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SKY'S THE LIMIT

Fascinating pics reveal how 1980s London’s East End transformed into city metropolis it is today

Photographer Tim Brown took pictures of the area after shifts working on the London Underground

AMAZING images show the staggering transformation of London's East End from its undeveloped dockland beginnings to a modern metropolis today.

Photographer Tim Brown captured the soul of the area while working as a Tube driver on the Central Line for 13 years.

The Canary Wharf site, 1988 - This view from the Canary Wharf DLR station shows what London's financial district looked like before huge development really got underway
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The Canary Wharf site, 1988 - This view from the Canary Wharf DLR station shows what London's financial district looked like before huge development really got underwayCredit: TIM BROWN
Today, Canary Wharf is jam-packed with huge buildings where some of the world's wealthiest companies have their European offices, just across the River Thames from the O2 Arena
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Today, Canary Wharf is jam-packed with huge buildings where some of the world's wealthiest companies have their European offices, just across the River Thames from the O2 ArenaCredit: Alamy

Brown took the photos after his shifts on the London Underground using a 35mm film camera.

His snaps show what Canary Wharf looked like before a £2.6bn building project began there in 1988.

The area is now a jungle of glass and steel skyscrapers, home to Britain's bustling financial sector.

Brown has collected his historic photos in a book called The East End in Colour 1980-1990 - take a look at some of its incredible photos below.

Bishopsgate, 1988 - The old bricks and mortar businesses on either side of the road would all eventually be swept aside to make way for the towering buildings that stand there now
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 Bishopsgate, 1988 - The old bricks and mortar businesses on either side of the road would all eventually be swept aside to make way for the towering buildings that stand there nowCredit: TIM BROWN
Bishopsgate today is home to some of the biggest buildings in London, including the NatWest Tower (Tower 42) and 22 Bishopsgate, which will be a whopping 912ft (278m) when completed
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Bishopsgate today is home to some of the biggest buildings in London, including the NatWest Tower (Tower 42) and 22 Bishopsgate, which will be a whopping 912ft (278m) when completedCredit: Google Maps
The Spitalfields Market, 1988 - The original market started around 1666, shortly after the Great Fire of London, and it continues to be a hub of shopping to this day
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The Spitalfields Market, 1988 - The original market started around 1666, shortly after the Great Fire of London, and it continues to be a hub of shopping to this dayCredit: TIM BROWN
The area does look radically different nowadays after a massive redevelopment programme in 2005 - Christ Church can still be seen at the end of the road
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The area does look radically different nowadays after a massive redevelopment programme in 2005 - Christ Church can still be seen at the end of the roadCredit: Google Maps
Liverpool Street Station, 1987 - The station dubbed the 'Dark Cathedral' was improved to a lighter, more modern-looking space after a new roof was fitted in the late 1980s
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Liverpool Street Station, 1987 - The station dubbed the 'Dark Cathedral' was improved to a lighter, more modern-looking space after a new roof was fitted in the late 1980sCredit: TIM BROWN
Liverpool Street remains one of the busiest railway stations in the capital and has now been running train services since it was first opened in 1874
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Liverpool Street remains one of the busiest railway stations in the capital and has now been running train services since it was first opened in 1874Credit: Alamy
Queen Victoria, Gillender Street, 1990 - The classic 'knees-up East End boozer' has long since been shut down and redeveloped
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Queen Victoria, Gillender Street, 1990 - The classic 'knees-up East End boozer' has long since been shut down and redevelopedCredit: TIM BROWN
Residential flats are now on the site and a school has been built around the old pub
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Residential flats are now on the site and a school has been built around the old pubCredit: Google Maps
High Road Leytonstone, 1988 - The street has remained largely unchanged since this snap was taken
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High Road Leytonstone, 1988 - The street has remained largely unchanged since this snap was takenCredit: TIM BROWN
Though some modern developments can be spotted - including the new 20mph speed zone and speed bumps being installed on the road
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Though some modern developments can be spotted - including the new 20mph speed zone and speed bumps being installed on the roadCredit: Google Maps
On the DLR travelling from Westferry to Poplar, 1988 - The automated metro system had only opened one year before this picture was taken - the service was built to serve the newly developed Docklands area of East London
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On the DLR travelling from Westferry to Poplar, 1988 - The automated metro system had only opened one year before this picture was taken - the service was built to serve the newly developed Docklands area of East LondonCredit: TIM BROWN
After several extensions to the line, it's still operational today and between 2017-2018, the DLR carried 119.6million passenger journeys
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After several extensions to the line, it's still operational today and between 2017-2018, the DLR carried 119.6million passenger journeysCredit: Alamy
North Quay Junction, 1988 - A hexagonal cutaway in the elevated tracks on the DLR system
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North Quay Junction, 1988 - A hexagonal cutaway in the elevated tracks on the DLR systemCredit: TIM BROWN
Canary Wharf's skyscrapers now loom over the same spot today
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Canary Wharf's skyscrapers now loom over the same spot today
High Road Leytonstone, 1987 - A petrol station in the East End which has since been closed down
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High Road Leytonstone, 1987 - A petrol station in the East End which has since been closed downCredit: TIM BROWN
A Polish delicatessen now occupies the same building today - but the same funeral directors is still on the opposite side of the road 32 years on
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A Polish delicatessen now occupies the same building today - but the same funeral directors is still on the opposite side of the road 32 years onCredit: Google Maps
High Road Leytonstone, 1987 - None of the trees which now line the road were there in the late 80s
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 High Road Leytonstone, 1987 - None of the trees which now line the road were there in the late 80sCredit: TIM BROWN
The branch of Boots on the left has stayed in the same building all the way through to the twenty-first century
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 The branch of Boots on the left has stayed in the same building all the way through to the twenty-first centuryCredit: Google Maps
Tim Brown's photographs are collected in The East End in Colour 1980-1990, published by Hoxton Mini Press
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Tim Brown's photographs are collected in The East End in Colour 1980-1990, published by Hoxton Mini PressCredit: TIM BROWN

The East End in Colour 1980-1990 by Tim Brown is published by .

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