A Life on the Lane (Paperback) - The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea wow what a title, and along with a fantastic name what a place. Its a Marmite type of area really, everyone that has anything to do with it will either fall in love or simply hate the place. As I said from the very first page of this book the Royal Borough was “ friend and family to me and on the other hand a foe that almost killed and made me suffer almost beyond the boundaries of human endurance” but I still love the place. I return regularly to just wander around the Lane or streets, to mingle with west Londoners, west Londoners from all over the world.
This book is a work of fiction but everything within its pages is based on fact. Anyone that was around the area in the 1950s 60s or 70s will be able to recognise themselves or someone they know, they will have had experiences the same as Malc or Sue, they will have heard of tragedies like that which hit Eric and his family.
Within the streets of Notting Hill and Dale people suffered on a daily basis, even for me and my family who were probably better off than many we felt the reality of poverty and pain. We lived cheek by jowel with those that suffered but put up a fight against their conditions. It was the people of W11/10 that eventualy changed how tennants were treated, it was of course those very people that suffered at the hands of Peter Rachman and Michael de Fretas et al. It was Rachman himself that was made immortal by the fact that Rachmanism became a word to be found in the English language, its a noun in the Oxford English dictioary meaning the intimida-tion and exploitation of tenants by an unscrupulous lanlord.
That said the lives of so many people were very hard but it was a great life as well, with the law as it is today children cannot get lifes experience the way we did by doing a bit of work on the lane. They cannot mix with people the way we did
because of the fear of their parents wanting to protect them.
Its a dicotomy that we say children grow up to quickly these days but are they, are they streetwise or in possesion of a degree from the university of life, I for one am not sure they do, I am also not sure who is to blame if anyone.
Well with that out of the way it would be nice if you enjoy this little tale, I hope you recognise some of the situations described within its pages, I also feel sure you will recognise some of the charecters either good or bad and whether good or bad they all made up the population of this very special part of London.
The Book of Notting Hill - This is another book in the "Halsgrove Parish History" series, reminding us of the people and events that have made our communities what they are today - celebrating the past and providing a stepping stone to the future. The photographs in this unique volume, many of them previously unpublished, are a vital record of the history and inhabitants of this ancient settlement brought together from across the community. Notting Hill, part of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, has a history that has seen it transformed from wooded backwater to farming community, to fashionable Victorian residential district. Today Notting Hill is home to one of the most famous street markets in the world, Portobello Road, and greets a million or more visitors each August to its carnival, the largest in Europe. The area has links to the modern music and entertainment businesses and has been the location of numerous films and television programmes. Notting Hill has a diverse and culturally rich population as people from across the world have settled in this highly cosmopolitan district. All this, and much more, is detailed in this 160 page book, copiously illustrated throughout with over 200 historic photographs of the places and people who have made up the thriving community of Notting Hill and its surrounding parish.
A Life on the Lane (Paperback) - The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea wow what a title, and along with a fantastic name what a place. Its a Marmite type of area really, everyone that has anything to do with it will either fall in love or simply hate the place. As I said from the very first page of this book the Royal Borough was “ friend and family to me and on the other hand a foe that almost killed and made me suffer almost beyond the boundaries of human endurance” but I still love the place. I return regularly to just wander around the Lane or streets, to mingle with west Londoners, west Londoners from all over the world.
This book is a work of fiction but everything within its pages is based on fact. Anyone that was around the area in the 1950s 60s or 70s will be able to recognise themselves or someone they know, they will have had experiences the same as Malc or Sue, they will have heard of tragedies like that which hit Eric and his family.
Within the streets of Notting Hill and Dale people suffered on a daily basis, even for me and my family who were probably better off than many we felt the reality of poverty and pain. We lived cheek by jowel with those that suffered but put up a fight against their conditions. It was the people of W11/10 that eventualy changed how tennants were treated, it was of course those very people that suffered at the hands of Peter Rachman and Michael de Fretas et al. It was Rachman himself that was made immortal by the fact that Rachmanism became a word to be found in the English language, its a noun in the Oxford English dictioary meaning the intimida-tion and exploitation of tenants by an unscrupulous lanlord.
That said the lives of so many people were very hard but it was a great life as well, with the law as it is today children cannot get lifes experience the way we did by doing a bit of work on the lane. They cannot mix with people the way we did
because of the fear of their parents wanting to protect them.
Its a dicotomy that we say children grow up to quickly these days but are they, are they streetwise or in possesion of a degree from the university of life, I for one am not sure they do, I am also not sure who is to blame if anyone.
Well with that out of the way it would be nice if you enjoy this little tale, I hope you recognise some of the situations described within its pages, I also feel sure you will recognise some of the charecters either good or bad and whether good or bad they all made up the population of this very special part of London.