Most of these types of introductions are just said on early videos and then end up sticking and become naturally associated with the channel. I'm assuming this was the case for you as well Rob.
@@jacobmassey3897 that is exactly what happened Jacob! I had no idea at the time people would actually pop by, so I thought if anyone did then that would be a pleasant way to welcome them 😄
My Dad was a fairly prominent DJ in London in the 70s/early 80s. He used to source his records from all over London, and there were some right character in the game back then. The underworld used to be involved in running of pubs/clubs back then. I knew bent coppers who'd siphoned off enough money to buy pubs and also "local business men" who got their money through the black market. Anyway, one of the people my Dad spent time with in this era of his life was none other than Eddie Grant. He used to help supply my dad with Rocksteady/etc vinyls. My Dad formed a good relationship with Eddie, to the point he used to visit us in Barnsbury/Islington to come over for food/drinks. Believed he lived in Stamford Hill at the time. My first piece of vinyl was a present from Eddie to me, which was his 7" single "I don't wanna dance". It's always nice to hear Eddie Grants name, as it takes me back to an interesting period in my formative years.
My son played a tiny role in the history of Electric Avenue - when Eddy Grant turned on the new sign in 2016, local primary school children were invited to perform beforehand, and my son played in his school's steel band. If there's a more joyous combination than steel pans (played, in this case, extremely well) and children, then I don't know what it is. It was tipping it down with rain, but the music was as bright and cheerful as Fyfe's lights all those decades ago.
I lived down Atlantic Road for a while 20 years ago and would cut through Electric Avenue to get to the Tube - lovely to be reminded of those days (though not of the strong smell emanating from the butcher stores early in the morning, not pleasant to encounter when rushing past hung-over to work) ;) and great to learn the history of the famous name. Great work again, Rob.
Thank you for mentioning my home Town of Newcastle, I know it's not your thing, but Willaim Armstrong did so much for the UK. Mosley Street was just the beginning, Cragside in Northumberland, for example, was the first building in the world to be lit by hydro-electricity, and the first to be lit by Joseph Swan's newly invented incandescent light bulbs. At this time, it also had hot and cold running water, central heating, telephones, fire alarms, a hydraulic passenger lift and a Turkish bath suite. Great vid.
Anytime Michael; Newcastle is a great city with top people. Thanks for the info; very interesting. I would like to cover Newcastle at some point in a video; similar to the one I made about Liverpool a few months ago.
Not an area I know well at all but in the '90s, travelling daily from Victoria to East Croydon (working for Aiwa in Allders) I always found the disappearing curve of Electric Avenue completely fascinating, almost feeling that there might be a Narnia-like place just beyond view round the bend. When you're working in Croydon you have to get your romance where you can 😊 Thanks yet again for a fascinating, educational and entertaining video.
@@PaulMcCaffreyfmac I can imagine the original state of it with the glazed ballustrades and electric lighting might have been quite a sight, especially around Christmas! Probably not quite like Narnia, but with the "foliage", it probably was the perfect image of Christmas nowadays known from cheesy Christmas TV romances. 😆
I so look forward to all your videos. The London Stone video was something I’ve never heard of, as well as Electric Ave. Amazing informative and interesting videos. Thank you so much. Regards Liz Clarke
Hello Rob, scanning RU-vid I saw Electric Avenue. yes i thought better look at that as a long part of my working life was in Clapham and a lesser part Brixton. then i caught it was you.Ihave been wondering where your visit to South London would take us . Another superb video. You mentioned West Norwood cemetary. As you are well ino research, I will let you look for yourself, there are several very famous names buried there, which when you look them up you will be surprised. The cemetary wa opened in 1837 checkout what was added in 1915 and its link to the Magnificent Seven (Google and Wikipedia ) have i think most of the answers. Looking forward to the next video
Fantastic comment Butch, thank you. I’ve covered the cemetery before; as I’m sure you’ll know it has a connection with the brains behind the first Underground railway. Hope you’re keeping well 😉
The last time I visited (earlier this year I think) there was a lot of work going on. All part of an ambitious project to restore the chapel in the Greek enclosure, along with various monuments, and to create a new visitor centre.
Rob , one more of your detailed entertaining videos, as a teen I spend many days hanging around what is now called Brixton village to listen to reggae records and buy some dub plates , those were the days when we could hang around all day just listening to great music . Sadly long gone . All the best
Such a fascinating and remarkable history and what a sight it must have been in its time. You've done it again Rob, almost like I was there myself, brilliantly illuminating I could say, thank you!
I remember the song - but I didn't know Electric Avenue was a real place! Thanks, Rob. The only other song I could think of was A Nightengale Sang in Berkeley Square. One of my favorite songs - covered brilliantly by The Manhattan Transfer!
As a native of California, we out here know little of the nuances of Eddie Grants song. Today I finally learned a thing. The prevailing thought here, false as it is, was it was about escape from oppression by getting high. Thank you for illuminating the truth.
Such is the advantage of being relatively young and growing up with the internet: despite being Czech, I did roughly know what it was about! So the really illuminating part for me is the preceding history. 🙂
Wow - that was amazing. What an interesting centre of so much activity over many years. And yes, now I can't get the music out of my head! Thanks so much!
That's really mad, I was literally talking about this very street on Threads a couple of days ago. I used to love the Eddy Grant song so when I actually discovered there was a real Electric Avenue I had to go to Brixton and see it, but I was secretly really disappointed it wasn't 24/7 street partying 😂 And then I found out the backstory to its name, and I was fascinated. Great vid (again)!
Excellent. Having grown up in Newcastle and Northumbria I had no idea Eddy Grant's song was about an actual street until I started working in and around London in the 90s. I've still never been to Electric Avenue though, must do that.
Thank you so much Deviljellly; that’s incredibly kind of you. And I’ll see what I can do; North-west London is where I was born and grew up after all 😉
Great stuff as always Rob, thanks for your hard work to bring us these wonderful pieces of history. I was born in London, my mothers family go back a long way in the city and seeing these episodes of a now mostly lost culture is great if somewhat sad . Thanks again, Robert.
Top work, Rob. Another "musical" street that would make a great video is Baker Street. Yes, of course Sherlock Holmes, that's been done a hundred times, but it's also the inspiration for Gerry Rafferty's classic hit, Baker Street, and for the superb song by Jethro Tull, Baker Street Muse, written when the band's main man, Ian Anderson, was a local resident and the song tells stories of the characters he saw in the area.
Great one Rob💪🇬🇧💯 I know all them place's well!!... Used to drink in Bradeys in the 80s🥳🤩 Great time's 🇬🇧💯 The times maybe different but real beauty is them buildings. Thanks for lots i didn't know 🧐📽️
Another great informative video. Enjoyed it very much. Thanks Rob. What a beauty Electric Avenue was back in the day. I have warned the neighbours 🎶🎵 Passed on the link to your video. Just incase 😉. Take care for now x
That Eddie Grant song was a huge hit in Canada when it was released and it was such a bolt (pun intended) of brilliant energy among all the pop or hair metal of the day on the radio. Great video as always and I could suggest Blue Jeans by Blur ‘air cushioned soles, I bought them on the Portobello Road’ or, of course, ‘Under the Westway’
Another really top quality video from Robslondon! Learned some fascinating history. For street-related songs i can only think of Baker Street (and the legend about Bob Holness providing the saxophone solo).
I lived in Brixton in the 1960's. I remember the iron columns, it was a shame the couldn't kerp them. I remember seeing Santa in Bon Marche and Christmas shopping with my dad.
Thanks for another fascinating video Rob. Off the top of my head, songs named after London streets include... Blur's 'Under the West Way', The Kinks' 'Denmark Street', .. but possibly not Roxy Music's 'Do the Strand'...
I visited Brixton and saw the Bowie mural, but had never heard of Electric Avenue. So much for being norwegian. Now I have a reason to go back on my next visit to London, which is just around the corner. Great video again, Rob
Thank you so much for your kindness Ronny, and also for a lovely comment. Much appreciated ☺️ I was lucky enough to see David Bowie live many years ago,.. he was incredible. Stay well.
Brilliant Rob, loved it. Alas I've never been to Electric Avenue. One song that springs to mind is Duffy's Warwick Avenue, my closest station growing up.
So that's where "Electric Avenue" came from, a favorite song from back in the old days! Such rich history! There was this lovely cow from "Magic Roundabout" singing about the Strand! We got that in Ontario Canada in the '80's! There is even a roundabout in town now!!
Fascinating as always Rob! 👍🏻Brixton has some very interesting history doesn’t it?! 😊 I used to spend many an evening at Brixton Academy… let us hope it will be back to its former glory as one of the UK’s top live music venues soon.
A glorious video; thanks Rob👌 Catching up with you as I was unwell for a while. Thank you as always for your immaculate research and cool presentation 😊
Crumbs Rob that was so good. i never knew the history of Electric Avenue and i found that really interesting. i use to often go up to Brixton from my home in Beckenham in the 1990s just to gaze and and try some of the unusual food that where on offer. I've heard that the area has gone more up market, I guess thats London for you always changing.
The reason why the Windrush generation settled in Brixton was due to the fact that they were first sheltered in the deep level tunnels near Stockwell. The nearest Labour exchange was Brixton and therefore where many got jobs and a chance to live in the area. I have travelled through and sometimes work in Brixton. It is a very vibrant area.
I stayed on Coldharbour Lane just a few feet from Electric Lane earlier this year and fell in *love* with Brixton. Anti-colonial, multicultural, rich and gorgeous. My favourite place to stay in London.
Built in 1888,electric avenue was the first electric lit street and market place,might be lit by lamps of that times design,Jhon and Alexander Rye who made them were not less figures.The street was canopied and it had been first street during the victorian time.Never the less you filmed excellent
Thanks for letting me know chellybub.... it's so frustrating. This video is performing very slowly, I wonder how many others don't know 😞 thank you so much for checking and sticking with me!
@@Robslondon that's ok, I thought you should know. I really don't know why they do this kind of thing... I hope it picks up. I am not a RU-vidr so I don't know what to suggest 😔 thank you for sticking with it though, we all love your work ☺️
I remember that song well from the time :) I wasn't aware the history to the area but I am familiar with the markets :) Warwick Ave by Duffy, Baker Street Gerry Rafferty, Violet Hill by Cold Play, Lambeth Walk by Furber and Rose or the Kinks Waterloo Sunset with Berkely Mews and Denmark Street :) Thanks Rob :)
Thank you Rob. Another interesting & well researched video. I was lucky enough to see Alabama 3 before they hit the world stage. They were supporting The Levellers during their 1997 UK tour. One of the best gigs I’ve been to, brilliant performances by both bands & the upper circle at The Royal Court, Liverpool, was bouncing! 😳
Here's a bit of trivia, the cinematograph film "L'arrivee d'un train engare de La Ciotate" can be seen in the background of a scene featuring Count Dracula and Mina Harker in the 1992 film, Bram Stoker's Dracula directed by Francis Ford Coppola and featuring Gary Oldman in the title roll. Before that scene however, you can see a boy with a sign advertising the Lyceum Theatre, with a production of Hamlet starring Henry Irving : Bram Stoker was Henry Irving's manager at that theatre, and some people have theorized that Irving might have inspired some of Stoker's characterization of Dracula. Just thought that trivia would be interesting for people watching this video to know.
This brings back memories, I had a job in Clapham in the 60s, I often shopped in Brixton in the lunch hour. A big department store called Bon Marche? UK. E ❤
Usual messages 👍! I often walk by there on my way to the oldest model engineering society in the world in Loughborough Junction, but never thought to investigate, maybe one day? Had it still retained the cast iron columns and glass canopy i would have already done it as it would remind me of the ones in the Ealing of my youth.
went to brixton most weekends as a kid shopping can remember Electric ave in the 60s, I lived in Vauxhall from 1950 to 1965 our address was Glasshouse walk was told loads of different reasons for the name never did found out the rear one
Thank you for another wonderful video. It looks like much of the cities have been vandalized by spray paint. Same thing here all over Seattle. It makes me flinch in anger. How quickly everything has changed. PS funny to see the exact same city subsidized green free bicycles as Seattle has done for years in the video.
It's interesting that the railway renamed the train destination for the Christmas lights - it's echoed in the recent temporary renaming of Underground stations for commercial sponsorship.
