The Knowhere Guide

Local Heroes in Bethnal Green and Hackney, Greater London*

Bethnal Green and Hackney, Greater London Famous Residents

Cringing Cult of Celebrity (Famous residents and ex-residents.)

• Barbara Windsor Kray Twins Charlie Magri - He has a few shops as well, one being a pet shop. Jack The Ripper (short residential periods only... Probably) Daniel Mendoza (English heavyweight boxing champ 1792-1795) Marcus Garvey (I only have a mates word for that though)
• Pete Doherty and Carl Barat of the Libertines used to live here, as did Razorlight and Dominic Masters of the Others namechecks his flat "just off Cambridge Heath Road" on their debut album
• I believe Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse once shared a squat on the Kingsmead Estate.
• Les Mckeown of Bay City Rollers, see, told you its full of people no other council wants!!!!!
• Then: Harrowgate rd E9; The Communards group Then & Now: Christopher Biggins E9 area Then: Les McKweon (Then Lead singer of Bay City Rollers)E5 area Then: Robbie Coltraine actor E9 area Now: Joanne Guest model Corrrr!!! E9 area Now: Lee Hurst comedian E2 area
• Christopher Thingy. The scouse geezer from Aufweidershoen(?) Pet. Lived in the block of flats next door
• Hackney has lots of ex-Big Brother people and soem porn stars (I think). Plenty of B-List Japanese too because of the Burberry factory off Morning Lane.
• Loads of boxers lived in and around the area, The famous jewish boxer Mendoza who lived in Paradise Row.
• ANGIE FROM EASTENDERS IS FROM OUT OF BANCROFT
• Newest resident is Mel from the original Big Brother. London Fields area. Saw her in a Ikubo talking about sanding her floor in newly bought house.
• Tommy from Groundforce
• Harry Enfield lived above a Kebab shop in Mare Street Hackney, Carol (Tiffs Mum in E/Enders) lives near Viccy Park.Vidal Sassoon and Peter Sellers are also good old Cockneys
• Pat Brookman - world social traveller of snow slopes and Western Australian heat waves (not the surfing varieyt) and local nursing identity (prizes to identify which medical establishment....)
• Big Breakfast - walk down the canal east along Victoria park. At the first T-junction go right, up over the bridge and back the way you came along the opposite side of the river. Walk for about 1 mile and suddenly you'll hit Old Ford Lock in all it's glory - giant gnome and all. Never been in the morning but it's sweird any time.
• Bianca from EastEnders lives (lived?) in Bethnal Green. So does Jah Wobble, once of PiL. Fat Bloke Christopher Biggins (remember?)and the bloke from TV's "Ground Force" who is it not Dimmock or Tichmarsh in Viccy Park area. Comedienne Donna McPhail of short-lived "Sunday Show". Helen Baxendale in Stokey, apparently. Buster Bloodvessel in Clapton.
• Mr J. Rotten probably went to Brooke House Scool not Broke House.
• Harold Pinter, Thistlewaite Road, E5 Marcus Garvey, Stamford Hill
• The Kray Twins, of course. Born on Vallance Road.
• Ray Ilott. played at the Orient and later went onto greater things in Australia, playing for Australia in 1975/6
• Nigel from EastEnders.
• Johny Rotten also attended Broke House School in Hackney.
• Barbara Windsor went to Our Lady at Stamford Hill and got thrown out.
• Colin Firth (Mr D'Arcy/Fever Pitch )lives here.
• Phil Collen, guitarist for Def Leppard, was born and grew up in Hackney.
• Just a tidbit, I'd probably get killed for telling people on the net, but I'll tell you, in the Famous residents/ex-residents for Hackney, Julia Ormond is a resident/ex-resident (I don't know which).

Buskers, Street Entertainers

• The bloke who rides in his wheelchair down the middle of Cambridge Heath Road, last heard he had been run over!!!!
• Then: Local characters: Terry Turner Brunswick Arms E9 area
• 38 Bus harmonica player.
• Being the 50's i think the only place to go was Petticoat Lane of course.I was only about 3-4 but remember it vividly.There was a big African guy that use to be flame eater that use to perform regulary down there.Remember this was the 50's so there were very few people of african origan so even that was strange.He could of probally made a living by just sitting on the pavement as very few people would of seen his race.(I live in New zealand and hear its different now?)The other thing to stick in the brain was one part of the Lane was taken up by blind people sitting along the pavement basket weaving. Also a guy in chains.What a strange place for a 3 year old!!It must of been as I can still see them as if it was yesterday.
• plenty of street entertainers, dont think that the know though...
• If you find beggars, smack-heads, drunks and east european gypsy squeegee merchants entertaining - then Hackney's your place.

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Credits

Last updated: 2007-11-06