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Petticoat Lane, Aldgate |
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Originally called "Hoggs Lane", but in the time of
Elizabeth I, its' name was changed to "Petticoat Lane",
reflecting the secondhand clothing sold there. Then in 1807, it became
"Middlesex Street", taking its new name from the county, whose
dividing line with the City of London, runs down the west pavement. Despite
its name change some 200 years ago and numerous attempts to close it. The
Sunday Market continues and it is still famously called "Petticoat
Lane".
"Petticoat Lane" is really made up of three streets, besides Middlesex Street there are Wentworth Street and Goulston Street - both daily markets. "The Lane", as it is called locally, reached the height of its popularity between the late 19th century and the late 1960s. The reason was Jewish immigration. They had fled the pogroms in Eastern Europe and settled in this part of Stepney. Being natural traders, they soon became the main shop and stall holders in the market. The area was at the heart of the Jewish community. In the 1950s, something like 3,000 traders could be seen selling their wares from early morning until app. 2:00 in the afternoon. "The Lane" was full of characters: The crockery man who tossed a complete dinner service into the air and caught it without smashing any. There was Prince Monolulu, selling his racing tips, dressed in a strange costume and topped by a head-dress of ostrich feathers, shouting his famous catchphrase "I’ve gotta a horse". The escapeologist who despite being tied in a sack and with chains tightly warped around his body, managed to escape every time in seconds. However the best was the banter between the traders and the public. It was entertainment at its very best. Alas that was times past, today, "The Lane" continues with a new immigrant group, Asian traders, and "The Lane", well, it continues to thrive, especially every Sunday Morning, just as it has done for decades and decades. |
