Over the Border: The Other East End

by Neil Fraser

Over the Border: The Other East End tells the area's story from the 11th century to the present day. This is the story of how the dreams of the few affected the lives of the many: of triumphs large and small, of great achievement and greater toil, of poverty, disease and murder.
When London was awarded the 2012 Olympic Games, East London was thrust into the global spotlight as the centre of the extravaganza. Largely portrayed as bleak, derelict and deprived, the area’s true vibrancy has been repressed and drowned in the tide of official Olympic messaging. Yet, in contrast to the media depiction of Stratford as an obscure corner of the city, the East End of London has played a key role in London’s recent history.

Over The Border: The Other East End is an absorbing history of East London, from the 11th century to the present day. Pushing the boundaries beyond the typical tales of the Krays, Jack the Ripper and the Bow Bells, Neil Fraser takes us ‘Over the Border’ - East of the River Lea.
Stratford and the surrounding area was London’s industrial heartland, therefore Over the Border: The Other East End also provides a compelling insight into the effects of industrialisation. The arrival of the railways, docks and factories drastically changed the appearance and mentality of the area, transforming the region from a collection of villages into a bustling and thriving urban sprawl.
Now the post-industrial era is set to reinvent the landscape once again, and provide London’s East End with a new identity.

Over the Border: The Other East End scrapes away the corporate gloss of the Olympics and offers a fascinating social and historical narrative on an area of London that has been, until now, woefully overlooked. The book is packed with a wealth of thoroughly researched detail, from the meaning behind place names to anecdotes about residents through the ages and local folklore.

410 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Christopher Dove · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone brought up in Canning Town I was drawn to this book on the East End of London. What I was particularly interested in was the fact that this does not look at the 'usual' East End of Stepney and Whitechapel. There is no mention here of Jack the Ripper or the Kray twins. Instead it looks at the part of London east of the River Lea - Stratford, Plaistow, West Ham, Canning Town. This is the East End that I knew. This is an unusual and interesting book. It is not quite a history book. There is no cohesive narrative telling the story of the area from the Roman times to present day. Rather each chapter concentrates on certain aspects of the history of the area. So there is a chapter telling about the setting up of the Theatre Royal in Stratford. There is another chapter on the 'Plaistow land grabbers' of 1906. There are also tales of strange murders and disappearances. Interspersed with these tales are conversations and walks with a Stratford local called 'Angry Bob' that describe how the area has changed. So it is indeed an eclectic mix. If you are looking for a 'formal' history of the area this is not it, but I certainly enjoyed this rather scattergun approach.