"In 1968 the closure became official, the docks were sold to the greater London council, who began a program of finishing what the Luftwaffe has started." Absolutely brutal, yet justified. Many war criminals had new identities as architects after the war.
I used to know a guy who did a lot of the clearance diving in the docklands, during the redevelopment and airport construction. He used to joke that they found half the missing cars in London. And firearms. Some of the cars were still occupied...
Please do more like this. As a kid, my grandad would take me to both the east India and to Millwall, to watch the boxing (gloves not required, in fact banned). I love a trip down memory lane.
I nearly fell in there in the middle of the night. Back in the 80s (pre DLR) there was a fire in one of the warehouses. The Fire Brigade called me in before squirting water up in the air because they were worried about the LT&S 25kV overhead wires. I had been looking up at where the fire Chief was pointing when he said "Don't step back!" I looked round and there was a drop straight into the oggin'. As it happened they were well clear of the overhead wires.
I visited docklands in the early 1990’s when it was just desolation city. But walking by a half wasted lock gate I saw a sudden flash - it was a kingfisher living in a hole in the brickwork flying out to pick up some lunch!
I spent an afternoon wandering round the Docklands,taking a trip on the DLR,etc. in summer 1994 and by then it was developed into expensive apartments. It had a strange,almost otherworldly calm atmosphere to it,all neat and tidy with few people around even on a weekday when everywhere else would have been busy. That can only have been in utter contrast to the clanking,banging,babbling hive of industry it must have been 30 or more years before that.
Very nostalgic - worked there for a few years in the 90s and 00s in an office overlooking Tower Bridge, the Tower and the hotel. There were frequent naughty goings-on in both the hotel and some of the boats, at least one of which was a floating brothel. Did you see the original 2001 monolith? That's up on a wall near the Coronarium.
So did the office give a distractingly good view then? One of the GWR Castles was named Coity Castle, which W.A. Tuplin remarked "saucily suggested an establishment not primarily devoted to defence".
There is something very English about 'naughty goings on' and 'entertainment' and never saying the real words...as if the vicar had come to tea. I was always fascinated by " I want to go soo-soo" until I discovered the same in Polish.
Yes, the London Docks are something that's massively overlooked these days. My late Mother grew up in North Lambeth/Waterloo, she recounted to me on many occasions what she experienced in WWII, which was thankfully nothing like I'd had to in in the '60's etc!
As a member of the ICE, I am duty bound to say that it’s not institute but Institution of Civil Engineers. If it wasn’t for Telford the ICE would never have gained the reputation that it did and only took off because of him. You should do a video of their HQ in Great George Street, truly impressive. Not sure if it’s open to the public though. That is all! Keep up the good work Jago.
out of curiosity and since I am uneducated in English formally : What is the difference between institute and institutions? I thought it was the same word all this time
@@illyasvielemiya9059 In general English usage there is probably little or no difference. However, as a former member of the ICE I can confirm that they do get particularly offended when referred to as an institute rather than an institution. I have no idea why!
My understanding is that "institute" would indicate a building, while an "institution" would indicate an organization. But many institutions run institutes.
Tea chests! When my mum and dad sailed the world in the late 50's tea chests were what they packed stuff in, because they were so cheap. The last of them survived longer than even my mum; but when I came to clear the house and garage the last tea chest was rank with what generations of field mice did to books. I felt sad about destroying chest, home and books; but even the numbest hipster would have bulked at buying my last tea chest..
I was born in the late fifties, and our family had one that was used to store Christmas decorations, and used upturned over Christmas to stand the Christmas tree on. It was many years before I realised what this large wooden box had originally been. 😊
An interesting footnote to the demolition, finishing what the Luftwaffe had started. The partially demolished buildings were used as locations for air raid scenes in the 1969 film Battle of Britain.
Jump on the DLR at nearby Tower Gateway for two stops, and you can enjoy the hospitality of the Royal Foundation of St Katharine - the direct heirs of the medieval church and hospital. Founded in 1147 and still going as a royal peculiar. The Foundation has a cafe which, naturally enough, is housed in a yurt.
Funny to see five Dutch sailing barges build before the first worldwar converted in to luxurery yachts. I reconise twice a tjalk, Grand Gra is one of them(lenghened in their lives to put in a engine) and a klipperaak with a staigtend bow. Looks like there is also a steilsteven Exelcior (straitbow) with a sailingrig. and an 20's motorvessel called luxemotor. Any more information about those vessel would be welcome. Those barges transportered everything, corn, soil, beets, manure etc, the last sailing barge was converted in a motorvessel in 1957. Greeting from the other site off the herringpond, yours sinc. Dirk
Mr H, you are indeed a foolish fellow to ask if we want more of your excellent productions. Of course we do. And our favoured topics? Absolutely anything that takes your fancy. All your material educates, entertains, and amuses - without fail. More please. Simon T
Would be great to have a video about the docks that have now become Stave Hill Ecological Park (Stave Hill is a wonderful viewpoint). Plus a video about the waterways that link St Katherine's to Shadwell Basin via Tobacco dock, always wondered if the current footpath you walk along would have been a metres underwater when they were in use
Many years ago I used to drive a van taking small consignments to the various London Docks, but I particularly liked the Royal group with the maze of railway tracks threading around them and the occasional old locomotive parked up. I never saw a steam one actually in steam but once saw a diesel move just a bit!
Who'd've thought a ship would rename a city? After RRS Discovery was returned to the city where it was built, Dundee became City of Discovery... 😉 Fear not, the old girl is being looked after very well!
My grandparents, parents and siblings lived in the LCC /GLC estate next door. Moving a very short way away just before I was born. My uncle told me that during the 60s/70s re-development, Taylor-Woodrow (allegedly) paid a local young man to set fire to the warehouses on the western edge. Upon his arrest, the young man promptly came his guts and Taylor-Woodrow were forced to re-instate the new building in a similar style. Ironic that the original warehouses became very sought after and highly valued.
Boy! Was that a trip down memory lane! My parents used to keep there boat there in the late 70'S It has changed quite a lot! I won't go into other parts of its history as I do not want to stop you! Heavens forbid!! That was delightful to watch! Many thanks and I will just add this, back then you did not want to fall in! Nice to see fish there now! ;)
You mentioned Churchill's funeral. One of its most affecting and enduring memories for me was the synchronised lowering of the dockside crane booms as the funeral barge sailed past. Thanks for another fascinating exposition.
This is my favourite video of yours this year. I know St. Katherine Docks well from many visits but never delved much into the history. This is a fascinating film, and lovely shots. Very glad I watched it. Je ne regrette rien.
I've walked the docks from Greenwich to London Bridge on the south side and from Canary Wharf to the Tower on the north side. There is so much that I can vaguely guess from what I can see that indicates a hugely interesting history. It would be a substantial undertaking to document it all, but Jago Hazzard seems to me to be the sort of person who could do this. Perhaps not all at once but perhaps to have it as a long term project to work his way along the Thames in between other interesting distractions.
I used to walk pass St Katharine Docks daily never giving it a second throught. Just looked like rich mans play ground. Had no idea Telford design it or the tea clippers docked there.
Captain Scott’s Ship is now in Dundee, the RRS Discovery was built there and launched in 1901. It moved back to Dundee in 1986 and is now owned by the Dundee Heritage Trust.
Excellent video Jago. Like the feel of St Katharine Docks and always wondered where it got its name. Would be interested in a video or more of the individual docks. My grandad worked at the Royal docks when if you got chosen you got a days work and pay and if you didn't it was home time and no money.
Wonderful video and interesting narrative; as an ex merchant mariner who berthed in some of the London docks in the 70's I would love to see what your research could dig up on each one.
I have been to St. Katherine’s Dock couple times before the Coronavirus came and there’s some very nice posh restaurants and cafes. And some of the buildings around the docks is steeped in history. Very nice area.
I would like to see more like this, not only more but longer documentary videos. Much as I enjoyed this and thank you for making and publishing it, it did leave me yearning for more detail.
Hey Jago. Ace video as always and more like this would be just 👌. Would it also be possible to make some more on London's iconic tower blocks, housing estates etc like you did a while back on Balfron, Trellick, Thamesmead please??
London's industrial archaeology/heritage is both varied and widespread. A series investigating and recording it would I feel sure be welcomed by those with a sense of history.
Most of what you do is a real eye opener and things I never really gave a thought about before you give a better history lesson than I ever learnt at school ( Christopher Wren in the 80s') so even when it is not railway related and just London related is really interesting and you do it so well...so yes please ... more on alternative subjects about London... its the history of our city that most never knew about.... well done Jago...another one for the like button :-)
I used to work at the Charity Commission (the government department which regulates charities). I remember being approached by an organisation seeking to be placed on the charity register. They were established to preserve a boat called the Havengore (featured in your video). I knew nothing about it, so asked for more information explaining that for it to be charitable to preserve the boat there must be some design or historical significance. They wrote back to tell me Churchill's coffin had been transported along the Thames on the Havengore as part of his funeral procession. The organisation was duly registered as I agreed that they had just about managed to tick the box about historical significance with that fact.
In the sixties boatmen did a reasonable trade doing jolly boat rides round the old docks. They looked like nature was taking a hold on them back then. Nobody had the faintest clue what their future held. Well, none of us proles anyway. Ta Jago.
Thank you for another wonderful video. I used to enjoy visiting the pub when I lived in London in the late seventies. All the best from Sydney Australia.
Bring on the individual docks, please, and the hinterland of Victorian slums so fascinatingly touched upon in Conan Doyle's The Man with the Twisted Lip. And as always, thank you for your remarkable videos.
I used to live in Woolwich when you came by and did videos on the ferry, the tunnel, the old mersey ferry, now I've moved to Wapping we've got this gem of a video! Would love to see a Wapping video in general, the history of the place is fascinating, I've been diving into old arial photography of the area pre and post WWII and it's staggering to see how the place (St Katherine docks included) has changed since then, the docks and basins that Wapping used to have that are now parks, wooded areas and ornamental canals with hermitage and shadwell basins the surviving relics, the naval history, pirates and everything that goes along with that, here's to hoping! keep up the brilliant work Jago!
I’ve never tire of this dock based content. My appetite for learning was really whetted by a visit to the Museum of the London Docklands four odd years ago. Commerce, be it the enjoyably predicable banality of planes lining up over the skies for the 27s at LHR to empire era dock building is wildly fascinating.
In the late 1960s I went on a school trip to the Cutty Sark. Afterwards wecwent on a boat trip around the docks, which were still very much working in the area. Saw several freighters chugging along the river. Incredible that so much has changed.
I have just re looked at this clip! the pub built out of wood was physically moved to this new place as it suited the construction back then! It was lovely to go into from time to time as they put straw down and it gave you a feel that you had gone back in time! My dad had a boat there and I used to go to collage from here! Back in the late seventies!
I used to work at Commodity Quay on the North side of the dock and this was by far the nicest place to work, a lunchtime walk around the dock was always a treat
During the notable boats you were pointing out, you had the Grand Cru in the foreground of some of the shots. That's Pete Townshend's floating recording studio!
Yes please more on London’s docks. I’m very much a fan of walking along the Thames Path when I visit London and seeing these docks littered along it in their new and exciting redevelopments always makes me think what their actual history must be.
Nice to see the fish merrily swimming around! That certainly wasn't possible 50 years ago. I wonder when fish disappeared from that section of the Thames, and when they reappeared.
Very interesting history, thank you. My Great Grandfather was general manager of St Katherine Docks until his retirement in 1936. I have his engraved gold watch given to him on his retirement.
I've recently discovered your channel and absolutely love your content ! Very informative and interesting. Quite the rarity to come across such a channel these days. Keep it up !
Fascinating video. I still can't appreciate the architecture of the Tower Hotel - an ugly pile of slabs unfortunately built right next to London's two most famous landmarks
Very interesting as I recall the docks only from chases in The Sweeny! They look very polite, very different to some docks I have passed through .......
Good to see the preserved Arun lifeboat 52-02 at the end. There was a gathering of tall ships in the docks around the 1970's but they can no longer get to this part of the river due to the QEII bridge.
I bet they call the docks Kath Rine dock my family and I have heard other Eastenders call it Kath Rine Dock as well. A road in East London near Upton Park is Kath Rine road in my Family when it is spelt Katherine Road. I guess it is an Eastend thing.
My uncle from next door to St Katherine Docks (we call it St Katherine’s) used to pronounce Katherine Rd in Newham as you imply but not the same as St Katherine’s. We also consider that anywhere in Newham is most certainly not the East End but latterly East London and was of course an Essex borough until 1965.
Very well done and nice length for a "lunch and learn" video for me 😁 Would love to learn more about the docks in general and maybe how they where used/connected through for trade
Hi there as someone who doesn't live in London it's nice to see a couple of videos that aren't about the underground great work best wishes and take care
They have appeared in films and TV over the years such as The Port of London 1958, Dunkirk 1958, the Professionals, The Sweeney. In a 1960's film starring Herman's Hermits the docks are shown as an abandoned and disused with the old No1 Warehouse a gutted shell, it's now the Tower Hotel since the mid 1970's.
Jago, someone who of your quality can’t cover St Katherine Docks without mentioning the great Peter Drew and the story of how he persuaded the sceptical board of Taylor Woodrow to redevelop the docks by buying the harbour master’s house and putting his own money on the line as a show of confidence in the project.
I used to work at the WeWork at the top of that big square brown building there. Amazing views there of London and the Thames going West. Weirdly it did feel like the edge of the world in a bizarre way. Probably because the square mile ends nearby
I really enjoy walking around here. It's very pleasant. A lovely place for a coffee or meal in the warm months. Lovely video. I would enjoy many more history of London videos. Thanks Jago
"In 1968 the closure became official, the docks were sold to the greater London council, who began a program of finishing what the Luftwaffe has started."
Absolutely brutal, yet justified. Many war criminals had new identities as architects after the war.
More videos on the history of the docks would be very welcome, as would any content covering the history of tea.
I used to know a guy who did a lot of the clearance diving in the docklands, during the redevelopment and airport construction. He used to joke that they found half the missing cars in London. And firearms. Some of the cars were still occupied...
i bet he did mate keep safe
'Some of the cars were still occupied...'. That's gangland London for you.
Here's a vote for more videos on the docks! Maybe you can then splice them together into a doc(k)umentary
These videos are just the perfect size to watch when having a tea/coffee break!
Yes,indeed. Cuppa in hand and strawberry yoghurt in front of me (though it could just as easily be biscuits or chocolate) as I watched this one.
More docks!
More walks!
More trains without their chocks!
Jago talks!
Jago mocks!
My world joyous then rocks!
Thanks Jago!:-)👍🙏
Please do more like this. As a kid, my grandad would take me to both the east India and to Millwall, to watch the boxing (gloves not required, in fact banned).
I love a trip down memory lane.
It's depressing that too much was demolished so I don't want to go there again. Butlers wharf over the river is my kind of place.
I nearly fell in there in the middle of the night. Back in the 80s (pre DLR) there was a fire in one of the warehouses. The Fire Brigade called me in before squirting water up in the air because they were worried about the LT&S 25kV overhead wires. I had been looking up at where the fire Chief was pointing when he said "Don't step back!" I looked round and there was a drop straight into the oggin'. As it happened they were well clear of the overhead wires.
Have we got an old matelot here?
Wasn't that the Greater London Council's official motto??
The GLC - We Finish what the Luftwaffe Started.
I visited docklands in the early 1990’s when it was just desolation city. But walking by a half wasted lock gate I saw a sudden flash - it was a kingfisher living in a hole in the brickwork flying out to pick up some lunch!
I spent an afternoon wandering round the Docklands,taking a trip on the DLR,etc. in summer 1994 and by then it was developed into expensive apartments. It had a strange,almost otherworldly calm atmosphere to it,all neat and tidy with few people around even on a weekday when everywhere else would have been busy. That can only have been in utter contrast to the clanking,banging,babbling hive of industry it must have been 30 or more years before that.
Very nostalgic - worked there for a few years in the 90s and 00s in an office overlooking Tower Bridge, the Tower and the hotel. There were frequent naughty goings-on in both the hotel and some of the boats, at least one of which was a floating brothel.
Did you see the original 2001 monolith? That's up on a wall near the Coronarium.
So did the office give a distractingly good view then? One of the GWR Castles was named Coity Castle, which W.A. Tuplin remarked "saucily suggested an establishment not primarily devoted to defence".
@@iankemp1131Coity is a small town/ village in South Wales near Bridgend
@@highpath4776 Absolutely true and that of course is the origin of the loco name, doesn't alter the double entendre though
There is something very English about 'naughty goings on' and 'entertainment' and never saying the real words...as if the vicar had come to tea. I was always fascinated by " I want to go soo-soo" until I discovered the same in Polish.
Yes, the London Docks are something that's massively overlooked these days. My late Mother grew up in North Lambeth/Waterloo, she recounted to me on many occasions what she experienced in WWII, which was thankfully nothing like I'd had to in in the '60's etc!
I heard what happened when the stores of sugar took fire and oozed out over the water.
As a member of the ICE, I am duty bound to say that it’s not institute but Institution of Civil Engineers. If it wasn’t for Telford the ICE would never have gained the reputation that it did and only took off because of him. You should do a video of their HQ in Great George Street, truly impressive. Not sure if it’s open to the public though. That is all! Keep up the good work Jago.
out of curiosity and since I am uneducated in English formally : What is the difference between institute and institutions? I thought it was the same word all this time
@@illyasvielemiya9059 In general English usage there is probably little or no difference. However, as a former member of the ICE I can confirm that they do get particularly offended when referred to as an institute rather than an institution. I have no idea why!
Could the word 'institute' refer to a building or the organisation, whereas 'institution' refer to the members and the history?
My understanding is that "institute" would indicate a building, while an "institution" would indicate an organization. But many institutions run institutes.
Tea chests! When my mum and dad sailed the world in the late 50's tea chests were what they packed stuff in, because they were so cheap. The last of them survived longer than even my mum; but when I came to clear the house and garage the last tea chest was rank with what generations of field mice did to books. I felt sad about destroying chest, home and books; but even the numbest hipster would have bulked at buying my last tea chest..
Oh yes, back in the 1970s I think every family had a tea chest or two lurking somewhere from a house move!
I was born in the late fifties, and our family had one that was used to store Christmas decorations, and used upturned over Christmas to stand the Christmas tree on. It was many years before I realised what this large wooden box had originally been. 😊
@@robertkemp9023 I'd forgotten the tea chest in the loft with the Christmas decorations!
An interesting footnote to the demolition, finishing what the Luftwaffe had started. The partially demolished buildings were used as locations for air raid scenes in the 1969 film Battle of Britain.
Jump on the DLR at nearby Tower Gateway for two stops, and you can enjoy the hospitality of the Royal Foundation of St Katharine - the direct heirs of the medieval church and hospital. Founded in 1147 and still going as a royal peculiar. The Foundation has a cafe which, naturally enough, is housed in a yurt.
Funny to see five Dutch sailing barges build before the first worldwar converted in to luxurery yachts. I reconise twice a tjalk, Grand Gra is one of them(lenghened in their lives to put in a engine) and a klipperaak with a staigtend bow. Looks like there is also a steilsteven Exelcior (straitbow) with a sailingrig. and an 20's motorvessel called luxemotor. Any more information about those vessel would be welcome. Those barges transportered everything, corn, soil, beets, manure etc, the last sailing barge was converted in a motorvessel in 1957. Greeting from the other site off the herringpond, yours sinc. Dirk
Mr H, you are indeed a foolish fellow to ask if we want more of your excellent productions. Of course we do. And our favoured topics? Absolutely anything that takes your fancy. All your material educates, entertains, and amuses - without fail. More please. Simon T
Well said.
Here here
Would be great to have a video about the docks that have now become Stave Hill Ecological Park (Stave Hill is a wonderful viewpoint). Plus a video about the waterways that link St Katherine's to Shadwell Basin via Tobacco dock, always wondered if the current footpath you walk along would have been a metres underwater when they were in use
I've done that St Katherine -> Shadwell Basin walk many times too - and would love to know more about it.
@@philjotham5609 never done it , partly as I could not work out what News International claimed as their land
Many years ago I used to drive a van taking small consignments to the various London Docks, but I particularly liked the Royal group with the maze of railway tracks threading around them and the occasional old locomotive parked up. I never saw a steam one actually in steam but once saw a diesel move just a bit!
I’ve never considered myself an expert on Edith Piaf but I had no idea she was into yachting, thanks Jago you really do learn something new every day!
Who'd've thought a ship would rename a city? After RRS Discovery was returned to the city where it was built, Dundee became City of Discovery... 😉 Fear not, the old girl is being looked after very well!
My grandparents, parents and siblings lived in the LCC /GLC estate next door. Moving a very short way away just before I was born. My uncle told me that during the 60s/70s re-development, Taylor-Woodrow (allegedly) paid a local young man to set fire to the warehouses on the western edge. Upon his arrest, the young man promptly came his guts and Taylor-Woodrow were forced to re-instate the new building in a similar style. Ironic that the original warehouses became very sought after and highly valued.
Boy! Was that a trip down memory lane! My parents used to keep there boat there in the late 70'S It has changed quite a lot! I won't go into other parts of its history as I do not want to stop you! Heavens forbid!! That was delightful to watch! Many thanks and I will just add this, back then you did not want to fall in! Nice to see fish there now! ;)
For all the preservation issues present here, at least the docks are still present in some form. Better than a lot of similar older infrastructure
You mentioned Churchill's funeral. One of its most affecting and enduring memories for me was the synchronised lowering of the dockside crane booms as the funeral barge sailed past.
Thanks for another fascinating exposition.
There's an unexpected story around that - ago might tell it one day, if he hasn't already...
@@rodjones117: I know the story, too.
I used to go in the 80s to see the historic ships, and have a drink in The Dickins Inn, it was great. Thanks for reminding me.
This is my favourite video of yours this year. I know St. Katherine Docks well from many visits but never delved much into the history. This is a fascinating film, and lovely shots. Very glad I watched it. Je ne regrette rien.
I've walked the docks from Greenwich to London Bridge on the south side and from Canary Wharf to the Tower on the north side. There is so much that I can vaguely guess from what I can see that indicates a hugely interesting history. It would be a substantial undertaking to document it all, but Jago Hazzard seems to me to be the sort of person who could do this. Perhaps not all at once but perhaps to have it as a long term project to work his way along the Thames in between other interesting distractions.
I used to walk pass St Katharine Docks daily never giving it a second throught. Just looked like rich mans play ground. Had no idea Telford design it or the tea clippers docked there.
I came across the docks one day when I descended some steps from Tower Bridge.
More dock history? Yes please!
Yes would defiantly love to see more videos on the docks
I was lucky to grow up near St Katharine Docks, lovely memories ❤️
The Discovery was not Shackelton's ship. It was Scott's ship for his 1902 expedition to Antarctica.
As in the "I am just going outside and may be sometime" expedition?
That's the one.
The also ill-fated Captain Oates,of course.
Captain Scott’s Ship is now in Dundee, the RRS Discovery was built there and launched in 1901. It moved back to Dundee in 1986 and is now owned by the Dundee Heritage Trust.
Yes please do more docks! The East India dock is fascinating, or at least was. Especially the old Blackwall railway station.
Excellent video Jago. Like the feel of St Katharine Docks and always wondered where it got its name. Would be interested in a video or more of the individual docks. My grandad worked at the Royal docks when if you got chosen you got a days work and pay and if you didn't it was home time and no money.
Brutilated?
Any topic you discuss is interesting. Will look forward to the video on... well anything really.
27 years ago I worked night security there, wasn’t bad doing a night time walk around the docks
Great video as ever, but of a tongue twister with 1862.
Yes look forward to seeing more about the Docks, perhaps even through in the odd airport?
Wonderful video and interesting narrative; as an ex merchant mariner who berthed in some of the London docks in the 70's I would love to see what your research could dig up on each one.
I have been to St. Katherine’s Dock couple times before the Coronavirus came and there’s some very nice posh restaurants and cafes. And some of the buildings around the docks is steeped in history. Very nice area.
We studied these docks and their redevelopment many moons ago in Geography.
I would like to see more like this, not only more but longer documentary videos. Much as I enjoyed this and thank you for making and publishing it, it did leave me yearning for more detail.
Hey Jago. Ace video as always and more like this would be just 👌. Would it also be possible to make some more on London's iconic tower blocks, housing estates etc like you did a while back on Balfron, Trellick, Thamesmead please??
Yes, please do more videos about London docks!
DO MORE DOCK VIDEOS !! This was extremely interesting !! It opened up new facets about my favourite city in the world, London, England Aarre Peltomaa
Loved this video. I was born in London and this is one of my favourite places because it’s so chilled. Really interesting hearing about it’s past 👍
London's industrial archaeology/heritage is both varied and widespread. A series investigating and recording it would I feel sure be welcomed by those with a sense of history.
As someone who loves ships and railways equally, it's always great to see you covering both on your channel.
Most of what you do is a real eye opener and things I never really gave a thought about before you give a better history lesson than I ever learnt at school ( Christopher Wren in the 80s') so even when it is not railway related and just London related is really interesting and you do it so well...so yes please ... more on alternative subjects about London... its the history of our city that most never knew about.... well done Jago...another one for the like button :-)
I used to work at the Charity Commission (the government department which regulates charities).
I remember being approached by an organisation seeking to be placed on the charity register. They were established to preserve a boat called the Havengore (featured in your video).
I knew nothing about it, so asked for more information explaining that for it to be charitable to preserve the boat there must be some design or historical significance.
They wrote back to tell me Churchill's coffin had been transported along the Thames on the Havengore as part of his funeral procession.
The organisation was duly registered as I agreed that they had just about managed to tick the box about historical significance with that fact.
How timely this vid is. St Kathrines feast day is 25th November. Planned or just coincidence?
I'm definitely interested in more video essays about the Docks and historic London infrastructure from you!
In the sixties boatmen did a reasonable trade doing jolly boat rides round the old docks. They looked like nature was taking a hold on them back then. Nobody had the faintest clue what their future held. Well, none of us proles anyway.
Ta Jago.
I loved those fifties boat tours. I liked to see the large cargo vessels sitting on the mud and the lighters still serving them.
Yes please, more dock videos! Thanks also at 3:43 for the lovely view of those four big bream cruising just below the water's surface.
Thank you for another wonderful video. I used to enjoy visiting the pub when I lived in London in the late seventies. All the best from Sydney Australia.
Bring on the individual docks, please, and the hinterland of Victorian slums so fascinatingly touched upon in Conan Doyle's The Man with the Twisted Lip. And as always, thank you for your remarkable videos.
I used to live in Woolwich when you came by and did videos on the ferry, the tunnel, the old mersey ferry, now I've moved to Wapping we've got this gem of a video! Would love to see a Wapping video in general, the history of the place is fascinating, I've been diving into old arial photography of the area pre and post WWII and it's staggering to see how the place (St Katherine docks included) has changed since then, the docks and basins that Wapping used to have that are now parks, wooded areas and ornamental canals with hermitage and shadwell basins the surviving relics, the naval history, pirates and everything that goes along with that, here's to hoping! keep up the brilliant work Jago!
I’ve never tire of this dock based content. My appetite for learning was really whetted by a visit to the Museum of the London Docklands four odd years ago. Commerce, be it the enjoyably predicable banality of planes lining up over the skies for the 27s at LHR to empire era dock building is wildly fascinating.
In the late 1960s I went on a school trip to the Cutty Sark. Afterwards wecwent on a boat trip around the docks, which were still very much working in the area. Saw several freighters chugging along the river. Incredible that so much has changed.
In 1862... shut it down. In 1968... it was shut down. Jago... no comment. Perfect.
I have just re looked at this clip! the pub built out of wood was physically moved to this new place as it suited the construction back then! It was lovely to go into from time to time as they put straw down and it gave you a feel that you had gone back in time! My dad had a boat there and I used to go to collage from here! Back in the late seventies!
Always liked walking around them when I came to visit London and stayed in the tower Hotel (back when it was the tower thistle)
The history of the dock lands is really interesting, as is the gentrification of that part of London - great stuff 😀
Would love individual dock histories.
It is a marvellous walk between Limehouse basin and St Katherine. Lots of stops along the way with histories.
Dock histories? Yes please, great idea!
I used to work at Commodity Quay on the North side of the dock and this was by far the nicest place to work, a lunchtime walk around the dock was always a treat
During the notable boats you were pointing out, you had the Grand Cru in the foreground of some of the shots. That's Pete Townshend's floating recording studio!
Yes please more on London’s docks. I’m very much a fan of walking along the Thames Path when I visit London and seeing these docks littered along it in their new and exciting redevelopments always makes me think what their actual history must be.
Love to hear more on the docks. I have never given this dock a 2nd thought till your video
That was yet another good little video. I used to visit the place as a kid.
Yes, yes, more dock videos would be great.
Nice to see the fish merrily swimming around! That certainly wasn't possible 50 years ago. I wonder when fish disappeared from that section of the Thames, and when they reappeared.
Brilliant. Yes please more on other docks. Certainly the right length for my interests.
Yes to whatever you fancy covering! All enjoyable history!!
Very interesting history, thank you. My Great Grandfather was general manager of St Katherine Docks until his retirement in 1936. I have his engraved gold watch given to him on his retirement.
I've recently discovered your channel and absolutely love your content ! Very informative and interesting. Quite the rarity to come across such a channel these days. Keep it up !
Another fascinating video.
Thanks Jago.
Interesting spelling of Katharine.
Our old student digs was St Katharine’s Vicarage in Bermondsey.
Fascinating video. I still can't appreciate the architecture of the Tower Hotel - an ugly pile of slabs unfortunately built right next to London's two most famous landmarks
It’s one of my favourite residential areas of London. Partly because it feels so like somewhere else!
" - People say the Tower Hotel is *Brutalist...* But those guys were the *Brutalist* of all..!"
Honestly, mate - hanging's too good!
Great video. Used to go around the docks with the Wife when we were in London. I'd be happy to hear more history on the place.
Very interesting as I recall the docks only from chases in The Sweeny! They look very polite, very different to some docks I have passed through .......
Would love more on each individual docks.
Good to see the preserved Arun lifeboat 52-02 at the end. There was a gathering of tall ships in the docks around the 1970's but they can no longer get to this part of the river due to the QEII bridge.
I bet they call the docks Kath Rine dock my family and I have heard other Eastenders call it Kath Rine Dock as well. A road in East London near Upton Park is Kath Rine road in my Family when it is spelt Katherine Road. I guess it is an Eastend thing.
My uncle from next door to St Katherine Docks (we call it St Katherine’s) used to pronounce Katherine Rd in Newham as you imply but not the same as St Katherine’s. We also consider that anywhere in Newham is most certainly not the East End but latterly East London and was of course an Essex borough until 1965.
Yes please, more detailed history of the individual docks, thank you.
Very well done and nice length for a "lunch and learn" video for me 😁
Would love to learn more about the docks in general and maybe how they where used/connected through for trade
More dock vids would be great. Very interesting.
Hi there as someone who doesn't live in London it's nice to see a couple of videos that aren't about the underground great work best wishes and take care
They have appeared in films and TV over the years such as The Port of London 1958, Dunkirk 1958, the Professionals, The Sweeney. In a 1960's film starring Herman's Hermits the docks are shown as an abandoned and disused with the old No1 Warehouse a gutted shell, it's now the Tower Hotel since the mid 1970's.
Jago, never ask if we want more content like this, that or the other, take it as fait accompli that our response will always be a resounding yes.
Jago, someone who of your quality can’t cover St Katherine Docks without mentioning the great Peter Drew and the story of how he persuaded the sceptical board of Taylor Woodrow to redevelop the docks by buying the harbour master’s house and putting his own money on the line as a show of confidence in the project.
Peter Drew actually turned the building into is home.
Yes, more or should that be moor docks please.
I used to work at the WeWork at the top of that big square brown building there. Amazing views there of London and the Thames going West. Weirdly it did feel like the edge of the world in a bizarre way. Probably because the square mile ends nearby
I really enjoy walking around here. It's very pleasant. A lovely place for a coffee or meal in the warm months.
Lovely video. I would enjoy many more history of London videos. Thanks Jago
Absolutely love the change of theme here! Very informative and fascinating with the humour we have come to love from you….thank you!!
Next! And loving another Jago Presentation of an area of London that I know well. Thanks Jago.
The building at the western end was for a time known rather optimistically as the World Trade Centre.
A useful postal address if nothing else
Welp, happy to keep a low profile then. Let that big glass sex toy to nor'ward take the hit.
Great channel, lived in London for years and I always wondered about this place or that building, and so did you. Thanks.