Category Archives: Uncategorized

Known simply as ‘The Arches’ to most Islanders, the railway viaduct which runs through Millwall Park is one of the few 19th century structures still standing on the Island. The arches have lost their original purpose – albeit with a … Continue reading →

Sugar, coffee and rum imports increased dramatically in the early years of the West India Docks, and rum was handled on the south side of the Import Dock, on the unsurprisingly named Rum Quay. An important part of the handling … Continue reading →

In the 1970s, George Green’s school and community centre was built. Before the school was formally opened, it was possible to join the youth club, and that’s what I did – the third kid to join (I wonder who numbers … Continue reading →

In 1862, the area east of Harbinger Road (British Street until 1929) was occupied by John Scott-Russell’s Engineering Works, which had been much expanded to handle the construction of the Great Eastern (launched in 1858). A contemporary drawing of the … Continue reading →

These pleasant-looking flats in Westferry Road, close to the fire station, are built on the site of large lead works whose origins can be traced back to the 1840s. The word, ‘lead’ was not used in the naming of the … Continue reading →

The earliest piece of graffiti that I can remember on the Island (well, almost the Island) was opposite Emmett Street, at the start of ‘the Walls’ in the 1960s. It read: “FREE THE TROTSKYISTS IN PRISON IN MEXICO“. It was … Continue reading →

Most Islanders will remember the rope shed which separated one side of Millwall Park from the Mudchute. The shed housed a rope walk, where long strands of material were laid before being twisted into rope. Wikipedia: Natural fibres are short … Continue reading →