h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

STILL TRYING TO WORK OUT HOW TO REPLY TO THESE GUIDES, HOPE I'VE GOT IT RIGHT THIS TIME.

JUST LIKE TO SAY YOU'RE SPOT ON WITH YOUR BOUNDARIES OF THE EAST END.
MOST OF MY FAMILY MOVED OUT TO TO EAST HAM & CLAPTON AFTER BEING BROUGHT UP IN STEPNEY AND I'M BAFFLED BY PEOPLE REFERRING TO THESE AREAS AS THE EAST END.

THE EAST END LIES TO THE EAST OF THE CITY OF LONDON WHICH HACKNEY DOES NOT.
THE BOROUGH OF HACKNEY HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN NORTH/NORTH EAST LONDON NOT EAST LONDON AS YOU CAN STILL SEE FROM SOME OF THE OLD 'NE' STREET SIGNS DOTTED ABOUT, THE EAST LONDON POSTCODE WAS BROUGHT IN FOR THE POST OFFICE.OTHER PLACES IN NORTH EAST LONDON ARE; HAGGERSTON E2/WOODFORD E18/DALSTON E8/HOMERTON E9/CHINGFORD E4/CLAPTON E5/WALTHAMSTOW E17 WITH HOXTON BEING THE START OF NORTH LONDON (N1).

THE LIKES OF EAST HAM/FOREST GATE/STRATFORD ETC. WHILE MAKING UP PART OF EAST LONDON ARE DEFINATELY NOT IN THE 'EAST END'.
IN ANOTHER FIFTY YEARS SOUTHEND WILL PROBABLY COME UNDER EAST LONDON BUT THE BOUNDARIES OF THE EAST END WILL NEVER MOVE.

COMPARE BETHNAL GREEN TO POPLAR AND YOU HAVE VERY SIMILAR AREAS. COMPARE HACKNEY TO LIMEHOUSE OR WALTHAMSTOW TO STEPNEY THEN YOU HAVE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PLACES ENTIRELY.
SO TO HEAR SOMEONE CALL HACKNEY/WALTHAMSTOW/FOREST GATE THE EAST END IS TO HEAR SHEPHERDS BUSH OR CAMDEN BEING CALLED THE 'WEST END'.

AFTER LIVING IN CLAPTON FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS I CAN TELL YOU HACKNEY IS AS ABOUT AS EAST END AS HARINGAY. THE COMMUNITY IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT, THE PIE AND MASH SHOPS ARE NOTHING COMPARED TO KELLYS AND IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T HAVE A COCKNEY FEEL TO IT.

I WOULD SAY PLACES SUCH AS BERMONDSEY AND ROTHERHITHE IN SOUTH LONDON HAVE MORE IN COMMON WITH THE EAST END THAN WALTHAMSTOW AND HACKNEY.

THE MISUSE OF THE TERM 'EAST END' IN RECENT TIMES IS PROBABLY DOWN TO BBC1'S 'EASTENDERS' AS MUCH AS ANYTHING ELSE.

ANYWAY, I WONT LET IT GIVE ME THE 'ALDGATE PUMP'.

WELL DONE WITH AN ACCURATE VIEW OF THE EAST END.

I know what you mean. I grew up in Walthamstow and Forest Gate, and when I tell people this, they are really snobbish. Some of them don't talk to me again! They have obviously never been there and have no idea whatsoever what it's like there. I am really proud to be coming from Forest Gate, I had a really happy childhood there and in Walthamstow. Where I live now, where all the snobs are, is like a living hell for me! I really miss London.