A good number of Members were present at the CSAM meeting on 12 March to enjoy an immensely interesting and superbly delivered talk on the Old London Docks and New Docklands, given by Sally Botwright, who is a Blue Badge Guide for London.
Sally described the development of the docks from their very earliest days in Roman times as a sheltered import and export hub, explaining how further docks were built (by hand, before the days of mechanisation) to cope with the growing worldwide trade in goods varying from tobacco, spices, cotton, ostrich feathers and even livestock. Her talk was peppered throughout with wonderful photographs and illustrations of the docks and the shipping over the centuries, including several of dock workers lining up each day in the hope of getting work, and another of curious workers watching a crated giraffe being unloaded from a ship - no 'health and safety' in those days!
We heard about the destruction of a large area of the docks during war-time, and how many of the remaining warehouses have been developed as exclusive apartments providing homes for the rich and famous; some of the wharves now house very expensive private craft. Comparison of the dock areas before and after the war - and its evolution into the massive and ever-expanding glass and steel financial centre we see today - was very striking.
It was a really fascinating evening, especially for those of us who grew up near the East End of London, and we are immensely grateful to Mrs Botwright for sharing with us her enthusiasm and wealth of knowledge.