OLD LONDON MEMORIES.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14986, 5 June 1914, Page 8

OLD LONDON MEMORIES.

TV THE EDITOR 07 '"THE PRESS." Sir, —-l sets by nits "i'i'ces" oi to-day tae icierenco icguruiiig tJie site oi t~6 New iiea-i.aui oiliLea m tiie otiauu. 1 may say ciiai- 4irf was eaiai/jiMied as i'age s lioyai Acieipm uyoier nintrueou and supper rooms* oy my mother, tne late -urs l>. C. i'uge, out m wmtt ycur it was lam not quite sure. i tiUrtk it was in 1851. J lie house was gutted by lire the latter part ox Sepliiuiuer. Lt\)'2. Tiie. io\»er lioor, snop, a;id supper vooui were omy ciauiuged by wator, iiiio. .soou were got into us<i again tor business. Nos. 4l'eS and 415 aio undoubtedly the oiiieot premises in tne Strand, from the windows (all bay) ot which was obtained the nuest view of processions, etc.; in the Strand, both up and down. The lettering of the shop windows was very quaint, hand-painted by some celebrated artist whose name 1 iorget, as it is so Jong ago now; tne letters were bordered by a black edge an eighth of an inch thick, and in between the boraering were quamt Chinese scenes, such as tsanipans, houses, birds, rivers, and Chinese, all borts ot animals, etc., in lignt, transparent col-oui-s, which were greatly aumired oy ! many people who used to notice "it. In 1879, the drainage works people replaced the old drains by modern ones. The old pipes consisted of <stt lengths of oak trees with oin centre holes bored through them, and wore simply butted togetiier; the diameter was irom 16 to 18 inches. The pipes were as black as ebony, and as sound .-is the day they were put in. i well remember the opening up of the drains, as the first night 1 got home from a voyage, my cousin and 1 sat on the kitchen table to catch the rats —big feliotvs, are tho Lonuon sewer rats—Kiiliag dozens. At 3 a.m. the place swarmed with, them, until the- pipes were closed up again. Being the centre of so many theatres, we were patronised by all tne celebrities (act- i ova) or tne time, and a nne iot or poopiw they were—the best. I have known them 'before their stars sliono out for their ups and downs, etc. 1 managed my iiiofcijer's busincs for come time up till November, 1881. Mrs L< 0. Page died in I&J2. My mother sold the lease of the property to Captain Walter, head or Corps Commissionaires, after 1 left on my last voyage out to here (New Zealand). The property at that time -belonged to the Hawker family. The premises sit the back, a four-story house and two others adjoining, -were connected to the front Strand house by an underground passage, and also tlirough the end of the supper rooms. The house was very old-tasnioned and quaint, not being gutted by fare, as the front one was. Many peopJo who had been absent from England for many years were greatly pleased to patronise the old firm, and used to bring many of their younger friends to supper and luncheon, to talk and tell of their doings in their younger days, over their chops, steaks, kidneys, and baked potatoes with their jackets on, or lobster .salads, crab, pickled salmon, or oysters in all ways. Our ales and stout wo used to draw direct from the casks in stands in the shop, and we had customers of many years'stand-ing—-Coutts'e Bank and others, etc. There are many old and celebrated establishments in tho immediate neighbourhood, such as the "Nell Gwvnne," "Hampshire Hog," the "Old Thatched House" and the "Adelphi," next door to us, and Rule's Oyster House in Maiden lane, up at tho back. I have seen many scenes in London's famoxis.Strand in my time,.as you may judge, as 1 am just on 62 years of age at present.— lours, etc., EDWARD GBANT PAGE, lormerly of 413 Strand, London, W.C. Lyttelton, June 4th.