Author: friendsofislingtonmuseum
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Pantos, Pageants and Puddings: Islington’s Christmas Past
We’re all witnessing a different kind of Christmas in 2020. One without the usual carol services, Christmas fairs, pantomime outings and no spending ‘real time’ with family and friends. As a diversion, we thought we’d take a brief look at some of the Christmas ‘goings-on’ of Islington past. Read on…
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Meet Me At The Aggie
Meet Me At The Aggie showcases Islington Local History Centre’s collection of Royal Agricultural Hall posters, promoting the amusement fairs held in the 1870s and 1880s. The once World-famous hall is now the Business Design Centre on Upper Street, Islington. These fairs were aimed at a growing middle class who…
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Trade – often copied, never equalled
Thirty years ago, in October 1990, an idea was born that changed the face of night clubbing forever! Trade night club, early 2000s The 1980s’ London gay-club scene was already thriving, playing disco, alternative electronic and early house music in venues such as Heaven, the…
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Hitler’s Guy Fawkes Day Surprise: The Archway V2 Rocket Attack 1944
Where three residential roads in Archway, Islington, north London, meet is the site of a tragic loss of civilian life during the Second World War (1939-45). A plaque commemorating the event can be seen at Giesbach Road Open Space, Giesbach Road, Islington N19 3EH. The aftermath of the V2 Rocket…
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Blitzed Islington: Islington and the London Blitz (1940-41)
The 80th anniversary of the start of the London Blitz (7 September 1940 – 10/11 May 1941), during the Second World War, is being remembered nationally from Monday 7 September 2020. On ‘Black Saturday’ 7 September 1940, at around 4pm, and lasting for two hours, nearly 1000 German bombers and…
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Islington and the Last Night of The Blitz (10/11 May 1941)
On 11 May 1941, after eight months and five days of constant threat and terror, the nationwide Blitz came to an end. Up to this point, approximately 41,000 tons of bombs had been dropped in total, with 18,291 tons falling on London alone. Around 41,000 people had been killed, 21,500…
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The Blitz Period in Islington (1940-41)
THE “BLITZ” PERIOD – SEPTEMBER TO JULY 1941 By W. Eric Adams (Islington Town Clerk and ARP Controller) The 80th anniversary of the start of the London Blitz (7 September 1940 – 10/11 May 1941), during the Second World War, is being remembered nationally from Monday 7 September 2020. This…
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How Islington Greeted VJ Day 1945
The 75th anniversary of VJ Day (Victory over Japan), marking the end of the Second World War, is being commemorated nationally on Saturday 15 August 2020. Millions of people across the world celebrated the Allied victory over Japan in August and September 1945, including Londoners and the residents of Islington…
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The Icy Past of Regent’s Canal
Prior to refrigeration, ice from the Regent’s Canal was integral to Islington’s businesses for food preservation, particularly to meat, fish and dairy merchants. Ice also played and important role in hospitals where it was in use to relieve inflammation. It was a difficult product to gather and store in the…
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Engineering Islington Tunnel
The Islington Tunnel, arguably the main architectural and engineering feature of the Regent’s Canal, was designed and engineered by James Morgan. Morgan was born on 9 March 1774 in Wales and was employed in his early 20’s as an assistant to the famous Regency architect John Nash. In 1806 Nash…
Friends of Islington Museum 