BETHNAL GREEN’S York Corridor is London’s final surviving instance of the old school small halls that predominated all through the capital for greater than 100 years. Though the corridor didn’t stage its first skilled match till 1967, it has since grow to be probably the most iconic venue inside the sport within the UK, the place the place goals begin and careers finish.
In January 1950 there have been such locations the place one may see skilled boxing in London, typically weekly however normally no less than twice a month. The Manor Place Baths at Walworth, the Romford Street Baths in West Ham, the Caledonian Street Baths at Islington, the Excessive Street Baths at Leyton and the Lime Grove Baths at Shepherds Bush all ran common reveals that month, they usually, and others, continued to take action all through the early Fifties.
In the summertime one may additionally watch some nice stuff within the open air on the Mile Finish Area and on the Merry Fiddler’s Sports activities Floor in Dagenham. The Authorities’s imposition of leisure tax in 1952 positioned an enormous burden on small corridor promoters and these reveals turned far much less frequent because of this. All through the Sixties and Seventies many of those small halls continued to function however with far fewer reveals than had beforehand been the case. I do know fairly just a few previous timers who bear in mind recurrently attending one among these venues throughout the early Sixties they usually converse fondly of the standard of the boxing, the overall environment and the sense of historical past, that permeated these great previous locations.
I embody two images this week, one among them taken on the Seymour Corridor in Marylebone in 1953 and the opposite at Manor Place Baths in Walworth 10 years later. Within the first picture the ex-British light-weight champion, Billy Thompson of Hickleton Predominant might be seen stopping Harlow’s Johnny Fish in 5 rounds. Fish seems battered round his nostril and mouth, however he was a troublesome cookie, and he gave Thompson loads to consider that night.
What I like in regards to the photograph is that it consists of the ever-present digital camera with its flash attachment poking via the ropes. So many iconic Fifties ringside pictures from the States have loads of these they usually actually add to the sense of place and interval. Upstairs within the balcony, a St John’s Ambulanceman might be seen having fun with the scrap and one other one is seen just a few rows again from ringside.
Within the 1963 {photograph}, Chris Elliott of Leicester might be seen slipping away from a left jab delivered by Bow favorite, Billy the Child Davis. Elliott went on to win the bout on factors and this image superbly encapsulates what it was like to look at boxing on the well-known venue, which closed its doorways for the final time on April 24 1978 when Ray Cattouse, Austin Oyoke and Joey Singleton all topped the invoice in eight rounders.
Quite a few well-dressed observers might be seen up within the balcony, the place the view of the boxing was very good, they usually all seem like correct combat followers. Mike Barrett was the promoter at Walworth presently, and he additionally promoted on the Grange Street Baths in Bermondsey and on the Municipal Baths in Epsom. He turned one of the vital influential males in British boxing throughout the Seventies when, together with Mickey Duff, Harry Levene and Jarvis Astaire, he promoted many of the huge fights at Wembley and on the Royal Albert Corridor.
Throughout the Seventies, Manor Place Baths, York Corridor and the Seymour Corridor all remained as energetic venues, as did the City Corridor at Shoreditch, however right this moment there may be solely the York Corridor left. In case you have by no means been to see boxing at this excellent previous place, then I implore you to take action. If ever the York Corridor goes, then London’s historic hyperlink to the likes of The Ring Blackfriars, Wonderland and Premierland will probably be misplaced perpetually, and that will probably be a really unhappy day certainly.
