Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
First day of the Blitz 1940 - Eade Road
they have mapped all the positions of London Fire Brigade call outs from the first day of the Blitz 7 Sept 1940.
If you visit the Guardian page you can see the full map, but at 2332.......
Tags for Forum Posts: history, history of harringay, local, world war II harringay
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John D on
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I think we all know that Britain's prosecution of the war was not brilliantly successful, apart from naval and air operations, until October 1942 but it does not alter the fact that Britain declared war on Germany in accordance with our treaty with Poland following German agression on Poland on 1st September 1939.
The German bomb that fell on Finsbury Park was an incendiary - ie, contained phosphorous - as did thousands that fell on the East End, Portsmouth, Coventry and Glasgow. War is never glorious but the Germans got their retaliation in first. -
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Permalink Reply by Lee Andrews on
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Stephen, have you read "Inferno" by Keith Lowe? (who lives just of the ladder) It's a very well researched account of the Hamburg bombing raids with views from all sides. He's currently writing a book about the experiences of millions of people immediately after the war, not sure when it's being published though.
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Permalink Reply by StephenBln on
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I'm not sure I have seen it Lee, but I've noted the title and will keep an eye open for it .. is it a penguin? never mind, I'll google it..
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It can be read here:
http://books.google.de/books?id=WsB-EbcRlGsC&printsec=frontcove... -
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Here's the other book I mentioned, "Savage Continent" out in April I think. The part of the War not much talked about...
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Thanks for the link Lee...
You may perhaps be interested in this: ..http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,811918,00.html I hope you've got a good enough translation site.. Norway's ?Prime Minister? Jens Stoltenburg has just apologised for the deportations of the Jews from Norway .. which was mainly carried out by Norwegians, just like the French, Dutch, Hungarians etc., etc., but all of whom kept quiet about it after 1945.
Also of interest is this radio programme from 1992: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/desert-island-discs/castaway/e... in which Christabel Bielenberg makes it clear that only a select few knew what was really happening in the camps until 1945. My point being, Britain couldn't have directly gone into the war to save jews and gays (as John D suggests) because nobody knew what was happening to them at that time. That's all 'victor's hindsight' history.
Lastly, the 27th Jan is the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and is the day that the FR of Germany remembers all victims of n#zi oppression.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/isarsteve/6771184457/in/photostream
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Permalink Reply by Old-Age-Emporium(OAE) on
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Bethany (and Ruth C who is also a Coventry Clubber!): if Spike Milligan could claim a part in Adolf Hitler's Downfall, may I belatedly apologise for my miniscule part in finishing off the Coventry job Adolf had started almost exactly two decades earlier. Though, no - I'm not the one who turned the City Centre into a concrete bunker. That happened mainly in the years after I had loved Godiva and left her - and I haven't been back since.
June to September 1960, and again in '61, I needed money for impending Uni fees in case my N.Ireland scholarship didn't materialise, so like many another young Irish greenhorn "I worked for Laing but not for long". Coventry was still in the throes of rebuilding and John Laing had several sites around the city. I spent most of the two summers at their Kenilworth Court site, unloading brick lorries (rather catching bricks at ground level: "4-at-a-go - Catch!" Miss the catch and you got them in the abdomen) barrowing concrete and disentangling snaking tons of reinforcing steel tipped up on the roadway. All in the task of providing Coventry with (allegedly) Luxury 2 & 3 bed Flats, to cost as much as £2,500 - £3,500 each. I see a few of them on Estate Agents' sites today with asking prices approaching the 1961 tab. I think I'll wait and snap up one for sentimental reasons.
Double-time on Saturdays for anyone up for it was on Laing's premier site, the new cathedral. It was in fine shape by summer 1960 and looked ready to launch by Sept '61. Some hectic Saturdays, though for us it was mainly of a light clearing up 'no sweat' sort of labour, with lots of time to stroll around the old cathedral and get a good feel for the history of it all. Something to marvel over as we trudged back out to our very basic lodgings in "The Chace Guildhouse" (an old army camp with communal facilities and a mess whose kitchens shovelled up the grub in quantity, not quality). I'm sure mediaeval cathedral builders were better looked after on the original job. Still, maybe it's time I made it back to Coventry for a second look.
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Permalink Reply by Bethany Burrow Atherton on
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Kenilworth Court - definitely of its time; New Cathedral, imho, has stood the test of time. One of the stained glass windows is a "Schoolchildren's window", that all the kids contributed 6d each to, including my mum.
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OAE
Each time I drive from Kenilworth to Coventry I pass Kenilworth Court! Up to now, I have regarded it as a bit of a monstrosity, worse possible post-war architecture. But now I know that you had a hand in it I shall of course raise my hat respectfully. Chase Guildhouse has long since been demolished, so sadly I cannot pay my respects there as well!
Best wishes,
Arthur Astrop
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Thanks, Arthur.
Pity they didn't ask Basil Spence to design the KC flats too. My one big complaint, of course, is that by 1959/60 they had knighted both Basil Spence and John Laing but they still haven't contacted me to ask if I'd be interested in a gong for my selfless services to both ecumenism and the Coventry skyline.
Eddie
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