Albert the Sweep and Peter the Pony: 87 Regent’s Park Road

2013 Optometrist

History:

87 Regent's Park Road Sweep

Langton’s: Albert the Sweep and Peter the Pony, 1930s

  • BERLIN WOOL DEPOSITORY 1868 Misses Harriet & Elizabeth Hibbard
  • TAILOR Thomas Farrow 1870-95
  • GLASS & CHINA DEALER  Henry Hall 1900
  • CONFECTIONERS  Batho & King 1905
  • CHIMNEY SWEEPER David Langton 1915-40

Until the 1950s most houses were heated solely by coal fires. Coal was delivered to London in three main ways: by rail; on horse-drawn canal barges; or by sea, from the area around Newcastle down the east coast and up the Thames to the London docks. Because of the needs of the Euston to Birmingham railway line (opened in 1837) there was a large coal depot at Camden lock.

Coal for domestic use was loaded into sacks, delivered by huge horse-drawn drays, and poured down shoots to the coal-holes of individual houses.Chimneys had to be swept regularly by long brushes pushed up from fireplaces. The practice had been to send small boys up chimneys to sweep them. A law banning this was passed in 1840, but the practice continued until the 1860s. 

85 - 87 Regent's Park Road 1972

85 – 87 Regent’s Park Road, 1972:  87 is Ladrokes

In 1889 a John Langton, chimney sweep, was in Erskine Road. By the 1950s there were Langton builders at 63 Regent’s Park Road, by 1960 Langton’s had a shop at 136. They were all of the same family.

  •  DRAPER  Doreene  1950
  • BUILDING SOCIETY London Progressive Building Society 1955
  •  FLORIST Howard Pierce 1960 BETTING SHOP    W.Suffling
  • ”   Ladrokes  1970-75
  •  OPHTHALMIC OPTICIAN   Hugh Green 1980-85
  • SECOND-HAND DESIGNER CLOTHES Second Thoughts 1992-98
  •  WOMEN’S CLOTHES   Alicia   2000-01
  • OPTOMETRIST  Adam Simmonds  2001-present
87Optician

Optician, 1986