Shirley was born in number 89 in 1944. She has many stories to tell but here are just a few of them. When she was born her mother had a three room flat in the second block. It had a cast iron range which her mother kept black leaded. They used to play as children on the street outside the gates (Fulboune Street) under the caretaker’s window. The caretaker (Mr Stevens) had two 2-room flats knocked into one just for himself and his wife. They also used to play on the bomb site between Blackwall Buildings and the railway line. This is just to the right of the gates on the way in. Here they built tents and made camps. It is even possible that Shirley and her husband-to-be Peter are in the photo of the children playing outside the block on the website photo page.

In 1953 they had a big party for the Coronation. When they weren’t having parties, the women used to gather around the gates. – especially in the Summer. They used to bring their tea and talk and tell stories and laugh. Usually it was Shirley’s mother who was telling the jokes! There was a terrific community spirit in the blocks. There were also many Irish people there. In one corner of the bomb site was a shop run by Annie Bullen. This was frequented by all the ladies. Annie sold everything from groceries, sweets, household good, meths – everything a family could want from her tiny shop. In the outbuilding next to it she sold paraffin for the heaters. Even though it was a tiny shop, the women crammed in it to swap chat. Annie used to sell on tick so she was a popular resource for the women of the Buildings. They would pop in and get 1/4 of marge for the old man’s tea.

On Saturday morning an old boy used to come round with his horse and cart and sell fruit and veg. He used to park just inside the Building’s gates, which at this time were still there but never locked. When Shirley and Peter got married they moved into number 96. This was very small and had a gas cooker (the cast iron ranges had been removed), a larder cupboard with a roll down front, a small Formica table with flaps, a small 3-piece suite, a tv and a coffee table in the front room. There was also the bedroom. The only problem was the toilets which were still outside. At night you had to be careful as there were sometimes dossers sleeping there. Often there were no outside lights. However bad the outsides looked with rubbish overflowing the chutes, the insides were palaces. Shirley was very proud of her flat and when in 1968 they had to move out to make way for the flats to be demolished, it broke her heart.

During the war there as an air-raid shelter in the middle of the blocks. The workhouse had gone by then and was derelict. However part of it still remained and it was used for animal experiments. Shirley thinks it was with guinea pigs. She remembers the smell that came out of the place in the Summer.

In conclusion, although shabby on the outside and not without its problems, Blackwall Buildings were Shirley’s home and she was very proud to live there. Their flat when they married was a palace and she loved the home.