Robin Hood Gardens & Poplar High Street
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- Опубліковано 15 січ 2018
- A walk through Robin Hood Gardens in Poplar which is being demolished and then along the ancient Poplar High Street in Tower Hamlets. Along the way we see All Saints Church, The Lansbury Hotel formerly Poplar Town Hall, the Chaplain of the East India Company's House, and St. Matthias Church.
Shot in 4K on a Panasonic GX80 (down scaled to 1080 for UA-cam upload).
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John Stockton Slow Drag by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
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On a misty night Poplar becomes an interzone between present and past; I often felt unsure of which time and place I was walking through. Cheers John; much appreciated :D
thanks for that wonderful comment Arthur
Grandad used to live at number 3. Played many a time on that mound as a child. So sad it has gone. Very fond memories. Thank you. 🤗
Thanks for this footage.
Used to squat in Poplar 1986-1988.
Great area.Poplar Baths,Crisp St Mkt,Ray Sparks Gym,the docks....fond memories
+nobbilc great memories, thanks for sharing
I lived in Balfron tower for about a month when I was a student at Guildhall University in the early 90's. Unpopular opinion to most nostalgic watchers of this excellent video but I absolutely hated the whole area, it was so run down and dirty and the communal areas like the lifts and the urine stench stairs gave me panic attacks every time I had to leave or come back to the flat, hence why I was only there for a month. Literally every day I lived there I made it my mission to do something about getting out of there. My landlord used to work at Crisp Street market, It just wasn't my cup of tea. I remember being shocked by the locals attitudes too, I sat on a bus and an old white East End lady nudged me and said "bloody bastards aren't they?" and pointed at a Muslim woman and her kids struggling to get on the bus with their shopping, then in the one of the shops that lined the market a young woman was shouting at who I can assume was her boyfriend calling him a N***er and she had a mixed race child 😳
There's no way that was the place for me. I just thought to myself I had no business being in this environment at all.
...I thankfully found a new place to live in Camden ans loved it, it was like a breath of fresh air.
I've lived in Poplar for nearly 20 years. I recognise what your describing. I also think you'd be surprised by how much the area has changed. It has had huge investment. The Brownfield estate looks really good, these days. And the Balfron tower has been completely refurbished, for private sale.
I lived for a short period in Balfron Towers too, but that was in early 80’s. I had fab views from the balcony & lifts & walk ways were relatively clean & tidy. Plus the flats inside were really roomy compared to new builds. That’s what happens when councils or should I say governments cut funding to maintain these large social housing buildings. They refuse to maintain them. Now it’s been sold to developers & no doubt, only the rich can afford to buy & live in them. The socialist architect, Goldfinger would be turning in his grave 🤣🤣
Thanks for the tour John , I Lived in Constant house , Harrow lane just off Poplar high street up to 1972 . Then my parents decided to move to Scotland. It was nice to see Robin Hood gardens as I had friend that lived there .👍🏻
My pleasure John - I wanted to capture before it was gone
Hi ya I came from Poplar n know Constant House it’s all changed so much now you would never believe it 👍🏻
John, at about the 2 min mark, you remark about going over the changes occurring in the areas you are in. For a Londoner, this may seem of little importance, but for me, an ex east-ender, now stuck in Australia, your videos are one way I can maintain a link with the place of my birth.
+Terry Halliwell thanks for that comment Terry, means a lot that the videos are making a connection over that time and space
That Vietnamese centre used to be a Catholic boys club and had an old couple running it who lived upstairs at the back. Three students lived in rooms at the front. For one year I was one of them. Odd to see the place again. Thanks for a great video.
+Simon Quicke thanks for sharing that Simon - love hearing these stories
Thank you John for that perspective of the area
My cousin was offered a flat there when they were first built, but they declined because they cost £9 per week in rent, there was a grocery shop before those flats, my mum would send me shopping with a £5 note and an old pushchair to get a weeks shopping
Thanks John Enjoyed the video. Good memories for me. When I was about 14 or 15 was living in Bow (Devon's Road) after moving from Stepney and I had a good friend who lived in Robin Hood Gardens. One thing that sticks in my mind was how wide the landings/walkways were there were a lot of space between the front door and looking over down onto the play area and I remember that hill especially during winter when there after heavy snowfall 😀 A good area to play when we were young and fit. I'm sure the hotel in Poplar high Street was the Poplar town hall. An idea you may already know it but Limehouse and especially along the river is worth doing and the old Limehouse docks (or the other name) Regent canal docks which is now a marina with expensive looking flats around it. Again thanks for the video 👍
Hi Derek, the marina in Limehouse I think you’re referring to is Limehouse Basin. I lived and grew up in Chrisp Street market, in fact in that block of flats with the dog mural on it. We used play over at Robin Hood Gardens as kids and in the winter, would pinch the plastic bread baskets out the back of the old International supermarket down Vesey Path and go tobogganing down the hill in the middle of the Gardens. Like you we too moved from Stepney around 72-73, it was all still pretty new back then, we also knew a family who moved in there, not too bad inside as I recall.
I seem to recall back in the early 2000’s it was voted the worse looking housing estate in Europe, that’s brutalist design for you; I could be wrong but I believe the design was inspired by the sides of cruise ships?
I love your videos so much, binge watching them all! Wonderful recordings of history and all so profound. I'm so glad I stumbled on them.
I could listen to your voice all day! Great videos mate, don’t know how you popped up on my feeds but I watch and follow 👌🏻
Thanks so much Frankie
Have you ever considered doing a video from Limehouse along the Thames Path around the Isle of Dogs to places like Mudchute?
Really sad to see. My school friend lived in RHG’s & I remember walking through those wide walkways & being in awe of how massive it was. Tbh, I remember thinking how large her flat/maisonette inside was. Really big rooms. Also, I attended George Lansbury primary school which was situated just over the flyover bridge in Bow, adjacent to Lefevre Walk (now demolished)& where I lived, Candy Street. Watching this, evoked so many memories. Thank you.
You called it the mound, we called it The Big Hill. Happy memories xx
I used to live live in East London I use in poplar and I use to
Go chisp street market my mum used to do provide round
Robin hood gardens many years ago l use in blocks of Belfort
Town thank you for sharing this it brings me back lovely momory where I live
Wonderful video thanks for sharing John
+4thEyeVision thank you for watching
good stuff john love you local walks round !
+John Matheson thanks John - I must do more round that way
Hi just seen this video I came from Poplar n my Bruv lived in Robin Hood till the end , b4 he got rejoined having lived there since he was 17 till l 2020 he tried his best to get all the old residents a good place to live until in the end he had to move out , nice watching your video brings back old memory’s
That was my Bruv that you interviewed so lovely to see it as he is no longer with me
the brutalism of it all
@ Isabella Charlesworth. Well expressed, with brutalism and horrible social cleansing. Perhaps this will always be 'The new normal'. Kind regards.👍
In my opinion, Robin Hood Gardens should’ve been refurbished instead of demolished. Just plaster over the original concrete structure, add new double glazed windows, decorate the building with colorful panels and whatnot and update the interior.
I really love your video's .
Cheers John, Another great video. I must paint St Matthias Old Church one day..
+Painting & Drawing it's a real beauty - would be a great subject
While historically The East End was "grotty" and undesirable, RH Gardens is incredibly posh for council housing, i.e. the low overall density, dual-aspect maisonettes, massive private--almost pastoral--greenspace, and *individual private garages* ... there's just no way the non-Anglican "Mammon" interests are going to maintain that status quo. Note the approved replacement project has *7 times* the density! =:O
It was also arguably the most rebarbative building ever constructed in this country.
That was a good wee stroll John. Why was it called the Robin Hood gardens ?
The street which the development replaced was historically known as Robinhood Lane
You wandered close to my house in this vid. Nice to see you in the area.
The mound in the Robin Hood gardens area is supposed to be made up of the remnants of the previous slum block that was previously there. It had no bathrooms.
Residents tell me, the flats inside Robin Hood gardens are very spacious. The issue with the building(s) is that they were no maintained by the council and so fell into decay.
The old Poplar town hall, now a hotel, is now a controversial building as it was sold by a corrupt local mayor to his friend for £1m, around 10 years ago.
superb thanks john mate
+steven spraggs thanks Steven
old buildings sandwiched between high rise blocks of executive flats that will stay probably half empty sad to see
My maternal ancestors stomping ground . . . bet they are turning in their graves at the changes!
Definitely agree you're doing a worthwhile job recording this John.
Would you mind quoting the title of that book John? Looks interesting.
Many thanks Mayhorse66 - the books I use in the video are: The Story of Tower Hamlets, and Wonderful London - very interesting books and worth searching for
The new camera is excellent John. Thanks.
+David Farrell thanks David
Fantastic trip into another slice of past/present/future London John. What was that book you refer to? Those photos look like something straight out of Dickens.
Also, for some across the pond clarification Counsel Houses; were they anything like housing projects that were being built in the postwar Northeastern & Midwest US urban areas?
Thanks Ross - there are two books used in the video both quite hard to find - the first is Wonderful London - great old photos and essays published in 1926. The second was a publication by Tower Hamlets Council from the 1970's called The Story of Tower Hamlets.
I think Housing Projects are more or less the same as Council Houses. Council Houses/Flats were built and owned by the local authority with rents lower than private renting. Something like 70% of the population lived in Council Housing in the 1970's then Margaret Thatcher started selling them off in the 80's followed by the ownership of many of the remainder being transferred to Housing Associations so it's now a lot more fragmented. When estates like Robin Hood Gardens get demolished, the people who bought Council homes often get a bad deal and paid well below the market value of their homes. Council Tenants frequently get moved out of the area due to a lack of housing. There's a lot of this going on in London at the moment as public assets are being sold off. I've made a number of videos about this on my other channel Drift Report.
Yes, the Council Houses are the same thing as Housing projects.
Really good video thanks, subscribed. Shame I wasn't aware of it before it got torn down
Nice footage and your new camera looks good :). I too feel it's a great shame to demolish rhg. I personally loved the architecture and style of the buildings. Also the social theory behind the estate which we won't see with the new builds.
Thanks Richie - I agree about the social ethos behind RHG - it may not have worked here perhaps but did in plenty of other places
Thanks John, great video.Great to see you document areas which will soon become our history.
The new camera works nicely too.looking forward to the next one.
+Little Acorns Landscapes thanks very much - yes I'm happy with the camera, still getting used to it - worked nicely on the next walk too, on the London Loop
Massive council housing stock lost forever here !! Just like Heygate , Aylesbury and Park Hill in Sheffield , All regenerated for sale !! Criminal !
Incredible.
The Hotel was once Council Offices we kneew it as Woodstock Terrace used to be the office of the Parks Dept when i worked there
Great job John, keep it up! Tom Tiddler's ground for me. A shame it is changing, not necessarily for the better.
+Les Goody thanks Les
before you know it you'll be shooting most of your work in IMAX for BFI
+blockydrums now that's a nice idea
Thanks for giving this wonderful building a send-off John. It really is unforgivable how it was treated by the local authority.
Hi John, some nice old buildings ,it's a shame that everyone can't here the echo's of history .Be it an old building or a ancient site , enjoyed the video and the added narration.
hear the echo's of history
+richardgreen1970 that's a great phrase Richard 'echoes of history'
Hi John I used to live in Grundy Street, went to hay currie Street school, lived there until I was 19 years old, when my parents moved out to South Woodford, have lovely memories of roller skating down chrisp Street Market when all the stalls had gone, because the road was lovely and smooth. I am now 81and used to think it was a great place to live.
Great video to record the transition so it's not lost to memory. At 7:10 the sign for the public mortuary with an arrow pointing to...followed by a shot of Canary Wharf...hmmm...
+Malcolm Hanson thanks Malcolm - it's really struck me in the past how quickly the past is forgotten. Nice spot with the Mortuary to Canary Wharf - must have been subconscious
Im glad its gone , i was there when it was opened in 72 and now im old its gone, thank the star's .
My late father was in the Met Police and attended the collapse of the Ronan Point Flats he was in the Traffic Police Landrover and used the spotlights to light up floors..
Did u video this on your 4k camera. Would u recommend buying one. Looked on Amazon looks good.
I did monty - this was actually the first time I used it, great little camera Panasonic GX80, look out for the Panasonic Christmas cashback deals, I got £100 off mine last year
@@JohnRogersWalks did you use a tripod selfie stick thing to film with your camera in this video.
Church and Meridian House, lovely. RH Gardens, brutalist leftover from a defunct ideology. Social housing is too important to be left to fleeting architectural enthusiasms, and I say that as a former council house boy. Shame it has to give way to another investment silo for absentee owners, all the same.
+Borderlands yes when I researched later I came across some criticisms of the architecture of RHG. Some work better than others I think, like the Barbican and Brunswick are great. But as you say, it's more about the privatisation of the land, and at a time when it's most needed for social housing- I mean they could demolish and build 1575 council flats and that'd be applauded, and I'm told it's financially viable too
Grew up in Poplar in the 70's and 80's. I did a Google street view not long ago and couldn't believe how much it had changed. I was actually sad to see so many buildings and memories had gone. Development has ripped the soul out of the place in the name of progress
Pls go to poplar naval row
thanks for the tip, I'll take a look
Brilliant, thoughtful video John
Thanks Matt
Instead of going west to poplar high st go east to naval row from robin hood gardens please
Stratford station in East London.
Call the midwife territory.
Finest council homes in the country? Jesus wept. The social housing in my hometown consists mostly of detached houses. Robin Hood Gardens was ugly and shit even by Brutalist standards - Jonathan Meades hated it.
In inner-city London there are many beautiful, elegant Victorian, Edwardian, and Georgian properties that are council-owned (not that you would be able to tell just by looking at them or by their wealthy neighbours).
Love your videos mate. See mine from today Leyton. I think we are connected on Facebook Russell b Hurley
cool amber
And an urban landscape was demolished to build Robin Hood Gardens. These estates were a failure and a mistake.
These are appalling flats, being replaced with appalling new flats...not much change apart from public to private ownership, which is maybe the real issue. Balfron tower now looks great, although the residents where "decanted" to other areas, and the new flats sold prvately.
Rubble for roubles or dollars,yen,Saudi Riyal etc etc. All currencies accepted,no questions asked. Its happening everywhere and it's totally wrong
Depressing music...
Damn that's an ugly building, good thing it got torn down 😁
It's an iconic estate. I used to live around the corner from there. Really gutted to hear they are pulling down more social housing to be replaced with more souless international apartments that will sit empty half of the year. Locals are squeezed out. It's all wrong