本书是Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives特展相关。

From ‘The Blind Beggar of Bethnal Green’ to ‘Bonkers’, the people of London’s East End have always appreciated a good tune.
Our unique history, shaped by its connection to the river as a source of inspiration, work, and migration, has produced an extraordinary musical legacy, spanning everything from folk songs and sea shanties to music hall, jazz, punk, the Asian underground and grime.

Description from Brick Lane Bookstore: https://bricklanebookshop.org/product/cockney-rebels-popular-music-in-tower-hamlets-1624-2003/

The first section takes a deep dive into the roots of popular music in the East End, from folk songs and sea shanties to the Victorian music halls and pub singalongs. The second explores the influence of migration and American popular culture in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, including klezmer, jazz, swing, and calypso. Moving forward, the third focuses on the rock & roll years from the 1950s to the mid-1970s, taking in pop, mod, psychedelia, glam rock and more. The final section covers everything from punk, disco, soul, and reggae in the late-70s, through post-punk, goth, dance, Britpop, and Asian underground to the early grime scene at the turn of the millennium.

Famous names such as Lionel Bart, Helen Shapiro, Small Faces, Fleetwood Mac, Billy Ocean, and Dizzee Rascal are showcased alongside lesser-known but impactful artists like Max Bacon, Stepney Sisters, Bow Gamelan Ensemble, and Joi Bangla Banned.

Wallsend's name recalls its origins as a settlement on the frontier of the Roman Empire. Over the centuries the town at the end of the Wall would become just as famous for its coal, ships and marine engineering. In this book, Jean and Ken Smith spotlight important aspects of the history of this friendly Tyneside community.

In 2022 the public was allowed for the first time inside Battersea Power Station, as it was relaunched as a multi-use shopping mall, entertainment destination and office complex. Prior to this, the much-loved brick cathedral had stood empty for over 30 years, a monumental ruin, beloved of film and album-cover-art directors. Yet behind the scenes there was always plenty going on. The building changed hands multiple times as developers staked their fortunes on it, and invariably lost. It was going to be a theme park. A museum of science and industry. A super-sized cinema complex. A home for the Cirque du Soleil. A new stadium for Chelsea football club. Michael Jackson wanted to buy it.

White Elephants and Flying Pigs explores the power station’s history, from conception and construction, through use and obsolescence, into its long years of stagnation. In this book, former workers, politicians, lords, architects, planners, entrepreneurs, urban explorers and makers of inflatable pigs tell the story of this brooding brick hulk. Ultimately, it’s a story about London and the city we would like it to be.