyn Buildings, e tenement building which had a pub down the same street. Yes I can easily imagine my ancestors spending many an hour in Central London rub a dubs drinking beer and ale.

 

[somerstown]

I think some areas were like that. In the 1880s my great, great, great grandparents lived in a dingy part of Holborn right in central London. They lived at Evelyn Buildings, e tenement building which had a pub down the same street. Yes I can easily imagine my ancestors spending many an hour in Central London rub a dubs drinking beer and ale.

Surely "opened their mince pies, got out of uncle ned, went down the apples and pears, along the frog and toad to pay the Burton on Trent, saw their china plate scratching his Barnet Fair, and went into the rubba dub dub for a pint of pigs ear"?
Sorry, couldn't resist it. Used to hear that all the time as a kid.

 

[benny1982]

A mate of mine said rub a dub the other day and he is from Hillingdon.

 

[ptjw7]

The street my ancestors came from is no longer there all part of the slum clearance, Red Lion Street. There is a picture of the street on the web that showed the rows of terraced houses so close you could touch the other house from your front door so not all the places were that nice.
Another street Norfolk Street was described by Booth as 'rough bit' not sure if that was the street condition or my relatives!

Although some areas are very green with fields etc but central I have always felt to be crowded.

Peter

 

[benny1982]

"How are you me old china? I went to the German Cruiser last night and now feel a bit tom. I might go home and go to my blue and red for a kip".