The 26th Stoke Newington History Talks took place on Thursday 30 October 2025 at St Matthias Halls. Nigel Smith gave a fascinating talk based on a trove of archival documents, revealing the day-to-day running, bureaucracy and social history of the Savoy Cinema on Stoke Newington Road. Neil Martinson shared his experiences photographing Stoke Newington since the 1960s, reflecting on how the area has changed and showing recent images alongside those taken over forty years ago. My talk explored old shop signs briefly uncovered when modern signage is removed, revealing personal and family stories behind several such discoveries in the area.
The event raised £638 for MamaSuze, donated in memory of Annabel Rook, MamaSuze co-founder and local resident.
Ghost Shop Signs: Accidental Finds, Briefly Revealing Lost Shops by Amir Dotan
Recording
Summary
In this talk, Amir Dotan explores the fascinating world of ghost shop signs in Stoke Newington. He explains how modern shop renovations often reveal layers of local history, uncovering hand-painted signs of long-vanished businesses that were hidden for decades.
Key Highlights:
- The Discovery Process: Dotan relies on a network of informants and lucky timing to document these signs before they are covered up or discarded during shop refits (0:24 – 3:00).
- Notable Examples:
- Neta (165 Church Street): A rare glass sign uncovered during a bike shop renovation (3:31 – 6:57).
- TJ Electrics: An extraordinary find where three successive layers of signage—TJ Electrics, Ellen, and Joyce Terry—were revealed, documenting the shop’s history from the 1960s onward (7:08 – 11:44).
- Perfection Fish Bar: An example of a sign that was rescued from an alleyway after being discarded by builders (13:16 – 15:47).
- Smith and Sons Anvil House: A beautiful example of signage carved directly into the building’s render on Matthias Road (22:26 – 23:16).
- Preservation Efforts: While many signs are lost to skips or new fascias, Dotan highlights the importance of salvaging these historical relics, sometimes with the help of locals who recognize their value as cultural artifacts (5:31, 10:03, 14:46).
- Teasers: The talk concludes with examples of signs that are currently being partially revealed or are the subject of ongoing research, emphasizing the thrill of the hunt in preserving the area’s commercial past (23:18 – 25:39).
Slides
Past Memories and a New World: Photographs of Stoke Newington from the 70s, 80s and Today by Neil Martinson
Recording
Summary
In this talk, photographer Neil Martinson reflects on his extensive body of work capturing life in Stoke Newington and Hackney from the 1970s and 80s, compared with his recent project documenting the area’s evolution over the last half-century.
Key themes and topics discussed include:
- Social and Economic Shifts: Martinson explores the transition from a local manufacturing economy—highlighting companies like Lesney (toy manufacturing) and Simpsons (tailoring)—to the modern era of globalization, algorithm-driven gig work, and the “15-minute city” concept (0:46-13:24).
- Housing and Community: He discusses the history of local housing, from the prevalence of empty, bomb-damaged, or “hard-to-let” properties in the 70s and 80s to the current challenges of housing shortages, damp living conditions, and the rise of food banks (1:54-4:25; 18:18-18:33).
- Local Culture and Diversity: The talk touches on the vibrant, changing demography of the area, including the history of Jewish communities in Stamford Hill, the significance of Ridley Road Market, and the evolution of local institutions like the North London Progressive Synagogue (10:52-12:05; 20:11-22:21).
- Protest and Resilience: Martinson shares archival images of local activism, including protests against fare hikes and the police harassment of the Black community, such as the cases of Newton Rose and Colin Roach (13:24-16:12).
- Changing Everyday Life: Through “then-and-now” comparisons, he highlights shifts in behavior, such as the increased supervision of children (contrasting 1974 independent travel to today) and the evolution of gender roles in children’s activities (16:12-17:44).
Slides
Secrets from the Savoy Cinema, Stoke Newington Road by Nigel Smith
Recording
Summary
In this presentation, cinema historian Nigel Smith explores the history of the building on Stoke Newington Road—now known as the music and arts venue EartH—by examining a box of rescued relics from its time as the ABC Stoke Newington (0:30-1:05, 3:05-3:20).
Historical Overview of the Cinema:
- Opening: Opened as the Savoy in 1936, a golden age for cinema, seating 1,800 people (5:45-6:45).
- Decline: As television and alternative entertainment grew, the cinema was rebranded as the ABC in 1962 and later became the Conac and the Ace, eventually closing in 1984 (7:15-8:20).
- Transformation: The building remained derelict for years before its 2018 renovation into EartH (0:52-1:05, 8:40-9:05).
Insights from the Rescued 1960s Ephemera: Nigel uses internal correspondence and documents from the 1960s to paint a picture of the mundane, bureaucratic reality of managing a cinema during its decline (9:37-10:25, 18:47-19:15):
- Administration & Maintenance: Much of the paperwork involved tedious tasks like cleaning supplies, bin procurement, and staff room management (10:06-11:10).
- Sales Competition: The management faced intense pressure to increase confectionery and ticket sales, often competing with nearby cinemas like the Classic (the Rio) and the Odeon (12:47-14:25).
- Marketing & Engagement: Efforts to drive attendance included Saturday morning children’s clubs, which saw a boost after the minimum age was lowered from 7 to 5 (15:37-17:35), and promotional campaigns for specific films (14:27-15:25).
- Office Politics: Correspondence reveals the demanding nature of district managers like HC Buridge, who frequently sent stern missives to managers about performance, cleanliness, and sales targets (11:22-12:12, 19:44-20:32).
Nigel concludes with a charming anecdote about the cinema’s final house cat, Queenie, who was transferred to the nearby Rio Cinema upon the Ace’s closure in 1984 (21:13-22:01).
Stoke Newington History 