Italians come to England "Little Italy"

[Lucia147]

Hi, I have just joined in Rootschat and saw your post, I grew up in Little Italy Clerkenwell, I do have lots of information on certain italian names etc, maybe I can help you, who are you researching? from where?

[dawnsh]

Hi Lucia

Welcome to Rootschat and the London & Middlesex board 

I'm sure knowledge will be very useful to this and other similar topics.

Thanks for your offer.

Dawn
(co-moderator for London & Middlesex)

[PastPresentFuture]

Hi Lucia,

I am researching the Draghi Family who lived at Saffron Hill, Great Bath Street - also i know there was a community centre/social club in the area that the Italians would go to  - any help would be gratefully appreciated.

kind regards
lisa

[Plummiegirl]

I live in Plumstead Sth. London and many of the roads in my area (inlcuding my own street) were built by Italians.

Our streets are  Ancona Road, Leghorn Road, Piedmont Road and Tuscan Road (the only fly in the ointment is Congo Road)

And there is another area with I believe 5 streets with Italian names in North London.

Just a bit of added info for you on the Italian community in London

[bevo]

There is a very nice book on Victorian London street life which has a chapter on Italian street musicians and a little general history of Italians in London. The author, JOHN THOMSON, interviewed people in Saffron Hill.

John Thomson, Victorian London Street Life in Historic Photographs

[Gossip64]

Hello, Many moons ago, I worked for the Pru just off Leather Lane in an office, we used to occasionally have I believe an italian man who would come and sing at the top of his voice - opera, the windows would be opened up and coins were thrown down to him in the street, it was a lovely memory. His voice used to echo because the main building and the office I worked in bounced the sound around. It was a very exciting time, and Leather Lane was a thriving market in the late 50's early 60's.

I did work again nearby in the 80's and the whole atmosphere has changed. The hustle and bustle had gone, along with Gamages where as teenagers we'd go and listen to records in the record department in a little booth.
The world has moved on since then, not sure if for the better.

Gossip

[louisa maud]

My grandmother was born in Saffron Hill, she often spoke about the Italian church and it's processions on feast days, she was 1 of twelve but none married an Italian surprisingly

Gamages, as children we would walk miles in London, Gamages was a shop we would go into but not to buy, there wasn't the money around in those days

Happy memories

Louisa Maud