Author Archives: Kennington Observer

About Kennington Observer

Surreptitiously observing Kennington, including the suburbs Vauxhall, Oval, Walworth, and Elephant since 2012. We're fiercely independent and never boring.

Bonnington Cafe

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Bonnington Cafe has been a mainstay of Bonnington Square since the squatters moved in in the early 1980s. At that time, many of the houses didn’t have functioning kitchens, so members of the community took turns to cook for each other in the communal cafe, using ingredients either bought from or scavenged from the nearby Covent Garden food market.

Bonnington Square Cafe - kenningtonrunoff.com

The cafe still operates in this way, run as a co-operative, with a different chef cooking every day, but it’s now open the wider public as well, and it’s a truly magical place to spend an evening. Needless to say, the food can be a little hit and miss depending who’s cooking, and there are generally just two choices of starter, main course, and dessert, all vegetarian and some vegan. But the food is cheap, it’s BYOB with no corkage charge, and the atmosphere is invariably great, with candles, occasional live music, a wood fire on cold nights, and above all, a real sense of community (the cafe doubles as a community centre). Just don’t ask for the “special stuff”.

Here’s a video about the Bonnington Square squatters, including plenty about the cafe (thanks to @taxbod for the link):

Harleyford Road Community Garden

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West Kennington has not one but two lovely community gardens. Harleyford Road Community Garden is adjacent to Bonnington Square, on what was wasteland until 1984 when the community once again stepped in and turned it into something beautiful. They are remarkably peaceful and lush considering their location. Keep an eye out for the invisible waterwheel.

Harleyford Road Community Garden - kenningtonrunoff.com

More photos and information on the South Kennington Partnership website.

Kenneth Clarke’s house

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Kenneth Clarke is one of many politicians who live in Kennington, and squatters visited his home in 2011 when, as justice secretary, he was responsible for removing the 700 year old right to shelter in unoccupied residential buildings (we got that fact from the guy in the video; who knows if it’s true?). See the video here.

Squatting in commercial premises remains legal and squatters briefly occupied The Duchy Arms, a former pub at the top of Ken’s road Courtenay Street, in 2013, turning it into a community centre.

Fathers for Justice also staged a protest at Ken’s house once. It’s like the Trafalgar Square of Kennington. We might head down there ourselves for a dirty protest if no-one does anything about the dog poo on Kennington Road.

Bonnington Square

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Imagine if a community took over an abandoned square and restored its houses and communal areas to their former glory, planted mimosa, beech and mulberry trees, lavender, vines, ferns and palms where there had been a derelict playground, and turned the whole square into an oasis of peace and beauty. Imagine they started a café and community centre where volunteers fed the residents vegan food while they rebuilt the kitchens in their derelict homes. Then imagine one of London’s finest delis and cafes opened on the square. Imagine no longer – this is Bonnington Square in West Kennington, a magical, tranquil yet vibrant area, just yards from the noise of the Vauxhall gyratory. The only thing you might have to imagine is the part where Coalition politicians make the short walk from Parliament to Bonnington Square, then have an epiphany about the positive side of squatting.

The square was built in the 1870s, and was earmarked for demolition in the late 1970s, until squatters moved in. This video from The Guardian’s website tells the story of the remarkable work the squatters carried out.

Here’s the community garden in the middle of the square, dubbed Bonnington Square Pleasure Garden in honour of the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens:

Bonnington Square Gardens - kenningtonrunoff.com

Not bad for a former WWII bomb site. Channel 4 gardener Dan Pearson was amongst the residents responsible for it.

In 1998 the squats were legitimised when the housing cooperative the squatters had formed was allowed to purchase the buildings. Nowadays Bonnington Square is one of the most desireable addresses in London thanks to its beautiful houses and gardens, its location, the Bonnington Cafe, and Italo Deli. Oh, and there’s a ley line running directly through the square, which also takes in Brunswick House, Sally White and lane seven of the Palace Bowl in Elephant & Castle Shopping Centre.

Bee Ridgway writes evocatively about her time staying on Bonnington Square here.

what part of Kennington should you live in?

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What could you eat forever?

  • A) coconut and tamarind fish curry
  • B) double Ginger Pig-bred cheeseburger in a brioche bun
  • C) ceviche
  • D) lemongrass sesame pork rice vermicelli
  • E) quinoa and camargue red rice salad
  • F) spicy hot beef and okra stew on injera
  • G) McDonald’s happy meal

What is your jam?

  • A) Heaven Is A Place On Earth by Belinda Carlisle
  • B) Slave To The Rhythm by Grace Jones
  • C) Windowlicker by Aphex Twin
  • D) Pass Out by Tinie Tempah
  • E) Vindaloo by Fat Les
  • F) You Got The Love by Florence & The Machine
  • G) Timber by Pitbull feat. Ke$ha

Which is your favourite Kevin Spacey?

  • A) House of Cards Kevin Spacey
  • B) LA Confidential Kevin Spacey
  • C) The Usual Suspects Kevin Spacey
  • D) Seven Kevin Spacey
  • E) Late night dog walking Kevin Spacey
  • F) American Beauty Kevin Spacey
  • G) K-PAX Kevin Spacey

What’s on the top of your Kennington bucket list?

  • A) watching Florence from Florence & The Machine do an impromptu drunken covers set at a tiki bar
  • B) dancing till the sun comes up then comes down again
  • C) going to Radiohead’s Boiler Room takeover at Corsica Studios
  • D) exploring urban forests and soaking up ruin porn before it’s too late
  • E) attending a private view at Damien Hirst’s new gallery
  • F) going to a test match
  • G) watching Millwall play at home

How did you score?

Mostly A’s – you should live in Central Kennington
Mostly B’s – you should live in West Kennington (formerly known as Vauxhall)
Mostly C’s – you should live in North Kennington (formerly known as Elephant & Castle)
Mostly D’s – you should live in East Kennington (formerly known as Walworth)
Mostly E’s – you should live in North West Kennington (formerly known as Lambeth)
Mostly F’s – you should live in South Kennington (formerly known as Oval)
Mostly G’s – you should not live in Kennington; would suggest Fallujah, or Clapham

Kennington vs local postcards, Lassco Maltby Street - kenningtonrunoff.com

Kennington predictions for 2014

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An exciting year for North West Kennington with the opening of Damien Hirst’s gallery and the new Buddhist centre in the Beaufoy Institute.

Sally White will dramatically expand their range of food, open in the evenings, and provide mindfulness training for all staff.

Kernel Brewery will open their first pub in the site next to the Old Red Lion.

Waitrose will take over Tesco’s Kennington “superstore”, The People’s Supermarket will take over Tesco on Kennington Park Road, The Super Store on Kennington Lane will take over Tesco on Kennington Road, and no new Tescos will open anywhere in Kennington.

Ace Hotel will open their second London hotel in the former Days Inn on Kennington Road.

The Imperial War Museum will reopen with catering from Ottolenghi.

Lambeth Palace will open to visitors all year round.

Russell Brand will perform at Always Be Comedy.

Dirty Burger will introduce a veggie burger.

The revitalisation of North Kennington will continue with the Elephant & Castle shopping centre being listed, a Curzon cinema replacing the bingo hall, and a bunch of exciting new bars and restaurants moving in on the Brixton Village model (thanks to Oliver Dee for the suggestions).

Florence Welch will launch her guest column for Kennington Runoff by performing Addicted To Love at the Kennington Runoff pop up shop.

The heroic Mr Kennington People On Bikes will be named London’s new Cycling Superczar. His first action in this new role will be to implement fully segregated cycle lanes (with a physical barrier between car and bike) along all Kennington’s main arteries, which then spread out to Hyde Park, the City and beyond. By summer 2014. If they can build a cable car across the Thames in less than a year, then this is but a moment’s work.

LASSCO will realise the decimal point has been in the wrong place all this time and will start selling their beautiful items for one hundredth of the price.

Papier mache elephant price tag, Lassco - kenningtonrunoff.com

Kennington Park Skate Bowl

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Kennington Park’s skate bowl is London’s oldest, having been here since 1978. It was closed soon after due to a design flaw that made it easy to fall through the safety rail, which of course made it hugely appealing to skaters. Then in 2011 Converse came along and ruined everything refurbished it, making it safer, and it reopened in 2012.

Kennington Park Skate Bowl - kenningtonrunoff.com

Meditation at the Jamyang Buddhist Centre

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Happy new year.

Are you starting the new year in need of spiritual sustenance? Get yourself down to the Jamyang Buddhist Centre on Renfrew Road in North Kennington, one of two Buddhist centres in Kennington with a third one on the way in the former Beaufoy Institute.

On January 6th from 7.30pm till 9pm is one of Jamyang’s regular Introduction to Meditation sessions. We’ve been to one of these sessions before. What can we tell you about it?

– You’ll have to take your shoes off.
– It’s not a brazen attempt to convert you to Buddhism – Buddha barely got a mention.
– There are opportunities to ask questions. Someone else asked the question we should have asked – how to stay awake during meditation? The instructor did provide some practical suggestions but also said it doesn’t matter if you fall asleep, at which point we nodded off.
– They do a nice quiche and salad in the cafe during the day.
– It’s free but donations are welcome.
– Meditation is scientifically proven to boost concentration, reduce stress, depression, anxiety and addictive behaviours, and can even help with physical problems like heart disease and chronic pain (sorry we can’t lay our hands on the scientific proof right now).

So, all in all, an ideal opportunity to have a look around the Buddhist centre – which has a nice, welcoming vibe whatever your religious beliefs – and to try napping meditation.

Read about the history of the building – and old courthouse – here.

Jamyang Buddhist Centre - kenningtonrunoff.com

The Courtyard Cafe, featuring a Buddha in a glass cage made from pure Nepalese gold:

The Courtyard Cafe at Jamyang Buddhist Centre - kenningtonrunoff.com