Sheer rage stopped me from sleeping last so I stayed up into the early hours doing a bit more research for a Thames based project I’m working on, and fell down an internet rabbit hole looking into the history of this pub, The Great Eastern, on the Isle of Dogs #mudlark

I started coming mudlarking here a few years ago, a SW London girl regularly trekking over to the Isle of Dogs. This is what I love about the Thames, it takes you to parts of the capital you’ve never visited. The Great Eastern is situated between Island Gardens and Crossharbour.

The Great Eastern was originally The Newcastle Arms but was bought in 1962 by writer/broadcaster Dan Farson, who changed the name to the Waterman’s Arms. Farson’s father was American journalist & writer Negley Farson, who once took young Dan to meet Hitler.

When Dan Farson died in 1977 his obituary in The Independent wasn’t flattering. ‘Mythomaniacal, egotistical, often unable to tell the truth or the difference between fact & fiction.’ Also ‘a photographer, writer and drunk.

When Dan Farson bought the Waterman’s Arms he’d been inspired by old style music hall traditions, wanting to recreate these in his pub. He made a documentary for Rediffusion TV about East End pub entertainment & decided to give his pub a major plush revamp with decorated stage.

He installed a painted backdrop to the stage showing the Royal Naval College at Greenwich, which was quite insane. The pub became a massive hit from the start and this area, working class docks, was suddenly ‘the-place-to-be-seen’ by the trendy set.

Well known performers appeared on the stage and the rich & famous were regularly seen making their way along the Manchester Road to socialise there: Clint Eastwood, Judy Garland, Kenneth Williams, Francis Bacon, Brian Epstein, Jacques Tati and Shirley Bassey.

A pregnant Shirley Bassey actually sang on the stage of The Waterman’s Arms. Check out that Royal Naval College background. (Tried to find out who took this photo so I could credit them but was sadly not able to.)

The resident band were the John Gale Trio. Other entertainers were Tommy Pudding, Kim Cordell and Karl King and The Vendettas

TV Programmes were also recorded at The Waterman’s Arms for an ITV show called ‘The Entertainers’. Unfortunately TV bosses got scared when the recordings got too rowdy and live recordings had to be stopped.

In 1964 Dan Farson sold the Waterman’s Arms. He was an alcoholic, heavily in debt, unable to meet regular payments to certain ‘local gentlemen.’ During the 70s, the Waterman’s Arms business declined due to the three day week, changes in industry & economic decline of the docks.

In the 1980s The Waterman’s Arms became a popular backdrop for film and TV as companies were looking for gritty Isle of Dogs backdrops. Scenes from The Long Good Friday were filmed here plus also The Professionals with Martin Shaw & Lewis Collins.

Sadly, The Waterman’s Arms closed its doors for the last time in 2011 although a few years later new landlords were found who stepped in and took over the place renaming it The Great Eastern, after Brunel’s great ship, built in the shipyard a bit further upstream.

It’s still there as the Great Eastern & someone really should make a film about these times because they were quite something. I’m indebted to Mick Lemmerman’s splendid Isle of Dogs blogs, not just on this but on so much of the history of the docks here https://islandhistory.wordpress.com/2013/11/22/watermans-arms/amp/

Thank you for reading.