This week in 1957, William Davies, of Caledonian Road, was fined £2 for selling washing powder on a Sunday.

An inspector told Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court it was “not on the list of goods allowed to be sold on a Sunday”.

Meanwhile, the churches of Islington were up in arms after a new law allowed pubs to sell booze until 11pm.

The decision applied to St Pancras, Finsbury, Islington, Stoke Newington and Holborn.

Arthur Davies, president of Islington Free Church Federal Council, opposed it, referring to increased drunkenness among young people and that “later hours were not good for home life”.

In other news, Islington East MP Eric Fletcher moaned in Parliament about the quality of coal. He said: “It very often consists of mere rubbish.”