NEWSNOWGreen Street: The Beginning of the End?
The Home of West Ham United
Despite being five years from now, Olympic plans are already underway and with West Ham potentially moving away from the area it seems as though Green Street will face huge changes.
“Hello darlin’, what can I get you?â€, calls the chirpy voice of Joan Holt, in Duncan’s pie & mash shop on Green Street. “You’re not from round here are you?â€, she questions, reflecting the stereotype of the friendly, tight-knit community that is so often associated with the East End. A little less than three minutes walk down the road looms Upton Park, the home of the historical West Ham United football club, a club steeped in tradition and heritage dating back to the end of the 19th century. This is the East End at its finest.
Green Street is located in the borough of Newham, an area which is so diverse with its racial and religious mixes that it is quite literally a microcosm of London as we know it today. This multi-ethnic blend was one of the stand-out reasons as to why London was given the 2012 games. Now with the Olympic Games just around the corner, some fear that Green Street and indeed the East End, may lose this mix. There are concerns that it will be big business and ‘money men’ who ultimately prove to be the lasting legacy on one of Britain’s most vibrant areas.
Losing a legacy
Despite obvious fears of retailers taking the place of market traders, one of the biggest questions, is that of West Ham United’s future. What will happen if one of the few pieces of traditional east London moves away from the area? Joan Holt commented: “This isn’t the traditional East End anymore. You wouldn’t find any born and bred East-Enders here, they’ve all moved away. From a business point of view the multi-cultural change has not benefited me, it’s taken away a lot of my business. There used to be another pie & mash shop near the market but he had to close down.â€
West Ham as a club brings in roughly 36,000 fans on match days, and that’s just gate receipts alone. This is a holiday for the traders and food outlets dotted around Green Street. What will happen though if West Ham move after 2012, or even before then? Sir Robin Wales, the Mayor of Newham, doesn’t think that any proposed move would be disastrous to the area. He said: “It’s not actually a major drive for business. They [the fans] use some of the pubs, and we may lose some of these places, but I can put up with that. Instead, we might get something a little bit better and certainly the development that comes will support the growth of the street.â€
About the possible West Ham move, the Mayor said: “West Ham need a bigger stadium. 36,000 is not big enough. The Premier League has changed the nature of football. West Ham will need to move if they are to survive as a major football club. We support them moving because we want to keep that business.â€
“â€We’re all getting on a bit now, so I don’t really know if we’ll decide to sell up and move with West Ham…—Joan Holt, Duncan’s Pie & Mash
Ray Tuck, the manager of the independent West Ham supporters’ club believes that the Olympics are a good thing for the city, but not so much for West Ham. He said: “It’s got to be good for us [the Olympics], I own a house in Forest Gate that is going up [in value] by the minute. I am glad we [West Ham United]are not going to the Olympic Stadium though, I reckon that will end up a ghost town.â€
For him though, a move would see the end of his business. “Years ago we could survive without the football. Football was the icing on the cake because we had such a good fan-base, but now we’re struggling big time. As a clubhouse we would not survive if they moved.â€
Much of this is down to the demise of the traditional East End. “Slowly people have been moving out into the sticks [countryside], so most people travel in for matches. With the change of people here now, a lot of the pubs are struggling, even the pie & mash shops. They’d struggle, but I think they’d survive because they can always get a passing trade.â€
Ms. Holt seems to think that the Olympics will have a welcome impact and will be celebrated in the East End. “I think it’s good that the Olympics are coming here, it’s good to have something nice here. Now whether I’ll benefit from them is another matter. I’m sure that people will come over this way and have a look, because Green Street is different, an area where people do come down here and shop.â€
Champions’ Statue As to when West Ham move is another matter. Businesses such as the supporters club, who are independent from the club, and pubs around the area are preparing for hard times, with whispers that the club will be in a new stadium within five years. Whether this is for definite is not clear, as West Ham are officially unable to comment on the situation.
End of an era, or a new chapter?
So what does the future hold for Joan and the pie & mash trade? “We’re all getting on a bit now, so I don’t really know if we’ll decide to sell up and move with West Ham, or if we’ll just ride it out.â€
One of the proposed sites for the new stadium is the Parcel force depot in Canning Town, the original home of the club. Mr Tuck commented: “I think they’d get in before the Olympics. They could then use the stadium for football, or hockey. I’ve been looking at the bookings of the stadium here and there doesn’t seem to be any indication that Upton Park will be used. So if they can move over to Canning Town, then they can use a shiny, new stadium as a venue.â€
It seems as though the legacy of the games has already begun for Green Street, with businesses who rely on the club facing hard times, and with strong signs of the club moving on to try and jump on the 2012 bandwagon, this may mark the beginning of the end of traditional east London.
Roosters Opinion
“Life moves on!, and atmosphere is what we make it, not the bricks and mortar. Without us, all is just a shell. In 50 years time, our great grandchildren will be chanting the song blowing bubbles, and they will make the stadium their own like we have with The Boleyn ground. West Ham will always be the working class palace, theatre of dreams & Academy to the elite, i don’t think it will ever change, no matter who owns it, or where it is rebuilt. Imagine the heartbreak when Arsenal moved from Woolwich to Highbury, at least we keep our stadium in East London where it belongs”.
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East End Girls we will follow the Hammers wherever they go
My family lived oposite the boleyn, I had a great uncle that used to go in the chicken run and support the oposition, whoever they were, my nan and great aunt worked as clippies from the bus garage in priory road during the war, my great grandad had a season ticket my dad was at the world cup final and the first words I said to all my three boys as they were born were im forever blowing bubbles. I live and breathe the east end and west ham is my family. Our east end has gone but west ham will live forever wherever it is. Dont forget The boleyn is at least our third ground it wont be our last. West Ham is whats important not bricks mortar and concrete.
Excellent article!
Green Street will always send a ripple of nostalgia through me. But i simply cannot wait for the club to move and i hope it does move back to West Ham where the transport infrastructure is far more suitable.
i also hope that Joan & the rest of the girls (at Duncan’s) and the supporters club do decide to follow the club and can find some suitable premises.
I spoke to Joan about the proposed move some time ago. Me, my mum aNd our mate Beryl popped up Green street for the day, and Joan said she don’t know whether they will keep the business if West Ham move. But I said that it’s only up the road, and that we will keep coming back for our grub. Things have changed, but lets keep the spirit alive no matter what. I’ll never forget where I come from.
Green Street isn’t in the East End.
Wrong side of the river Lea.
I have heard that the proposed move to the parcel force depot is not happenig to due the local gas works being a safety issue? We are not moving to the olympic staduim and to be honest what other options are there, yes we need a bigger staduim but i fear we will never get one… anyone heard any different? Although I love upton park, I think our ground is a little untidy and being so far away from the pitch is not a good thing. You used to be able to touch the players when they were taking corners, throw ins etc, now that was proper! Could we knock it down and start again at UP? Is this a possibility?