Visual Arts

Church Socialist League Banner

Red rectangular banner with white letters sewn on, white cross in the centre. On a wooden pole, with red and yellow tasselled rope.

The Church Socialist League was founded in 1906 following an address by the Labour MP Keir Hardie at Mirfield, with the initial aim of furthering the socialism of the Independent Labour Party and Social Democratic Federation within the Church. It absorbed many of the more radical members of the Guild of St. Matthew and the Christian Social Union. A gradual split eventually developed between those who wanted explicit affiliation with the parliamentary labour parties and those who saw their role as primarily theological. There was a branch at Plaistow 1911-1916.

From Newham Heritage & Archives collection

Arts
Faiths and Religions
Governance and Democracy
political organisations
Textiles
Visual Arts
20th Century
Banners and Sashes

Decapod (Fred Apps 18)

'DECAPOD' The first 0-10-0, was the largest engine the Great Eastern Railway built at Stratford. It proved a steam locomotive could accelerate as fast as an electric one, 30 m ph in 30 seconds, but it was not a success as it was too heavy for the track.

Fred Apps is a published author and an illustrator of children's books. He is based in Plaistow. These were drawn for a display in North Woolwich Old Station Museum. They are now in Newham Heritage & Archives collection.

Drawing by Local Artist Fred Apps.

From Newham Heritage & Archives collection

Stratford Market (Fred Apps 17)

The Great Eastern Railway established the fruit and vegetable market in 1879. It was connected to the main line at Stratford and had extensive sidings, with trains running right into the market's great shed. The whole of East London and the suburbs were supplied by this market. The train traffic declined after the Second World War but the market continued into the 1990s supplied by lorries.

Drawing by Local Artist Fred Apps.

From Newham Heritage & Archives collection

H.M.S. Warrior (Fred Apps 16)

Thames Iron Works 1856 to 1911. Ditchburn and Mare operated across the Bow Creek until 1836. They moved into the borough under the new name of C.J. Mare & Co. The Works built 144 warships plus many other vessels including H.M.S. Warrior in 1860. With a tonnage of 9,210, this was the largest warship in the world. The last warship built there was the 25,500 ton H.M.S. Thunderer.

Drawing by Local Artist Fred Apps.

From Newham Heritage & Archives collection

Docks 1970s (Fred Apps 15)

Empty Docks. 1970s. By the 1970s the traffic through the docks began to rapidly decline and finally stopped. The industry that had employed thousands of people and touched the lives of millions disappeared.

Drawing by Local Artist Fred Apps.

From Newham Heritage & Archives collection

Rail Transport (Fred Apps 13)

Canning Town Station with three types of rail travel, Overground, Underground and Dockland light Railway.

Drawing by Local Artist Fred Apps.

From Newham Heritage & Archives collection

War Damage (Fred Apps 14)

The Royal Docks were an important target during the war and they and the area surrounding received considerable attention from the bombers. September 1940 was the worst period when the station and goods yard at North Woolwich received direct hits. The damage was extensive but within a few days the service was working again.

Drawing by Local Artist Fred Apps.

From Newham Heritage & Archives collection

Upton House (Fred Apps 12)

Horse drawn private coach passing Upton House In the 18th and early 19tb centuries a number of large houses were built by London merchants and financiers in the countryside to the east of London. One of these was Upton House. Newham was home to both well-to-do-families with private coaches and the growing number of families who had come to work on the railway, in the ship yard and the docks. The gardens of Upton House became West Ham Park and many of the estates around these large houses became other Newham parks.

Drawing by Local Artist Fred Apps.

From Newham Heritage & Archives collection

Stratford Station (Fred Apps 11)

Stratford multi-level Station designed by Wilkinson Eyre and built the 1990s. The Time Spiral clock in Meridian Square is to be relocated to outside Maryland Station.

Drawing by Local Artist Fred Apps.

From Newham Heritage & Archives collection

Tidal Basin Bridge (Fred Apps 10)

The Railway and the Docks The Royal Victoria Dock was the first deep water dock served by a railway. In 1862 the Great Eastern Railway Company was formed and the development of the Royal Docks was well under way. At that time the railway had to cross the Tidal Basin entrance to the dock by a narrow swing bridge. Later the railway was routed north of the dock and passed under the Connaught crossing in a tunnel.

Drawing by Local Artist Fred Apps.

From Newham Heritage & Archives collection