The last post

Friday 7 December 2018



It has been:
  • Five and a half years
  • 229 posts
  • Almost 600,000 views (ave c 2,500 views per article, with wide variations)
  • In excess of 400,000 words
  • Great fun!

But it is time to call it a day. This is the last post of the E7-NowAndThen blog.

The website will remain "live" for the next four years, while its license is active.  Nearing the end of this time, I will review its onward on-line presence, taking into account the inevitable technology changes to platforms, display, storage and hosting facilities.

Based on experience to date, I would expect the site to attract in excess of 300 visitors a day for the foreseeable future.

I will provide some maintenance during this period - deleting spam comments, updating and  improving the search facilities - via the "search" box on the left hand column and the "index" feature on the top bar of the drop down menu etc.

As far as the content is concerned, almost all of it is original and some of it of genuine ground-breaking historic research value and significance. I believe in the free access to knowledge and will not assert any copyright authority over any of it, although would continue to appreciate acknowledgements and source citations for any that is used elsewhere, be it on-line or in dead tree publications.

Any commercial organisations wishing to use the contents in any way are invited, as they have been since the site's inception, to make an appropriate donation to a small African educational charity my wife and I have run for the last decade: www.SohmSchoolsSupport.org.uk.

I will continue to make any necessary amendments to existing articles, and answer the many incoming emails this blog provokes, as swiftly and fully as possible.

As I mentioned in the last annual review, I have sought to extend the range of media and outlets through which the contents of the blog have been communicated over the last twelve months.  This has been successfully achieved via film, an exhibition, features in the specialist and local press, and local guided walks and talks. Subject to other commitments, I will be happy to continue in this direction, should there be a call for it. I can be contacted via the contact box at the top right hand side of this page.  I will respond to all requests.

As I indicated at the start of this article, I have enjoyed the last five and a half years enormously: I have made lots of new contacts, some of whom I now regard as good friends. I have been to many strange places and archives and dug around in odd bits of the web in pursuit of material.  All of which has been a delight.

It is now time for a change. To put it as succinctly as possible, outside of my family, on the checker board of life, my principal interest counter has moved from E7 to K9.



My wife and I will be spending much more of our time together, with the two lovelies, above, in the parks and open spaces of Forest Gate and area - and further afield. If you see us, say "hello", you will get a very friendly welcome and appreciative wag of the tail from at least two of us!

10 comments:

  1. Really sorry to hear this John but understand the time commitment that blogging entails. Hopefully you will change your mind when you have had a rest.

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  2. Everything comes to an end but as my fathers family came from Forest Gate, I was born in Stratford and later spent over ten years working in Woodgrange Road straight from my school days in the 1960s this blog has been of great interest and I will miss it but thanks for all your work.

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  3. Many thanks for your hard work.

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  4. Thank you for all that you have done for the local community. I have loved reading your brilliant blog - and been honoured to be able to write a post for you too. Please enjoy your dogs and your time with your wife.

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  5. Please don't stop, I have only just found your blog!

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  6. I just happened upon your blog. Thanks for all the hard work. There's so much valuable material here I hope you find a way to continue to make it available. Best wishes.

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  7. Only just read the plans to stop the blog. All I can say is thank you for all your hard work on it over the years, I have enjoyed many of your articles.

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  8. John - I only just discovered your wonderful blog when researching a local war memorial for War Memorials Online. I'm now part way adding details of the ones you listed in blog of August 2014. It is great work and I must thank you

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  9. Brilliant warm site. Extremely enjoyable. Well-used. Thank you very much. You raised the profile of Forest Gate. Invaluable research and comments.

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  10. John only just found this! A latecomer lol. 1. What is K9? 2. We should campaign for a blue plaque for Ronnie Lane! What do you think? (385 romford rd of course.)

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