FOOTWEAR RELATED

Cherry Blossom

In the late 1870s the brothers Charles and Dan Mason were running the Chiswick Soap Company. In 1906 the business launched Cherry Blossom shoe polish. In 1913 it changed its name to the Chiswick Polish Company. Three years late it floated on the Stock Exchange. In 1930, following a merger with another polish business, the company renamed itself Chiswick Products. It was acquired by Reckitt & Colman in 1954. The latter relocated its head office to Chiswick. A large warehouse was built on Church Wharf. The building was soon dubbed Lenin's Tomb .

Manufacturing was transferred to Hull in 1972. The site continued to be used as Reckitt & Colman's headquarters until 1998, when it moved it to Windsor.

Dan Mason financed the Chiswick Maternity Hospital, which overlooked the Thames.

Location: Burlington Lane, W4 2ER

Website: https://cherryblossom.co.uk

The London Shoeboys' Brigades

In Paris, street children cleaned and polished peoples shoes in the street for money. In 1850 three Ragged School teachers hatched a scheme to adopt the practice in London. Lord Shaftesbury endorsed their proposal. The London Shoeblack Brigade was set up in 1851 by Lord Shaftesbury. The first pitch was established in Leicester Square. Others in Central London were assigned by the Metropolitan Police. They boys rotated through these twice a week in order to even out earnings because some of the pitches generated more revenue than others. The boys wore a uniform of a red jersey and a black apron. The Brigades members were active at the Great Exhibition. In 1854 two satellite brigades were established in the East End and Southwark. Others followed.

By the start of the First World War the Brigades had mostly disappeared. However, the trade survived until after the Second,

Location: 223 Borough High Street, SE1 1JD. The Southwark Brigade's headquarters.

The Old Football Pitches, Hyde Park, W2 2UH (orange, purple)

86 Leman Street, E1 8AJ. The East End Brigade's headquarters. (orange, orange)

2 Saffron Hill (28 Great Saffron Hill), EC1N 8QX. The Central Brigade s headquarters. (red, purple)

David Backhouse 2024