A Walk Around Newham, East London in 1991

The 1980s regeneration of London's Docklands never quite reached Newham

We’re off on a walk round the east London Borough of Newham. Taken by Peter Marshall, these photographs may include some taken on or close to the borough boundary with some content from neighbouring boroughs. “These images are scanned from postcard-size enprints made when the films were developed,” says Peter. “Some show colour casts, unsharpness and other defects not present on the negatives.”

 

Newham London

Grocer, High St North, Manor Park, Newham, 1991

Newham is home to West Ham United football club, poverty it remains one of the most economically deprived boroughs in the UK –  the site for the 2012 Olympics Games and the disaster at Ronan Point tower, part of which collapsed on 16 May 1968, the day, according to essayist Jonathan Meades, modern architecture died.

In 2019, the BBC reported that Newham had the highest rate of tuberculosis in the UK at 107 per 100000 population, which was higher than Rwanda (69) and Iraq (45) according to WHO figures from 2013. Located east of the minted City of London money mills and north of the River Thames, Newham is not yet on the tourist trail. But it might be. The suited and busy fly in and out of City Airport, a single runway trammelled between two former docks. They look down now and see new, anaemic high rise apartment blocks heading east waiting for the money to move in.

 

Barge House Rd, North Woolwich, Newham, 1984

Barge House Rd, North Woolwich, Newham

Spillers Millennium Mills, Victoria Dock, West Silvertown, Newham, 1984

Spillers Millennium Mills, Victoria Dock, West Silvertown, Newham

Eastern District, Loan & Thrift Society, Barking Rd, Plaistow, Newham, 1991

Eastern District, Loan & Thrift Society, Barking Rd, Plaistow, Newham, 1991

Newham London

Shoe Repairs, Barking Rd, Plaistow, Newham, 1991

Newham London

Shoe Repairs, Barking Rd, Plaistow, Newham, 1991

Newham London

Social Club, Grange Rd, Plaistow, Newham, 1991

Newham London

Hairdressers, Balaam St, Plaistow, Newham, 1991

Newham London

Clothes shop, Barking Rd, Plaistow, Newham, 1991

Newham London

Hairdressers, Balaam St, Plaistow, Newham, 1991

Newham London

Spanish Steps, Victoria Dock Rd, Custom House, Newham, 1990

Newham London

Peace on Earth, Upton Lane, Upton, Newham, 1991

Newham London

Ethicstar, clothes, wholesale, Upton Lane, Upton, Newham, 1991

Newham London

Hairdresser, Green St, Upton, Newham, 1991 a

Newham London

Car Sales, Green St, Upton, Newham, 1991

Newham London

Laundrette, Green St, Upton, Newham, 1991

Newham London

Hairdresser, Plashet Rd, East Ham, Newham, 1991

Newham London

Miss Novems, Hairdresser, Green St, Upton, Newham, 1991

Newham London

Green St, Upton, Newham, 1991

Newham London

Mac’s Cafe, Hermit Rd, West Ham, Newham, 1991

Newham London

Malthouse, Barking Rd, Plaistow, Newham, 1991

Newham London

Graffiti, Woodgrange Rd, Forest Gate, Newham, 1991

Newham London

Shop, Woodgrange Rd, Forest Gate, Newham, 1991

Newham London

Former Eagle and Child, Woodgrange Rd, Forest Gate, Newham, 1991

Newham London

Odeon Cinema, Barking Road, East Ham, Newham, 1991

Via: Peter Marshall.

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