Tag: Local History
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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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Regent’s Canal Photo Quiz
Test your knowledge of the Regent’s Canal with this photo quiz! Want to know the answers? Take a peak below: This quiz is from Barging Through Islington: 200 Years of the Regent’s Canal, an exhibition exploring the two century history of the Regent’s Canal.
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A Timeline of the Regent’s Canal
Since opening on 1 August 1820, the Regent’s Canal has been a waterway for industry, sport and leisure. Take a look below at how the canal has developed over its two-century history. This timeline is from Barging Through Islington: 200 Years of the Regent’s Canal, an exhibition exploring the two…
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Hollywood by the Canal: A brief history of Islington and Gainsborough Studios
One hundred years ago, in November 1920, Islington film studios trade-screened its first movie, The Great Day. While the film was not a critical success, it marked the beginning of a distinguished 30-year production run. For those three decades Islington Studios, and then as Gainsborough Studios, produced some of Britain’s…
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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…
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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…
Friends of Islington Museum 