Eagle eyed and long term readers aware that for several years we’ve taken a keen interest in the developments in an around the newly created Oval Village, which we call ‘UptownKenVo’, and here’s the latest.
The Applegreen petrol station in Kennington Lane has now gone to that giant, fossil fuel cloud in the sky and is no more. Also sadly departed is our only Greggs, which is now on an adjacent, probably sausage roll shaped cloud. They are to be replaced by a nine storey, 185 bed block of student accommodation. There will be commercial space on the ground floor.
We took particular interest in the press release stating that there will be a ‘fantastic rooftop garden with amazing views’ as when we were students the best view we had was looking out of a dirty window in a pub that smelled of wet cat hair. But times change…
In the midst of the Kennington Cross triangle nestles a quiet gallery that until last week the Runoff had never visited. Ken Artspace is run by artists Agalis and Rob, who live upstairs and decided to create a gallery space on the ground floor when the property beneath them became available. In the 1960’s the space was inhabited by a grocery/pet shop with a sign that read ‘Mixed Marvels’ at the upper level and this inspired the artistic duo to curate a show themed on the sign.
Ken Artspace’s most recent exhibit is named after the aforementioned sign and features eight established artists, most of whom have had a solo show at Artspace, working on small canvases. Microbial beings, cellular shapes, and dreamy Swedish landscapes fill the room as well as more figurative mixed media works about travel. A stand out for us was Jeffrey Dennis’s paintings inspired by 1970’s catalogues of home furnishings. We particularly enjoyed the series ‘Boxhead’ by London artist Jane Gifford, below, as it reminds us of the way that most of PR team feel the morning after the Runoff Christmas party at the Tommyfield pub.
If this exhibit doesn’t tickle your artistic fancy your artistic collarbone you might want to follow them on the socials as they have an intriguing mix of occasional pop up exhibitions and little events. The creative installations in the window also provide visual relief on a little street punctuated by a dry cleaner, a chippie, and a defunct Chinese joint. And of course, popping in by no means obliges to you buy anything or is even a statement that you’re an art fan. Happy viewing!
Mixed Marvels is exhibiting now until 22 December. The gallery is open Thursday to Saturday and like all tasty morsels in life, is totally free.
Let’s us first pay homage to the pub that used to inhabit this domain. It was the Royal Oak in Kennington Lane (next to the Eagle) and was one of Greater Kennington’s last authentic working mans’ pubs. Sadly it went under last year, but not by the hands of current landlords John and Ryan McElhinney, who run a small chain of pubs in Waterloo/Southwark. Luckily we used to go to the Royal Oak (Ok, we went once) and we can confirm that Mc and Sons has retained many of the original features from its previous incarnation including the bar and fireplace and have given the place an Irish twist, this being the theme of their five pubs.
We visited Mc and Sons to inspect their Thai menu but of course there are a range of drinks available. Pints on offer include Madri, Session, Camden Pale and Stout, and something called ‘It’s the Hope That Kills You’. At £6.50 they could have called it ‘It’s The Price That Kills You’ but this is London after all. And one can always have a cocktail, a glass of wine or, for the rebels, a soft drink.
Karen from finance chose Chiang Mai chicken pieces followed by Pad Graw Prow. For a starter, the chicken pieces are a generous portion; strips of chicken thigh fried with a dry rub. This comes through moderately spicy, with undertones of lemongrass, and is served with a sweet chilli sauce for dipping. This would equally serve well as a shareable bar snack if you didn’t want a full meal. Karen pronounced her tofu Pad Gras Prow as ‘not for the faint of heart’. This was exceedingly spicy, possibly due to not being able to avoid the sliced chillies which she said were tricky to spot in the atmospheric lighting (and without her glasses). As Karen is on a health kick she chose her Prow with tofu, which was generous and filled the bowl/plate nicely and was topped with a fried egg.
Your scribe indulged in drunken noodles, which consisted of thick rice noodles stir fried with a bit of egg, an abundance of mixed vegetables all mixed nicely in a stir fry with oyster and fish sauce. The prawns were very generous, but the dish had even more heat than Karen’s, so I had to beg John and Ryan for some water. Nonetheless, both dishes have officially been declared triumph: Lots of ingredients in the tin bowl along with proper Jasmine rice and a gorgeous Thai basil-lime-chilli-ginger flavour. It’s a flavour hit if you can stand the heat, so is highly recommended.
As for the demographic, it is mostly comprised of white, straight millennials with spare money who like to laugh and enjoy a restrained night out. That describes basically no one at Runoff Towers but that’s just fine, as we appeared to fit in nevertheless, and so will you. And we’re loving the snug at the front of the pub with its own private bar hatch. FYI, if you’re going to dinner you need to give them a ring as it’s not possible to book on their website.
We would like to express a Runoff welcome to the newest arrival in Kennington Cross, Ink Beauty! While we’re not in a position to gauge the local market for bum contours, scalp tattooing and fat dissolving dermal fillers, we always support the little guy so long may you prosper.
On a recent meander down Wincott Street in north Kennington we noticed an unusual Victorian building looking not unlike a prison, which prompted us to pull out (nerd alert!) an old Ordnance Survey map. This building was constructed to be a ‘casual ward’, or a very temporary home for homeless people passing through our manor.
Before 1930 terminally homeless people were a not uncommon site in Greater Kennington. Casual wards were constructed close to workhouses, and we have written about the Lambeth workhouse before, which is around the corner from the casual ward and was once the home of Charlie Chaplin. While workhouses were places for local people (like the Chaplin family) to live while they got back on their feet and perhaps learned a trade, casual wards were intended for the totally destitute of no fixed address to stay for one night, so no one was committed to their help.
Conditions in our Lambeth casual ward were pretty terrible and people had to work extremely hard for a night in conditions barely better than the street from where they came. As their clothes were being fumigated, the inmates bathed collectively by gender and were then put to work. It is debateable as to what this work actually entailed, but was something like potato peeling for the frail or back breaking splitting of stones for the more able bodied. Folks didn’t even get to partake in the potatoes they were peeling, as dinner in the casual ward consisted of a kind of gruel made of dried oats, making the Lambeth Workhouse look comfortable by comparison.
To gain insight for his seminal work ‘Down and Out in London and Paris’, George Orwell visited casual wards very similar to the one that remains in Kennington today, and specific excerpts from the book can be found here. These remnants of social history are evaporating in the mind boggling dynamic changes we are encountering in Greater Kennington (Nine Elms being a prime example). However, with a nose around our patch you might make some discoveries yourselves if you’re clever and observant. And of course you are, as you’re reading this.
If rock splitting or potato peeling is a specific fetish of yours then you’re in luck. Casual wards, or ‘spikes’ as they were colloquially known, have their own Spike Heritage Centre in Guildford! Probably not the most cheery day out, but you can twin it with a local pub or a twirl around the Surrey Hills.
We recently took advantage of a discount to make the bold and frankly quite terrifying decision to step out of Greater Kennington to visit the Van Gogh House on the Oval/Stockwell borders. The house isn’t really a museum per se, and was described by the perky and well drilled staff person as ‘a gallery space for people inspired by Van Gogh and other artists’.
In a reality that might seem a bit surreal to the unaware, before becoming an artist Vincent Van Gogh did indeed live around the corner from the present day Lidl in Stockwell. The house outlines his life at the time through the letters that he prolifically wrote to his brother Theo, a few photos and drawings, and the efforts made to establish Vincent’s residency in the home in the 1970’s. The rooms also offer a fascinating glimpse into a busy 19th century boarding house and school, where 11 people lived.
On the gallery front, the exhibit on now until 17 December is called ‘The Living House’ celebrating the 150 years since the great man’s residency. The exhibits explore the notion that the home is still inhabited in some manner and plays on the notion that the house is a collaborator in the artistic process and toys with the concept that art and living are entwined. And you even get a bar of soap for your cerebral efforts.
Until 30 September Lambeth residents can visit Van Gogh museum for £4 and tickets can be nabbed here. If you live in Southwark then sorry, no discount for you. If you live in Wandsworth we’re not sure why you’re reading this site but should nevertheless be applauded for your profoundly good taste.
If you’ve ever waltzed down Cleaver Street (the street connecting Cleaver Square to Kennington Cross) you will have stumbled upon the majestic Lambeth County Court building, which served our community loyally for 90 years until it was decommissioned in 2017. Since then it’s been shut to the public, opening its doors only tantalisingly for art exhibits, such as the one we covered in 2019. But change is afoot and we’re here to tell you all about it.
First a potted history. In 2020 owners Duchy of Cornwall appointed property developers to transform our lovely bit of early 20th century architecture to…you guessed it…. luxury flats. We saw the proposals in 2021 and it involved adding floors to the top, destroying the insides, and adding a huge wing to the back. Thanks to the unceasing exertions of neighbourhood groups and the strongarm of the 20th century society, listed buildings consent was granted at the end of 2021 which fortunately squashed the overambitious dreams of said developers.
During a recent open day inside the court building, we had conversations with folks from Fathom Architects, Rolfe Judd Planning, and most importantly an advisor on heritage who is ensuring that folks adhere to Grade II listed building guidelines. What is planned is the creation of two offices (non retail) on the ground floor and then nine flats above. This will be achieved by adding an additional floor (not easily visible from street level) and an addition at the back. The courtrooms will retain their original look with one flat built entirely inside one of the courtrooms. Most importantly, the lovely curved stairway will be retained. Full details can be seen here.
Our new neighbours will be living in nine flats that range in size from 500 to 1800 (!) square feet, with the lucky sods on top having roof terraces. When I asked how much these unaffordable flats will cost, the Rolfe Judd guy squirmed in manner which we’ll call ‘contorted’, and replied ‘300 to 400, with the top ones going for a 1.5 million’. So ending up in a courtroom is really lucky for some people. Ground will probably break on the project after planning consent later next year with a 12 to 18 month construction window after that. And please don’t ask us to wade in on planning permission, as we did that in 2021 and still can’t calm the shitstorm that ensued.
If you’re the observant or, in our case, intrusive sort you’ve probably noticed some unconventional appearing railings outside some estates in Greater Kennington. These didn’t start their life as estate railings, but rather as devices to save people’s lives.
Our little railings atop an emergency vehicle
At the beginning of World War 2 London was stripped of many of its railings in order to be melted down for use as armaments. Whether they were actually used for this purpose or just an elaborate morale boosting PR stunt remains a point of debate. Ironically, the iron railings were removed at the same time as 600,000 iron stretchers were being mass produced in order to ferry away casualties from bombsites. Fortunately not nearly that many were ever needed or would be in future, so London had a whole lot of beds on her hands….
The WW2 stretchers produced during the war were cast iron and couldn’t be melted down into anything more practical afterwards, so in a rationed post war Britain someone devised the clever idea of sticking the stretchers on their sides, welding them together, and repurposing them for use as railings outside of public buildings. In this very early version of upcycling, they were reborn as fencing and exist to this day. Today our railings attract interest from around the world but sadly, like most of the staff here at the Runoff, are not being cared for properly and are in a sorry state of repair.
Kennings Way, Kennington
Alverstone House, Oval
Stretcher railings are a very unique part of London’s quirky street furniture and we are fortunate to possess the lion’s share right here in our anointed patch. So next time you get a pesky little idea about going to the West End for a bit of culture, just pop over to your nearest estate. There is even a stretcher railing society for those of you who have a fence fetish. But if you do join, we suggest that you keep that one to yourself.
Most of us equate stained glass with ecclesiastical feelings of guilt, forgiveness, penitence and, in our case, parental disappointment that we’ve chosen to work at a publishing house that might not actually exist. However, the newest offering at Vauxhall’s Newport Street Gallery takes stained glass out of the church and challenges us to consider it as a stand alone form of art, and we’ve just checked it out for you.
Brian Clarke is regarded as the most significant figure working in stained glass today and the current show, ‘A Great Light’, is an overview of his output over the past 20 years. On the ground floor we encounter a quite mesmerising new work called ‘Ardath’, a huge wall of mouth blown glass depicting a floating, flowering meadow in springtime. A selection of Matisse like cut outs complement the work on the opposite wall. The other downstairs rooms feature skulls in a variety of settings.
Upstairs we are presented first with an aquatic theme, in which a warship and men on a beach appear to be oscillating and moving in dot matrix compositions. The final rooms are the most interesting, and consist of a series of folding screens which possess a kind of ethereal beauty. Screens are intended to prevent us from seeing something, but these screens invite us to look through them with their depictions of jellyfish, heraldry, and flowers. Also in these galleries are smaller, jewel like panels presented on plinths.
A Great Light is foremost an uplifting and life affirming body of work (in spite of the skulls) and feels quite appropriate for a sunny summer’s day. And if you don’t like stained glass they have an ace selection of merch to make your friends think you’re a real art connoisseur.
Brian Clark, A Great Light is open now until 24 September at the Newport St. Gallery and is totally free. Just turn up.
Ever wondered about the existence and future of that giant gravelled eyesore of a vacant lot next to the Beefeater Distillery in Montford place? Well we’ve just been on a tour with the developers and we’re here to fill you in on what’s in store
For many years the site was occupied by Hayward’s pickle factory until it was partially destroyed in 1944. The bit that survived lives on as the Beefeater Factory. After changing hands a number of times, the lot next to it was purchased by TfL in order to have a place to store equipment and lorries working on the Northern Line extension. TfL have now partnered with Grainger Homes to deliver 139 homes, 40% of which will be dedicated to affordable living. It will be 11 floors and occupy most of the footprint of the site, with grasses and trees included. Construction will started by the end of 2023 and it will be called Montford Mews
Not what it will look like, This is the pickle factory
My first question to very peppy and well informed TfL developer Susanne is probably the question that almost all Runoff readers are thinking right now. Namely, what do you call ‘affordable’ and why is it that only people in high earning jobs appear to be living in these allegedly affordable flats? She said that Lambeth Living determine what is affordable and it is usually between 40 to 60% of the market rate. She added that people are allocated the flats based on their earnings the previous year and preference is given for people already living or working in Lambeth.
Gripping site photos
On our previous tours of Oval Village across the road we asked about access to the general public and if people will offer a short cut between Kennington Lane and the Oval. They confirmed that it will, and Susanne confirmed that the public will be able to walk through the Montford site as well. There will be businesses on the ground floor, but they will be light industrial (ie offices). We were heartened to discover that the affordable living people living in the affordable flats will have access to the same amenities (gym, etc) as folks paying the full whack.
Susanne also mentioned another very similar project that will see 450 (!!) new homes built above Nine Elms tube station. However, dear reader, it was long ago we became unable to keep up with the vertical insanity of Vauxhall, so if you want more details click here.
Planning permission has been granted for both the Montfort and Nine Elms sites. But please don’t ask us to weigh in on planning consent as we did that once and we still can’t get that toothpaste back in it’s tube.
