Mick, you're way off.

The West Ham Board of Health was formed in 1856 and it took over the appliances of the parish vestry.  The last  horse drawn steam engine was withdrawn in 1923.

If you're interested in Newham history, it's essential to understand West Ham's relationship with Essex and the growing metropolis.

Mick, you say  "If Forest Gate Fire Station was built in 1870, it would have been built by the Essex County Council "..........

Essex County Council wasn't formed until 1889

Hi Mick

Don't really understand your post.

What do you mean by  "As Forest Gate albeit probably Essex at that time"  as to how it concerns Forest Gate fire station in 1870?

Does this have anything to do with Newham?

The description on the front menu states, very clearly: 

This is the place to discuss books ABOUT NEWHAM and the many films and TV programmes that have been filmed in the area.

Mick

The building was built in 1937, the text above the picture you posted states the history.

http://www.newhamstory.com/node/2189

Robertson & Woodcock, makers of Trebor sweets, opened a small factory in Shaftesbury Road, Forest Gate, in 1907. The large building on the corner of Shaftesbury and Katherine Roads was built in 1937, in the art deco style. It closed in the 1980s along with their other factories in Woodford and Maidstone. In its heyday the Company also owned Sharpe's Toffees and Moffat's (a small business making mainly toffee) and Clarnico, famous for its "Mint Cream".

Mick

Your post on London governement isn't quite correct.  The Metropolitan Board of Works was the first form of London
wide goverment and ran from 1856 until the LCC started up in 1889.  It was the national goverments response to the difficulties
encountered in administering and planning a rapidly expanding London.  The Metropolitan Board of Works built and designed
the Woolwich ferry, the LCC took over the ferry two days before it opened!

They were also responsible for the building of the sewer Northern Outfall Sewer and ran the Metropolitan Fire Brigade from 1866
until the start of the LCC.

Good old Wiki has an interesting if brief piece on the Metropolitan Board of Works at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Board_of_Works

Hi Mick G

Think you are a bit confused. !!
The bells of St Mary Le Bow didn't ring between 1941 and 1961 due to severe bomb damage.

Pathe news recorded the event when the bels were restored, 1961.

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/bow-bells-peal-again-1

Hi All

Just bought "Over The Border" from Amazon for £3 + £2 postage, thanks for bringing it to our attention.

Hello Rennay

Thank you for pointing out the brilliant book "Jimmy Knacker"

It arrived this morning - very well written and illustrated and great value for 10p!

Hi Jenny

The Canning Town end of Beckton Road was badly bombed during the war and most of the area re-developed.

The 1896 Post Office street directory shows Wm Ronchette, boot maker at 4 Beckton Road, have a look at
 
http://historyofstratford.co.uk/CanningTown/CanningTown1896/CanningTown-Baron-Beckton.shtml

which lists your Great Grandparents shop.

It would be great to see your picture of the shop.  

Hope this helps and best wishes!!

Attached pic of 4 Beckton Road today

Hi All

I remember the Druid "shop" well, it was a few doors away from our GP practice in the small parade of shops there. 
Didn't they used to have brightly coloured models and posters in the shop window?

Hello Jplant

I too look up at the rash of towers in Stratford and think did we never learn the lessons of the 60's.

You are absolutely right, they will become tomorrows slums, I suspect very quickly.  Housing Associations borrow freely,
at commercial rates from the banks to build the blocks and rely on a mix of both "social" and aspirational / affordable / shared ownership occupants to sustain the blocks.

Pretty soon little Jemima comes home from the new John Lewis store and finds a syringe on the floor of the lift.  She wil leave the block.  After this happens several dozen times the financial stability of the block becomes deranged and the Housing Association will become insolvent.

The block will eventually become the reponsibility of Newham Council and the madness continues.

I really hope that the vast numbers of new flats built round the Olympic Stadium will not suffer this fate but I fear they will.

Hello Mr Teatime

Welcome onboard.

There's an ongoing discussion about  James Sinclair Point under Newham History, have a look and see what you think.

Cheers!

Hi Mark - Thats the ones, come out of the station and they're in front of you.  They were built in the 1920's to replace the terrible slums in "old Canning Town", Bidder St, Ship St, Wharf St etc and up to the 60's were considered  reasonable places to live They went through a bit of a rough time when they were used as a place to house "problem families" and this combined with lack of proper maintenance sent the area into a period of decline. 

Give Newham Council credit where its due.  It's now an attractive well kept thriving area complete with coffee bar and the flats go for £250,000!

The author of the website describes the picture of the courtyards of Manor Road Buildings, (the second
picture down) as a "halfway home" in Newham.  That's incorrect.