Over at the Garden Museum on Sunday (the 12th) they’re having a Neighbours Day and we think its something that you might just want to get your hands dirty for as its yet more free stuff. There will be workshops on flower arranging and pressing, seed bomb making, face painting, and live music. This is mostly kids stuff which we’ll avoid but is great as some of us in the office were once kids ourselves.
The best part of the day is that the museum itself will be open for free (usually £17, which we think is a bit steep) and there will be periodic tours of the exhibits and the beautiful decommissioned church in which it is set. For those who haven’t been, the museum encompasses bedding design, implements, seeds, old lawn mowers, FlyMos, and descriptions of how certain plants were brought to the UK. There is also a small art gallery and you can climb the medieval tower. The garden gnome collection is particularly impressive
Neighbours Day is on Sunday from 11-4 and is totally free. And by ‘neighbours’ we think they’re liberal in their definition. And this will be your chance, and these chances don’t come by very often, to meet a scary garden gnome that looks JUST LIKE TONY BLAIR.
As a person who lives near the Oval you may at some point be asked to attend a cricket match, and if cricket isn’t exactly your wicket then this piece is for you as we’ll introduce you to other things going on there. Recently some of the Observer staff attended the T20 Blast series at the Oval. This was booked through our underused colleague Mark over on the sports desk. Or his name might be Mike. Anyway, we wholly thank Mark/Mike for making this unusual sports foray possible.
The primary feature of T20 cricket is that the matches are compressed into three hours, and are fast past and undertaken in the evening, making it more appealing to neophytes such as us, and we used AI to teach us the basics. We saw the London Derby of Surrey vs. Middlesex and the punters were certainly more, shall we say, energetic than the punters we saw on a previous daytime session, who appeared to engage with the sport primarily whilst snoring.
One fun activity is to wander around and learn about the history of the grounds and cricket greats such as Alec Bedser and Ian Ward. We frankly have no idea who these people are but they have very interesting stories. On the pitch you can grab £1000 if you catch a ball, which appeared highly unlikely given the sobriety level of the crowd. There were also fireworks, ozone destroying fireballs, a T-Shirt cannon and of course nothing could yell ‘Greater Kennington’ more than the addition of a drag queen. As a bonus, cricket appears to be one of the only sports that you can enjoy while chatting with people around you or even on the phone. It was a wonderfully lively bunch.
No day out for us would be complete without stuffing our face, and it was provided by the excellent Kerb catering, who do a more upmarket version of football grub. We saw venison burgers, loads of hot chicken, Indian, Greek, fish-n-chips, loaded fries, BBQ and more. Your scribe had a chicken shish wrap from Lil Watan and intern Paul had a delicious Punjabi naan wrap from Baby Dhaba. One place where they sting you is at the bar. They have fancy craft beer and fine wines, but our Brixton Pale Ale and a can of wine (they’re a thing) was over £18. However, on some fixtures you can bring in your own booze but sadly not T20. This probably explains why Phil from accounts vanished when it was his round. But as it was Phil he could have just been kicked out.
We greatly admire any sport that you can observe while scrolling on your phone, talking, sleeping, or being flogged a car. So if you’re feeling inspired by this article, admission starts at £20 and there are many other matches available. If you want to discover more about the history of the Oval, including the man who walked 1000 miles around it fuelled only by brandy infused tea, we’ve got you covered.
Once you’ve written probably the best known guitar riff of the 21st century you’d think that life is pretty much downhill after that. But clever Jack White from the White Stripes thought of a backup long before creating the chant a from thousand terraces. His first ever public art exhibition, These Thoughts May Disappear, is an overview of White’s artistic space outside of music. Some of these works are from the 90’s but most have been created specifically for this exhibit/salesroom at Newport Street Gallery in Vauxhall. And yes, amongst us we figured out that a terrace isn’t just a place where you gossip and sip Rose.
At first glance White’s artworks are pop art, Tim Burton-ian inventions to the extent that you expect Helena Bonham Carter herself to pop from behind a sculpture, but they invite a closer look. People who are aware of the Stripes work (not us) will detect his colour coded references to the Stripes back catalogue. An upstairs room acts as a nod to White’s start as a Detroit upholsterer and features a stripey table with a levitating ping pong, as all good tables should possess.
Gallery one is comprised of a number of small ceramic figurines which all bear a striking resemblance to White himself, which to us acted as sinister, almost Trumpian introduction to the exhibit. In the third gallery we encounter White’s mythical Pallet Cleanse Corporation, which repurposes redundant pallets into glamorous objects of adoration, often in high gloss. As if you forgot the identity of the artist, there are stripes of every sort to remind you. And apparently references to songs we’ve never heard of.
After the furniture jumble sale with aforementioned levitating ping pong, the third room becomes immersive and allows us to play with all sorts of Moog synthesisers and other fiddly bits which integrate into the works. The overall impression are of works manufactured out of household objects from a man shed in the back of a garden, which across this impressive group of more than 100 sculptures, paintings, photographs, and pieces of furniture White achieves.
Is this the evolution of a talented artist or a bored, washed up rock star trying to capitalise on his name? To think in these binary terms rather defeats the purpose of art like this. If you enjoy art for art’s sake, does the artist really matter? And as it’s free who cares, as a seven nation army can’t hold you back.
These thoughts may disappear is on now until 13.9.2026, so you have no excuse to get over there. And for those of you who have no clue who the hell we’re talking about, the video is below.
We love Amici as they never run out of novel concepts to get people through the door. Bands! Singles nights! Jack Straw! And now they’ve done it again….Just when you thought Kennington couldn’t get any more camp they’re hosting…..wait for it….. a Eurovision night!
Amici will be taking their enormous TV outside and it will be viewed in their otherwise quiet garden where, according to the press release, drinks will be flowing and food will be served (it’s not free, we know what you’re like). The food served is Persian and Italian. You can get Italian anywhere so we always stick to the Persian, which is to die for. Office favourites are any of the grills, and also the Persian stew called Khoresh. The owners are Iranian and can give you the full low down about what you’re about to encounter. Well maybe not if it involves dancers emerging from under a giant skirt.
Amici if you’re reading this (and if not you’re missing out) we have some tips to make it a better night. You could try a ‘who’s replaced Scott Mills’ drinking game or, even better, have a former UK representative do a PA! There are plenty of them who have a LOT of time on their hands. Try reaching out to Gina G, she’s getting on a bit but stranger things have happened.
The UK entrant is the disturbingly catchy ‘Eins, Zwei, Drei’ by Look Mum No Computer. The chorus features the lines ‘Darlin’ I need somethin’ salty, with a slice of pepperoni’. See for yourself.
We love contemporary art and we love Gasworks Gallery in Oval. And while nothing will quite achieve the varnished heights of a previous show which turned the gallery into a Hampstead Heath cruising area, the current offering certainly tries its best. So if your taste includes ghosts who can play the piano while talking about racism, then you’re in for a real treat.
The current offering at Gasworks is by Portuguese American artist Gabriel Abrantes and is called ‘Bardo Loops’. The animated ghosts reference a phase between death and rebirth. Think of them as really articulate zombies. The ghosts talk about a range of topics without the other ghost listening (they are dead after all) in a friendly and almost mocking tone. The challenge for the viewer is that some of these topics are indeed very serious, but made to look trivial. Abrantes uses the ghosts as a way to explore issues relating to loss, illness and vulnerabilities. The manmade disasters unfolding behind them (eg a forest fire) seem minimal as we remain trapped in our own drama, ultimately only getting out of said drama by the use of our phone or AI. Or both.
Bardo Loops is open now until 7 June and is totally free. But please remember that if you want to mingle with the apparitions, the gallery is only open Wed-Sun 12 to 6. If you want even more ghostly fun they are having an artist curators tour on 9 May and a few other phantasmic offerings to be found here.
We love nothing more than a four day weekend, but after a fifth episode of ‘A Place in the Sun’ things can get rather, shall we say, boring…..So we’ve decided to build some brain cells by popping over to the Imperial War Museum to see the petite, pop up exhibit ‘Beauty and Destruction: Wartime Art in London’. Its free (we love free) and open throughout the weekend.
Through the medium of oils, watercolours, pen and ink drawings and even letters we can see the destruction wrought through 57 days of the Blitz and beyond. Included are works by Paul Methuen, Evelyn Gibbs and Leonard Rosoman. We frankly have no idea who any of these people are, but they’re good artists who were either commissioned by the government to undertake these works or were casual painters. The most notable of these being Henry Moore. As with all exhibits at IWM, this is not a glorification of warfare, and many of these works are testaments to resilience, depicting mums shopping or people just getting on with their lives. So you have no excuse to get your Guardian reading selves over there.
Beauty and Destruction is on now until 1 November and is totally free. As the exhibit is small, why not pop over to the Blavatnik Art, Film and Photo Gallery on the same floor? They have a number of stunning works and it’s a fun way to spend some time. Well, if you can sidestep the unfun fact that’s been endowed by a dodgy Russian oligarch. So Guardian readers, you get a free pass on this one.
For a number of years we’ve wanted to write a piece about William Bligh as his family lived in a house facing the Imperial War Museum. However, after a fair amount of research we’ve reached the scholarly conclusion that he was in fact an irascible and nasty piece of work who was given roles he wasn’t qualified for merely because of his connections. That led us to investigate into a more worthy resident of 100 Lambeth Road; his long suffering and patient wife Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth and Bligh married in 1781 she was aware that they would be apart for long periods of time, and after reading his history perhaps that’s one thing that attracted her to him. While not running a household with four kids and staff Elizabeth was a Conchologist; a collector of seashells. Many of which Bligh lovingly obtained as he sailed the South Pacific yelling at people.
Bligh is best known as the cause for the Mutiny on the Bounty, instigated by sailors who grew weary of his incompetence and abuse (Observer bigwigs take note of this). Less well known are his hijinks afterwards. In a ‘deju vu’ moment, several years after the Bounty he was involved in the Nore Mutiny and was once again forcibly removed from the ship has was captaining. Through all of this Elizabeth remained devoted to William and stood by him.
Possibly because they wanted to get him out of the way, in 1806 the Navy appointed Bligh as Governor of New South Wales. He requested that Elizabeth join him but she promptly shut him down. We’re picturing a Regency version of Elizabeth putting her hand in his face and saying ‘I don’t think so’. When stories began to circulate from New South Wales that he was trying to be deposed, the caricatures and rumours started to fly. As if she didn’t have enough on her plate, Elizabeth actively campaigned on his behalf by writing letters to persons with influence regarding his fitness to remain and defiance in what became known as the Rum Rebellion.
Despite her prolific letter writing, Bligh was dismissed from his role down under just two years after being appointed. In what must have been a ‘Oh FFS not this again’ moment for Elizabeth, he joined her again at 100 Lambeth Road. Elizabeth was probably Bligh’s only friend, and to repay her for a life spent raising kids, running a household, writing letters and collecting shells Bligh infected Elizabeth with syphilis and she died in 1812, aged 59. Websites indicate that Bligh contracted syphilis by ‘talking to natives in Tahiti’. Well, here at the Observer we know a thing or two about catching STD’s and they aren’t transmitted by talking, thank you very much.
The tranquil family resting point is in the courtyard of the Gardening Museum, next to their very swishy restaurant which we’ve been trying to get the aforementioned bigwigs to fund for ages, to no avail. Could a mutiny be brewing in our underground offices?
A nice springtime walk is a great way to discover more about our storied manor. We here at the Observer get little time outside of our locked chamber but when allowed day release we’ve actually been to several of the walks outlined below. They’re being sponsored by the Lambeth Local History Forum and over 120 walks can be found on their website so you could actually be walking for four months. However, as most of the walks involve leaving Greater Kennington to places like, gasp, Clapham, we don’t recommend it. You’ll notice that some of these events are listed as being free. By ‘free’ they don’t actually mean the event is free. They expect a well deserved tip and their work heralded on social media. We say this as we know most of you lot would nick an ice lolly off a toddler given half a chance.
11 APRIL Saturday 2.30pm
Remembering the Chartist Rally on Kennington Common 178 Years Ago
Friends of Kennington Park
Meet Prince Consort Lodge (Trees for Cities), Kennington Park Road, SE11 4AS
Artists’ Footsteps: A guided art tour of Vauxhall and Kennington
Lambeth Tour Guides Association
Meet Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, Kennington Lane, SE11 5AW Led by Lucia van der Drift Cost £15
Booking bit.ly/4jlCoTG
We attended this last year. It’s primarily about the supper boxes and art around the Pleasure Gardens in the Victorian era, but also references contemporary spaces and artists.
25 MAY Monday 1pm
Lambeth Rocks: Music nostalgia and legendary lyrics
Lambeth Tour Guides Association
Meet Oval tube station, SE11 4PP Led by David Turnbull Cost £10 Booking LambethRockWalk.eventbrite.co.uk
4 JUNE Thursday 1pm
Unseen Vauxhall (1) – The Vanished and the Unnoticed
Lambeth Tour Guides Association
Meet Vauxhall Bus Station
Led by Geoff Fairbairn
Cost £12
Booking UnseenVauxhall4Jun.eventbrite.co.uk
For added comic value it would have been hilarious if this tour had commenced outside ‘Fire’ nightclub just after it closed on Sunday morning. That’s when the real unseen Vauxhall emerges.
14 JUNE Sunday 12noon
Pride and Protests: LGBT+ History Walk of Kennington
Lambeth Tour Guides Association
Meet Triangular traffic island, opposite Oval tubeLed by Adrian Gibson & Clare Truscott Cost £15
Booking bit.ly/4qoQsxK
Someone from the team attended this last year and it was primarily about cruising and the Pride festivals in Kennington Park in the 80’s. Very insightful.
There are few things in life more comforting, enriching and soothing to the soul than a good old fashioned trashy horror film. Over at the ‘we bet you’ve never been there’ Cinema Museum at the moment they’re having a bit of a low budget horror moment and we couldn’t be more excited. A ticket also gives you access to the museum which includes scary mannequins, oversized dolls, and pics of long dead horror stars to get you into the spirit of things. And they have a licenced bar.
Friday 14.3. The Return of Dr. X (1939) and Planet of the Vampires (1965)
Billed as being ‘for the connoisseur of the macabre’, the latter being aimed at aficionados of cardboard rocks. The former starring Humphrey Bogart in what must have been a true low point in his career.
Saturday, 15.3 The Big Fat Pussycat (1963)
Cheesy pastiche of NYC beatnick culture and featuring a psycho killer who has a penchant for high heels. YES!
Friday, 20.3 Carnival of Souls (1962)
Following a traumatic car accident, a woman becomes drawn to a mysterious abandoned funfair. It’s happened to all of us at some point.
All of these films kick off at 7:30pm and tickets can be grabbed here. And did we mention they have a bar?
If you’d like more information about the museum’s building and how it influenced the work of Charlie Chaplin, of course we’ve written about it.
From the Archives, the fifth and last (sadface!) month of best history posts
Long before the behemoths of Vauxhall and the impending towering bewilderments of Elephant, there existed Draper House in Newington Butts, where Kennington meets Elephant and Castle. Nestling shyly next to the ‘who switched the fans off’ Strata, the Draper Estate was built in the Brutalist style in 1965, and when Draper House was finished it was the tallest residential block in London. If you look up at the block today this seems almost unbelievable.
In order to meet the varying needs of a devastated community post WW2, radical architects Kenneth Campbell and Hubert Bennett were commissioned to create a building consisting of 141 flats and maisonettes. In the manner of Le Corbusier, the idea was that ‘nothing is too good for the ordinary man and woman’ and the building had wide corridors and the unique addition of fire escapes. Campbell and Bennett transcended traditional building methods by installing a cladding of storey high slabs of white Italian marble. Another unbelievable reality when we look at the cladding of public housing today.
We were made aware of the interesting existence of Draper House after reading that one of its original residents just moved out after 56 years. Falling into a typical Runoff rabbit hole, we read the interesting stories of current residents such as Ian, who has lived in the building for 36 years and raised his family there. He notes that many residents have lived there for decades and over the years has progressively reflected the multi cultural dynamic that gives Elephant it’s energy.
Being tall and notable does have a few downsides, and for many years Draper House had a darker side as it was known as the suicide capital of London. Those days are long gone and the multicultural essence persists at ground level with such treats as a Latin American mini mall, a Brazilian hair salon, a Chinese tea house, and two of our favourites eateries – Italian ‘Theos’, and the wonderfully named ‘After Taste’.
