Lesly street London N 7

[Jack TT]

Does anyone have any details of Lesly Street London N 7, now demolished

[snowball]

Hi - looks like it was there until 1973, when the highway was 'stopped-up': http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/45869/pages/196

Regards
Rob

[Jack TT]

Thanks Rob

[MonicaL]

Article here on the street from 1972 http://archive.tribunemagazine.co.uk/article/14th-july-1972/7/ow-far-will-islington-go-to-eep-the-squatters-out

Are you trying to go back in time with the street (there seems to have been a name change around 1912 to Lesly Street it seems)?

Monica

[Jack TT]

Trying to find our any information regards history, people, stories etc

[BarnsburyBoy]

Does anyone have any details of Lesly Street London N 7, now demolished

I remember Lesly Street; I used to live there. At the top was Roman Way with the best fish and chip shop in the area. Fish was a bob and chips were a penny. At the top right corner of Lesly Street in Roman Way was a greengrocers. At  the bottom (odd numbers side) was a pub, Reid's Stout etc.). We always played cricket in the summer and football in the winter. Goalposts and wickets were painted on the wall next to the pub. Marbles in the gutter, Crown cork and picture-card tossing to edge of pavement all the year through. St. Davids Church was opposite the end of the street and Westbourne Road Junior Boys School was next to it.

Barry

[Jack TT]

Thanks Barry,  can you say what years that you were there? and and other memories of events,families, etc
regards
Jack

[BarnsburyBoy]

Thanks Barry,  can you say what years that you were there? and and other memories of events,families, etc
regards
Jack

Hello Jack,

I lived there from 1946 until 1968.
We had the Coronation Street Party in 1953.
We did not have any bathrooms, that I am aware of, and used to wash in the sink and bath in a tin bath. Everybody had a coal fire in most rooms, including the bedrooms.  These all contributed to the terrible smog we used to experience. I can remember some families in the street. The Stuarts, Hollands, Turks, Aldridges, Smiths, Gibbs, Coxes, Mackinnons, Edmeades on the corner shop.
Newalls, Hoyes (who had  stall in Holloway Road) and the mother used to work in the bagwash shop in Sheringham Road. The BBc mentioned Lesly Street a few months ago, talking about the Caledonian Road. The grandmother interviewed I remembered as a very young girl. I have never forgotten her as she had very fine skin around her eyes and you could see the delicate veins underneath. We had a murder once. when the son stabbed the lodger.
None of the houses had carpets and had, instead, linoleum on the floors. Every house had a big stone front step with steps leading down to the pavement. Every house had a basement area.
Very few people had a telephone. The electricity was supplied by the London Electricity Road (L.E.B) Gas was supplied by the North Thames Gas Board and water was Thames Water. Any phone was one of the Post Office's (GPO). The Coal was delivered in Big Heavy Duty Sacks on a horse drawn cart by Mr. Newall and it was pulled by this huge carthorse. The United Dairies Milkman was called Charlie. Rag and Bonemen used to come around and gave you a goldfish for rags. The ice-cream man used to come round on a bike. The brand was either Fry's, Nielsen or Eldorado. the ordinary block cost 2d (tuppence).
On a Sunday there used to come around a very nasal singer. Also the shell-fish man, with his barrow, came on a Sunday. Barrow boys with fruit came around any day.

[IgorStrav]

Thank you, Barry, for sharing your memories.  They're fascinating.