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Shady Old Lady: Latest User Comments

The latest user contributions to The Shady Old Lady's London files:

Ripper Murder: Marie Jeanette [Paula]
Catherine Eddowes and Polly Nicholls graves are in the City of London cemetery

Peek Frean's Biscuit Factory [DAVID CARTER]
MY GRANDFATHER SIDNEY NOEL RACKHAM WAS CHIEF BOILERMAN/ENGINEER 1914-1954 WITH A BREAK FOR 1ST WORLD WAR CALL UP,ALSO UNCLE CHARLIE WEBSTER WAS A MANAGER 1960-1970,S DOES ANYONE REMEMBER THEM,ANY FUNNY STORIES TO TELL.

Once there were Herrings [DOUG]
roggs stood at 137 cannon street road e1 at the junction of burslem street.

Number 1 Poultry [Chris]
However one feels about the design of this building, it is surely not an appropriate edifice for the location. It looks as though it may have been designed by a child using early learning building blocks and does not blend in at all with its older neighbours, not least because it is pink.

Eaglesfield's Famous Comedy Son [Tony Henry]
You have got the facts regarding the change from Shooters Hill to Eaglesfield completely wrong. Bloomfield School was a comprehensive and the merger and name change happened in 1973, I was a pupil at both schools and left in 1975 after being at Eaglesfield (Merlin House) for two years.

Brinsworth House: Retired Actors [Jacky]
Pleased to find this. My Great Grandma, Rosetta Sellers-later Holmes so she was known at Brinsworth as Rosetta Holmes, was also a resident at Brinsworth and was one of the film extras in The Leather Boys. We have newspaper cuttings of her confirming this. She had her own dance troup around 1809 (The Trio de Clios.) Travelled with Horace Goldin for 8 years as his Disapearing Lady, and a dancer, danced at the Folies Bergere and other places and also seems to have been a dancer in various Ballets. I would love to know more about her. I knew her and we used to visit her at Brinsworth, but I was too young to understand where I was. We have her autograph book and a kind of travel diary I think she completed at Brinsworth but she talks more of th e travels than her acting/dancing/disapearing. I think she must have known Karl Edwards. A man called "Matty" also seems to figure in family memory. Insanely, the most comprehensive newspaper article we have about Rosetta is about her being bitten by Mosquitos in New York while working at the Palace Theatre, presumably as Horace Goldins Disapearing Lady in 1913. (She began her career in Lord George Sangers Circus riding an elephant.......I am also trying to write a book about her.

The Ship and Blue Ball [sue hill]
Also descended from William Lake, via his daughter, love to hear from anyone researching them.

Peter the Great trashed here [Londoner]
Not the last last misdemeanour laid upon this noble ground to warrant mention. Find out more and join the campaign to restore www.sayescourtgarden.com

The Famous 3 Kings [pete]
Does anybody know what happened to the band Salutations. They played on the London circuit back in the day in the Nashville rooms - great band.

Sex Pistols lived here [Pistolette Pete]
Graffiti found here in 2011 after wallpaper was removed was written by Sex Pistols frontman Johnny Rotten in 1975 when they lived here. After their landlord decorated Rotten thought hed add his own touches, and it is said now that they may be of greater significance than the discovery of early Beatles recordings. Rotten, born John Lydon, drew on the walls of the bands London flat in 1975 after disliking a recent redecoration. A paper in the journal Antiquity is suggesting the flat is an important historical and archaeological site.

Chelsea Register Office [Robin]
please note that this is not the original reistry office|

The Demon Barber of Fleet Street [Tim]
I am enjoying this site but Im afraid Sweeney Todd is a fictional character. A good yarn but as true to life as Batman.

Ham House [Herepitty]
What about the English invent football championship?

The Colony Room [Bill Stealer]
Soho writer Jeffrey Bernard and artist Lucian Freud were both regulars. I also spotted Clash singer Joe Strummer in here too.

Brinsworth House: Retired Actors [Nancy Edwards]
My Great Grandfather, Karl Heath Edwards worked in Panto at the turn of the century. He resided at Brinsworth House, where he passed away in 1962. It would be wonderful to know if there was any information available about Great Grandpa Karl. I have many letters that he wrote while at Brinsworth House. In the early 1920s Karl was cast in Schueberts Lilac Time. Karls grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren have carried on his love of theatre and the arts. Thank you for your care of my great grandpa! (Nancy Edwards, North Bay, Canada)

Peter the Great trashed here [Gilbert]
This building is not the Sayes Court manor house that Peter trashed. This one was built nearby, sometime in the 18th century, after the original manor house had been partially demolished.

The Viaduct Tavern [Martin]
This pub advertises itself as allowing people to see the Newgate prison cellars. My kids were doing a school project that had covered Newgate prison so we checked to see if they would allow kids in the cellars. During half-term we went to the pub and they said that we could see them with the kids after 3pm. We returned after 3pm only to be told that children werent allowed due to insurance restrictions;. Not only were the bar staff unhelpful, inconsiderate, they lied, wasted our time and disappointed our kids.

Princess Diana's Flat [Arturo]
Diana Spencer,our greatest Princess that we love for ever.

Sid James lived here! [Big Jim]
Its sad how councils have no respect for anything but the cash in their pockets. This house should have been preserved through who owned it. It would have been different if a bloody Beatle owned the house though. Overhyped chimps they are. Sid James was the king of comedy!. His memory deserves more respect than that which the council showed.

Former Annie McCall Hospital [JM]
Stockwell Studios is now a listed Grade II building! Delighted to inform you that having considered our recommendation the Minister with responsibility in this matter, the Minister for Tourism and Heritage, has decided to add Former Annie McCall Hospital to the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. The building is now listed at Grade II. Gosia McCabe (Designation Co-ordinator - South, English Heritage). 12th October 2011 The Annie McCall Hospital is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons: Hospital played a vital part in the network of pioneering women doctors in the late C19, and the growing acceptance of women in the medical profession well into the C20 Architectural interest: the purpose-built wing, designed by Hart and Waterhouse and dating to 1915, has a smart red-brick facade with stone dressings and a handsome doorcase. There is also an extension of 1938 by Gertrude Leverkus, an early female architect State of preservation: there has been little alteration to the building since it opened and it retains its wood floors, terrazzo-paved corridors, original window joinery and one fireplace, which enhance our understanding of how the building functioned. Please come and join the conversation on AMACs community website: http://www.amacstudios.org/profiles/blogs/stockwell-studios-is-now-a-listed-grade-ii-building Thank you Judith Martin for helping the studios!

The Speakeasy Club [himself and I]
When did the Speak close?

The Oldest Bank in London [Charles Reese]
"the firm adopted the sign of the Marygold as its trade sign a device of great significance for a business in the days of widespread illiteracy. The Marygold has remained the banks symbol ever since" The device is a mar4igold, nt a marygold. It is nonsense to say that the device was important due to widespread illiteracy. Most people, including servants and apprentices, were literate in London in those days. And if they were not additionally able to write, they would not be able to use a bank, would they? Shop signs were like pub signs are now, and were not a sign of illiteracy. For statistics on literacy see, for example "Popular culturesw in England 1550-1750" by B Reay, 1998,(pp. 40-41) and "Literacy and the Social Order: Reading and writing in Tudor and Stuart England" by David Cressy, 1980.

The Oldest Bank in London [Charles Reese]
Childs was a jeweller until the 18th century, not a bank, and it has not existed since 1923. In that year the company was taken over and became a branch of Glyn, Mills. The oldest bank in England is just a few doors down from Childs at number 37 Fleet Street. It is C. Hoare & Co., which is still wholly owned by direct descendents of Richard Hoare, who established it in 1672. It is still an unlimited liability company.

The Establishment [Clint]
Was there an answer to Richard Arnolds question above regarding if there was a gaming room at the Establishment Club? Would be interested to know.

Eaglesfield's Famous Comedy Son [Richard]
Just looked it up and apparently the change of name to Shooters Hill was in 1935. I should have mentioned too that of course it is not in Eltham- it is in SE18 - a postal district which encompasses Woolwich and Plumstead- the school falling under Woolwich (or Woolwich Common I suppose)

Eaglesfield's Famous Comedy Son [Richard]
As a former pupil of Shooters Hill, I can confirm that the name was Shooters Hill Grammar School in the 60s and had probably been this for some time. Bloomfield was a secondary modern school, with which Shooters Hill merged to form Eaglesfield. I am not sure if this was in 1977 or 1978 but the work on the new building began in 1970 just before I left. The site is now a sixth form centre which has reverted to the Shooters Hill name

The Speakeasy Club [Anonymous]
The club was NOT owned by the Krays. JD

Camden Catacombs, 21 feet under [P Brant]
Were blacksmiths employed in the catacombs around 1900? My grandfather was one and lived in Wrotham Road

Home to a Clean Comedy [JM]
Dont forget to check out the superlatively excellent curry cafe Hotstuff on your visit. Also woth mentioning is the campaign by locals to resurrect the former Wilcox rd market. More info on that at Wilcox rd market face book page.

Dr Jelley of Homerton [Brenda]
My grandmother used to tell me of Dr Jelly and how he shouted at her from across the street to cover her chest because THATS why she was so sickly! She was a girl of about 13 and was mortified!

The Sloane Square Hotel [Gilbert James]
This is where comedy legend Ronnie Barker proposed to his future wife in 1957, in the restaurant at the Royal Court Theatre.

Floyd's Favourite: Langan's [The Whizz]
This is where Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbetts families held a party on March 18th 1979 to bid everyone farewell before they all went to Australia for a year. Their producer Harry Fielding was taking their Palladium show to Sydney for a year. Richard Beckinsale, Barkers co-star in classic sitcom Porridge, attended and when they arrived in Australia Barker received a phone call saying that Richard had not woken up the folowing day and was pronounced dead.

Charlie Chaplin lived here [Bob Richards]
This house is currently for sale for 650k through KFH http://www.kfh.co.uk/

Actor Boris Karloff born here [Anonymous]
Karloffs birthplace is now a fish and chip shop.

The Old Mercury Theatre [Paul]
My late father Reginald Letch, worked at the Mercury as a stage hand for Madame Rambert. I would love to hear from anyone who remembers him working there I think before and after WW2.

Birch's Immortal Shop [Sandra Carter]
Have just discovered Samuel Birchs father Lucas was our 4 x gt. grandfather. Samuels brother Lucas fathered George, then came Oliver then William then our father William. We still have the name Birch and have in fact gone back to Samuels grandfather John from Buckinghamshire.

Samuel Coleridge Died Here [Julia Marks]
This is where model Kate Moss lives, and is causing local upset for her plans for renovating this historic property.

Keith Moon died here [Fletch]
Isnt that John Entwhistle in the photo?

Bow Street Magistrates Court [Frank H. Lawson]
Its a little known fact that naughty boy Casanova, who lived in Soho, was bound over here to keep the peace.

BT Telecoms Tower [Photoman]
Correction: Although the restaurant closed, the revolving mechanism is still in place and can still be used.

The infamous Lipski acid murder [Anonymous]
16 Batty Street is still well and truly there.

St. Giles Cripplegate Church [Martin Fields]
This is the church where Lord Protector and general king-killing, massacreing, reforming nutcase Oliver Cromwell married Elizabeth Bourchier in 1620.

The Giant Plug [loanda]
http://www.jamesglancydesign.com/infra/plug-socket.html - this is the designer

Conran's The Cow [ANNA]
My nan and grandad use to own this pub would would be really interested to know some more history, especially about it being renamed to annoy the former lanlady, any imformation would be appreciated .thankyou Mrs Jacobs.

The Apprentice's Bridge Cafe [Trevor Drake]
Its a funny old world,I sit and watch the apprentice and when they get sent to the cafe I say to my family I think that is the cafe I used to use ..... Not so strange? .... But the last time I used it was in 1964 when I was 8 years old, dancing the twist to bits and pieces (Dave Clark 5) in front of the lorry drivers for a tanner for the jukebox and some of the pickled onions from the big jar on the counter .... I moved from London in 1965 and have never returned and now live on the coast ..... but how did I recognise that cafe after 47 years? .... weird! .... Maybe you need to re-decorate .. lol

It's For You-Who [Peter]
Theres tons of K2 boxes in London! Theyre taller than the more familiar K6s, and the glass panes are all of the same width across (the K6s have a wider middle pane with smaller side panes). In a few places you can find them side-to-side with K6s. However, the *original* K2 prototype is in Burlington House. Its the one to the west of the entrance arch (on the left as you walk in) and still works. You can tell its different to the rest because TELEPHONE across the top is cut out as a vent, not printed. The box to the east of the arch is a standard production K2.

The Castle [David T Lewis]
George IV was once attending a cock-fight in the vicinity of the Castle inn, when he ran out of cash. Although the landlord did not recognise him, after a slight argument he loaned him thirty shillings on the kings fathers watch. After having won the bet for which he needed the money, George IV thought of having the landlord knighted but, because he had failed to recognise the king, he gave the house a pawnbrokers licence in perpetuity instead.

Breakfast at the Wolseley [Lucy]
When a tourist started taking photographs at the Wolseley, naughty Lucian Freud threw bread rolls at them.

Breakfast at the Wolseley [Dr Carl Mascus]
This was where the late great Lucian Freud dined most nights. On his death in July 2011, they covered his favourite corner table with a black cloth and lit a solitary candle.

Fountain fit for a Bear [robbie]
The water from the fountain is perfectly safe to drink, just like any other tap in London!

Secret Tunnels - 100 feet down [cdpaul01]
There is also ann entrence to this tunnel from the MoD building

Ben Crouches Tavern [Dave Evans]
The London Vampire Group now meet at the Elixir Bar at 162 Eversholt Street.This is the road on the right hand side of Euston Station.The meeting is on the first Thursday of the month.

Lenin Lived Here [jim]
Gets a mention in the Prologue section of Albert Angelo by B S Johnson.

Hammersmith Palais [John may]
We went to The Palais in the late 70s Did you ? one sat night I met future wife ....been married for 28 years now.. There must be 1000s of people who met and married ..thanks to The Hammersmith Palais !!!!!!!!

The Latymer School [garence]
Johnny Haynes was also Englands captain and Englands first £100 per week footballer. He met his lifelong clubmate/friend-and legendary clown prince on the soccer pitch- Trevor Tosh Chamberlain at Latymer.

Wessex Studios [Richard Hill]
It was a Bosendorfer. Better men than Johnny Rotten threw up in that studio.

Vanbrugh Castle [Ash]
The teachers were sadists!!!! and homosexuality was rife!!!! amongst 7 to 12 yr olds??? You are off your trolley old boy and need a bit of help. Granted JHC was an arse but that was about it!

Brockwell Park's Walled Garden [Carrie Smith]
Brockley is near Peckham, Brockwell Park is near Brixton - they are two different places in London. Brockwell Park is where the walled garden is.

The discovery of Penicillin [tiger]
it cant be?! fancy you leaving a comment here... btw fleming may have discovered penicillin (although it had always been there and was used in other parts of the world to treat natural infections), but the real genius lay in developing the MEDICATION. where was that done however??

Tomb of Richard Pendrell [Matt]
During the 1700s, the monument of Richard Penderell (in the churchyard of St. Giles-in-the-Fields, London) was decorated with oak branches every Royal Oak Day: www.royaloakday.org.uk

Harry Palmer's Parking Spot [Stephen Bolton]
This car park was also the location of the long corridor that Patrick McGoohan (Number 6) is seen storming down to resign during the opening credits of "The Prisoner".

First Plastic Invented Here [Geoff]
The title is very misleading. Plastic, (Parkesene), may well have been produced here, however it was invented in Birmingham. Yet another example of London stealing all the glory.

La Deliverance [Petrel]
Battle of the Marne started And ended Sept 1914. Second battle July 1918.

Raymond's Revue Bar [Dave Davies]
Mickey Spillane went to Raymonds and reported that it had the sexiest girls Ive seen.

St James Church [Murray]
There were still a great many clock and watch repair shops in the area until the late 1990s. Even now there are still a few left around Clerkenwell Road/St John Street.

Mount Pleasant - or is it? [Murray]
Id previously heard that Mount Pleasant was a sarcastic name for the area, in fact, due to the rubbish and general unpleasant surroundings. A cab driver once told me that Coldbath Square was the site of a child brothel in the 1700s. But where he got this information from, I dont know. I do find that older taxi drivers do like to tell stories, eg. the building that houses my current office was an illegal drinking den in the 1960s (as told to me by a cabbie in his 60s).

Dame Alice Owen's School [Murray]
Its a damn shame and a disgrace that the council was able to steal this land from the public and turn it into residences for rich people...

Magic, Gizmos & FUN [PJ]
But not far away, on Clerkenwell Road, near the corner with Leather Lane, theres a shop still selling certain kinds of novelties, magic related items anyway. And well worth visiting it is too.

Well Read in the North [Murray]
Yes, some people do refer to Camden Town as simply Camden. However, Camden is the name of the borough. The area around Camden Town station should be referred to properly as Camden Town. Do not encourage people to refer to the area incorrectly.

Koko London [Murray]
Can anyone remember the name of the short-lived TV drama series that was filmed here - I think in the late 1980s?

The Camden Markets [Murray]
Its not a patch on what it used to be - for style and originality and sheer coolness. Now its just a haven for teenage tourists and goths. Best avoided on weekend.

A Spy called The White Rabbit [PJ]
Its actually Guilford Street, no "d".

Vanbrugh Castle [Geoff]
The most disgraceful school of modern times. The teachers were sadists more interested in beating the boys than teaching and homosexuality was rife.

The Walkie-Talkie Bank Job [Jennie Free]
These facts are true, I used to know one of the men who committed this crime, long before I knew of his reputation.

Tom Bata's Shoe Factory [Liz]
No mention anywhere of the ballroom. Saturday nights with my grandparents - 370 bus from Grays- ballroom dancing in an amazing space.. possibly an 11 year old would be overawed by a revolving glitter ball but it was fantastic. Would have been about 1969 - my sister also remembers it. Grandad always said that he was MC and danced with Vera Lynn there ... might be worth checking out

Rimbaud and Verlaines House [Michael Corby]
There is no blue plaque but a marble one. I happen to own the house which has now been restored, and will be happy to supply photos.

Florence Nightingale's House [chris rogers]
thank you for your information on Florence Nightingales address in London, such a pity there is not a picture the house has been demolished (1929). My great aunt worked for her as a servant and is on the 1881 census at this address

Virgin Born Here [Tony Murphy]
The first Virgin Record shop was Oxford Street followed by Brighton, Liverpool, Birmingham and Notting Hill Gate. The Sloane Sq shop was not opened until some years later.

Peek Frean's Biscuit Factory [Tony Smith]
I worked at Peek Freans from 1974 to 1980 firstly as a cutter boy and the a one of the biscuit bakers, i wonder if there are still EX staff who remember that time it was one of he best jobs I had also I met my wife Jackie there and we are still together today. I was surprised to see the factory is still there in some form as business unit and it is now called Biscuit Factory Business park. Happy Memories

Dorchester Hotel & Prince Philip [Susie]
Elizabeth Taylor once famously collapsed and nearly died in the Dorchester, and was found and rescued by a member of staff there - the same member of staff organised Prince Philips stag night. How do I know? The member of staff was my godfather Bill Mather, head waiter at the Dorchester till 1979. My name is S....Mather....D

Explosive Dryads' Hall [steve kitchener]
I received the instruction to survey Dryads Hall for asbestos by the current owner. Who by all accounts and sadly, cared very little about the history of either the man or his property. Personally, it was an unpleasnt experience. I found the property amazing, a real time capsule. Laboratory equipment still set up, outbuildings full of interesting articles and the thought of someone discarding all of this rested uneasily. I believe that I still have many photographs of the interior and exterior.

Charlie Chaplin's birthplace [brenda begbie]
I always thought Charlie was born in Kennington Lane, opposite what is now the Kennington Rd Police station.

Chislehurst Caves [leigh-ann Miller]
i had a fun day out with my school

Lloyds Law Courts Pedal Power [Kenji]
Thank you very much for a very interesting story. Today I asked Lloyds to see the bicycle, but they said they had no more. Where can I see it?

First Flying Bomb [Albert Dungate.]
My mother`s friend, A Nellie Underwood, was one of the injured in this attack. She had leg injuries and therefore had difficulty walking for the rest of her life.

Gracie Fields lived here [W Bown]
I was born at The Towers in 1956

Gracie Fields lived here [Shaun]
Hi, I may be able to clear up some misunderstandings here. This Gracie Fields house is in Frognal Way and is called Greentrees. The house that was later a maternity home was Towers (no The), built by Archie Pitt her first husband and hated by Gracie as being too grand. Apartments have recently been built where Towers stood.

The London Cage, WW2 torture [julius caesar]
Same building Prinz Abertstasse 8 -Berlin-isnt it?, when I was a boy, I couldt never believe English people could do that!, the country of the bright minded?, a Gestapo building in London? Churchill interrogating all night? during the WWII?

The Thin House [Anonymous]
Im pretty sure you can see this from the station platform at South Ken.

Poltergiest Pusher [lisa joy]
My gran lived in this house in the mid sixties when she moved in an irish lady who lived upstairs said there was a ghost in the house it had pushed her down the stairs while she was pregnant; as mentioned in your article. My mum stayed just one night the terror of that night still frightens her hearing constant sobbing on the landing, the strange thing is no one else heard the crying well it didnt wake them up. She had to live with her dad after that anyway i wonder who reported this as i know my mum and gran never did they just wanted to forget about it. i wonder if it is still haunted?

Olympic Studios [Jeff Houston]
The Small Faces recorded their first album Immediate here, check out the experimental sounds in the background!

Ripper Murder: Marie Jeanette [Dave Evans]
Marie Kellys grave is the only one left to see of all of the victims.It is in St.Patricks cemetary in Leyton about 80 metres behind the office.It is about 3 metres to the right of a 1 metre white grave stone of a footballer.Ther is a small dish below the black cross where people have left coins most of which are rusty because of the rain.

Alain's Special Building [Ade]
Gorgeous, won the Stirling Prize I think, deservedly so.

Withnail & I....... Pub [Ade]
As of Feb 2011, this pub has been unceremoniously demolished to make way for a block of flats later in 2011. Its last incarnation was as failed bar Babushka.

David Adjaye's Lost House [Aaron]
Amazing architector David Adjaye!! and amazing house! for all time!

John Christies House of Horror [John Spencer ! Y.B.T ]
I think this Christie was a really bad ass guy who thought he could get away with " murder " pardon the pun. The bomber would take him out anyday. He shat himself when he saw the legend Doc . Bring him on , Young Branny !!!

White's Gentleman's Club [londontown]
OK night, but be careful, it has been confirmed by police that threatening men work outside of the club. If you value your reputation steer clear.

Lock & Co...Historical Hats [Bob Smith]
Lock did not exactly invent the Bowler. It was devised and made by the Bowler brothers in 1849, not 1950 (which is quibbling, of course) to fulfill an order from Lock.

Peek Frean's Biscuit Factory [Rose Hollands]
Is there a Tony Freans,who may have know a Daphne Chapman around 1955/56,she lived in Mersham Ashford Kent.

Gracie Fields lived here [Lesley]
I was born here on 11 September 1968. It was a maternity hospital, my parents lived in Enfield and my Mum was taken there when I was born, apparently in Gracies old Bedroom!! It is not there now as far as I am aware, I once saw a photgraph of it in her autobiography. Would love to know more if anyone has info.

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