Fight venues you'd most like to have visited...

[Alex D]

If time travel were possible, which extinct British boxing venue would you most like to visit?

For me it's Premierland in Whitechapel, which staged fight shows between 1911 and 1930. Set in the heart of London's East End, this smoky, ramshackle hall was the lifeblood of British boxing during that period and produced several British greats.

My second choice would be The Ring, Blackfriars, which was a similar type of London venue but based south of the River.

[kokid]

My choices would be the same, but in opposite order.
The air in those places must have been thick with boxing legacy.

I also would love to see the old NSC at Covent Garden, and old Wonderland.

I suppose most of the old boxing halls around Britain no longer exist now, certainly not for boxing purposes.
Closest must be York Hall at Bethnal Green, but while great, it's not the same.
Most modern arenas are "cold" and have little atmosphere to them.
I doubt boxing fans of the future will be day dreaming about going back in time to visit O2 Arena to put it that way.

[stacey]

Alex Blackfriars Ring is north of the river?

[Alex D]

Hello Stacey,

The Blackfriars Ring was definitely south of the River. It stood on Blackfriars Road, where the modern glass office building seen on the below map reference stands today:

maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&wrapid=tlif133509304681210&q=72+blackfriars+road&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x487604a54519ebc5:0x57ad68fd69d241d7,72+Blackfriars+Rd,+London+SE1+8HA&gl=uk&ei=S-eTT52yLZOr8QOR983ODA&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CCAQ8gEwAA

[newgal]

Would love to take some pics for you of what the places look like now. Give me an address or general location and I can do that!

Of course a visit is different (vibe, smells, sounds, imagination) than a picture.

Would love to help out as I am in need of some info on a boxer (female) - Elizabeth Wilkinson Stokes.

Though I am interested as well in visiting these places considering I live in the area and likely pass them often without knowing and pics can be arranged without you providing info.

[newgal]

Funny, I just looked up Premierland and I used to live almost next door. HA! The Ring is now a boxing club and now not too far my my current home.

A nice empty AM picture of the street would be quite amazing...

[Alex D]

Hi newgal,

Thanks for your kind offer. Which area of London do you live in? Most of the old boxing venues are no longer standing, but there might be a few places that I can give you addresses for.

The building that was The Ring, Blackfriars is unfortunately no longer there. The boxing club you mentioned is another building nearby where The Ring stood. It opened a few years ago and borrowed The Ring's name.

The bulding that was Premierland stood empty for many years. It was pulled down some years ago, I believe in the 1990s, which is a real pity when you consider all the history attached to it.