The 15th Stoke Newington History Talks event yesterday was terrific. 197(!) tickets were sold, which is a record and the event raised £638 for the local branch of National Food Service North London. I’ve been meaning to give a talk about historical street signs in Stoke Newington for a while now, so it was great to finally be able to do that. James Watson’s talk about the history of electricity in Stoke Newington, which included a private tour of the substation in Wordsworth Road and Edwards Lane filmed especially for the event, was captivating. Mark Barnes’ brilliant photos of Stoke Newington he took in the late 70s coupled with his stories and personal memories growing up in the area, brought the period to life.

My favourite comment from someone after the event was: “Rose and I attended your talk last night and again really enjoyed it. You and your friends are the most fascinating nerds with wonderful quirky interests, very professionally produced. And we are not local!”

The next event will be in 3-4 months. Join the mailing list to know when tickets go on sale. 

A couple of people shared photos showing how they were viewing the event, which was nice to see.

A Visual History of Stoke Newington Street Signs by Amir Dotan

You can download the 100-slide presentation file in PDF format here

Recording

Original (short) version

Summary

In this talk, Amir Dotan explores the fascinating and often overlooked history embedded in the street signs of Stoke Newington. He argues that these signs are historical relics that reveal stories about the area’s evolving identity, administrative changes, and urban development (0:36 – 1:52).

Key themes and historical insights:

• Anatomy of a Sign (3:15): Most historical signs contain three core components that tell a story: the street name, the postal district (e.g., the old ‘N’ district), and the local authority (e.g., South Hornsey or the Metropolitan Borough of Stoke Newington).
• The ‘N’ Postal District (4:41): Dotan highlights the rarity of surviving signs featuring the original ‘N’ postal district rather than the modern ‘N16’ or ‘N4’ designations. Examples include signs in Eade Road (5:40) and Stoke Newington High Street (6:46).
• The South Hornsey Legacy (8:35): Many signs provide evidence of South Hornsey, a former local authority abolished in 1900. These signs often show two layers of paint, reflecting the transition when the area was incorporated into Stoke Newington (11:05 – 12:03).
• Street Renaming (12:06): Street names were frequently changed to avoid duplication, particularly during the 1937 wholesale renaming. Dotan points to signs in Barbauld Road (12:54) and Shakespeare Walk (14:15) as clues to these original names.
• Local Government Evolution (15:00): By examining signs like those in Hammers Park (16:03) or the Stoke Newington Church Street sign (18:24), viewers can trace the shift from the Metropolitan Borough of Stoke Newington to the current London Borough of Hackney.

Dotan emphasizes that many of these ‘heritage signs’ are now camouflaged by age, layers of paint, or overgrowth, making them easy to miss. He encourages residents to appreciate these functional artifacts as vital links to the past and hopes for more restorative efforts to preserve them (18:47 – 20:58).

Extended version

Summary

In this talk, Amir Dotan explores the fascinating social and architectural history of Stoke Newington through its heritage street signs (0:30). He explains that these signs are not merely functional objects but are instead historical relics that chronicle the evolution of the area’s administration, postal districts, and street naming conventions over the last century.

Key themes and categories discussed:

• Evolution of Postal Districts (12:31 – 17:35): The video highlights rare signs still bearing the original ‘N’ postal district, which was used until its subdivision in 1917 (e.g., Eade Road, 13:30).
• The South Hornsey Local Board (17:36 – 22:08): Dotan details how this long-gone local authority (1865–1900) left its mark on streetscapes in areas like Wilberforce Road (20:18), often visible as secondary layers of paint on old signs.
• Street Renaming (22:10 – 26:22): Many streets were renamed, notably during 1937, to avoid duplication across London. These signs act as a glimpse into the past, often showing the original names beneath modern layers (e.g., Broughton Road, 23:28).
• Borough Boundary Markers (26:23 – 37:55): The signs often serve as physical evidence of the Metropolitan Borough of Stoke Newington (1900–1965). Dotan shares specific examples of these distinct cast-iron nameplates found along borders, such as in Blackstock Road (30:54).

Throughout the presentation, Dotan emphasizes the precarity of these heritage signs, which are frequently lost to property redevelopment or modern council replacements (8:34-11:27). He advocates for their preservation and restoration, suggesting that with minor effort, these signs can be maintained as valuable links to Stoke Newington’s past (31:14, 39:55).

Powering Stoke Newington – 115 years of electricity supply by James Watson

Recording

Summary

In this talk, professional electrical engineer James Watson explores the history and technical infrastructure of the electricity supply system in Stoke Newington, tracing its development over 115 years.

Key Highlights:

• Early Beginnings (1901-1906): While Hackney Borough Council established its own power station in 1901 (0:56), Stoke Newington initially chose to purchase electricity in bulk from neighbors rather than building its own station. Their first supply was established in 1906 (4:33).
• The Role of Infrastructure: The site at Edwards Lane has served as the central hub for Stoke Newington‘s electricity distribution since 1904 (5:31). Watson explains how the system evolved from early coal-fired generation at Hackney and Brimstone to the modern grid (14:38).
• Substation Evolution: The talk details the transition from rotary substations (which used spinning machinery like motor-generator sets to convert electricity, such as the site at Wordsworth Road) to modern static substations (7:03 – 7:11, 9:15).
• Longevity of Assets: A major theme is the remarkable longevity of the physical infrastructure. Much of the core cabling and switchgear currently powering Stoke Newington was installed by the London Electricity Board in the 1960s and remains in service today (11:03, 18:05).
• How it works: Watson demystifies the three core functions of a substation: switching, transformation, and reactive compensation (15:13).

The presentation concludes at a low-voltage switchboard, illustrating the final stage of the journey before electricity reaches individual homes (19:27 – 20:09).

My photos of Stoke Newington in the late 70s by Mark Barnes

Recording

Summary

In this talk, photographer and media archivist Mark Barnes shares a personal collection of photographs taken around Stoke Newington during the late 1970s. Having lived at 135 Church Street from 1960 until 1980 (0:13-0:20), Barnes documents a period of significant local change through his lens, often focusing on the architecture, local fixtures, and his own obsession with cars abandoned or parked in the area.

Key highlights from the presentation include:

• Life on Church Street: Barnes discusses the familiar surroundings of his home, including the neighboring Edward Mann milliners and the garden maintained by the Isle family (1:14, 2:46). He recounts the local atmosphere and his experiences growing up there (1:53-2:20).
• Local Landmarks & Hangouts: He shares stories about various pubs, such as the Happy Man and the Rose and Crown (4:26, 8:30), as well as iconic local businesses like Broadway Car Spares and Wing Cops (5:46, 6:30).
• The Changing Landscape: Through his photographs, he captures scenes of the bowling green (10:03), the Grey Green coach depot (9:09), and street scenes that highlight how different the area was before its modern-day development (12:05).
• Photography Evolution: Barnes details his transition from using a Yashica Lynx to more advanced cameras as a teenager (0:13, 7:34), explaining his motivations for documenting the neighborhood, including his attempt at hosting a local photo exhibition (13:16-13:38).
• Memories of Play: He reflects on playing football in Clissold Park and street hockey, emphasizing that while he didn’t always appreciate the beauty of his surroundings at the time, these photos now serve as vital relics of his childhood home (14:41-15:10, 17:39).

Comments

That was a wonderful evening last night. You said it would be special and it was. That chap talking about electricity … James? He is a star! How can anyone make substations sound interesting. Brilliant. And Mark was just great too … so relaxed and cool and calm. To think that Stokey looked like that at the time I was spending time there. I do not remember anything … we just used to go to the pubs and hear music. No cameras with us of course.

Rachel

Thank you Amir for the wonderful talk tonight. It was all so interesting! Mark and James were great too so please pass on thanks to them for sharing. Look forward to the next one

Amanda

I loved your street signs talk last night. In fact all the presenters were great. Thank you so much for your dedication and energy in setting these evenings up.

Graeme

I can’t be doing with zoom etc, but I sat at my computer all the way through. Marvellous. James is astonishing. How the hell does he hold all that knowledge, all those facts, and convey it all so articulately? He is a born communicator.

Ruth

Many thanks again for an excellent event. You and your guests help us enjoy and appreciate our common local history and urban landscape in massively entertaining ways.

Julio