Clapton

Stories about Clapton

Adventure Playgrounds in Hackney

B&W image of two children playing in an adventure playground on a slide.

Since the 1950s, Hackney’s adventure playgrounds have been important spaces for generations of local children, where they can play freely and where anything seems possible. This blog explores the rich history of adventure play across Hackney, Shoreditch and Stoke Newington. What are adventure playgrounds? Adventure playgrounds are unique spaces that support children to be independent. … Read more

Perpetual Beauty Carnival Club: Stoke Newington’s Pioneering Mas Band

Five people dressed in blue and white peacock costumes posing in the middle of the street.

This blog explores the story of Perpetual Beauty Carnival Club, the Stoke Newington Mas Band that introduced Caribbean carnival traditions to the borough in the 1970s, inspiring generations of Mas makers.  Mas Comes to Hackney In the 18th and 19th centuries, enslaved people in the Caribbean developed Mas – short for ‘masquerade’ – as a … Read more

Stone Age Hackney: Rediscovery

A black and white photograph of a deep excavation. In the trench pose 3 unknown workers, and apart from them Worthington George Smith pointing to a layer of stratigraphy in the soil with his cane.

This series explores how Hackney’s Old Stone Age (Palaeolithic) archaeology was discovered and preserved due to the rapid urban development of the late 1800s and the dedicated work of a handful of collectors. The Opportunity The borough witnessed rapid population increase in the 19th century, rising from just under 15,000 people in 1801 to nearly … Read more

Stone Age Hackney: Joseph Exall Greenhill

A black and white photograph of a man and a woman, presumably members of library staff, arranging a display of archaeological artefacts in glass cases. In the bottom left case stone tool artefacts from the collection of Joseph Exall Greenhill can be seen.

This series explores how Hackney’s Old Stone Age was discovered and preserved due to the rapid urban development of the late 1800s and the dedicated work of a handful of collectors. In this post we explore the life and impact of the forgotten figure behind Hackney Museum’s prehistoric collection, Joseph Exall Greenhill. Joseph Exhall Greenhill … Read more