| AdminHistory | Thomas Edward (Tom) Lyddon of Poplar was born during the war in 1942, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire.
The family moved to Hatfield Broadoak, Essex (-c1947); Marlborough Road, Dagenham; 60 Naval Road Buildings, Blackwall (from c1950-1976); 33 Ullin Street, Teviot Estate (from 1976).
Living in Poplar, Tom went to St Bernards School, Damian Street. Art was was Tom's favourite subject, and after he left he worked for Crown Wallpaper, Old Ford Road, Bow as a hand engraver. The department was moved to the north and he left the company hating working inside. He then worked for Herbert Morris Brown and Lennox, chain and lifting gear manufacturers, Manchester Road, Millwall as a lorry driver taking goods across the South-East. He loved the freedom of travelling to different destinations and making his own decisions. He later became a driving instructor working part-time for three years, and then a licenced black cab taxi driver with his green badge from 1976 until retirement in 2012.
He also had time to pursue interests such as learning to fly a plane and art. Tom Lyddon reflects: 'In the late 1980's I began to be serious about learning to paint. I found that the artist John Copnall gave painting lessons locally in the artists colony in the former Spratts dog biscuit factory.'
His work was exhibited at Southbank as part of the Greater London Council's 'Paintings for London' - the one painting was sold it depicted a view from Blackheath, Greenwich across London. After retirement in 2012 he attended art classes provided by Idea Store Learning, Shadwell Centre, learning different media including printmaking. He has also had more recent exhibitions at the Yurt Cafe, St Katharine's Precinct, Poplar.
Selected landscapes from this collection also exhibited at Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives, titled 'Tom Lyddon's Cityscapes', 1 December 2025 - 27 March 2026 |