Growing up in the East End of London, near the docks, everything was derelict. It was a wonder our houses were still standing. Eventually they were destroyed by the building machines and new buildings arrived. Otherwise they had survived two world wars and were still sltanding. However, everything was otherwise destroyed and the remains of the buildings and gardens were our playgrounds are kids. We knew nothing different. Half destroyed buildings were the essence of adventure for us and the gardens were our introduction to nature. Mainly it was the weeds that survived, but sometimes you might discover the remains of a rose bush or other flowers.

We children had fun in the remains of what was left. We would go out to play. Today parents would probably have civilisation shocks when they saw what we did with the ruins. We would have stone throwing fights, boys and girls together, and there were all sorts of interesting things to discover. We would dig in the oild gardens and were lucky not to discover an unexploded bomb. Old kitchens and toilets were interesting, but we survived. There was no talk of getting infections or illnesses. We were probably imune.

The building remaining on the photo was a nurses day home from the nearbye hospital and it still exists today. Otherwise the area has been transformed into a small park. Who knows what remains in the earth, although I believe the unexploded bombs from the war have now all been removed, but now and again one will be discovered again.