Bells and Whistles - Celebrating Newham at 60
We are standing in the Royal Docks at one minute before midnight on 31st December, 1964. In just a few seconds, we will move into 1965, the year when Newham will born. As the bells of Church of the Ascension, Victoria Docks ring midnight, every ship in the docks, together with those moored up in the nearby Thames, start to sound their horns. Families pour out of their houses banging pots and pans, blowing whistles, and whirling the football rattles that they will use in a few months’ time as West Ham beat Munich to win the 1965 European Cup. As east London welcomes the New Year (or Old Year's Night, to East Enders), the night air is filled with a symphony that can be heard from Woolwich to Wapping.
Fifty five years will elapse before this happens again, at a time when the nation lies paralysed in the grip of a global pandemic. To generations of Docklands working families, this annual event was a familiar tradition. At midnight on New Year's Eve all the vessels in London’s docklands would sound their horns. Although this maritime tradition continues to this day, it's a sound no longer heard in East London since the closure of the docks.
Between 1962 and 1963, the Royal Docks were operating at their peak. By 1965, the time that the new London Borough of Newham was being created, the area was experiencing a sharp decline. Within a single generation, the vast majority of residents would be facing economic hardship. Some would resolutely stay, many others would move away altogether in search of a better life. The once busy Docklands area was about to become an urban wasteland.
Sixty years on, a whole new generation of Docklands residents has arrived from all points of the globe. For the most part, they are here for the same reasons that the last generation left: the pursuit of a better life. Whilst they may not have been born in Britain, these New Docklanders are no less interested in the history of the place they call home.
In a series of workshops held over the past few weeks, participants of all ages engaged creatively with the history of the Royal Docks. Younger participants enjoyed a bell-making workshop, where they explored archival photographs and took part in a playful and interactive history lesson. Meanwhile, adults delved deeper into the archives, drawing inspiration from historic photos provided by Newham Archives, and oral histories to create their own artistic reflections through drawing and painting. Throughout September, our project has allowed today’s Royal Docks residents to transport themselves back in time.
This creative engagement extended to Year 5 students at Britannia Village and Royal Wharf, who were captivated by a maritime-themed puppetry performance about a paper boat's journey to sea. Inspired by the story, the children created their own paper boats, connecting the docks' history to their personal ambitions. For older residents, the ‘Bells and Whistles’ podcast workshops with Eastside Community Heritage offered another avenue for exploration. Sessions held on September 22nd at Beckton Globe Library and September 25th at the St Marks Centre used oral histories to spark discussions, which participants then responded to by decorating flags and creating their own artistic drawings, capturing valuable community memories.
Using the outputs of the workshops and events, the programme will culminate in a spectacular after dark parade that recreates the sights and sounds of the Royal Docks as it once was. Coinciding with this will be an exhibition of the work created throughout the project, together with artefacts sourced from Newham and other archives.
