‘Forgotten Stories’ from the Royal Docks
People are being asked to contribute forgotten stories to a new historical archive, honouring the rich cultural history behind London’s Royal Docks. Did you or your family used to work in or grow up in or around London’s Royal Docks? Were you a docker or did you live in a dockside community? Perhaps
People are being asked to contribute forgotten stories to a new historical archive, honouring the rich cultural history behind London’s Royal Docks.
DID you or your family used to work in or grow up in or around London’s Royal Docks? Were you a docker or did you live in a dockside community? Perhaps a member of your family remembers the Royal Docks in the Blitz or the day the elephants arrived?
A new project has been launched that will see forgotten stories from London’s Royal Docks collated as a part of a new online historical archive. The archives, which are to be created by the Royal Docks in the East End, will provide a historical record of a unique area on the eve of a major redevelopment.
The first of the Royal Docks was opened in 1855, introducing a new world of commerce to the capital and drawing people from all over the world. After many developments the Royal Docks became the largest enclosed docks in the world, their prominent central London location stretching all the way from leafy Hyde Park, to the iconic Tower Bridge. The Docks are now undergoing a major regeneration programme which aims to transform the area into a new, innovative cultural, business and residential district for London.
Mike Luddy, Managing Director of RoDMA, the Royal Docks Management Authority, says: “The Royal Docks is an incredible place. As we head towards completing the regeneration of the docks from working docks, to one of the most exciting zones in London, it is so important that we can tell the story of the place this used to be. For the next generation nothing will bring the Royal Docks story to life more than hearing and seeing it through the eyes of those who lived or worked here. So we are urging people to share any stories they might have of their life in the docks, or indeed that of their parents and grandparents. The Royal Docks were once the epicentre of trade in London and we want to create an archive that ensure we never forget what this area once was”
If you’re interested in taking part in London’s Royal Docks Forgotten Stories project email: info@londonsroyaldocks.co.uk
Facebook: @LondonsRoyalDocks
To view the archive when completed, click here:
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