In this episode of Danny Hurst´s Unusual Histories Podcast, he is joined by former Manchester City midfielder and  football agent, Barry Silkman, who grew up in the East End. He shares his insights into what it was like then as well as how he became a professional football player despite there being quite a lot of prejudice against Jews at the time.

Barry talks about the pubs, local characters (including The Krays) and how people from different cultures developed a close community. As you would expect there are also a few footballing insider stories.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The area has changed so much that when Barry went back there 18 months ago at times he didn´t really know where he was.
• When Barry was a kid, the area was very Jewish. Now, not many Jews live there.
• Despite its bad reputation, the East End of Barry´s childhood was a very safe place.
• The community was quite mixed. There were differences but most people integrated so everyone got along.
• Petticoat Lane market, one of London’s oldest, was always very busy. Both of Barry´s parents worked there for many years.

BEST MOMENTS

“Now everyone's so wary .. the dimension of the East End has changed.”

“I'm very proud of my heritage.”

“Three out of four doors were wide open until 10 at night…There weren’t people getting mugged, getting stabbed.”

“The first time I played against Spurs, it was just a strange feeling.”

“What I went through being Jewish as a kid made me mentally and physically very strong, so nothing gets me down.”

“A lot of our friends were Indian people from Brick Lane, because we went to school with them.”

EPISODE RESOURCES

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Silkman

Petticoat Lane Market History - https://surveyoflondon.org/map/feature/1742/detail

Demographics of Stepney - https://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/Documents/Borough_statistics/Ward_profiles/SDSG-Ward-Profile.pdf

Jewish Football Players - https://www.jta.org/2022/02/25/sports/british-jews-love-soccer-so-why-are-there-no-jews-in-the-premier-league

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cable_Street

https://www.jewisheastend.com/garden.html

HOST BIO

Historian, performer, and mentor Danny Hurst has been engaging audiences for many years, whether as a lecturer, stand-up comic or intervention teacher with young offenders and excluded secondary students. Having worked with some of the most difficult people in the UK, he is a natural storyteller and entertainer, whilst purveying the most fascinating information that you didn't know you didn't know. A writer and host of pub quizzes across London, he has travelled extensively and speaks several languages. He has been a consultant for exhibitions at the Imperial War Museum and Natural History Museum in London as well as presenting accelerated learning seminars across the UK. With a wide range of knowledge ranging from motor mechanics to opera to breeding carnivorous plants, he believes learning is the most effective when it's fun. Uniquely delivered, this is history without the boring bits, told the way only Danny Hurst can.

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