London History: Random Photos

~ beetleypete

Before WW2, herds of sheep were kept in London parks to eat the grass to save having to use motor mowers. This is Hyde Park in the early 1930s, the sheepdog is swimming in the water to stop the sheep escaping.

The lift attendants in Selfridges Department Store, 1928.

Liberty, a famous London department store designed in a retro style and opened in 1875. (Still trading today)

The Monument to The Great Fire Of London. Opened in 1677, it is now dwarfed by much taller buildings. It is still open to visitors, if you can manage the 311 steps to the top!
(Link to the websire below)

Home Page

Tower Bridge under construction, around 1890.
(No safety equipment or harnesses back then.)

The iconic BBC building, Broadcasting House. Shown under construction in 1931.

The same building in the 1980s.

A milkman still making his deliveries through the rubble of The Blitz, in WW2.

A Jewish Synagogue in Whitechapel, 1960s.

Leadenhall Market in the City of London. It was originally opened in 1321 on the site of the centre of Roman London, and traded in poultry. The later reconstruction shown in the photo was done in 1881, and it is still open to this day, though no longer a livestock market.

Shad Thames, Bermondsey. The old wharves and warehouses were retained when the area was redeveloped into luxury apartments during the 1980s.

31 thoughts on “London History: Random Photos”

  5. The first picture had me fixated. There were at least 300-400 sheep in that herd! Leadenhall Market–my jaw dropped open. To have something like this for a livestock market…it reminded me of the colourful Asterix comics where in, one of them, they showed Roman markets in full colour. It is beautiful.

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  9. (1) When the shepherd shouted, “Dolly, come here!” they all came running!
    (2) “I could have used a lift attendant!” (Humpty Dumpty)
    (3) Lee is redecorating his house on Marvin Street. He asked me if Liberty will sell him a new valance. His old one is shot.
    (4) Did you hear about the plump Canadian lady who fell ill while climbing the steps in the Monument to the Great Fire of London? She dialed 311, not realizing that in the U.K., they use 101 for non-emergency situations.
    (5) Above the water / under the water: “After we’re done with the Tower Bridge, let’s get to work on the Channel Tunnel.”
    (6) I find the old building or monument to the right of the Broadcasting Houe quite inspiring.
    (7) “I prefer cow pies to rubble.” (the milkman)
    (8) “I prefer Lambs Chops to Lyons Cakes.” (Chapter 6, Book of Daniel)
    (9) I expected to see more people roamin’ through Leadenhall Market.
    (10) Did they tear down the skybridges in Bermondsey? If not, I’d like to see a modern photo. Can you provide a link?

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  12. A farmer ina suit!
    Talk about choose a lady!
    Liberty a very american name for London & a Tudor inspited building.
    ‘Londons Burning’ is still a favourite nursery rhyme around the world.
    10 men died building Tower Bridge. Me & Pete didn’t attend any of them!!
    the Beeb you can see is 9 stories high – but theres another 3 below.
    Hermans hermits song wasn’t released during the blitz obviously!
    The welcome sign does not say “Jewy drop in”.
    Some of Harry Potter was filmed at Leadenhall.
    Last pic, ask Pete.

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  13. I wish I had a heard of sheep to keep my grass down! One can rent goats, but not here, I don’t think. Would love to have seen them in Hyde Park! I climbed the Fire Tower once when I was not very old. I never saw lift operators all neatly lined up but I do remember the operators calling off the different floors and what could be found. “Going UP!” “Going DOWN!” Probably in Derry and Toms or Ponting’s in Kensington Highstreet. That milkman looks a happy chap. I hope he survived the war.

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    1. I can remember when it only cost one penny to go up The Monument. It was one of my favourite places to go during the school holidays. But then I was young enough to take the stairs two at a time. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  14. Pingback: London History: Random Photos | Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News

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