Category Archives: Central Kennington

Charlie’s Home Movie

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We’d like to share with you a fascinating clip of our local Tramp Charlie Chaplin visiting his old homes in central Kennington in 1959, where he lived in at least four places. In this home movie (at bottom) made by his wife, he first visits 287 Kennington Road, just behind the Doghouse Pub. The next home is at 3 Pownall Terrace, a now nonexistent row of homes just behind the Texaco in Kennington Road (and if your friends tell you that he lived in Pownell Terrace at the back of Kennington Park – smugly correct them). This flat is mentioned many times in his memoirs. And after a few scenes in West Square, Chaplin finds himself by a very different looking Methley Street where Chaplin, with his mum and brother, lived in the garret at number 39. Chaplin also famously lived at the Lambeth Workhouse which we wrote about in 2019. 

  • 287 Kennington Lane
  • A petrol forecourt
  • 39 Methley in middle

This video gives us a snippet of our hallowed patch in the 1950’s and is an interesting testament to how things change but at the same time remain constant.  After two minutes the video morphs into more of a traditional home movie, showing scenes of a rather dismal and tophatted London still recovering from bomb damage. And the brightest of you (which is most, as you’ve read this far), will see a brief glimpse of Chaplin’s old school, now the Lycee flats in Kennington Lane. 

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The Ten Best Restaurants in Greater Kennington #5

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(+ One Sunday Roast)

Kuma

We are back in Kennington Cross and this time at quirky haunt Kuma which makes its third appearance on the list. We were there last night as we are slightly obsessed with the place to ensure standards haven’t slipped. As we know some of you prefer takeaways to physical dining, the review below was made during the last lockdown. However, if you go in the flesh you will be treated to a background of K-pop music and extremely friendly staff. And Kuma, please never do away with your water served in Korean athletic sports bottles.

It’s Saturday night and time for a takeaway! Astute readers will be cognizant of our love of the Korean/Japanese joint ‘Kuma’ in Kennington Cross. We recently had a takeaway from there and, while not achieving the olfactory heights of being in the restaurant, is definitely worth a Saturday nosh. But Kuma, if you’re reading this we need to have a serious conversation about your excessive use of Styrofoam. Moving on..

Naughty styrofoam and delicious fried chicken


Your zealous scribe started with the painfully bang on trend Korean Fried Chicken. Kuma has three options; traditional, spicy, and we opted for the sticky soy garlic. The medium portion was huge and suitable for two. It had a great crispy crunch and slathered in a sticky soy garlic sauce. For the mains your scribe opted for the chicken bulgogi (say it like a pro…..Boo-GOH-gee) which were very thin strips of chicken grilled on a BBQ coated with a very good sauce called gochujang. Spring onion featured and it was consumed in lettuce wraps. It was billed as ‘hot’ and it certainly was, and so generous that your scribe couldn’t finish it.

My associate had the Kimchi Bokkumbap as a main, a Korean fried rice dish with the national ingredient kimchi (spiced fermented cabbage) topped with barbecued beef strips. A bit like Chinese stir fry rice with a heavy dose of red chilli sauce. It was topped with a fried egg and came with miso soup, and again was a very generous portion. 

A Local Victory

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If it was possible we would buy all of our readers a colourful Christmas gift. Unfortunately, we once again failed to get a bonus this year or any other kind of appreciation from Runoff management. Well, unless you count Monday morning when Phil from finance shouted ‘here’s your lot’ and threw a handful of Quality Street into our cubicles before walking away.  What we can give you, therefore, is a present that will enhance our lives in other ways. 

Lambeth County Court has stood proudly near Kennington Cross for almost a century. It’s functional life came to an end in 2017 and its future was very much in doubt. It was tantalizingly shut from public view after that with the exception of  two occasions, which we chronicled in 2019 and earlier this year. During this time the Duchy of Cornwall, who owns the property, cynically applied for the building to be immune from listing with the plan to convert it into……you guessed it……luxury flats, with the added indignity of an extra floor plopped on top. This would of course entail gutting the building and destroying the original, period courtrooms.  

We’ve always had a passion for the Courthouse, but we’ve given our opinion about planning consent before and let’s just say it took the better part of a year to put that toothpaste back in the tube so we weren’t doing that again. However, to the rescue came the 20th Century Society who gave advice (read, pressure) to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to list the building and after a great deal of exertion the building was granted Grade II status, ensuing that it will remain intact. We’re happy that the Society used some of our images on their website. 

At the moment part of the building is used as studios for artists affiliated with City and Guilds. In our little crystal ball the Courthouse could perhaps become a gallery or studio space for everyone in the community to enjoy in perpetuity. Everyone needs a place to live, but they also need a place to explore. Merry Christmas……

Gandhi’s and a Vegan Surprise

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Gandhi’s in Kennington Cross is like a dear old aunt to us; always available for sustenance and forever reliable. But, much like that dear old aunt, if we don’t look after it well, it might just kick the bucket and be consigned to history. Or worse, become a Foxtons. So last night we swept away our football related cobwebs of gloom and gave auntie a face to face visit. 

On our visit we were surprised to see that Ghandi’s has really upped it’s game since our last visit in the flesh.  There are now a whole range of vegan dishes,  and from that menu we treated ourselves to a very rich spinach and potato starter. There were also vegan versions of other staples such as Biryani, Balti, Bhuna, and Jalfrezi. We’re used to pure veg South Indian, but vegan Indian is a whole new kettle of tofu. 

My associate had the Lamb Tikka Biryani, and it packed quite a flavour punch. The lamb was spicy and slow cooked in the tandoor and there were generous amounts of it. Mixed into it was rice that was infused with the flavours of the cooking, with additional spices. This came with an accompanying vegetable curry which was adequate, but not a spot on the lamb itself. 

Your intrepid scribe had Chicken Shaslick, which were succulent and dry cooked in the clay oven. There were an array of spices in evidence but the most dominant was cumin. There were also grilled tomatoes and onions thrown in for good measure. It was far from a curry and more like a kebab. 

As you can see by celebrity strewn pictures in the window, if its good enough for Richard and Judy, Neil and Christine Hamilton, and some lady who’s a dead ringer for Hyacinth Bucket then it has to be good enough for us mere mortals.*

*If you’re lucky enough to be under 30 ask your parents who these people actually are. 

Rebel Dykes in Kennington

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We’ve just checked out the intriguing ‘Rebel Dykes, Art and Archive’ exhibit at the rarely used Space Station Sixty-Five gallery in Central Kennington and we’re here to tell you what we unearthed. 

The London Rebel Dykes synthesised several feminist movements to pursue a fresh exploration of sex, art, writing and activism. The group informally came together during the all female protests at Greenham Common in 1982, and this grew organically through music, parties, the lesbian bar scene, by building families and in squats from Brixton up to Kennington. Rebel Dykes represented (and still do) a converging of communities of outsider lesbians such as punks, bikers, clubbers, protesters, kinksters and gender outlaws. 

The exhibition at Sixty-Five seeks to embrace and represent as many elements of the Rebel Dyke experience as possible and this is largely achieved in a multimedia manner. In the exhibit are photos, paintings, videos, testimonials, flyers, and a motorcycle engine revving  amongst black leather jackets. According to the organisers, they want to celebrate the work of groundbreaking rebel dykes in the past and connect them to a younger generation who continue to disrupt the world to this day. 

If you’ve ever wondered what transpires behind those foreboding steel gates branded ‘Kennington Film Studios’ well this is your chance, as the Space Station Sixty-Five Gallery is located in a studio inside the courtyard. We can only recall one other show being held in that great creative space, so if you’re reading this review Kennington Film Studios, if you put the shows on we’ll all come. 

Rebel Dykes Art and Archive Show is free and open from 12 to 6 Thursday to Sunday until 25 September. Another news event relating to underrepresented LGTBQI+ populations is this interesting piece in last weeks’ Guardian about the origins of UK Black Pride in Kennington Park. 

Urban Botanica

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It’s only taken us 2 1/2 years, but we’ve finally got around to visiting Urban Botanica in Kennington Cross. The market is increasingly competitive for tea/coffee shops in Greater Kennington, and the USP of this place is that it is an unconventional hybrid of coffee/lunch shop meets garden centre where you consume your flat white amongst a seemingly endless selection of house plants from potted to hanging and from cacti to flowering. Got it?

Of course our priority was food, and the sandwich options consisted of a serrano ham/cheese scenario and a brie and egg. Each served on croissant, we chose the ham which was very good but probably not best served flattened and toasted. You can see the before and after impact below. However flat, it was very tasty and well filled. Our server explained that more lunch options will be rolled out in the coming weeks. There were also a variety of other pastries. On the coffee front, they serve single origin coffees from Horsham Roasters and all the usual players are there such as Espresso, Cappuccino, and Flat White. 

  • Before smush on right
  • After smush

They have a very lovely and unexpected garden in the back and wifi in the main cafe. The garden is suitably verdant and a great way to spend a few hours on your laptop. So, next time you wake up and think ‘god, I really fancy a Minor Figures Nitro Brew and a potted fern but how can I get them IN JUST ONE PLACE’ well your wishes have been answered. 

Urban Botanica is in Windmill Row but it doesn’t have a sign, so just look out for the indoor jungle…….Namaste……

The Rare Burger Deja Vu Experience

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In late 2018 a restaurant existed in central Kennington called ‘Rare Burger Co’. You’re certainly forgiven if you didn’t notice it as it was only open briefly. We attributed its demise to being off the main road, in addition to being situated next to Papa John’s Pizza, which would put anybody off their food. It was a great concept as they served things like cocktails, prawn burgers and great chips. But unfortunately their great chips tasted a bit like prawn burgers, which might have contributed to their downfall. 

Like a phoenix from the ashes, or something else that rises, Rare Burger has been resurrected. A few weeks ago, in the guise of ‘general members of the public’, we got to chatting with the manager when we were passing. We bypassed the awkward ‘your chips taste like prawns’ convo and he explained that the new venue will be much like the past, but they will rely more on takeaways. There will also be an alfresco element and the front area will be refashioned into a beer garden (whoop!) selling Peroni (whoop again) and a weekend BBQ (whoop 3). Their optimism has been peaked by the reopening of Kennington Green, expected in May. 

It was opening day and your noble scribe once again ventured into the realm of the prawn burger. The prawns were presented in a heafty grilled patty, and was served with dill, cabbage, carrot and onion. Delightful all around if you are a prawn fan. For a side your scribe had coleslaw which my dining partner, a self styled coleslaw snob, described as ‘outstanding in it’s creaminess’ and a hit. Both burgers were served on brioche buns. 

My dining partner had the ‘Django’, which was a new take on the burger. It’s hard to be original in burger world without being ridiculous, but in addition to a standard beef patty it contained chorizo slices and blue cheese, which worked a treat. It was proper meaty chorizo and proper blue cheese, which helped. The beef patty was served a bit pink, as requested. This came as a relief as last time Rare Burger informed us, rather ironically, ‘we don’t do rare burgers’. 

Rare Burger is going to slightly emphasise the takeaway market but they haven’t got their takeaway and website up and running yet. Meanwhile, you can order by pitching up of calling them on 020 7091 4360

If you’re interested in the Northern Line Extension or the upcoming Kennington Green, more information can be found here. 

NLE KEN Green Progress Update – March 2021Download

Amici and Their Popup

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In the approximately 15,000 years that have elapsed in the past 12 months we’ve learned a few things, so let’s have a rundown. We now know what to do in those awkward seconds after you say goodbye on Zoom and actually log off. We’ve learned just how much work you can complete while wearing just a onsie and no bra. And third, that  ‘meal boxes’ are really just posh takeaways.  We recently decided to explore the third when we revisited Kennington Cross fixture ‘Amici’.  

Back in the days when it was purely Italian we became somewhat disillusioned with the quality of the food at Amici. Shortly before the world imploded they had a menu overhaul (and presumably a chef overhaul) and now serve Meditteranean and Persian fare – the Persian coming from their much missed restaurant ‘Doost’. Your scribe started with beef carpaccio. It was a large and very finely sliced piece which came with a slightly sweet blueberry vinigrette, dabs of asparagus and thinly sliced cashews. For the mains I had calamari. It came with pureed and whole peas and had a whole sweet/briney thing going on, with a hit of black olives. The calamari was stuffed with herb encrusted Panko breadcrumbs. Both dishes were mighty fine. 

And with recyclable boxes, to boot

My associate opted for the Persian fare, and for the starter s/he had the smoky, roasted aubergine mixed with tomato. It came with a haltingly generous serving of proper Persian bread. For the mains, said associate had a generous and well cooked duck breast smothered by a silky  pomegrante and walnut sauce. It was as rich as it sounds and a taste sensation as the slight bitterness of the walnut contrasted nicely with the sweet pomegranate. It was served with saffron rice, and Amici/Doost have pretty much always known how to nail a rice. 


The total came to £46, which ain’t cheap for a takeaway but hey, what else are you spending your dosh on at the minute? 

What really put Amici firmly back in our field of vision is their new pop up shop, which covers the whole restaurant. On sale is fresh pasta, cakes, wines, herbs, beers, curry paste (?) and Italian beans, amongst others. 

Kuma Korean and BTS

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It’s Saturday night and time for a takeaway! Astute readers will be cognizant of our love of the Korean/Japanese joint ‘Kuma’ in Kennington Cross, and it even featured in our much lauded but-ain’t-gonna-happen-this-year-for-obvious-reasons top 10 list. We recently had a takeaway from there and, while not achieving the olfactory heights of being in the restaurant, is definitely worth a Saturday nosh. But Kuma, if you’re reading this we need to have a serious conversation about your excessive use of Styrofoam. Moving on..

Your zealous scribe started with the painfully bang on trend Korean Fried Chicken. Kuma has three options; traditional, spicy, and we opted for the sticky soy garlic. The medium portion was huge and suitable for two. It had a great crispy crunch and slathered in a sticky soy garlic sauce. For the mains your scribe opted for the chicken bulgogi (say it like a pro…..Boo-GOH-gee) which were very thin strips of chicken grilled on a BBQ coated with a very good sauce called gochujang. Spring onion featured and it was consumed in lettuce wraps. It was billed as ‘hot’ and it certainly was, and so generous that your scribe couldn’t finish it.

My associate had the Kimchi Bokkumbap as a main, a Korean fried rice dish with the national ingredient kimchi (spiced fermented cabbage) topped with barbecued beef strips. A bit like Chinese stir fry rice with a heavy dose of red chilli sauce. It was topped with a fried egg and came with miso soup, and again was a very generous portion. 

  • Photographing food is hard
  • The Kimchi

Eating this great Korean food rekindled our late 2018 slight obsession with K-Pop. As it happens, eating your Kuma takeaway while listening to K-Pop is a great escape from the interminable, repetitive drone of our lockdown lives. We chose the greatest K-Pop band of them all, BTS. If you want to get a taste of what BTS are all about, you need only to listen to one BTS song as their music is about as repetitive as your days are at the minute. But very catchy nevertheless. 

Windmill Mary

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Last week we had a botanically themed exchange with  Mary Wallicott of Windmill Flowers.  Windmill Flowers in Windmill Row has been a staple of our knighted shire since 2011, and we were keen to know more about providing flowers in a time of pandemic and how she survived with her shop being closed for a number of months. 

We had always assumed that ‘Windmill Mary’ actually lived above her shop in a sort of floral Disneyworld. However, she and her husband actually live in Courtney St. Locals have always provided the backbone to Mary’s business,  and  local support helped her a great deal during lockdown, with noted support just before shops closed in March. During lockdown she undertook ‘click and collect’ and also relied on the use of couriers, and as a result Mother’s Day was better than expected. However, providing flowers for Oval Cricket Ground and summer weddings wasn’t possible for obvious reasons. 

As we teeter further towards a life of semi normality, Windmill Flowers is very much open for business and Mary takes orders online, over the phone and in person. Summer is usually more quiet for Mary, but during our chat she had just finished a wedding and was preparing for another. As most bouquets and arrangements are made bespoke, it is probably easier to order for future collection than on the spot, but the latter is possible. She also sells a collection of pots, vases, and flower related objects.  

As Mary is one of those rare creatures who both lives and works locally, we asked her about her favourite spots in Kennington. She enjoys 24 The Oval for a spot of food, Vanilla Black for a spot of brunch, and the Black Prince Pub for an evening drink. With the latter Mary was pleasantly surprised (as I think many of us were) that it actually has an  outside space. As with Mary,  it’s all about shopping locally.