Rebel Dykes in Kennington

Posted on July 4, 2021 by Kennington Runoff

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.

A Party for the Elephant

Posted on June 24, 2021 by Kennington Runoff

This coming Saturday (26th) the much loved and much refurbished Elephant and Castle elephant will be making a return to the area and perched in its new home in Castle Square, which is in Elephant Street behind the now mostly past tense shopping centre. We are dearly hoping that the statue will be dragged trojan horse style through the streets by the executives of Lendlease, but our dreams rarely come true.

We give you this information as the return will be accompanied by a kind of street party, and we are all invited. According to the press release, the Elephant and Castle Town Centre Team (whoever the hell they are) will be laying on a whole day of family fun that includes world music and food, cocktails (!), history, dancers and talks. It runs from 11:00 to 17:00.

A selection of local traders will make up the backbone of the event and will include Coma Y Beba and Caribbean dishes from Kaieteur Kitchen. As this is Elephant, also expect lots of Venezuelan and Colombian fare, in addition to African dishes. Also on hand is Vauxhall staple and ‘wow I never knew a pint could cost 12 quid’ taproom Mother Kellys, who will be opening a new outlet in Elephant Square. We expect free samples.

And if you are thinking that this celebration is just a cynical way for the property developers to win over local residents we could not POSSIBLY comment. What we can comment on is the chance to support local traders, eat some interesting global food and catch some free music and stimulate that long dormant grey matter. For a video of the elephant losing it’s perch, see below.

Cabinet, Beaconsfield and a Spot of Tea

Posted on June 7, 2021 by Kennington Runoff

For a number of years we’ve been trying to ascertain the function of that strange building that popped up at the back of Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens a few years ago. Resembling a posh persons’ house meets North Korean torture centre, it’s actually mostly dedicated to the very intriguing Cabinet Gallery. The current show somehow manages to make a connection between a horse drawn carriage and Oprah so it might be a bit of a stretch for some, but this place is definitely something for that pocket diary that we’ve been telling you get for years now. Check out the website for what’s on.

As we were up in the lovely upper Vauxhall neck of the woods anyway, we checked out the critically acclaimed but rarely open Beaconsfield Galley. It’s open this Saturday (12th) and the next (19th) showing one large immersive work by Korean/Uk artist JinHan Lee called ‘Extended Realities’. The concept is an exploration of themes of virtual versus material art and how (or if) they complement one another. Very thought provoking and out questions the limits of how much we can take in without actually seeing it.

All that culture was proving exhausting to our lockdown addled brains, so we popped into the wistfully eccentric Tea House Theatre for some tea and sandwiches. The sandwiches needed a bit of work (and if you’re reading this Tea House we’re wagging a coronation chicken stained finger at you) but the list of teas were endless and the cakes abundant. Check out their eclectic website for things that are going on there such as themed suppers, talks and kids stuff. When we visited they were even offering a course in….wait for it….picking locks! Another for that pocket diary that you’re on the very cusp of purchasing with your newly socially activated fingertips.

Refugees and Al Weiwei at the Imperial War Museum

Posted on May 28, 2021 by Kennington Runoff

Last week we visited our very own Imperial War Museum to see the extremely evocative and until recently long closed exhibit ‘Refugees: Forced to Flee’ and its related exhibit ‘A History of Bombs’. The latter was created by Chinese conceptual artist and dissident Al Weiwei, who himself was forced to flee China. A History of Bombs is a site specific illustration of the power of bombs and their impact on human lives. On the floor in the main gallery are illustrations and descriptions of bombs so small they can fit in your hand, and others so life shatteringly huge the snake up a staircase. It is a moving reminder of how the human race built up a mind boggling arsenal in the 20^th century just to obliterate ourselves. The parallel between bombs and something else that has obliterated ourselves over the past 18 months can’t be overlooked.

The brutal reality of bombs is one reason why people become refugees in the first place, and the intriguing Refugees exhibition delves into different global conflicts such as the German invasion of Belgium during WW1, ethnic cleansing during the Bosnian War and the treacherous Mediterranean crossings of the present day. The exhibit begins by the societies that people departed from and often the brutal choices involved in leaving your culture behind for a place of safety where you may or may not be welcomed.

The main section of this exhibit is dedicated to the journey that refugees take, both physically and mentally, and efforts of organisations like UNHCR which are there to help them. This includes camps where people set up a vibrant temporary community in a sometimes harsh and unforgiving surrounding. The final section explores the somewhat ambivalent attitudes of countries who accept refugees, and their efforts to help them assimilate and to preserve their culture.

Included in the exhibit is a 360 degree immersive film installation created by CNN depicting life in a refugee camp in Lesbos, Greece.

While this exhibit might not be the most cheery way to spend a Bank Holiday, it certainly gets the grey matter jiggling after 16 months of watching ‘Homes Under the Hammer’. And it is open all next week during half term. Both shows are free but you must book in advance. Refugees runs until 13 June so get crackin’.

Damien Hirst at Newport St.

Posted on May 13, 2021 by Kennington Runoff

We originally posted this in October 2020, and this thought provoking exhibit closed just a few days afterwards. Newport St. Gallery is opening on Wednesday of next week, again with little fanfare. Once Time Out (if they still exist) and others review this it will sell out very quickly and we cannot reccommend it enough. It is totally free and available for now, but not for long! Book here.

Without a great deal of fanfare, on Wednesday Newport Street Gallery reopened with a survey of Damien Hirst’s early work called ‘End of a Century’. The timing of this retrospective might be a coincidence or an intentional and very prescient observation of the world around us in 2020, as Hirst’s early work explored themes of death, healing, life saving medication, infection, and anatomy. We checked out the show on it’s opening day.

In the first gallery we were introduced to one of Hirst’s trademark dissected animals; this one being a baby shark in formaldehyde. Moving into the main galleries you might think you’d just wandered into aisle three at Iceland, as there were several freezers stuffed with frozen cow heads (we asked, and they are real). Also on show were Hirst’s trademark medication cabinets and a variety of medical implements. After an enormous anatomical model we’re left to ponder the slightly humorous ‘Shut Up and Eat Your Fucking Dinner’ (pictured at bottom) which was fashioned as a butcher shop window featuring a variety of meats encased in formaldehyde. Is meat murder?

On the first floor we got to grips with several of Hirst’s spin and dot paintings, with one actually spinning in the room. Surprisingly, there were several cubist inspired collages of found materials which Hirst created before he was a student at Goldsmiths, even then showing his early interest in mortality and resurrection. The most arresting work upstairs was ‘A Hundred Years’, in which a bloody severed cow head is being eaten by maggots who turn into flies who then get executed by an insect-ocutor. We’re not making this up.

Some of these works are almost 30 years old and don’t have the shock value they once possessed. But if your artistic taste embraces decapitated cow heads, meat, pills, blood, dead flies, and medical implements then this show will be right up your street. Vegetarians might want to steer clear. And lest you don’t give your mortality much of a thought during the pandemic, this show is a reminder of the profound fragility of organic matter.

Getting Curious in Walworth

Posted on May 10, 2021 by Kennington Runoff

We’ve experienced an inordinate amount of giddy thrill at the recent opening of Walworth Library and Southwark Heritage Centre in Walworth Road. Granted, when the biggest thrill of the day involves matching Tupperware containers to lids the threshold is pretty low. But this is a library with a difference.

The library offers your usual library accessories in an open and quiet environment on several different levels. These include quiet places to read or work, bookable PC’s, a kids area, a curiously large travel section, and individual rooms to book. On our visit all of the seating was occupied as some chairs had been removed for obvious reasons. Intriguingly, set amongst the books are curios and artefacts from Southwark’s collection that very cleverly match the subject matter to the books around them.

As we know you inhale your Runoff articles like a freshly baked brownie from Sally White’s, you’ll be aware that last year we wrote about the most curious man in Greater Kennington, Richard Cuming. The man collected everything from Egyptian mummies to rail tickets to harpoons. Upon the death of his son the collection was bequeathed to Southwark where it was mothballed for several years following a fire. A number of pieces have now been resurrected and form the backbone of the Heritage Centre It’s a fascinating collection of artefacts and artwork from around the world, interspersed with more recent history from Southwark’s past. In future the library will also have rotating art exhibitions. Check it out and maybe you can be the next most curious person in Greater Kennington.

Kenny, the Kennington Bowl Skatepark

Posted on April 25, 2021 by Kennington Runoff

If you’ve ever walked into Kennington Park from the Kennington tube end you might have noticed a large concrete edifice on the right. It’s a rare survivor of what used to be in many parks in the 70’s and 80’s, a skatepark. Our unloved relic, affectionately known as ‘Kenny’, was one of the earliest and opened in 1978. Unfortunately, Kenny was fitted out with poor railings and skaters had the inconvenient problem of falling out of Kenny and injuring themselves (which we thought was half the thrill but there you go). It was opened and then closed by Lambeth for a number of years afterwards.

Fast forward to 2012 and Converse arrived to refurbish and renew Kenny under their ‘fix to ride’ scheme, and this included resurfacing the concrete. While the spiffy looking Kenny was great PR for Converse, it wasn’t so wonderful for poor Kenny. After Converse had their moment the resurfaced concrete soon became chipped and cracked and it was worse than it was before. Lambeth were forced to send Kenny into skatepark purgatory. A Youtube video of Kenny in its Converse heyday can be found here.

Fast forward to 2021 and the Runoff are having a socially distanced and intriguing conversation with Friends of Kennington Park Secretary Rita Sammons. The Friends, working in partnership with Lambeth, are currently undertaking exploratory work to restore Kenny to its former glory. Lambeth has funded an initial survey to inspect the concrete plates that hold up Kenny (which is why at the moment Kenny has a giant hole in him). If it is stable the goal is try to find a way to gently skim off the concrete that Converse left behind.

Rita explained that the vision of the Friends and Lambeth is to create a skate area that can be enjoyed by everyone, not just skaters. The could include a viewing area or a ramp up to the bowl, enabling access to people who can’t climb the stairs. In addition to recreating a free amenity for all Greater Kenningtonians (well, those who don’t mind having broken ribs), Rita and the Friends are also trying to preserve a piece of local history. One of the best features of Kenny is some very fine retro street art on the sides. Here is a sample but there are plenty more for you to discover.

At the moment the Friends are not undertaking a fundraising campaign for Kenny but this might change. For more details and to get involved email skatebowl@kenningtonpark.org/. For other things the Friends are doing have a gander at the flyer below.

2021_FoKP_Make a diff_08.04.2021_PM Download

The Other Dance for Joy in Greater Kennington

Posted on April 7, 2021 by Kennington Runoff

Next week we take our biggest leap yet into the realm of semi normality when outdoor dining and pubs open. Over the first week or so we will be exploring several different venues (for purely professional reasons) and will be giving you the lowdown on how the venues are making it work and how safe it feels. We feel that spring is going to herald a new sense of merriment and optimism in Greater Kennington, redolent of a time when this happened before.

For decades Lambeth Walk was arguably the most famous street in London: people sang, strutted and whistled in it’s honour, many without the faintest hint of where it was. Folks in Greater Kennington were ‘doing the Lambeth Walk’ long before the phrase became a nationwide symbol of the proud, working class Londoner.

By the 1860’s Lambeth Walk was home to a major street market, with more than 200 yards selling everything from fish to books to soap. Our ancestors liked a good time, and would often promenade between the stalls, and this became known as ‘The Lambeth Walk’. The silver screen brought our little local strut to international viraldom with a movie adaptation of the musical ‘Me and My Girl’ called, you guessed it ‘The Lambeth Walk’ in 1939, and people copied it from New York to Berlin

While The Lambeth Walk might have been charming the world, the same couid not be said of the street and it was in serious decline. From the1930’s through to the 80’s old buildings were pulled down and replaced with modern blocks. Of course, WW2 hastened this transformation greatly. By the end of this summer we will be in the opposite of decline and perhaps Greater Kenningtonians can create a modern version of The Walk to celebrate all that we’ve lived through.

The Lambeth Walk is an exaggerated rhythmic swagger, with ‘plenty of arm swinging, copious hat-play and elements of slapstick’. This sounds a bit erotic to us, but there you go. For the curious amongst you, or if you’re just bored, here’s a very early clip of people doing the Walk from ‘Me and My Girl’ –

All Hail Longdan!

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Kennington Runoff

Since the current lockdown began there is barely a facet of our lives that hasn’t been impacted. These include the small things (not being able to go to the pub) and the huge things (not being able to go to the pub). But one thing it hasn’t impacted is our ability to cook. I know you’re thinking ‘but those Runoff people are always getting takeaways’ and, well, you might have a point there. But we also enjoy cooking, and by a mile our favourite food shop is the fascinating and slightly surreal Longdan Supermarket in Walworth Road.

Longdan is a pan Asian Market specialising in mainstream and, well, less conventional items from Thailand to Korea. They stock everything you need in terms of Asian fare such as sushi making kits, a wide variety of rices, sauces, every Asian noodle imaginable, tinned fruits, beers, sake, dumplings, buns and obscure and mainstream fresh herbs/salads. They also stock a huge volume of frozen fish. One thing they do exceptionally well is condiments, and you can bag a range of soy and chili sauces, bean curd, stir fry mixes, and good old fashioned Siriracha. Having said that, our favourite bit is at the back, where they sell a variety of Asian kitchen products which are largely impractical for western chefs but a great way to make you feel like a cooking pro and impress your friends – ‘hey Sally, you mean you DON’T have a glutinous rice strainer? Hmmmm’.

The wonderfully surreal element of Longdan is that they stock some items so specialised that it makes you feel as if you’re in a supermarket in China. These include chicken feet, snouts, nerves, testicles and, on one visit, brains*. Ever have a craving for mud fish or pangasius? Well they can sort you out. More mainstream watery things can be found in the guise of clams, anchovies and prawns. And if you ever feel that what is really missing in your life is a mini Buddhist Chinese shrine, then they’ve got you covered. The Vietnamese street food restaurant that used to be attached to Longdan is sadly now gone, but the silver lining is that you can now make this at home.

*Vegans might want to give this place a wide berth. Or just order online.

The Little Church that Could

Posted on March 5, 2021 by Kennington Runoff

If you’re reading this then you’re a survivor of the total mess that has been the past year. St. Mark’s Church Kennington is another survivor that has narrowly dodged fate over the years and we’re here to give you the story. In case you don’t know, St. Marks is the church across the street from Oval tube and site of the very epicurean Oval Farmers Market.

From the 1600’s the area where St. Marks is situated was part of Kennington Common and was a place of notorious public executions. It was also the site of public fairs and boxing matches and gained a reputation as being a pretty dissolute and riotous place. Since there were a huge number of people fundamentally just hanging about and having a party, it attracted a large number of public speakers, many of whom were there to spread the word of God and deliver these doomed revelers from an eternity of damnation. A few centuries later a different kind of reveler there would rejoice at scoring heritage Enoki mushrooms out of season.

The Duchy of Cornwall sold this corner of Kennington Common, known frighteningly as ‘Gallows Corner’, in 1822 and work commenced on the building we see before us today. The jury is out as to whether a church being placed on this spot was coincidence or design. Over the years the church grew and evolved, reflecting the changing demographic around it. At it’s height it was a hub of the community and served by a vicar, three curates and 250 church workers. 1,500 children were taught in the Sunday Schools by 125 teachers.

Our little church was almost completely destroyed by a direct bomb hit in 1940 and only the Grecian façade, pillars and cupola survived. It was partially restored in 1949 but the Southwark Diocese found further restoration unfeasible and it was earmarked for demolition, as there were more important things to rebuild at the time. The building remained open to the elements until 1960 when it was sensitively restored. The church now reflects the much more diverse and multicultural environment which it surrounds, and has adapted in ways we all have recently.

“A busy south London crossroads formerly notorious for death and vice has become a place of life and renewal”.

The Kennington Observer (formerly Kennington Runoff)

Surreptitiously observing Kennington, including the suburbs Vauxhall, Oval, Walworth, and Elephant since 2012

Category Archives: culture