With the collapse of London’s docks in the latter part of the twentieth century, it seemed that the East End of the city had finally bitten the dust. After weathering floods, poverty and the blitz, time it seemed, had been called on East London. in the 1980’s vast swathes of riverside were derelict, and were nothing more than a memory of a bygone age.
But no one has seemed to tell the inhabitants of this area. Along with plenty of no-nonsense government freewheeling, today the focus of the capital seems to be very much heading out towards the east. New projects are being completed all the time, the most evident of which, the Canary Wharf complex, stands as a testament to the virility of London’s east. More new businesses start up in this part of the city than anywhere else in the UK. East London has become a cultural hub with artists joining capitalists in the regeneration of the area. The East End is also the focus of London’s 2012 Olympics, which will centre around the River Lea that runs through East London. It seems that it has never been this god for the East End (Exspecaily if you are looking to sell your house).
In fact, East London is merely following what has always been a continuing feature of its development. Overspill. From Medieval times, East London has served as the area where London has expanded industrially. Dirty industries moved beyond the city walls as is evidenced today by the existence (still) of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, suppliers of the famed Big Ben in the Houses of Parliament and the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. It was the same for London’s docks. As the original Pool of London downstream of London Bridge became too crowded, the ships moved to newly open docks on the marshes to the east of the city. Today, it is the overspill of the financial industry. Housing is also now part of the overspill with key areas such as Stratford, the Royal Docks and Dagenham acting as nodes of new residences. The artist themselves are an overspill from the crowded West End. Forced out by high prices they have found new homes and reinvigorated themselves within the cultural mix of the city.
The East of London is booming and is intricately tied to the city’s development as a whole. It has always served as the area in which the Capital has been able to grow and eventually position itself as a part of the World Economy. What will the future hold? Well, after a wander round the East End, some may say that the future has already arrived.
