Crisp Street Market.

A Memory of Poplar.

I was born in a hospital that I think was on the Mile End Road. It may have been the Mile End Maternity, or Mother and Babies Hospital. Born within the sound of Bow Bells I am able to call myself a true Cockney. ( I hope I have legitimate claim to this ) I lived in Crisp Street and had great fun when the market was being held, after dark, when the lamps were spluttering was particularly exciting with the strong smells of Sarsparella, Toffee Twist and even Horseradish Root being grated. The poor lady doing this with red rimmed eyes and a runny nose!!.My Father worked at Poplar Hospital almost opposite Blackwall Tunnel and opposite the Docks. I remember the Statue outside the Poplar Swimming Baths, it was of a gentleman called George Green. My Brother went to George Green School. I think the theater we went to was The Mile End Theater, and we went there to see the singer Donald Peers, his signature tune was " By a Babbling Brook" Working at the Hospital Dad quite often was given complimentary tickets to the theater and to the Speedway at West Ham Race Stadium. We copped our fair share of bombs during the Blitz, being in the Docklands. My Dad told a little story about the George Green Statue. Apparently some mischief making boys reported to the local constable that there was a man and his dog outside the Swimming Baths, and he had been there a long while, watching the children. .Dad didn't say what the outcome was to this prank..For many years there was a lovely picture on the wall at the Hospital Entrance, depicting the new Poplar Hospital which was to be built to replace the badly bomb damaged original one . It never happened, as a child I used to gaze at this picture and think what a lovely building it was.I was saddened to see the Docks, devoid of the lovely majestic ships and other vessels that were moored there when I visited. Sitting on the upper deck of a number 15 Bus I actually shed some tears for the Hospital that never was, and seeing those great ugly containers on the docks, not a lovely ship in sight. Kathleen Joyce Hunt nee Bones.