The Westferry Road, Emmett Street Newsagent

Gala Day London by Izis was published in 1953 and brings together the photography of Izis Bidermanas with the words of writers. artists and poets of the day. The aim of the book was to have:

“Twenty-two amongst the most representative of our writers, poets and artists have contributed original texts relating to the photographs. Together their work forms a unique anthology both of the creative impulse which is alive in Britain today and of how London appears to our generation.”

The book is a wonderful collection of full page black and white photographs of London and Londoners, providing a snapshot of the city in 1953.

Westferry Road

Izis Bidermanas was born in Lithuania in 1911, but moved to Paris in 1930 to pursue his interest and career in photography. Being Jewish, he had to leave Paris during the war and escaped to Ambazac in south central France, part of Vichy France. It was here that he changed his first name from Israëlis to Izis to try to disguise his origin, but he was still arrested and tortured by the Nazis. He was freed by the French Resistance, who he then joined and took a series of portraits of resistance fighters which were published after the war to great acclaim.

After the war he returned to Paris to continue his photographic career and also started publishing books which portrayed his subjects in a humanistic, affectionate and nostalgic style.

Izis published a couple of books of London photography in 1953, The Queen’s People and Gala Day London – both full of wonderful photos that capture London at a specific point in time.

So why am I featuring Gala Day London for this week’s post?

It was one of my father’s large collection of London books and I was browsing through the book a few months ago and found one of his photos between two of the pages. Written on the back of the photo was “Newsagent – Emmett Street / Westferry Road, 5th September 1986”.

The photo was inserted alongside the page that had the following Izis photo:

Westferry Road

And this is the photo I found inserted in the book, my father’s photo taken on the 5th September 1986:

Westferry Road

Remarkably the photo is of the same location. Under the white washed walls, the bricked up windows, the loss of all the signage and the bollards on the pavement the building is the same.

The Emmett Street sign appears to be the same, but has been moved lower down the wall and painted over so is not immediately obvious. The larger wall of the building behind can also be seen in both photos.

It is incredibly sad to compare the two photos. What had in 1953 been a typical East London newsagent was now derelict and waiting for demolition as part of the redevelopment of the area around Canary Wharf.

My father’s notes on the back of the photo gave me the location – Emmett Street and Westferry Road so I had to find the location today.

The map below is an extract from the 1940 Bartholomew’s Atlas of Greater London. I have put a red circle around the junction of Emmett Street and Westferry Road where I believe the newsagent was located.

Westferry Road

I then checked the 1895 Ordnance Survey map as this is far more detailed and at the same junction there is a building on the corner of the junction with the same angled corner of the building where the entrance was located. I knew the building was on this side of the street as in my father’s photo the pole in front of the wall is casting a shadow, so the wall is facing south.

Westferry Road

The Ordnance Survey map is on the wonderful National Library of Scotland web site and the site has the ability to overlay a modern map on the 1895 map with adjustable transparency, so with a modern overlay and transparency the map looks like this:

Westferry Road

The link to the NLS site for the map is here.

The map gave me the exact location for the newsagent – underneath Westferry Road where it runs up to Westferry Circus.

A note on Westferry Road. In the 1895 OS map, the road is named as Bridge Road. At the time Westferry Road only ran as far north as the entrance to the South Dock, from there onwards it was named Bridge Road, presumably as this part of the road crossed the entrances to the South Dock and the Limehouse Basin.

By the 1940 map, Bridge Road had been renamed West Ferry Road.

Today, it is still the same name, however in the 1895 and 1940 maps it is West Ferry, today on maps and signs the two words have been combined to Westferry Road.

A couple of weeks ago I had a day off from work and for a change the weather was brilliant so I headed out on the DLR to Canary Wharf and took the short walk to Westferry Circus.

Emmett Street today has been lost beneath all the development of recent decades. Hotels, apartment buildings and one of the entrances to the Limehouse Link Tunnel have all erased this street. Emmett Street developed during the early 19th century to provide a link from Three Colt Street to Bridge Road along the back of the buildings constructed along the river front.

Westferry Circus was partly built over the old Limehouse Basin and the Limehouse entrance from the river. It is an elevated structure built higher than the original level of the land so Westferry Road slopes upward to meet Westferry Circus.

This is the view of Westferry Road as it slopes up to Westferry Circus. I tried to accurately locate the old newsagent building by referencing its position on the National Library of Scotland map, using the buildings alongside, the black lights along the edge of the road which appear visible as black dots on the overlay map, and the position of Ontario Way.

I have marked the location of the newsagent building using red lines in the photo below:

Westferry Road

It depends how the land levels have changed with all the building work, but the top of the upper floor of the newsagent would probably have been above the current level of the road.

There are also roads running either side of the elevated approach road to Westferry Circus. This is the view from the side, again I have marked where the old newsagents was located:

Westferry Road

This is the view looking up towards Westferry Circus. The newsagent was on the elevated road, to the left of the direction sign. I doubt if the three men sitting outside the newsagent could have imagined that their view would be changing to this over the coming decades – I wonder what they would have thought?

Westferry Road

As the weather was so good, here are a couple more photos, this one looking across Westferry Circus:

Westferry Road

And this one looking from the edge of Westferry Circus along the Thames to the City. It was here that the Limehouse entrance from the river ran across the open space at the bottom of the steps to a set of locks roughly where I am standing.

Westferry Road

It was fascinating to find my father’s photo in among the pages of Gala Day London. It was one of a number he took in the 1980s around the Isle of Dogs and East London.

The layout of the book consists of an Izis photo on the right hand page and a poem or descriptive text on the left. A wide range of authors and poets contributed to the book including John Betjeman, Laurie Lee and T.S. Lewis.

Opposite the Emmett Street photo was a poem written by Clifford Dyment, a poet, literary critic, editor and journalist, who lived from 1914 to 1971. His contribution appropriately is to the wonderful variety of the corner shop:

Westferry Road

The lines “it may be sherbet suckers, dabs, straps of liquorice” perfectly describe my memories of corner shops as a boy.

I do not know why Izis singled out this newsagent out of all the newsagents and cornershops there were across London at the time, or if the photo was natural or had been set up. The majority of his work in the two London books look natural. The following from the introduction to Gala Day London provides some clues of how he selected his subjects:

“Izis Bidermanas is both a foreigner and a poet who uses a camera. When we look at his photographs we recognise that the obvious subjects have been avoided and that ‘there is a poetry of cities which has nothing to do with things that receive three stars in the guide books. Perhaps it has been specially by way of Londoners rather than by stone and stucco that he has grown to know London. His pictures are above all an evocation of daily life. He has had a capricious sitter and has not attempted to bend her to his will but has preferred to attend upon her whim. This attitude has probably been responsible for the sense of humanity which arises from the pictures.”

It is always strange to stand at places such as Westferry Circus and look down on the view today knowing what was once here – it was then time to move on and make the most of the weather as I had a few more East London locations to track down and photograph.

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34 thoughts on “The Westferry Road, Emmett Street Newsagent

    1. Leonard West

      I lived in no: 15 Providence House buildings just along Westferry Road behind the Newsagent in Emmett Street, during the 1940 -1950s- Often I went there for my mother to purchase small items, tea,butter,jam etc etc- Happy memories in a rough tough environment – but an environment in which we were all in – no one better than the other – All in the same boat – All living in a safe commuinity, no vandalism, no excuses to rob hurt or cheat anyone – Happy days –

      Reply
      1. Kim

        I remember this corner shop well. It was a part of my childhood. My grandmother lived in 77 Providence House and when I went with my mum to visit her in the 50’s/60’s I would always walk round to the shop to buy sweets. Being so small it always seemed a long walk along Westferry Road although it wasn’t. Sometimes I would go back the same way or carry on walking along Emmett Street as her flat overlooked Emmett Street. I always remember the bell ringing when you opened the door and the lady who served would always ask how my grandmother was. So lovely to see a photo of it, just how I remember.

        Reply
  1. Joss Mullinger (TWB)

    Very interesting and detailed photograph, so much to see in there. Noticed particularly all the floor mats draped over the bollards outside the shop, I expect they were cleaning inside! Thank you for another fascinating window on the past.

    Reply
  2. James Burke

    Great post. Sad to see such a characterful area homogenised into roads, apartments & offices. Nearby is the excellent Museum of London Docklands which is well worth a visit, especially off-season.

    Reply
  3. Nicola

    An absolutely fascinating article, thank you. And to see the two photos of the shop – in its hey-day and then waiting for demolition was very poignant.

    Reply
  4. Vicky Stewart

    A wonderful piece, thank you.
    I use the 1895 map a lot and could spend hours looking at it.
    Re getting a modern map overlay onto the 1895 map – how do I do this?

    Reply
    1. admin Post author

      Hi Vicky – if you look on the left of the map there is a window and at the button of this you should see “Change transparency of overlay” with a blue circle below. Moving the blue bottom to the left brings up the modern map. Hope that works.

      Reply
  5. Ken

    Great work as usual.

    Am I misunderstanding the references to Limehouse? Westferry Circus must have been build over the entrance to Middle Dock or North Dock; Limehouse Basin is (and always was?) about 1km to the north west of Westferry Circus.

    Reply
    1. admin Post author

      Hi Ken – my references to the Limehouse entrance and Limehouse Basin are based on the details and naming in the 1895 OS map http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=18&lat=51.5064&lon=-0.0277&layers=163&b=1 using the map overlay feature to locate their position today. Limehouse Basin fed into the north and middle docks of the West India Docks if the OS and the overlay are correct, and the map shows part of Limehouse Basin to be under the north east corner of Westferry Circus.

      Reply
  6. Ros

    A wonderful post indeed and how sad it makes me for the old corner shops like the one illustrated, even though all those cigarettes and tobacco products were leading many of their customers to their deaths and Tizer has no nutritional good at all. The second photo, taken by your father in 1986 would not have been recognisable to me as the same building if you hadn’t pointed it out. Even it has a certain romance and manages to look like the Old Curiosity Shop.

    Reply
  7. IslandDweller

    The use of the Limehouse basin name is indeed confusing. In current usage, and on current OS maps, that name refers to the dock at the end of the Regents Canal, with lock entrance into the Thames towards the western end of Narrow Street.
    The alignment of the Westferry Road around this area was changed quite a bit when westferry Circus was created.

    Reply
    1. admin Post author

      That is a good point and the reason for the confusion. The current Limehouse Basin was originally the Regent’s Canal Dock as it was at the end of the Regents Canal. It has this name in the 1895 OS map and also in the 1940 Bartholomew atlas. It is an appropriate name being at the end of the Regent’s Canal – it would be interesting to find out why the name transferred from the original Limehouse Basin to the new location.

      Reply
      1. Ken

        Well that explains it; thanks Admin and IslandDweller. Maybe they moved the Lime Warehouse at some point? But probably not after 1940? Another mystery…

        Reply
  8. MattF

    Can anyone explain what “an envelope sealed off from the innocent eye and beginning the end of corruption” means? I can only guess some form of mild pornography (saucy postcards?) but why would that be the ‘beginning of the end of corruption’?

    Reply
    1. Leonard West

      Oh dear – Lets get back to remembering the good old days when we were all in the same boat, hard times but happy.

      Reply
  9. Pimlico Pete

    So much detail in the 1953 photo. The pose struck by the two men in their braces, the third man wanting to join the conversation.

    It’s simultaneously evocative and sad to zoom in on those smaller adverts: Aspro, Brooke Bond coffee and chicory essence in a bottle, Benedict marmalade, Bile Beans, Greys cigarettes, Stotherts cough mixture and stomach pills (on the draped floormats), ABC ice cream.

    It must have been a moving experience for you to come across your father’s own discovery work, and to see how that foretells your own work on this blog. We readers are also moved by it.

    It’s not impossible for the two men chatting in the photo to be still alive today, depending perhaps on how many of those Players Weights they enjoyed. I wonder if they ever reminisced about a sunny day in 1953.

    Reply
  10. Mrs M Cox

    In 1953 I was 6 years old and I lived near this corner shop. The flats I lived in were called Providence House. The shop was ran by Mr Clench and I believe his daughter who we knew as Louis Clench. It was very tiny inside but it sold everything from newspapers, sweets, groceries and ‘The Clenches’ cooked some beautiful ham in the back of the shop which was then sliced on the slicer in front of you. I was always going to ‘Clenches’ for my mother for one thing or another. In those days I was even sold 5 Players Weights cigarettes for my father.

    Louis Clench knew all us children from the flats and she knew when my mother had forbid me to buy yellow sherbert as it made my hands so messy and stained. Louis wouldn’t sell it to me so I came out of the shop very peeved indeed.

    This small corner shop served the community well and the photo of it has evoked so many memories of my childhood.

    Reply
    1. admin Post author

      Maureen – thank you so much for the comment. It is always so interesting to hear from someone who lived at the time of these photos and knows the people who lived and worked in these places. When I first saw the photo I suspected that it was the type of shop that worked well and served the local community. It was rather sad standing on Westferry Circus taking the photos of the scene today to think of the people who once made the area their home and who would not recognise the area now. Thanks again.

      Reply
    2. RON HUNTER

      HAVE JUST READ YOUR E MAIL ON CLENCHS CORNER SHOP IN 52/53 IWAS ONE OF TWO PAPER BOYS WORKING AT THE SHOP MY ROUND INCLUEDED PROVDENCE HOUSE AND THE COTTAGES PROBABLY DELIVERED TO YOU? I LVED IN GARFORD HOUSE TILL 67 .IT IS SO SAD WHEN I GO BACK NOW KOS ALL IS GONE LIKE ABERDEEN WHARF ,BUCHANS WHARF, AND OF COURSE THE MEETING PLACE FOR ALL “THE PIER” . STILL WHATS LEFT OF THE ENTERPRISE IS STILLTHERE {MUM PLAYED PIANO THERE AT WEEKENDS{ SO SAD THERE NOTHING LEFT NOW

      Reply
      1. Stephen Mason

        Hi
        I was a paper boy for Lou and Ned Klench from 1965-1967. I would deliver to Providence House where I lived and the cottages and on a Sunday morning would collect all the money in a satchel.
        I got paid £1 per week! Sometimes I used to have to wake them up throwing little stones at the upstairs window at 6am! :o)
        They used to serve a fourpenny drink which went down well in the summer!
        I was always sent there for errands. Ten Weights for my mum seven o’clock razor blade and half ounce of old Holborn for my Dad!
        I once sat outside the City Arms round the walls with Ned and my Dad one Sunday lunchtime
        Happy Days!

        Reply
    3. Margaret Blackmore

      That was my grandfathers shop his name was Thomas Clench and my Aunt Lou ran it with him. It was a wonderful old shop selling everything from groceries cigarettes newspapers sweets and also Mugs of tea and sandwiches to the dockers who use to eat them on the premises. I use to go there as a girl with my mother who was Lou,s sister Jesse as she use to help out there once a week. It so nice to see your photos of his shop and ear the comments about it.

      Reply
  11. Terry Tastard

    I have some exciting news! There is another picture of the corner shop in the book recently published by Hoxton Mini Press, ‘The East End in Colour 1960-1980’, which uses the photos of David Granick. It is the 3rd picture in the book. The book is wonderfully atmospheric. Highly recommended.

    Reply
    1. John Cole

      I have also seen a charcoal drawing of the same shop on “Pinterest”. Look for “East End London”.

      Reply
  12. Leonard West

    I lived in no: 15 Providence House buildings just along Westferry Road behind the Newsagent in Emmett Street, during the 1940 -1950s- Often I went there for my mother to purchase small items, tea,butter,jam etc etc- Happy memories in a rough tough environment – but an environment in which we were all in – no one better than the other – All in the same boat – All living in a safe commuinity, no vandalism, no excuses to rob hurt or cheat anyone – Happy days Any other memories ?????

    Reply
  13. Nick Baker

    There is a photo taken in 1969 of the newsagents in the book of David Granick photos The East End in Colour 1960 to 1980 published by Hoxton mini press. Shows a simple shop window with bread displayed; looking very clean and smart with one simply sign remaining “Players cigarettes”

    Reply
  14. Carole Scanes

    My Great Great Grandmother lived at 14 Emmett Street and my dad was born there in 1925. I just googled the address out of curiousity and ran into this article. Interesting and sad. We drove around the area a few trips to UK ago and saw many of the changes. My Great Great Grandmother was a cake maker and decorator. I have a photo of her with a 3 tiered cake.
    We left England in the late 50’s when I was a toddler.

    Reply
  15. Patricia Doy

    I have only recently seen these pictures on Facebook . I have a postcard of what I am 99% sure is the same shop. I wonder if I sent it to you on email you could confirm it? My great grandmother had the shop in 1910,the date of the postcard, great grandfather delivered milk. I don’t know when they had the shop from and to. My great grandmother is stood in the doorway with my great aunt, then about 2 years old. The postcard was sent to great grandfathers parents in Wainfleet, Lincolnshire where I was born.

    Reply

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