Research on the East End

HISTORY:
The east end has always been known as the working class area of London. A place of overcrowding, poverty, violent crime, grimy industry and social unrest. This has been the case since the victorian age and is not seen much differently now. 

The East End has always been poor in comparison to the West. From very early on it was centred around trade and industry, tanning and tallow works clustered in the area, as it was close to the River Thames and the River Lea. It did, however, seem to be a relatively nice place to live and work, but everything changed in the Victorian Era.

The trade and heavy industry grew along with the Empire under Queen Victorias rule. In 1827, the St Katherine Docks opened, creating more of a need for dock workers. That was no problem as the East End had been attracting many immigrants fleeing their country, mainly being Jews and French Huguenots in the 17th century.

In 1866 a cholera epidemic plagued the East End, killing 3,000 people. Those who could, moved out as soon as they possible - with aid from the railways - leaving behind the poorest, most underprivileged people in the whole of London in one place. In 1887, social reformer Charles Booth conducted a survey of the living conditions of the poor. He found that 13% of the East End were chronically poor, and of those, “a part must be considered separately, as the class for whom decent life is not imaginable.” 

It is unsurprising then, that crime, immorality, drunkenness and violence were so rife. So by the late 19th Century the East End became known as "The Abyss". In the year of 1888, the East End was graced with the tale of Jack the Ripper. It is needless to say that it is most likely the most gruesome one of them all.

FUN FACT: ‘Cockney’ or ‘cock’s egg’ was a 14th century insult used by rural people to describe native Londoners who lived by their wits rather than their muscle. In time, the term came to refer to any working class Londoner born within hearing distance of the bells of St Mary-le-Bow, Cheapside. 

RECENT EAST END NEWS:
Without actually going to a place, news is usually the way we find out about it. it is very influential on the image of areas. The East End is not filled with the most positive news stories, not giving it the best impression.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/police-hunt-driver-after-man-killed-in-late-night-hitandrun-in-north-east-london-10000957.html - An average man, early 50's, was killed in a hit-and-run situation, where the attacker got away in a Volkswagen car.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/schoolboy-stabbed-to-death-after-fight-between-two-groups-of-teenagers-in-east-london-9907914.html - A 15-year-old boy killed in a fight between two groups, with severe stab wounds to the abdomen, was taken to hospital but died three hours later.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/stephen-mulhern-joins-fight-to-save-brothers-east-london-pub-10014050.html - To end these tales on a more uplifting note, TV presenter, Stephen Mulhern, has joined the fight to save his brothers pub. There is very little hope, but now spirits are rising that it may stay open.

EVENTS FROM THE TEXT:
One of the themes touched in the play is domestic abuse towards a female, there are obviously males who are victims of domestic abuse as well, however this survey that was conducted in 2005, shows the percentage of women who are victims. The red is sexual violence, the purple is physical violence and the yellow is the total. The groups are 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55+ and the total of those. The worst part is, that this is probably not all of them as many people dare not report the issue.

Another is Racism, in England and Wales, from 2009 to 2012, it went from 55,134 racist incidents, to 51,585, to 47,679 out of 60,000. That is far too much!

And the police, the people we are meant to trust, could be the ones that are being the most racist. 

Out of all of them, in comparison to the population, black people seem to suffer the most.

We may have not done this tale, but the play still dips into drug use, this shows just how much people take drugs, and which ones. From 2012/13, 16-59 year olds. The drugs are Cannabis, powdered cocaine, ecstasy, any class A drug and any drug. It is measured in people who have taken them; less than once a month (inc. non-drinkers), less than a day a week in the last month, 1-2 days a week in the last month and 3 or more days a week in the last month.