Category Archives: culture

The Other Dance for Joy in Greater Kennington

Posted on by
Reply

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 by
Reply

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 by
Reply

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”. 

St. Marks on the left with Kennington (Park) Common in the middle. The building on the right is the famous Horns Tavern, now ‘Job Centre Plus’.

Getting Classy in Vauxhall

Posted on by
Reply

Twelve months ago the most optimistic of you lot said ‘great, I’m going to use this lockdown period to get really fit/do an online course /Run 15 times around Kennington Park’. But even in this era where time seems to be a meaningless concept, you haven’t actually done any of those things. Well here’s your chance to finally tick something off your list……getting into classical music. 

‘Classical Vauxhall’ returns on 18 – 21 March and can be streamed for free on these dates. It will of course be virtual this year, and we have trusted colleagues who went to the live events in 2020 and said it was amazing. Festival Director and the brains behind it Fiachra Garvey is joined by artists Jess Gilliam (saxophone), Zeynep Özsuca (piano), Elena Urioste (violin) & Tom Poster (piano), Hanna Hipp (mezzo-soprano) and Emma Abbate (piano). We’ve never actually heard of any of these people -BUT – we have seen some of their work on YouTube and it’s remarkable. Jess and her Sax is here   

The press release for this event intriguingly states that the performances will be set in closed venues ‘live in Vauxhall’. That got our grey matter working…where?  Perhaps Gentlemen’s Sauna ‘Chariots’ (doubtful as all the water would wreak havoc with the instruments)?   Notorious nightclub ‘Fire’ (the acoustics under a railway arch must be awful)? With a bit of research we discovered they will be held in the most more rarefied environments of St. Marks Church and Brunswick house, so easy on the eyes as well. 

The streams are free and will also give you a change to learn more about music in Vauxhall and the history of the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. Book here: http://bit.ly/CVaux-2021

A Strangely Named Street and a New Library

Posted on by
1

It’s up to the oldest part of Greater Kennington once again. For some time we’ve noticed a very peculiar street name in Lambeth North parts so we’ve done some digging and this is what we’ve come up with.

Old Paradise Street runs east of Lambeth High Street and is a very rare example of ‘paradise’ being used in a London street. The name conjures up visions of things that now seem exotic and far away, like a palm strewn beach, ordering food in a restaurant, or standing at a bar. In earlier times the word ‘paradise’ was often applied to a great walled garden and was sometimes an indirect reference to a royal property. 

Now that you possess that little nugget of wisdom you might ask, what’s so royal about Lambeth North? Well, long before the Archbishop got his hands on it (we’re talking about 800 years ago), the land around was the location of Lambeth Manor House. In comparison to the farmland and folks around it, the house and gardens were grand indeed and extended far beyond the confines of the current palace. Old Paradise Street therefore was the name given to the thoroughfare that led the approach to the gardens. 

And while we are in that neck of the woods, when the world pivots back into a sphere of semi normality Greater Kennington will have a new, enormous library at it’s disposal! Work has just finished on (who knew) Lambeth Palace Library, just outside the Palace walls. It’s actually more of an archive and museum of treasures from the Palace, and will be a resource for academics and the merely curious. This article from The Guardian does it justice very well. When the gala opening is announced in order to bag an invite we’ll pull the ‘don’t you know we’re Kennington influencers’ card*.  Afterwards we’ll give you a full review.

*This never works

The Elephant (not) in the Room

Posted on by
1

If you’re the astute sort you’ve probably noticed that the famous statue that used to adorn the primary entrance to the ‘now past tense’ Elephant and Castle shopping centre has been removed. And if you aren’t astute then trust us, it ain’t there anymore. We’re here to tell you more about the Elephant and if we’ll ever see it again. 

The original

When the Elephant and Castle pub closed for redevelopment in 1959 the metal statue was removed and then given a second lease on life as the centrepiece when the new shopping centre opened in 1965, above. Unfortunately it vanished in still mysterious circumstances a few years later and the centre was left without a mascot. Fast forward a few years and our current elephant was fashioned as a fibreglass replica and given pride of place. For over four decades it grew as a loveable mascot of Elephant. Frequently repainted in red and pink, over time it settled into a more grey patina, more suitable for a proud pachyderm. 

The statue has been removed for several months as it is apparently undergoing a million pounds (??!!) in renovation work. According to developers Delancey “We have been keen to keep the Elephant in the local area and are now therefore pleased to announce that the Elephant & Castle statue will be moving to its new home in Castle Square”.  We think this is builder’s parlance for ‘we wanted to get rid of it but Southwark told us we had to keep it’. Castle Square is a surprisingly spiffy little square behind the old shopping centre and is the current but temporary home to many of the centres’ former tenants, as seen below. 

If you have a preoccupation for statues that go missing from one place and then turn up somewhere else, first of all you might want to seek professional help. If the condition persists, have a look at our intriguing article about the mighty South Bank Lion that adorns our fair side of Westminster Bridge. 

Regal Cinema and the Winds of Change

Posted on by
1

Think back to those fondly remembered halcyon days when you could sit in a dark room with other people and laugh out loud. Well those days just aren’t a happenin’ at the minute, but did you know that one of London’s largest and most vital cinemas used to exist in Kennington Cross? 

When the ‘Regal’ cinema opened in Kennington Road in 1937 it was advertised as ‘South London’s new luxury super cinema’. With 2100 seats, the cinema also had a large stage with dressing rooms behind the screen, creating its dual function as a theatre.  The centrepiece was a spectacular 25 foot chandelier and full service cafe on the first floor. 

The Regal survived the Blitz but by the late 1940’s it was suffering as a result of a rapid decline in cinema attendance (we suspect that the proximity to the West End didn’t help). Change was in the wind and it was sold to a larger chain and renamed the ‘Granada’ in 1948. Sadly even the Granada couldn’t make it work and our building was closed as a cinema forever in 1961. 

There aren’t a whole lot of uses for a purpose built building with a massive stage and 2100 seats, but quickly Granada saw where the winds were prevailing – Bingo halls.Our Regal was called ‘Granada Club’ until 1991, when it was sold to Bass Holdings and renamed ‘Gala Bingo’. Some of you readers out there might have even tried your luck. 

The decline of bingo halls in the late 90’s mirrored the decline of cinema 50 years previous, and the Regal was once again left adrift. And by the late 90’s the wind was in the direction of…. The mega church. Regal/Granada/Gala/Church was a place of evangelical worship for just five years until the mega church craze waned and gave way to the next wave….Property developers.

Regal/Granada/Gala/Church finally succumbed to the wrecking ball in 2004. Luckily, by then the building was part of a local conservation area, and Lambeth told the developers they could bulldoze some of the building but had to retain the original facade and entrance to the cinema. The entrance survives as part of our most recent wave of obsession….The mini supermarket.  The rest of the site was redeveloped into what is now the architecturally soulless ‘Metro’ apartments, but inhabited by many lovely locals.

Gasworks Gallery (breathspace)

Posted on by
Reply

This review was written before ‘Lockdown fois deux’ was announced on Saturday evening, but it will invariably still be around when we are allowed to visit cultural institutions again, so put this in that little pocket diary we’ve been telling you to keep for the past two years, and think of it as something to look forward to. 

The exhibit at Gasworks is the first UK solo exhibition from Buenos Aries based artist Eduardo Navarro and, according to our guide, (breathspace) was originally scheduled to premiere in April. Navarro’s plans were meant to transform the gallery into a living, breathing organism in the shape of a gigantic lung. The lung was meant to encourage visitors to synchronise their most vital functions with one another ‘offering a space for collective meditation and oceanic breathing’. 

Given that sharing breathing and bodily functions isn’t exactly…lets say, ‘on trend’ at the moment, in a post lockdown Buenos Aries Navarro decided to relocate this work inside his head. The 100 drawings featured in the exhibition represent a synthesis of the body and what he found in his home at the time, reminding us that our homes and bodies are not somewhat differentiated display lockdown and we are compelled to rely on inanimate objects. Through a little portal you’ll find a video display of pulsating quantum physical lights, maybe alluding to the idea that society won’t be destroyed no matter what is thrown at it. 

The central feature of (breathspace) is a tiny stuffed humanoid creature on a stool. It reminded us a little of something a three year old niece would give you for Christmas, requiring you to say ‘well, isn’t THAT something?’. Apparently, at a time of social distancing the doll serves as a metaphor for a loss of communication and loneliness. The doll is fitted with a microphone and at certain times of the day Navarro himself speaks through the doll and communicates with people. If that had happened we would have probably run into the street in screaming panic. To see the doll actually talking to people click here….

(breathspace) is not open now and will not be open for the foreseeable future. But write it down for a random date in January and prepare yourself for a bit of fun. 

That funny house in Kennington Park

Posted on by
Reply

You have doubtlessly walked or run by these little brick cottages in Kennington Park a million times, but have you ever stopped to wonder what it is or how it ended up there? Well, dear reader, consider yourselves to be demystified. 

The first clue to our mystery is the inscription ‘Model Houses for Families Erected by HRH Prince Albert’ on the side that faces the street. We doubt that Prince Albert himself took off his ermine lined gloves to build the edifice but with the Prince as patron, it was erected by the ‘Society for Improving the Conditions of the Labouring Classes’ for the Great Exhibition in 1851. The cottage was located outside of the exhibition grounds in Hyde Park and entry was free, unlike the Exhibition itself. After the Exhibition closed, the cottages were moved to our sanctified patch of green and became a minor Victorian tourist attraction.

The model cottages were designed to house four families, with two flats on each level. It was envisioned that the cottages would provide suitable accommodation for people from “the class of mechanical and manufacturing operatives who usually reside in towns or in their immediate vicinity”. Each family was designated a living room, kitchen/scullery, three bedrooms and a toilet – but no bathroom, as was still generally the case in houses built at the time.  What we see in our park was a protoype, and it’s unknown whether any were actually executed. 

Since 2003 the cottages have been inhabited by the wonderful charity ‘Trees for Cities’ so it isn’t open to the public.  However, have a spin around it and contemplate that this one little building was meant to house at least 16 people. It makes you appreciate the era we’re in.    

Damien Hirst at Newport St.

Posted on by
Reply

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 paintings 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 inect-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. 

End of a Century is on now and until the end of March, 2021. Tickets are free and can be booked here.