IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Ricardo Street, LONDON, E14 6EQ

An example of the post-war housing that replaced the bomb-damaged, jerry-built terraced streets which attracted the reputation historically of slums. Arthur Morrison, author of Child of the Jago, was born nearby and wrote about the desperate lives of the East End poor. See http://www.ferdinando.org.uk/achildof.htm Most of the streets around here were called after the surnames and first names of members of the families who originally owned the land: Duff, Grundy, Wade and so on.

This was the first block of council flats to be built in Poplar. On the site of the former Oriental Terrace, it is named after the borough surveyor at the time, Henry Heckford. 'It is of yellow London stock brick, with a plinth and pilasters in red brick, the latter having artificial stone capitals. The round-headed front doorway has a keystone inscribed with the Borough Council's initials 'PBC', and there is also a stone set above the doorway inscribed 'Poplar Borough Council, 1920'. The second floor of the building is incorporated as an attic storey into the mansard slate roof and has large dormer windows with flat, corniced heads.' See http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=46489#s4

Built 1920-1921 to plans prepared by Harley Heckford, Borough surveyor and engineer. Further descriptive information at this http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=46489#s4.

Artisan cottages leading up to the corner of Duff Street and Grundy Street where the old signboard on the wall, facing, is all that remains of the pub called The African Queen which closed in 2002.

On the corner of Duff Street and Grundy Street this late C19 building was once a pub, first named the South African Tavern, then The African Tavern and finally The African Queen. The earlier names reflect the far-flung travels of local sea-farers, the latter was perhaps more of a reference for cinema-goers (Humphrey Bogart, 1951). Sadly, it closed in 2002 and is now residential. I wonder what happened to the sign?

A note on Clara Grant: "Clara Grant was a primary school teacher and settlement worker in London’s East End, who moved from the West Country to Bow at the turn of the last century. She became Head Teacher at the Infant’s School in Devon’s Road in 1900, quickly instituting a number of thoughtful changes that directly improved the lives of the children in her care. She revised class room techniques of structure and punishment, provided a hot breakfast for the children in her care, supplied them with some clothes and shoes and – most famously – created and distributed Farthing Bundles. Intended to provide children with toys to call their own, they were available for a token cost and the proceeds were directed back into the Settlement funds. These packages eventually earned her the affectionate nickname of the Bundle Woman of Bow." - quoted from this http://playtimes.wordpress.com/2009/05/04/clara-grant-and-the-farthing-bundles/.

This 1951 school building by architect F R S Yorke was listed grade 2 in 1998 (list entry number 1276748). To quote from the listing, this is the "Projecting block of staff rooms and offices towards Cordelia Street forms formal entrance corner to original entrance with granite setts".

Four-storey block of flats.

Seen from the junction with North Street. A combination of enemy action and slum clearance schemes means that most of Poplar has a post-war appearance. In this view there are various housing styles and a few remaining older buildings.

Imposing redbrick school in East India Dock Road. It replaced a previous, smaller school founded by wealthy local shipbuilder George Green (1767-1849) in Chrisp Street in 1828. That outgrew its premises and the new school, built in 1883, provided places for 200 boys and 200 girls, in separate classrooms. They paid modest fees and or were assisted with scholarships. Later it became a LCC maintained school and was the first to institute co-education. Remained open until 1979 when it became part of Tower Hamlets College.