Ammunition supplies soon began to dwindle in World War I as Britain was unprepared for a long conflict. One of the sites the Ministry of Munitions investigated to produce the various components of ammunition, such as the volatile explosive TNT, was the Brunner Mond...
Respected local journalist and historian Colin Grainger begins the second part of his look at Christmas traditions around the Royal Docks as the excitement began to reach fever pitch on Christmas Eve. Midnight mass was a tradition for many local families. David Conroy...
Christmas is a special time… even in what might now been described as poor or deprived childhoods. It made families stronger, closer and happier. The period often defined our communities and increased the importance of families and friends. In the “island” communities...
The centenary of The Silvertown Explosion at Brunner Mond munitions plant will be commemorated in January 2017 with the latest in the series of Forgotten Stories, the Royal Docks heritage project. Seventy three people died and 500 were injured in the biggest explosion...
The vivid recollections of evacuation and the trauma of family separation during World War II by Julia Myers, who lived most of her life in the shadow of the dock fence of the Royal Docks. When a loved one passes away it is a time of great sadness but also a chance to...
The Royal Docks and London’s East End suffered mass devastation during the Second World War. From Black Saturday, on September 7 1940, the lives of locals changed forever. The latest episode from our Forgotten Stories series takes us almost four years on from the...