A criss-cross of pollarded rows of Victorian terraces, this unambiguously residential Newham neighbourhood has Forest Gate to the east and Upton Park in the south as centres for local amenities. So sporadic and anarchic is the planning of the capital city, that even the most uniform of neighbourhoods will likely have a pearl tucked away. The pearl for this part of Forest Gate was the Upper Cut Social Club which stood from 1966 to 1967 next to what is now Percy Ingle’s bakery. During its short lifespan artists like The Who, The Animals, Jimi Hendrix, among many others, would pass through the doors of this fantastical venue. More permanent residents have included Steve Marriott of the mod group, Small Faces, and the dub poet Benjamin Zephaniah.

It is hard to say what unique quality the locale boasted in the 20th century that attracted so many talents. Nevertheless, in recent times estate agents have noted the area’s relatively low property prices. Alongside excellent schools and the nearby amenities of Stratford this postcode has attracted many ‘upgraders’ from north London. St Angela Ursuline and St Bonaventure, for girls and boys respectively, have been rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

As with much of London’s outer districts, this locale did not become urbanised until firmly into the nineteenth century. Prior to the arrival of the railway, the land was mostly owned by a handful of wealthy Quakers. These counted a number of notable families such as the Fry’s chocolate-making family. Elizabeth Fry was an influential social activist, significant for reforming 19th century prisons for women and children, and lived at a house in Upton. The Gurneys were also an important name in the area. Elizabeth’s younger brother Samuel bought the manor of the land, Ham House, in 1812. As soon as word spread of the charming countryside at Upton together with good transport links, the demographics of the area began to transform also. Clerks and skilled workers filled the newly developing terraces, whilst Quaker estates turned into Irish Catholic churches and schools. Though the architectural landscape has remained much the same, and remained mostly unscathed even after the bombing of WWII, the community has transformed significantly, becoming much more diverse. None of the area’s ethnic groups form a majority here today.

Bennett and his wife Dianne approached the quiet teen, having seen a spark in his eye, and offered him a place to stay in their family home. Dianne recalls, many decades on, how Arnold would train at one of her husband’s two gyms on Romford Road, where he would meet some of his idols, work on his English – as well as his deltoids – and come home to a house full of children, listening to bedtime stories with them. Arnold has spoken of the Bennetts as his ‘British Parents’, saying that they provided not only a couch to sleep on but the love and approval that he needed, during those early formative years.

The Upper Cut is the subject of much pride around this area. It was opened in 1966 by boxer Billy Walker and managed by his brother George after the two had spent £200,000 redecorating the former ice rink (which had also served as a pawnbroker’s almshouse as well as a cinema). It is said that the then relatively- unknown Jimi Hendrix, whose gig was advertised with a misspelling of his name, had written Purple Haze here on Boxing Day 1966, whilst waiting to come on stage to perform. Despite the many stars that graced the Upper Cut, the club closed just one year later, paving the way for the building’s new era as a bingo hall.

With the Elizabeth Line opening earlier this year, fast trains now run through both Forest Gate and Manor Park stations. This has brought Liverpool street within 11 minutes and far away Paddington within half an hour. Additional improvements to the plaza on Woodgrange Road have come as a result, including extra pedestrian space, an enhanced public transport hub with bus route connections, as well as extended cycle paths through Forest Gate. Just south of here, West Ham FC’s former home, the Boleyn Ground, is being turned into a residential quarter. Barratt Homes will be constructing a complex of 18 buildings containing a total of 843 homes. The area will be known as Upton Gardens and will feature roof terraces, a public library as well as a number of commercial spaces.