There was something that made London's East End special for dog racing

There used to be loads of dog tracks in London's East End. The Stow, Walthamstow Dogs, was the last but the 75 year old stadium was the best in the world, with a huge fan base. There are several groups on Facebook devoted to it and one has more than 10,000 members...

Dog racing seemed as traditional as jellied eels, warm beer, flat caps or fish and chips. The Stowwas a lot more than that and even had its own night club, Charlie Chans.

So it was a huge shock when the Chandler family, who owned and ran it for the entire 75 years it operated, announced that The Stow was to close. The last meeting was held on August 16, 2008.

This video features some of the beautiful sights and unforgettable sounds of the old place. It was made in the months leading up to the closure when huge crowds packed out the place.