Sinking of the Princess Alice

On Monday 3rd September 1878 the passenger steamer Princess Alice collided with cargo ship Bywell Castle on the Thames near Woolwich Pier. All of the 700 passengers of the Princess Alice were thrown into the heavily polluted river or trapped below the decks of the sinking vessel. Fewer than 100 passengers survive. Among the dead was 16 year old cabin Boy Henry Robert Hughes from Deptford. His body was recovered and interred in Brockley Cemetary. Also saved was the Rev J.C. Gill of Lewisham, while the dead and missing included 4 members of the Crawford family from New Cross.

Thames Police Museum
Wikipedia article
London Metropolitan Archives image

Open House Prebooked Tickets Go On Sale Thursday

the Londonist writes..
"Open House London is almost upon us again. The annual architectural extravaganza, which sees normally off-limits buildings all over London open to the public, runs 22 and 23 September. As usual, most places will let you waltz right in (or join a queue), but a few require booking in advance. Tickets for this year’s pre-bookers are up for grabs from tomorrow (Thur 16 August) at 10am......"

Image: the Heron Tower, by M@.

Open House Prebooked Tickets Go On Sale Thursday
Posted from The Londonist

From Docks to desktops. The history of Work

Deptford High Street writes.. 
"From Docks to Desktops is London Bubble’s latest oral history project that will involve local people, including children and elders in exploring the history of Work in Bermondsey, Rotherhithe and Deptford. It will look at how the area has changed since the closure of the Surrey Commercial Docks and related industries. London Bubble itself works out of a former sacking warehouse near the river, and the building retains some of its original features, including a small crane and loading doors. The project will also look more widely at how changes in employment have affected community life, friendships and health

London Bubble are asking for volunteers to help them develop the project. The aim is to collect personal testimonies from older people and members of south-east London’s diverse international communities, talking about their working life and their reflections on how south London has changed in that time. These oral histories will then be developed into a play performed by an inter-generational community cast in the summer of 2013 to audiences in the area...."

For more information about From Docks to Desktops, please contact Claire Sexton – email claire@londonbubble.org.uk
or call 020 7237 4434.

From Docks to desktops. The history of Work
Posted from Deptford High Street

Where it all started for silver screen star

"AN Oscar-nominated star of the stage and silver screen has been honoured with a plaque on the Hither Green house where she was born..."

Where it all started for silver screen star
Posted from Mercury News

Olympics diary: tweeting Games Time history

"The Museum of London is using Twitter to gather Londoners' experiences of the Olympics. Londoners who use Twitter and would like their everyday experiences of Olympics "games time" in the capital captured for posterity should get acquainted with the hash tag #citizencurators. The Museum of London and the University of Westminster are working together on a project of that name, which will collect the tweets of not only a core team of twelve contributors but also anyone else who uses the tag...."

Olympics diary: tweeting Games Time history
Posted from Dave Hill

New exhibition on Eric Liddell: Olympic athlete and missionary

"Eric Liddell, the Olympic runner who was the subject of 1981 film Chariots of Fire, is being celebrated in a new exhibition at SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies), University of London."

Liddell attended Blackheath School for Sons of Missionaries, first at its location in Blackheath and then when it moved to Eltham. http://lewishamlegacy.wikidot.com/eric-liddell

New exhibition on Eric Liddell: Olympic athlete and missionary:
Posted from The National Archive

First World War airmen records now searchable by name

"The service records of the first 320,000 airmen to serve with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and its forebears are now searchable by name following the conclusion of a successful cataloguing project."

First World War airmen records now searchable by name
Posted from The National Archive