Around The Bend

The Death of the Encyclopedia

Once upon a time, if your family had class, or aspirations of class, you probably owned a set of encyclopedias. Then, in an instant, everything changed.

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"This song is about Sam Phillip's promise to give a Caddy to the first Sun artist to record a gold record. They all thought it would be Elvis, but Carl Perkins made it first. It talks about the respect people had for Phillips - 'Mr. Phillips was the only man that Jerry Lee would call Sir' ".

Carl Perkins Cadillac (Drive By Truckers)
 
Charlie Chaplin's Honorary Award: 1972 Oscars

Fun fact: Charlie Chaplin got the longest standing ovation in history for this award! 12 whole minutes!
 
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Once a rural and relatively wild area of marshland that was mainly used for animal pasture, the Isle of Dogs is now the financial hub of London. Home to the impressive skyscrapers of Canary Wharf, this area has seen some massive changes and events over the centuries and is well worth a visit if you want to see how old and new London can live side by side.

The original name for the island was Stepney Marsh or Stebunheath. It is thought that the Isle of Dogs name originated in the 16th century. Nobody really knows where this name came from, but there are plenty of theories. Some say that the name was given to the area because of the number of dead dogs that washed up on its banks. One suggestion was that the hunting dogs used, when The Royal Household hunted in Epping forest, were kennelled there. Others think that the modern name is a variation of other names given to the area, such as the Isle of Dykes or the Isle of Ducks.

In it's heyday the place was also known as London's Dockland. One former name remains today and that is Canary Wharf. Skyscrapers now stand on what was once docks and wharves.
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Three before photos and one as it is today.
 
The Isle of Dogs in the 1980s

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Copyright © Mike Seaborne

Mike Seaborne introduces his 80sIslandPhotos site:

"In 1983-6 I undertook an extensive photographic project on the Isle of Dogs in East London to document the area prior to its redevelopment. This involved not only photographing the streets and buildings but also inside factories, schools, community centres and other social spaces".

"The aim was to make a record of the Island before ‘big money’ moved in and transformed both the landscape and the people who lived and worked there. This project was undertaken in conjunction with the Island History Trust whose aim is to collect and interpret the history of the area for the benefit of both local people and anyone else with an interest in the area, past, present or future". (Read More)
 
A small world indeed. I'm so pleased that there's such an extensive archive. An effect that the big money had on Millwall, London E14, is house prices. You could buy one of the small terraced houses in 1968, the year we got married, for £2,000 Today that is about £35,000. But you would be hard pushed to find such a house for thirty five grand, most are closer to a million, why didn't I buy up a couple back in 1968, damn.
Millwall, by the way, is often thought to be south of the river, that's because the football team moved to a stadium there, but retained the name Millwall.
 
A short history of the pubs on the Isle of Dogs (link)

"To save your eye sight there are 42 pubs listed on the map. This is an impressive list by any means until you realise that of those 42 only nine are still open. That's over three quarters of the pubs now closed"!! (Read More)

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Inside The Vanishing Pubs Of The Isle Of Dogs​


"There was one guy we used to call Judy Garland because there used to be a pub called the Rainbow, and when we asked him where he lived, he said 'over the Rainbow'."
 
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“To a Mouse” (standard English translation) by Robert Burns- 1785
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"Small, crafty, cowering, timorous little beast,
O, what a panic is in your little breast!
You need not start away so hasty
With argumentative chatter!
I would be loath to run and chase you,
With murdering plough-staff". (Read More)
 
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Pigeons, by and large, have a bad press. They live in close association with people and usually roost and rest within or on buildings. Pigeons tend to live in flocks and can consequently cause a problem. Pigeon droppings are unsightly, unhygienic and cause problems by making surfaces slippery, particularly in wet weather.

Change the pigeon's colour though and call them a dove and everybody loves them. There's a dovecote in our neighbour's garden where a flock of doves love to roost. I'm told that these birds are from a dove release, at a wedding, some years ago. They are a lovely added attraction I have to say.
 
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