Genealogy Chat

Merry, made me larf about the co-op. When my dear mum knew she only had a few months left, she arranged her own funeral. 'Well, its going have to be the co-op, cos you get the divvi there'

if you google ''horse drawn hearse'' you will find plenty still do it! Including the Co-Op!! have never seen one where I live though :o(( Merry

If you go to a certain DIY centre on the Seven Sisters Road around 8 or 9 am, you will see casual workers standing outside waiting to be offered a job for the day. My aunt had chickens in a run at the bottom of her garden in Stoke Newington after the 39-45 war. And my cousin had a horse-drawn hearse (a la Krays) for his funeral in Milton Keynes not that long ago! Times haven't really changed!

Hi there - no its not generally available. Dad didnt tell me he was in the film until last Christmas and I spent a year nearly looking for it. 3 days after he died last month the Amsterdam film museum contacted me to say they had restored the original and could sell me two copies. Bitter sweet really. But I am glad Ive got it!

Sorry I think I may have missed something - can this film be bought in the shops or online?? would love to see it.

Hi Heather just wanted to say I am so glad you got that film, last time I looked you weren't sure if you'd get a copy. it sounds amazing, well done xx Jen

Thankyou for sharing that with us Heather. The poverty stirred up a few memories for me - my Dad came from the north-east and often told me about having to stand in line, on a daily basis, hoping to be picked for work. Apparently if you were unsuccessful, you had to go back again at lunch time to see if you get taken on for just the afternoon shift. The good old days, eh? Jay

What a lovely memory Heather. Dea x

Thanks so much everyone for your kind thoughts, still feeling a bit of a lump in the old throat area about the film. Maurice, thanks for your observations - the area must have been a dream for Walter Summers, the film director - no need for extras there - plenty of men and kids with so little. The theme of the story is a young man returned from WW1 who is down and out and looking for work. He sees a herd of horses being loaded on to a ship bound for Belgium where they will be slaughtered for meat. He suddenly recognises his old horse from the Artillery and well basically steals it. The film does show quite graphically the poverty of London at that time and is interesting from a social point of view, let alone my personal interest. I mean, chickens in the little back yards and horses tied up in the streets and men standing in a crowd hoping to be picked out for a days work on the docks (Dad often told me about that). Anyway, it brought to mind a story dad told me and which my uncle has confirmed recently. Between the wars men were doing virtually anything to earn money to keep their families - my own grandfather used to do bare fist prize fighting as well as working on the docks (when he was lucky enough to be chosen for a days work). Uncle was out of work but was told there was a job as a funeral walker in Stepney. Now this was a job most people would have had to been really desperate to take as back then people were very superstitious about death and any contact with it. Uncle was very desperate and he was a tall, well built man who looked good in the 'uniform' of black tailed suit and top hat and a black walking stick. The job was to walk solemnly in front of the black horses and carriage that carried the coffin (good old East End funeral - only seen for the likes of the Krays in recent years!). So Uncle took this job and told no one in the family. It was unlikely he would be seen as it was 'the other side of the river' from Bermondsey and people tended to stay in their own communities. Anyway, only people with a deal of money had that sort of funeral and his relatives wouldnt come in that category! However, he didnt take into account that a rellie may go over to Stepney to visit family - and yes thats what happened. So one day there is Uncle, slowly leading this funeral procession in black suit, top hat and pacing with his black stick in front of the black plumed horses and coach. Quite a crowd had gathered either side of the road, to pay their respects to the person who was being buried. Suddenly a shout from the crowd 'Thats our Lenny - what are you doing here boy?' It was one of the dozens of aunties in the family who was visiting her in laws in the area and had stopped to see the funeral. Uncle, stomach churning that his secret had been discovered, could not turn his head as his was an important job requiring dignity but fearful that if he didnt acknowledge auntie there would be more shouted comments, he carried on pacing with his black stick and slowly raised his top hat and replaced it without stopping or showing the slightest emotion. I can remember dad telling me that story with tears of laughter rolling down his face. His secret up poor uncle was ribbed forever over it.

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