Radical History Walk

This walk sets off at 11am and takes about 2 hours along our main paths and finishing at 1pm.

Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, known as the Cemetery of the working class, is where the East End's radicals are buried in their thousands. The stories of Eliza Martin — buried under her married name, Elizabeth Best — who was 19 when she sat on the five-woman strike committee that took on Bryant and May in the 1888 Matchmaker's women's strike, and won. Or Chris Braithwaite, born in Barbados in 1885, a sailor, a docker, an activist and one of the leading Black political voices in 1930s Britain. And Will Crooks who went from the Poplar workhouse to become the first Labour mayor in London and MP for Woolwich and many more are buried here. 

Their questions and stories aren't only historical ones. With hate rising again, can community activists draw on the lives of those buried here? Can a cemetery be a site not of rest but of action? Can we organise with the dead? Can we find hope in graves, in grave times?

Information before booking:

This event is for all. Children under 16 will need to be accompanied by one adult carer. Please book a space for all children AND adults attending.

ON THE DAY

1) Please arrive on time and go to the meeting area: Just outside the Soanes Centre (on the right as you enter via our main gates on Southern Grove E3).

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Access statement

• This is an accessible, inclusive session The maximum number of participants for the walk is 25.

• The event will involve a walk through the park. We will be walking outside so please dress for the weather.

• The Soanes Centre and the Lodge are wheelchair accessible but please get in touch if you have any specific needs. If arranged in advance a motorised vehicle could drive onto the site but there is no general parking at the Cemetery Park. There is on-street parking in the nearby area.

• Please contact us with at least 2 weeks’ notice if you’d like BSL or other interpretation/translation and we will do our best to facilitate. Sadly we have no interpreters or translators available in-house.

• Accessible toilet facilities are available. There is no adult changing table or hoist.

• We are able to offer baby changing facilities and we can provide a private space for breastfeeding on request.

• If you require prayer space during the event please let us know and we'll make a quiet space available for you.

• We aim to make our events as accessible as possible and are learning constantly how to do this better. If you would like to let us know about any specific requirements or access needs that you would like us to meet, or offer feedback on our accessibility arrangements, please email contact@fothcp.org. We want you to feel safe in nature.

Refund policy: If you tell us that you want to cancel your ticket, we will give you a refund if you request one, given a minimum of 5 days notice before the start of the event.