Exhibition launch: Cockney Rebels

Join BBC broadcaster Alan Dein for a reception to mark the launch of our major new exhibition Cockney Rebels, curated by staff at Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives. From ‘The Blind Beggar of Bethnal Green’ to ‘Bonkers’, the people of London’s East End have always appreciated a good tune. Our unique history, shaped by its connection to the river as a source of inspiration, work, and migration, has produced an extraordinary musical legacy, spanning everything from folk songs and sea shanties to music hall, jazz, punk, the Asian underground and grime. Featuring over a hundred rare items selected from the collections held here on Bancroft Road, this exhibition explores how our borough and its people have inspired and shaped popular music, both locally and globally, over four centuries. Light refreshments provided. All welcome – please book to reserve your place.