Inside the Museum of London

Time is ticking away before the 20 images that will make up the Your 2012 free photography exhibition go on display dealing with the impact of the construction of the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London. Come along and see it when it starts at the Museum of London Docklands on the 22nd of July 2011 and see some awesome pictures.

Naturally many of the photographs have their own intrinsic aesthetic appeal which is only to be expected as so much effort has been put into making sure that all of the buildings look visually stunning. With this in mind I thought that this week it would be good to look at some images of those objects that are hidden gems. 

The example below for instance is a visually appealing flower pot holder that is right beside the Viewtube and the Olympic stadium. 

Stratford itself already has some of its own art already built. If you go to the centre of Stratford you can see the  ‘Railway Tree’ designed by Malcolm Robertson in 1996. According to him it is intended to ‘act as a gateway to Stratford and to symbolise its former connection, with industry and railways in particular’.

Another example that sometimes gets overlooked is the Stratford clock tower beside Stratford station. With its twisting winding column like structure Im sure we can all agree it is unique. This extraordinary piece of art was designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects (who also built the adjacent Stratford station) and was completed in 1999.

Anyway if you would like to learn more about the Olympic site than I recommend that you come along to our next Olympic tour called ‘Walk the Olympic Way’ that we will be offering on Wednesday July 27th from 2.30pm – 4pm.

Next week you will be in for a special treat as I have some exclusive aerial shots covering the Olympic site and its surrounding area so come again and prepare to be dazzled.

Peter

Time is ticking away before the 20 images that will make up the Your 2012 free photography exhibition go on display dealing with the impact of the construction of the Olympic Park in Stratford, East London. Come along and see it when it starts at the Museum of London Docklands on the 22nd of July 2011.

Obviously feverish action is taking place to make sure everything is ready and looking fantastic. Knowing the effort that is needed to make this exhibition take place makes myself even more impressed by the rate of progress at the Olympic site. Already the Aquatic Centre is ready as is the Velodrome and according to the latest news this month so is the mobile basketball stadium. Perhaps the most amazing achievement is the biggest, the Olympic stadium itself, as can be seen below.

Efforts are now going on the make the surrounding vicinity look equally resplendent as can be seen by the following image below.

Construction efforts have now moved on to the left of the site.  (If you look carefully in the distance you can see the red brick Byrant and May building).

Further along you can see how the site is now being concreted over.

If you would like to learn more about the Olympic site than I recommend that you come along to one of the our tours called ‘Walk the Olympic Way’ that we will be offering on Wednesday July 27th from 2.30pm – 4pm.

Don’t forget to check this blog next week when I will be talking about art around the Olympic site and Stratford.

Peter

Time is ticking away before the 20 images that will make up the Your 2012 free photography exhibition go on display dealing with the impact of the Olympic Park’s construction upon Stratford, East London. Come along and see it when it starts at the Museum of London Docklands on the 22nd of July 2011.

If you want to have a clear idea of the scale of construction going on at the moment then check out these images of cranes at various sites around the Olympic venue.

(looking over the Olympic warm up area)

(photo taken on the Greenway with the Olympic stadium in the distance) 

If you would like to learn more about the Olympic site than I recommend that you come along to the Olympic tour called ‘Walk the Olympic Way’ that we will be offering on Wednesday July 27th from 2.30pm – 4pm.

Make sure to check this site next week when I will talk to you about the vast area beside the stadium and all the progress going on there.

Peter

Time is ticking away before the 20 images that will make up the Your 2012 free photography exhibition go on display dealing with the impact of the construction of the Olympic Park in Stratford, East London. Come along and see it when it starts at the Museum of London Docklands on the 22nd of July 2011.

This exhibition will give you a great visual idea of all the changes taking place to make the site ready for next year. However if you want to have a great view next year then probably the best place to go will be the ArcelorMittal Orbit tower. At 115 metres high it will be more than twice the height of Nelson’s Column but 20 metres shorter than the Millenium Eye at Westminster. This gigantic tower will cost around £19 million and has already acquired various nicknames such as ‘the Colossus of Stratford’ and ’the Hubble Bubble’ whilst various newpapers are refering to it as a giant lattice. As you can see it will be huge and this is exactly what Mayor Boris Johnson asked for as one of his provisions for the big Tower was that it should rival the Eiffel Tower.

Judge for yourself below.

If you would like to learn more about the Olympic site than I recommend that you come along to one of the our Olympic tours called ‘Walk the Olympic Way’ that we will be offering on Sunday 12th June 2011 from 2.30pm -4pm and Wednesday July 27th from 2.30pm – 4pm.

Don’t forget to check this blog next week when I will talk about the large number of cranes in use around the Stratford area overlooking the Olympic site.

Peter

Time is ticking away before the 20 images that will make up the Your 2012 free photography exhibition go on display dealing with the impact of the construction of the Olympic Park in Stratford, East London. Come along and see it when it starts at the Museum of London Docklands on the 22nd of July 2011.

It looks set to be a very exciting exhibition on a topic that is interesting for many people. Public and media interest is growing exponentially at the moment for the Olympics. Look at this post taken by the Viewtube during high Summer last year and compare it with the pictures taken earlier this month below at the same site.

Not only are large numbers of schools attending the site but also various senior citizens and tourist groups.

Even the media itself are regularly checking up on progress and reporting it nationwide.

If you would like to learn more about the Olympic site than I recommend that you come along to one of the our Olympic tours called ‘Walk the Olympic Way’ that we will be offering on Sunday 12th June 2011 from 2.30pm -4pm and Wednesday July 27th from 2.30pm – 4pm.

Come again next week and we will look at the progress taking place at the Crossrail site that is right in front of the Olympic Stadium.

Peter

Time is ticking away before the 20 images that will make up the Your 2012 free exhibition go on display dealing with the impact of the construction of the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London. Come along and see it when it starts at the Museum of London Docklands on 22nd  July 2011.

In the meantime to whet your appetite here is a picture of one of the canal boats that have been doing such a great job in clearing up the canals in preparation for the Olympics next year.

In case you are wondering just what they have to clear away check out the photo below.

If you would like to learn more about the Olympics site than I recommend that you come along to one of our Olympic tours  called ‘Walk the Olympic Way’ that we will be doing on Sunday 12th June 2011 from 2.30pm -4pm and Wednesday July 27th from 2.30pm – 4pm.

Don’t forget to check this blog next week when I will be talking about the increasing media interest in the constructions sites in and around the Olympic Park.

Peter

Time is ticking away before the 20 images that will make up the Your 2012 free exhibition go on display dealing with the impact of the construction of the Olympic Park in Stratford, East London. Come along and see it when it starts at the Museum of London Docklands in July.

In continuation of the recent History of the Olympic Site blogs here is part 3 of the story.

Bryant and May Factory

Is just a stone’s throw away from the Olympic Stadium and has left an indelible mark on British socioeconomic and trade union history.  The saga that made it famous began in 1888 when the company tried to force its workers to say they were happy with working conditions following some bad publicity. The workers refused so the company reacted by sacking them and a huge strike by 1,200 women ensued.

 The women won their strike. It is significant because the Bryant & May dispute was the first strike by unorganized workers to gain national publicity. Also because of its success it was instrumental in inspiring the formation of unions all over the country.

 Bazlegette Sewage System

During the Victoria Era the population of London rapidly expanded and with the advent of flush toilets to replace cess pits the net result was that increasing amounts of  sewage went untreated into the River Thames. The situation with the quality of the river became worse and worse until finally Parliament decided to do something in 1858 and appointed Joseph Bazalgette to sort out the problem.

He was a highly distinguished engineer who went on to develop London’s first comprehensive sewage system. This meant constructing eighty five miles of new sewers to re-route the sewage away from directly flowing into the Thames up river. As part of this construction work he built the Abbey Mills Pumping Station that later was nicknamed ‘The Cathedral of Sewage’.

 It took 16 years to build in total. It used to have high chimneys but these were knocked off during World War Two to prevent them being used as a navigational aid by German Bombers.

As you can see from the photo below it is currently being cleaned up for the Olympics and this means lots of scaffolding is required. 

 The Greenway footpath

The Greenway is a footpath and cycleway that passes right through the Olympic Park in East London and contains the Northern Outfall Sewer beneath it.

Yardleys building

Is famous throughout the world for its quality fragrances and soaps. If you look carefully on the photo you can see the iconic image of the flower sellers that has helped make this such a famous building.

If you would like to learn more about the site I recommend that you come along to one of the following Olympic tours  called ‘Walk the Olympic Way’ that we will be doing on Sunday 12th June 2011 from 2.30pm -4pm and Wednesday July 27th from 2.30pm – 4pm.

And if you are interested in learning more about this recent series on the History of the Olympic Site are recommend you look here at the first part of the History of the Olympic Site 

Finally check here again next week and you can read about the mighty canal boats that are cleaning up the site ready for the Olympics.

Peter

Time is ticking away before the 20 images that will make up the Your 2012 free exhibition go on display dealing with the impact of the construction of the Olympic Park in Stratford, East London. Come along and see it when it starts at the Museum of London Docklands in July.

As promised here is part two covering the history of the Olympic site

Stratford Railway Works

The Docks Area and Railway Yards were some of the largest in the country. In fact it was the hub of the suburban railway system and the principle locomotive running depot of the Great Eastern Railway, the largest in the country. This is why the area became prime targets for German Zeppelins in World War One and German Bombers in World War Two.

In 1965 West Ham & East Ham were combined to form the Borough of Newham. Governments began to recognise their neglect of the area and plans began to redevelop the area. Things started to change and a new freight Terminal opened on the derelict area of the vast railway engineering yards.

Stratford Railway Works started in 1840 whilst Stratford Works was built in 1847 from 15 acres over the years building and repairing locomotives,carriages and vans. The whole site covered an area of 132 ½ acres. Stratford Works built 1682 locomotives 5,500 passenger vehicles and 33,000 Good wagons.

By the post war period it had become a major Freight Terminal but it has recently been redeveloped into the Stratford International and Regional Station plus the brand new Westfield shopping centre. 

 Archaeology

During the development of the Olympic Aquatics Centre site, four prehistoric skeletons were found buried in graves around an area of Iron Age settlement. One of the skeletons is thought to be 3000 years old. In the Iron Age this would have been a small area of dry land on the edge of the river valley, surrounded by lakes, rivers and marshes. The first Londoners lived by and fished in what is now the River Lea (which surrounds the Olympic Stadium) and parts of their cooking pots have also been found.

Here are the latest pictures of the Aquatic Centre and as you can see it is almost complete and looks absolutely fantastic!

Don’t forget to read the final installment of this series on the History of the Olympic Site next week and if you would like to learn more about the site I recommend that you come along to one of the following Olympic tours  called ‘Walk the Olympic Way’ that we do on Sunday 12th June 2011 from 2.30pm -4pm and Wednesday July 27th from 2.30pm – 4pm.

And if you are interested in the learning more about this series then come and check the first part of the History of the Olympic Site here.

Peter  

Time is ticking away before the 20 images that will make up the Your 2012 free exhibition go on display dealing with the impact of the construction of the Olympic Park in Stratford, East London. Come along and see it when it starts at the Museum of London Docklands on 22nd July 2011.

Anyway as promised here is some information all about the pre 2007 history of the Olympic site before redevelopment had begun.

Hackney Wick

 Hackney Wick was a highly industrialised area around the canal and the railway with its best known products including Clarico Mints (still available but made elsewhere). Petrol was first given its name here (a company called Carless Berger started making paints around here in 1780). The world’s first synthetic plastic parkesine was made here. There were chemical works and they were also pioneers of the synthetic dye industry. Dry cleaning in the country started here too. Other factories made pies and processed foods, jam and much more besides including Lesneys Matchbow Toys  from 1947-1983. Around 1900 Old Etonian Major Arthur Villiers, a Director of Barings Bank bought an area of land to be used in perpetuity as allotments, a bequest that was sadly ended in 2007 when the holders were evicted and had to make way for the London 2012 Olympics.

 Hackney stadium – on what was Waterdon Road in Hackney Wick (and is now within the Olympic Park) was opened in 1932 and used for Greyhound Racing and the Speedway. In 1994 a £12 stand and restaurant was built and the stadium was renamed the London Stadium, Hackney. In December 1997 the company that owned the stadium, London Stadium Hackney Ltd, went out of business. The stadium was left derelict for several years until it was bought by the London Development Agency and demolished in 2003.

Photograph of the Royal Corps of Signal Display Team courtesy of John Skinner, www.defunctspeedway.co.uk

is area will become the site for the new 2012 Olympic Media and Broadcast Centre and after the Games, will be turned over for commercial use.

Hackney Marshes

 Hackney Marsh covers 339 acres of flat meadowland to the East of Hackney and alongside the River Lea it has a long history of Munitions and Lead Manufacturing from the early days of Lead Paint and crude munitions through to First World War “Projectiles” and the Matchbox die cast model factory which closed in 1990.

 The Marshes were drained during medieval times and in the late 1700’s a Roman Causeway was discovered. However the low lying area was victim to several floods and eventually in the 19^th century a canal system was developed which revealed a land rich in wildlife – attracted hunting parties which targeted the birds and rabbits. The sporting theme continued with bear baiting until later when they were replaced with rabbit coursing.

The London County Council bought the marshes for £75,000 in 1893 and they became part of the Lea Valley Park in 1967. They now play host to cricket, Hockey and Rugby and hold the world record for the most number of full sized football pitches in one place.

The East Marsh will be tarmaced and turned into a temporary disabled coach Park for the Olympics in 2012.  This has proved controversial with residents but in return for the inconvenience they have been promised that following on from the games there will be considerable investment to improve facilities  for amateur sport on the marshes.

Photograph of Hackney Marshes taken from The Topical Times Football book 1963-64 © D.C.Thomson&Co.,Ltd

And that concludes the first part of my history of the Olympic site. Come and check on my blog next week when I will look at the Stratford Railways Terminal that used to be where the present day Olympic stadium is plus the archaeological finds discovered round the Olympic Park with a focus on the Aquatic Centre area.

Peter

Time is ticking away before the 20 images that will make up the Your 2012 free exhibition go on display dealing with the impact of the construction of the Olympic Park in Stratford, East London. Come along and see it when it starts at the Museum of London Docklands in July.

In the meantime to whet your appetite here are some photos of recent development work going on around the Olympic Park site. As you can see from the photo the Westfield development  is right in the middle of its construction process and on track to be ready for September 2011

    Also connecting the Hackney Marshes car park area with the Olympic Park is the new Ruckold Road bridge.

    With all this work going on we can’t blame some for having a well deserved break!

Come and check up on us again next week and we will have some more information and photos all about the history of the Olympic Park site prior to its recent regeneration.

Peter