East London - Then and Now

The Krays

I'm in London - East London to be more precise, the area where Reg and  Ronnie ruled the roost. Twins and cocks of the walk -psycopaths more than likely and oddly, given what they did, never shy of a photo opportunity. They seemed more of a product of fifties fashion despite most of their doings taking place in the sixties. Suits and immaculate white shirts with ties - Brylcreemed hair and shiny shoes.

They were born in 1933 and, though it is obvious, they were babies once. So nothing remarkable about that fact, but for the shock that these twin baby boys grew up to be murderous gangsters. It's odd too to think that the Kray twins were wartime evacuees, conjuring up an image of defenceless children, sent to the countryside. Mum Violet was much adored by the boys and in turn she adored them, calling them her 'princes.' The Krays vetted everyone who visited Violet and were very protective of the woman who was born in Bethnal Green East London in 1910.

Their deadly reign came to an end when in 1968 they were arrested for murder. Ronnie had shot George Cornell, a rival gang member in the face, in a pub very close to here in Bethnal Green, called The Blind Beggar. Reggie had stabbed gang member Jack 'The Hat' McVitie in the face and neck.

Many people are under the misapprehension that gang warfare in London is a new, modern problem, but it's been going on ever since there was a London. Now it is principally young black men in gangs, largely related to the area in which they live and claim as their own. There are, according to the police, 171 gangs in London today. That is a terrifying number. Of course, I have seen the results of gang warfare on the news, but other than that I have seen no evidence at all. Not surprising really, no one is interested in recruiting a middle-aged white woman into their gang.

East London is a very different place now from when the Krays dominated.  It is populated by many young people in their twenties and thirties, involved in technology or creating start-ups. There are several hipsters, as they have been named. They dress very individually, are very techie and are usually vegetarian or vegan, which is no bad thing in my view. Some eat only raw food, believing that nutritional value is lost in the cooking process. I learnt that that was the case in Domestic Science in Grammar school, so long ago. There is a shop on Brick Lane, run by hipsters, boys with beards and buns - their hair I mean not cake-like delicacies. They run Cereal Killers, a cafe for every imaginable cereal on the planet. Also there is every possible type of milk too - milks which I had no idea existed. It's doing a roaring trade.

There is a large Muslim population here too and from the flat that I'm staying in, I can see Bethnal Green Academy, from where the three girls went to ISIS. The school was judged Outstanding in its most recent Ofsted inspection and boasts very good examination results.

I cannot confirm this but it seems as if people rub along reasonably well. That said, i don't see much integration or mixing of different ethnic groups. In fact I don't see that anywhere. Will it ever come to fruition? Do people want it to? I don't have the answers. Racism is still alive and very well, but let us remember that it is not only white people who are racist. Somali and Pakistani people seem to loathe each other and yet both groups are Muslim. I cannot even begin to explain it. It would be presumptuous and arrogant to do so. However that doesn't stop the so-called experts claiming a depth of understanding.

Despite everything, I love this area. It is alive and vibrant and I very much enjoy sitting at a cafe with my dog and people watching. All those lives, all those networks, all those fashions. Fabulous!