HCL Location

Holbrook College is situated within minutes of Bethnal Green - a district of the East End of London, England and part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Located 3 miles northeast of Charing Cross, it was historically small village in the ancient parish of Stepney, Middlesex. Following population increases caused by the expansion of London during the 18th century, it was split off as the parish of Bethnal Green in 1743, becoming part of the Metropolis in 1855 and the County of London in 1889. The parish became a metropolitan borough in 1900 and the population peaked in 1901, entering a period of steady decline which lasted until 1981. The economic history of Bethnal Green is characterised by a shift away from agricultural provision for the City of London to market gardening, weaving and light industry, which has now all but disappeared. The quality of the built environment had deteriorated by the turn of the 20th century and was radically reformed by the aerial bombardment of World War II and the subsequent social housing developments.

History

Bethnal Green is most famous for events that occurred during World War 2. On 3 March 1943 at 8:27PM the unopened Bethnal Green tube station was the site of a wartime disaster. Families had crowded into the underground station due to an air raid siren at 8:17, one of 10 that day. There was a panic at 8:27 coinciding with the sound of an anti-aircraft battery being fired at nearby Victoria Park. In the wet, dark conditions, a woman slipped on the entrance stairs and 173 people died in the resulting crush. Although a report was filed by Eric Linden with the Daily Mail, who witnessed it, it never ran. The story which was reported instead was that there had been a direct hit by a German bomb. The results of the official investigation were not released until 1946. There is now a plaque at the entrance to the tube station, which commemorates it as the worst civilian disaster of World War II. It is estimated that during WWII, 80 tons of bombs fell on the Metropolitan Borough of Bethnal Green, affecting 21,700 houses, destroying 2,233 and making a further 893 uninhabitable. There were a total of 555 people killed and 400 seriously injured. Many unexploded bombs remain in the area, and on Monday 14 May 2007, builders discovered a World War II 1 m long, 500 lb (230 kg) bomb.

Religion

The two main faiths of the people are Islam and Christianity, with 50 per cent Muslim and 34 per cent Christians.

There are many historical churches in Bethnal Green. Notable churches include, St. John on Bethnal Green located near the Bethnal Green tube station.The church was built from 1826 to 1828 by the architect John Soane. Other notable churches include St Matthew - built by George Dance the Elder in 1746. St Matthew is the mother church of Bethnal Green; the church's opening coincided with a vast population increase in the former village of Stepney, resulting in the need to separate the area around Bethnal Green from the mother Parish of St Dunstan's, Stepney.

There are four Islamic places of worship or services in Bethnal Green for the Muslim community. These are the Baitul Aman Mosque and Cultural Centre, Darul Hadis Latifah, the Senegambian Islamic Cultural Centre and the Globe Town Cultural Centre and Mosque. TheLondon Buddhist Centre, at 51 Roman Road, is one of the largest urban Buddhist centres in the west, and is the focus of a large Buddhist residential and business community in the area.

Culture

Bethnal Green has excellent links to central London. By taken the Central Line at Bethnal Green Tube Station, you can be at Oxford Circus in 15 minutes. As well as being very close to all of the amenities in Central London, Bethnal Green has its own Cultural activities to offer. Minutes from the Tube Station you will find the Museum of Childhood which houses extraordinary collections of dolls houses, games and historic toys, but it also explores the nature of childhood across cultures and through time. One of London’s quirkiest museums, the Geffrye, tells the story of English domestic interiors, beginning in 1600. Painstakingly created living rooms down the ages – including gems from the 1930s and ‘60s – expose the nation’s decorating hits and misses. There’s a good range of arts workshops and the beautiful walled herb garden is a perfect spot for a picnic and the Sunday papers.

As well as several museums, there is also an abundance of markets in the area – most notably and champion of all the East End venues, Spitalfields is a hotspot for fashion, art, vintage and antique finds. Sunday is busiest day, with speciality markets in the week. There is also the much smaller Broadway Market, located just off London Fields which runs every Saturday, here you can find food of all kinds – bread, cheeses, meats. You can also pick up vintage clothing, furniture, music and flowers. However, if its flowers that you’re after you cannot miss Columbia Road Market which runs every Sunday. The entire street sells hundreds of different kinds of plants, flowers and herbs.

Bethnal Green is situated right beside Hackney which is notably the greenest borough in London with over 60 parks covering 815 acres. It is also home to the largest collection of football pitches in Europe and is home to the new Olympic stadium. Just 5 minutes walk from Holbrook College of London is Victoria Park which covers 218 acres. This beautiful park is perfect for walking or relaxing and holds the Love Box festival in the 0summer where famous singers from all over the world come to play.

Whatever your tastes, there will be something for you in East London and at Holbrook College of London.