The War on Our Doorstep: London's East End and How the Blitz Changed it Forever

London's East Enders are known for being a tough, humorous and lively lot. In the early 20th century, families crowded into single rooms, children played on the streets, and neighbors' doors were never locked in case you needed an escape route from the police. World War II changed everything. During the Blitz, men set off for work never to return and rows of houses were reduced to rubble overnight. Yet the East Enders' ability to keep calm and carry on cemented their reputation for cheerful resilience. They say Hitler killed off the bugs but, along with the slums, the Blitz destroyed a way of life. After the war families were scattered—some to estates on the edge of London, others to isolated high-rise blocks. The old East End communities were gone forever. Told by the residents themselves, The War on Our Doorstep is an eye-opening, moving, and laugh-out-loud depiction of what it means to be an East Ender.