A film star, a fish market and a bit of speedway, Britannia of Billingsgate … 1933

Now we can all have slow days, which is how I came to roam the database of old postcards hosted by Tuck DB.*

And having viewed their selection from Italy, I idly typed in film stars, and was rewarded with a rich collection from the 1930s.

Most I had never heard of and so on a whim I went for Kay Hammond, who was born in 1909 and made a series of films through the 1930s as well as appearing on the stage.  

She played  Elvira Condomine, in Blythe Spirit and acted in her last film in 1961, and featured in 24 films in her career of which 19 were made between 1933 and 1936, and of these the one that caught my eye was Britannia of Billingsgate.

If like me you are both a Londoner and someone who grew up in the 1950s and early 60s, Billingsgate Fish Market will be a special place.  It was located by the Thames, close to the Tower of London and the Monument and I passed it regularly on my way to the Tower.

Even at 10’o clock in the morning, long after the market had all but closed the smell of fish lingered in the air along with the odd remnants of discarded fish parts which had yet to be cleared away from gutters.

So I had no option but to look up Britannia of Billingsgate which was released in 1933, and as you do steal the sleave notes from the BFI’s introduction to the film.

“A star is born (or at least found) in a fish and chip shop, in this effervescent musical comedy that jaunts between the cloth caps of Billingsgate Fish Market and the top hats and heady glamour of the film world. Things have never looked so good for Billingsgate chippy owner Bessie Bolton (Violet Loraine) after she is presented with the opportunity of becoming the singing sensation of the silver screen - Shepherd's Bush style.

Violet Loraine had been a music hall star since the early 1900s, but was here returning to showbiz after a break of more than a decade. The film also features an early role for John Mills. The studio where Bessie gets her big break is the Shepherd's Bush Studios belonging to the production company, the Gaumont-British Picture Corporation. The cinema where Bessie's film is premiered is the Gaumont Palace in Hammersmith - now the concert venue the Hammersmith Apollo”.*

It is a mix of “glamour”, some iffy scenes of working class life, but is still a wonderful watch and is free to see on the BFI web site.

Location; London, 1933

Pictures; Kay Hammond, Violet Lorraine, Gordon Harker, and John Mills, marketed by Tuck and Son in the series A GAUMONT-BRITISH PICTURE, STAR, PLAYER or FILM (scenes from movie), cards numbered 150-199, courtesy of Tuck DB, https://tuckdbpostcards.org/ 

*Tuck DB, https://tuckdbpostcards.org/ 

**Britannia of Billingsgate, BFIPlayer, https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-britannia-of-billingsgate-1933-online

When adventures came with the price of a ticket to London Bridge ………..

When you are 10 on a Saturday morning with 2 shillings and sixpence pocket money the world was your oyster.

The railway station, undated

For an extra 6 pence there was always a Red Rover with its opportunity to travel across the entire bus network of London Transport.

But I have never been good travelling on buses and anyway the fun of Red Rover was the company of friends.

And Saturday I was usually on my own which drew me instead to Queens Road Railway station, and the price of a return ticket to London Bridge which was the starting point for many different adventures.

All of which started with the station itself, which was off Queens Road, through an archway and past the booking hall to the stairs that led to the platform.

The map, 1908-1913

At 10 it was all a tad daunting.  The booking hall occupied a gloomy space, the stairs seemed to go on for ever and the wooden platform was just a little unnerving given the that the gaps in the boards allowed you to stare down to the ground below.

Over the years I have come across many pictures of the railway station, but all were copyright and then Ken Cook posted one which he kindly gave me permission to use.

I don’t have a date, but it looks close enough to how I remember it.

My Wikipedia tells me “The station opened with the line on 13 August 1866, and had two wooden side platforms and an intermediate centre platform to serve the third centre line.

The railway station entrance, 2023

Until 1911 passenger trains ran to the East London Line, stopping at Old Kent Road. This link was re-instated on 9 December 2012 by London Overground”

Back in the early 1960s  the station and journey to London Bridge was just a means to an end but along the way it allowed you to look down on the streets, warehouses, and churches, with of course that memorable moment when you passed the Peak Frean factory with its overpowering sweet smell of biscuit manufacturer.

Only when you arrived at London Bridge did the adventures begin which consisted of the walk past the model shop under the arches, the purchase of a cartoon of Toffets from the vending machine, then across the River and down those steps which descended onto Lower Thames Street and the walk past the fish market to the Tower of London which was free on Saturdays to kids.

Billingsgate, 1928

The tiny streets off Lower Thames Street were twisty turny places, but were pretty empty on a Saturday morning.

But there was still the evidence of the busy early morning business at Billingsgate.  These included bits of fish, piles of discarded ice and the odd broken wooden box and the lingering fishy smell.

What always struck me was how empty and silent the place was at 10 in the morning with only a corporation waste lorry and road sweeper.

Lower Thames Street, 1928

And even more the contrast just a few minutes later as the road brought you out at the entrance to the Tower, which is a story for another time.

Working the fish, 1928

Leaving me just to add Queens Road Railway Station has its own Facebook page …. now how cool is that.**

Location’ Queens Road circa 1959

Pictures The platform of Queens Road Railway Station, date unknow courtesy of Keen Cook, map showing the railway stations around Peckham and New Cross, 1908-1914, Railway Clearing House, from Queens Road Railway Station, Wikipedia, and Queens Road Railway Station, courtesy of Google Maps, 2023, and Billingsgate Market, 1928

*Queens Road Railway Station,  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queens_Road_Peckham_railway_station

** Queens Road Peckham railway station, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=119989041381362&paipv=0&eav=AfZ1LfaKJgEadP5IdXEC95p5pNQ_uVZ-0aNU1GE0Neo3_GSZsTZf-xQ2u-2dz4xnZwA&_rdr