Growing up in the Jewish East End of London 1of 4

[zazozung]

When you were a child did you know about Jack the Ripper? Did you ever talk to anyone who was alive during the 1880s?

[Asapoo]

intresting video, ignore the people doubting your heritage

[gerwiseman]

@fatboy22222222222222 How would you know Fat boy?

[TheJunglesound]

Why do you have an american accent?

[gerwiseman]

@TheJunglesound Do I?

[TheJunglesound]

@gerwiseman It seems you have a slightly New Yorkish tinge to it. Maybe thats because New York was also influenced by Yiddish. Dont know to be honest.

[gerwiseman]

@TheJunglesound

Please see my answer to night crawler

[TheJunglesound]

Why do you have an american accent?

[2Touchstone]

here's an un-named service alley across the road from the big white church in Commercial St, it's just a car park and garages now. It used to be called Dorset Street, and was known as 'the worst street in London'. Jack the Ripper killed Mary Kelly in Dorset St in 1888. Does anyone remember it the way it was, before they demolished it?

[2Touchstone]

Whitechapel and Spitalfields are now full of office blocks, yuppie flats and clone shops like Starbucks.

[bleema2]

I grew up in Brune House from 1947 to 1960. I remember the bath under the kitchen table. We had hot water from a Gas Geyser into the bath. I knew the synagogue on Fournier Street, I went to the swing park in Itchy Park. My mother lived there in the War years. They had a shops on Wentworth Street. She went to shelter from the bombs in the fruit exchange. I went to the school in "second Wentworth Street.

[bleema2]

I grew up in Brune House from 1947 to 1960. I remember the bath under the kitchen table. We had hot water from a Gas Geyser into the bath. I knew the synagogue on Fournier Street, I went to the swing park in Itchy Park. My mother lived there in the War years. They had a shops on Wentworth Street. She went to shelter from the bombs in the fruit exchange. I went to the school in "second Wentworth Street.

[bleema2]

I grew up in Brune House from 1947 to 1960. I remember the bath under the kitchen table. We had hot water from a Gas Geyser into the bath. I knew the synagogue on Fournier Street, I went to the swing park in Itchy Park. My mother lived there in the War years. They had a shops on Wentworth Street. She went to shelter from the bombs in the fruit exchange. I went to the school in "second Wentworth Street.

[gerwiseman]

@bleema2

Hi, So you moved in the year we moved out to Hackney. We lived at #32 facing Tenter Ground. Where did you live? I don't understand what you mean by second Wentworth St.

[sexyeyes1969]

I am interested in this. I am looking for a family named "Lancer" do you know them?

They have 2 daughters named "Marilyn and Ruth. I want to find Marilyn. They are quite attractive at least they were.Norman B. Toronto...

[sexyeyes1969]

My name is Norman Bloom from Toronto Canada. I am looking for a family who lived in the east end Stepney named Lancer"" They have 2 daughters both attractive. Marilyn and Ruth. I can't find them at all on Face book.

I do know that they lived at 14 Armsby house. Let me know if you can trace them.

The parents are dead but the girls are still alive. Its Marilyn I want. She is very attractive at least she was in the 70's...

[4521556]

wonderful

[iTzNightCrawler]

lol i was born in whitechapel but grew up in bow and his guy dont sound like his a cockney

[gerwiseman]

@iTzNightCrawler I've lived abroad for over 50 years, It's impossible to keep your original accent for so many years when you don't hear it spoken all the time.

[Beardbloke]

I like that your Cockney accent pops out every now and again, in the middle of the American. It`s a lovely accent, as a result.

I see that you refer to Kings Hall Baths. That`s about 5 minutes walk from where I live.

[gerwiseman]

Thanks for your kind words.

I didn't realize that I had a cockney accent, after all, I left the UK more than 50 years ago, and i certainly don't hear an American one. Anytime I meet someone new, they very quickly ask me where I'm from.

The baths we used were in Goulston Street, very near to Aldgate, but I couldn't find a picture of it. And thinking that no one would notice, I used a picture of the baths in Hackney. But you got me!!

[Beardbloke]

You`re welcome, Gerry. Oh, definitely, the Cockney comes through, and is quite noticeable at times. It creates quite a unique blend.

Aha - I did think that King`s Hall was a little far to go for a bath if you lived in Whitechapel!

I got to Brick Lane every now and again, although most of the Jewish history has now vanished. The Fournier Street shul has been a mosque since 1976, and one of the last Jewish shops was Katz` twine shop. The owners have kept the frontage as is.

[gerwiseman]

I used to go to Club Row almost every Sunday, is the market still there?

[Beardbloke]

Club Row market is still there, and doesn`t seem to have become gentrified yet. Roman Road market, which you might remember, is also still going strong. The East End is changing rapidly, though. Shoreditch and Hoxton, for instance, is now one of the trendiest areas of London.

[gerwiseman]

I used to love going to the street markets. Almost every Sunday I'd go to "The Lane" and sometimes continue on to Sclater St. ("Club Row"). On occasion I'd sell my old comics, toys, my Mum's Women's Magazines, and anything else around the house that wasn't nailed down. I would find an empty space in Club Row (usually on a wall around the bombed sites) and set out my treasures. I also once bought a pet mouse there. That really upset my mum when she discovered it in my bedroom.

Cheers

[gerwiseman]

I think that my parents payed 30/- a week rent. The man came around every week to collect the rent. They moved there just before I was born in 1934. They had previously lived in Grafton St. somewhere in Stepney. We also had to feed pennies in the gas meter, and shillings in the electric meter. When the money was used up, the gas or electricity turned itself off. My brothers went to the Jews Free School in Bell Lane. I went to the Infant School in Wentworth St. (both long gone).

[nimrod379]

Great video thanks for uploading this! I live just off Bow Road and very interested in Jewish East End history. Which road did you live on when you were growing up?

[gerwiseman]

We lived in flats, Brune House, in Brune St. In " The Lane". Brune St. runs from Bell Lane to Toynbee St. & is very close to Spitalfields Market. I went to Mile End Central Secondary School in Myrdle St. just off of Commercial Rd. That school merged with Robert Montefiore School in 1950, the year after I left.

We l1947, we moved to King Edwards Rd. in Hackney, very near Victoria Park. Believe it or not, it was a very nice area back then,

Cheers.

Gerry

[nimrod379]

Thanks for the reply, I thought I recognised the block. I was actually looking to move to Spitalfields and looked at a flat in a block on Bell Lane, the block was just opposite Cobb St. Exorbitantly priced! Far too much for me, so odd to think that it was a slum only 50 or so years ago. The developers have had a field day, and yes I can confirm that the soup kitchen is now a block of expensive flats!

[plobot]

Hi Gerry do you remember my brother Lionel Kirschenbaum im sure you were pals as a kid we lived in Brady street unfortunately my brother died beforte his 13th birthday and i remember people saying he had a great friend called Gerry who he played with in the flats do you remember him thanks for your time would love to hear from you (old East End Boy Mile end)

thanks julian

[MetalAaron]

Anybody interested in Whitechapel or the Jewish East End should check out the novel 'Journey Through A Small Planet' by Emanuel Litvinoff.

[ThomasRowsell]

i live in whitechapel and am learnign about my jewish heritage, good vid

[gerwiseman]

It's been years since I was in Bethnal Green. My Mum used to take me to the Queen elizabeth Hpspital for Children on Bethnal Green Rd. Is it still there?

[vjpaterson]

I finally made time to watch the first one. they are really great and I'm looking forward to the rest. We had baths on Friday and my Mum bathed us kids first. Valerie

[sexyeyes1969]

@vjpaterson I am looking for a family who lived in that area of London. Their name was Lancer. There was Michael Lancer the father I think he could of been a tailor and he had two very attractive daughters named Marilyn and ruth. I met Ruth in toronto in 1973 never Marilyn.

Can you trace them for me? I think both parents have died. Marilyn I believe is a nurse in the London east hospital. Ruth I know she is marriesd to an Israeli fellow as far as I know. Norman Bloom Toronto Canada....

[reverendkaye]

In the very early stages of the war, it was still there but moved to Golders Green I believe. There was a Blooms 2 somewhere in the West End I think but that went south! Yvonne

[reverendkaye]

Well done Gerry. Going to Petticoat Lane and Blooms was a huge treat for me when I was a little girl. Even during the war we went there as my mother did shopping for most of the family! My idea of heaven was a bagel and smoked salmon. Still is. I thought I was the only one who knew the history of Spitalfeilds! Look forward to watching the other videos.

[gerwiseman]

Was Blooms there during the war? I can't remember. I know they moved away to Hendon, or perhaps Golders Green. We ate there the last time we were in London, & the waiter there was so incredibly rude that I called the owner over & complained. I don't take any BS from anyone. The waiter was straightened out real promptly.

[gerwiseman]

Haven't been to Whitechapel since last visit to The UK in 2002, wheer we ate at Blooms. The waiter didn't want to let us have a table as we were only having saltbeef sandwhiches. So I complained to Mr. Bloom. I said we've just come 3000 miles to eat here, and this waiter says we have to stand up. He said no please sit at the table and enjoy. I hear they are no longer there on Whitechapel High St.

Where in Whitechapel do you live?

[dr1141tube]

Great video. I grew up in Whitechapel too (and still live there). We had coppers in the washouse to heat up water for the big tin bath we had. There was no running water inside our flats (apartments) either.

Looking forward to watching the other episodes too.

[gerwiseman]

Over a 50 years career in sales I handled quite a variety of items both at retail & wholesale, i.e. bread, Hoover Vacuum cleaners, cameras, sporting goods and for the last 25 years, business printing + 7 years on Ebay.

[Floogy26]

Well done Gerry, a fascinating account, I have watched all four installments, you are a good story teller!

Your time as an evacuee to Fordham in Cambridgeshire must have been quite a culture shock, children can be little savages and very unkind to anyone they perceive as different. I was not previously aware you are Jewish.

You didn't say much about your selling career, what commodities were you dealing in? Best wishes, Rodney Vincent Cambridgeshire England.