Here’s a thing I wrote 12 years ago (!) about how one-party state councils eventually collapse. Back then I said #Newham was at stage 3. Now it’s stage 5 and moving rapidly towards 6. forestgate.net/2014/05/07/e...

New post: WW2 bombdamage to Forest Gate's Woodgrange estate: www.E7-NowandThen.org

New development proposals for Forest Gate’s Durning Hall imminent. Don’t hold your breath. Company is less than three years old, barely trading, one 27-year old director. One of 93 companies registered at an address in Ilford.

90,000 properties in England/Wales are owned by offshore companies. Almost half unlawfully hide their true ownership We've found them, mapped them, and published everything ▶️ This 60-second video shows how to find secretly owned property near you 📊 Details & stats below

Approaching the 150th anniversary of Fores Gate's Woodgrange Estate and the 50th of its Conservation Area status, a new blog/post offering a brief socio-economic history of the estate: www.E7-NowandThen.org

Amazingly, Zahawi only got round to deleting the below after the press conference announcing his defection to Reform.

If Trump’s concern was drugs, he’d not have pardoned Honduras’s corrupt leader; if terrorism, he’d have gone after Iran; if world order, Russia; if preserving US power, China. If democracy, human rights or humanitarian motive, dozens of other worthy cases. What’s left is oil. And Epstein.

🚨NEW POLICY ANNOUNCEMENT🚨 All Evri executives to have their Christmas presents delivered by Evri, to see how they like it. Love Christmas. Vote Binface.

In the second part of our series on places in labour history, Jane Donaldson recalls the great #co-operative movement pageant held at Wembley Stadium in London in 1938. #C20th #BritishHistory sslh.org.uk/2025/12/03/w...

Interesting to see so many great British patriots right now begging an American president to bankrupt one of Britain’s last remaining truly national institutions.

Bowie at V&A east storehouse. The exhibits are excellent, but it’s the archive side, complete with replica documents to leaf through, that really introduces people to the archive. People kept checking they were allowed to look at them but then sat fascinated for ages.

Happy to make it to Grayson Perry at the Wallace Collection just before it finished. Good to see this fresh response to such a classic collection - and Newham artist Madge Gill featured too!

I will be running an intro session on using open source census data at Senate House on 23rd October…sign up at the link below. It’s in person so limited spaces available www.sas.ac.uk/digital-huma...

Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta set to make first start for France in their World Cup qualifier against Iceland tonight. The 28-year-old earned his first cap as a second half substitute in Friday's 3-0 win over Azerbaijan. #CPFC

It helps to be able to spell the country you say only you are competent enough to run.

‘French Riviera, Bethnal Green’ 2024 Oul on canvas

‘After the Hurricane’ 1988 Storm Amy reminded me of the painting I began a few weeks after the devastation caused in October1987, featuring King Edward Memorial Park, Shadwell. Unusually I have included myself in this picture!

Only 4 places are now available for Peter Ashan's Black History Month workshop on Sat 11 October! Book your free place today www.ticketsource.co.uk/walthamfores...

James O'Brien: Royal commentator...

Sure, Conservatives are right to ask why Starmer tolerated a paedophile’s friend as US ambassador but why are they not concerned about the PM hosting another pal of Epstein, one who has repeatedly lied about their relationship? And why are BBC interviewers not asking them about this?

Exclusive: Sharon Lacey set to return to Crystal Palace as CEO. The former COO left for US side Fort Lauderdale six months ago, but will now take up the role left vacant since 2022 as Steve Parish reshapes his executive team. Matt Hobbs also incoming. #CPFC

35% lower gases in Newham that kill our elders and children. Thank you @london.gov.uk

New Post: Some E7 late Victorian letterheads. Frequent contributor, Peter Williams, records a rich finding of well-illustrated letterheads from near-by businesses supplying the local Burial Board and cemeteries in late Victorian Forest Gate, courtesy of Newham's Archives.

Ignore the haters. London is the 🐐

‘Front Step’ 1975. Pencil drawing of parents made shortly before house requisitioned for ‘slum clearance’ to make way for concrete blocks of council flats. 50 years later these too look ready for the knackers’ yard

New post: Strange historic suicide deaths on Claremont Road, Forest Gate: www.E7-NowandThen.org

'All the Fun of...' Wanstead Flats (2023) by Doreen Fletcher doreenfletcherartist.com 👤: @doreenfletcher.bsky.social

New post: The life and death of local Spanish Civil War International Brigade volunteer, Tom Duncombe: www.E7-NowandThen.org. @ibmt-scw.bsky.social @claptoncfc.co.uk

The 2nd Mayor of Newham newham65.wordpress.com/2025/07/25/t...

In response to an FOI request #Newham council has disclosed that it has a total of 438 #CCTV cameras installed in public spaces across the borough. #BigBrother

On this day... July 24 2020 - Clapton CFC bought the freehold to the Old Spotted Dog Ground, which had been disused since April 2019. It took until September 2022 to host our first competitive game at the @oldspotteddog.bsky.social

New post: Review of On Romford Road, Andrew Sanger's fifth novel and a family saga about two east end families, whose feud carries from the 1900s til the 1990s. A page turner, with many Forest Gate references.

A bit different (2). Yesterday she graduated from high school and we will support her in nursing college from September. We still support one of her brothers and her exceptionally gifted sister. The picture of Isa's parents' shows the pride. See our charity website www.SohmSchoolsSupport.org.uk

A bit different (1). Yesterday was a special day for us. 13 years ago in a conversation with a security guard I met while on holiday in The Gambia, he told me his two sons were at nursery school, but his older daughter wasn't "because we can't afford it".

New post: Local historians, Peter Williams and Mark Gorman go on a detective hunt and track down the origins and function of a WW2 relic discovered on Wanstead Flats. There is an ironic twist to the tale! www.E7-NowandThen.org

New post: Strange historic childhood deaths on Claremont Road, Forest Gate: www.E7-NowandThen.org

Join the Forest Gate Freedom Walk led by CCFC member and historian Peter Ashan. Learn about the heritage of the area, with the walk ending at the Old Spotted Dog Ground. Saturday from 12 noon to 2pm in aid of the Swadhinata Trust. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/forest-gat...

Attention, people of #Newham!

Jack Cornwell died #OTD 1916. Posthumous recipient of VC for staying at his post on HMS Chester when mortally wounded during the Battle of Jutland. Born 1900 at Clyde Place, Leyton. Portrait by F Lawton, © the copyright holder. 🖼️ Vestry House Museum @artukdotorg.bsky.social artuk.org/discover/art...

The V&A Storehouse will give Londoners and visitors free access to an extraordinary collection of creative works, from Roman artefacts to modern-day music archives. I was delighted to see final preparations being made before it opens its doors to the public on Saturday.

New post: Peter Williams tells the tale of the strange ex off-licence on Barwick Road, Forest Gate. www.E7-NowandThen.org

Doc Brown joined us on the pod this week to talk about his FA Cup Final song OMG (One More Game). It turns out there was almost an unforgivable omission from the player roll call. Ep 74 of Winging It is available wherever you get your podcasts. linktr.ee/wingingitcpfc

New post: Educational enterprise in late Victorian Forest Gate, as four houses in Claremont Road operate as schools/colleges. www.E7-NowandThen.org (long read)

I'll be talking about 'Manchester Portraits: Key Figures from the Region's Past' at Rochdale Probus Club, Weds June 11th 10.15am, Rochdale Masonic Rooms, 2 Richard Street, OL11 1DU. Visitors welcome, male or female, £3 inc refreshments. (Pic: Rochdale 1856 by Harold Hemingway)

Date for your diary! Next Leyton and Leytonstone Historical Society event -

‘Nail Bar, Forest Gate’ The pet shop next door has finally succumbed to redevelopment. The Nail Bar continues to thrive despite competition from at least 2 other similar establishments. Meanwhile our Charlie 🐕 misses his regular supply of bones 🦴😢. Nail Bars don’t do it for me or Charlie 😂.

Walter Tull Way, behind the Old Spotted Dog Ground, will be officially opened on Sunday before the game vs Brentford. Guests include Walter’s great nephew Ed Finlayson and biographer Phil Vasili. Starts 12.30pm prompt and ends at 1pm with photos. Join us! www.claptoncfc.co.uk/2025/04/28/w...

Donald Trump’s tariffs and China cloud post-Lee Singapore poll https://www.ft.com/content/30d87645-e85d-4b25-9c9f-cdf33b1fc95e

Saturday 26 April saw the unveiling of the Newham International Brigades Memorial in the Old Spotted Dog ground of @claptoncfc.co.uk. Kevin Blowe of Clapton CFC tells the story behind the memorial…