Prenders88 wrote:The only people left living within the sound of Bow church bells now, are Pakistani's. It won't be long before Bow church is converted into a mosque.
I very much doubt if it is possible for anyone to be born a genuine cockney now. The criteria of being born within the sound of Bow bells just isn't possible unless a strong wind is blowing. The bells referred to are the bells of St Mary le Bow located in Cheapside, City of London. There used to be a maternity hospital within one mile at City road, where I was born, but this was destroyed by Hitlers bombs on the same night that St Marys was gutted in May 41. The area known as Bow is about 5 miles away, Bromley by Bow on the underground. It used to be a typical East End area with street markets and many Jewish run sweat shops making cheap clothes.In the 60's it was an area where many immigrants of all nationalities flocked and consequently it became very run down. In the 80's however the large Victorian houses were being snapped up by developers and converted to luxurious apartments. Today it is very much a yuppie district with a small apartment costing a million pound plus ..Technically there were no cockneys born from 41-61 as the bells weren't rung until they were recast from the remains of the original, so no one was born within the sound of them .
Just for info .
