Dimensions
129 x 198 x 23mm
The East End of London has always had the ability to fascinate us. With is tradtional images of chirpy cockneys, pie and mash and pub knees-ups, and the sinister connotations of its legendary criminals and Dickensian underworld, it has been seen as dangerous, disreputable and unruly. Here Gilda O'Neill, herself an East Ender, goes beyond the myths to reveal a far more complex, varied and humane history, from the area's beginnings through the time of its Victorian slums, to the close-knit community of living memory and the cocooned world of modern Docklands. Gathering together the personal recollections of East Enders, she discovers stories of unbelievable hardship and devastating change; yet also of pride, kindness, resilience and regeneration.