EPW006778 ENGLAND (1921). Harris Lebus Cabinet Works, Tottenham Hale, 1921

Interesting point from Keith regarding camouflage. My mother worked here in her late teens (1938 onwards) and the factory moved over to war production mainly aircraft. I remember her telling me she worked on the Mosquito which was a wood airframe. Lebus was a well known manufacturer of furniture pre WW2 and after. Large employer in the Tottenham/Edmonton area and many of my family spent time working there. Think it closed in the 60's?

What a transformation this area has had since 1991, never mind 1921! The factory site was cleared for a housing estate.



But what do I detect about the factory roofs? - that looks remarkably similar to camouflage paintwork to me, not just some fancy finishing-off work. It's supposed to match the allotment fields off to the north on the other side of the road and does a pretty good job. Regret I don't know what type of WW1 manufacturing they were engaged in, though aircraft/munitions could have been probable.



At the top of the picture, Ferry Lane passes from L>R carrying the road over Tottenham Lock to the Ferry Boat Inn on the extreme right edge, that's where Forest Road begins heading towards Walthamstow. Note the narrow bridge at the locks location where there are now a pair of locks today. This bridge was Tottenham's excuse for their tram system not reaching further east towards the tram lines of neighbouring Walthamstow 500 yards away at the Essex county border.



The reservoir in view at the top is called the Lockwood, with the Low Maynard one just off to the right of that behind the pub. It's a small stream at that point, crossed by the Ferry Lane bridge, which marks the boundary between Tottenham (Middlesex) & Walthamstow (then Essex). This also was the farthest point to which Walthamstow & District trams ran because never the two authorities could agree on the joining up of their two systems!



Towards the bottom of the picture is the Gospel Oak and Barking railway line ('Tottenham & Forest Gate' as was), showing the section from South Tottenham station below out of view, to Blackhorse Road station a little way off to the right.