We’ve just donned our crimson berets and sunglasses to attended the opening of the degree show over at City and Guilds. For the unfamiliar, City and Guilds is our own world beating arts school in Kennington Park Road, and twice a year they fling open their painterly doors to allow us a glimpse into what their students get up to. And you can buy what you see, but buying is by no means obligatory.
The BA show is a celebration of the work of current students as well as current work from fellows of the institution. It tends to be more circumscribed than the huge and quite zany foundation show in the spring and concentrates its efforts not only on painting, but fascinating shows of woodwork, restoration, stonework, and carving. Themes often dominate these shows, and this year’s themes appear to focus on impending doom/raucous celebrations. And there’s something about people who don’t have eyes, but we couldn’t exactly pin that one down.
Along with the exhibits there are handy notes offering a bio of the artists and their approach to their craft. And if you don’t like what you’re looking at keep it to yourself, as the artist might be nearby – but very handy if you want to ask them anything. And if you have no idea what you’re looking at but what to look as if you do, take a long dramatic breath, look at your friend, and say ‘It’s about IDENTITY’. Then throw that crimson beret to the floor and march out of the room.
The City and Guilds degree Show 2025 is on now until Friday, 27 June. Hours are 11:00 to 18:00 Monday to Friday, 13:00 – 17:00 Saturday and 10:00am to 17:00 on Sunday, and open until 20:00 on Friday. They often have a bar on a Friday which is great fun. And of course, it’s free. Not the bar, sadly.
Anyone who has ever walked out of a Gail’s Bakery knows what it feels like to be miserable. But it might surprise you that there have been miserable people in Greater Kennington for centuries, and we’re here to tell you about one.
Joseph Cappur was born in 1727 in Cheshire into humble circumstances. At an early age, he came to London to begin an apprenticeship as a grocer before setting up his own shop in Whitechapel. Cappur soon prospered in his trade and, having been fortunate in various speculations, the lucky sod was able to retire in his 50’s.
Upon retiring, Cappur spent several days aimlessly walking around London searching for lodgings. His search eventually brought him to the beloved Horn’s Tavern in Kennington. It was located at Kennington Park Rd and Kennington Rd. Below you can see it in its Georgian version and then its Victorian version. The current version is actually now a Job Centre Plus, or as we like to call it ‘the ugliest building in Greater Kennington’. Soon to be replaced by the second ugliest, a giant skyscraper full of students. But we digress.
When he arrived at the Horns, Cappur ordered a pork chop in his usual blunt and demanding manner. As the evening progressed he demanded a bed, and he received an equally blunt refusal from the Landlord, in a style of not unlike that of Cappur himself. Cappur refused to accept this and after some altercation was accommodated with a bed. It was at this point that he determined to stay and ‘plague the growling fellow!’ Cappur talked a good game and and for many years he discussed quitting the Horns the following day. Unfortunately for the punters he lived there until the day of his death, twenty-five years later. At no stage was any agreement reached as to lodging or eating but wished to be considered as an inmate.
So methodical were Cappur’s habits that he would not drink his tea out of any other than his favourite cup, as well as using the same plate and cutlery. He rose at the same hour every day and would always sit in the same chair next to the fire. He was elected as the Steward of said fire, and if anyone were found daring enough to put a poker into it without permission, they incurred the risk of experiencing the weight of his cane. We rather respect the tenacity of Cappur as there are a great number of people in Kennington who we’d love to hit with a cane ourselves.
At breakfast Cappur arranged, in a particular way, the paraphernalia of the tea table, but first he would read the newspapers. At dinner, he observed a general rule and invariably drank a pint of wine and a quarter pint of rum with sugar, lemon peel and porter mixed together, the latter he saved from the pint he had the previous day.. So regular was he in his habits that his bill was always £4.18s every fortnight.
Cappur called himself the champion of government, and nothing angered him more than to hear anyone disparaging the British constitution. His favourite amusement, or some might call it a fetish, was killing flies with his cane, and while doing this he would tell a story about the perniciousness of all Frenchmen, whom, he said, ‘I hate and detest, and would knock down just the same as these flies.’ So if he were alive today he would likely vote Reform and read the Daily Mail.
When a new landlord took over the Horns, he found that Cappur came with the Tavern, and such was treated not unlike a pint glass or a stool. This led to a new understanding and acceptance of Cappur’s peculiar behaviour. Why the new landlord didn’t just say (cue Peggy Mitchell voice) ‘Get your poking cane and pint of wine out my pub’ is not recorded. Joseph Cappur died at the Horns on 6 Sept. 1804, at the age of seventy-seven.
It’s our favourite weekend of the year at Observer towers! But unlike our other best weekends of the year this involves owls, bouncy castles for adults, and potatoes that look like Taylor Swift. Clutch your pearls folks, as we’re about to recommend something that involves leaving Greater Kennington.
The Lambeth Country Show (the term ‘country’ being used loosely as it’s in Herne Hill) is a yearly event held in the hilly enclaves of Brockwell Park and will be on Saturday and Sunday, 7&8 June, 1pm to 9pm, and it’s great fun. The fair is a wonderful mash up of Lambeth life including an eclectic (and loud) live stage featuring Jazz, disco and reggae. It has a fun fair for the kiddos, locally produced things to buy, and is totally free.
A real highlight of the show is the marquee featuring award winning vegetables, flowers and plants. If you see a scrum they’ll likely be huddled around the puntastic figures which depict topics of the day in veg form, and are so famous even the Gardening Museum is in on it. We had a particular soft spot for Tina Turnip in 2023. If you can’t make it to the fair until the end of a hot Sunday afternoon then I’d give this tent a miss as the award winning veg starts to resemble something you’d find in the back of your fridge after 5 weeks.
The animals are another real treat of the show and something we rarely get to see as urban dwellers (especially the kids). Sheep, owls, birds of prey are on hand to see and, umm.. smell and you might even get to play with them. And if you get homesick and forlorn when you’re down there just visit our friends at Vauxhall City Farm who usually have their alpacas
You will be cheating yourself if you don’t partake in a bit of jerk chicken action when you’re down in the park, as there are a million options and all the vendors are local. Having said that, its also a good idea to take your own food and drink to save time and money.
TOP TIP: We take the Number 3 and get off one stop after Brixton tube and then walk it.
Roots and Shoots near Kennington Cross is a registered charity and vocational hub dedicated to educating young people facing multiple challenges in Lambeth and Southwark and preparing them for the world of work through internships in horticulture and retail. It’s also a green space for urban biodiversity and is frequently visited by school groups. In addition to all of this good work, it’s open to all for a wonder around its verdant and leafy half acre. And did you know this verdant patch is UNESCO award winning?
On Saturday Roots and Shoots will be having their annual community open day called ‘Flourish Fest’ and we’re all invited! In addition to giving you gardening tips, looking at the activities from last year there was the suggestively sounding pond dipping, butterfly sessions, bug drawing, cyanotype printmaking and chalk painting which was for all ages to enjoy. The event featured delicious tacos (yes!) with storytelling by their education staff. The day also featured live music scattered throughout the site. This all sounds great, but to us frankly it seems aimed at kids. Don’t get us wrong, we love children. In fact a few Observer staff were once children themselves. So we reached out to Roots and Shoots and its certainly adult friendly.
In addition to the frolicking fun listed above, they also have a very busy apiary on site. When we first read this we excitedly thought it had something to do with apes. As it turns out its where bees live, and beekeepers will be showing off their craft. There will also be a masterclass in creating floral crowns which will be perfect for our upcoming team building weekend at Glastonbury, provided we don’t trample over it at 4am in the Silver Hayes dance tent.
Roots and Shoots is a vital charity, and on the day they can tell you how you can volunteer, for example tending their gorgeous Doorstep Green in Fitzalan Street. On a visit for this article we saw a group of young people with additional needs attending a lecture on potting plants and a second group who were proudly harvesting vegetables. Helping them could be another way to show your support.
As we hurdle through spring and into summer it’s time for us all to get out and explore our beloved patch of land and they rich history it contains. The Lambeth Local History Forum have for years put on a range of fascinating walks all around Lambeth and we’re here to tell you about upcoming walks in Kennington/Vauxhall/Elephant/Walworth which you can attend and enjoy. And by ‘you’ we mean not ‘us’, as we are stuck in an underground warren in Kennington Cross, only seeing the light of day to get a Tesco meal deal while almost being hit by a concrete mixer on its way to Oval Village. Some of these walks are FREE (and we love free) but they do expect a tip at the end. Do tip, as we know what you lot are like.
7 – 9 June Lambeth Country Show. This is actually in Brockwell Park but we’re putting it in here as its great fun and you can see an aubergine dressed as Nigella Lawson and get hit in the head by an enormous owl. No need to book.
5 July, Saturday 11:30am – Vauxhall Pride: A Walking Tour Through the LGBTQ+ Heart of London. We think this would be much more entertaining if it was taking place at 6am on a Sunday, when people are leaving the nightclubs. Booking gapingill@yahoo.co.uk
So sign up and put these dates in that sparkly, jewel encrusted diary that we’ve been imploring you to get for years. As if you ever needed any more proof as to why you don’t need to leave Greater Kennington.
In Bowden Street near Kennington Cross there exists a little known but fascinating gallery space called the Camera Club, and at 140 years old it’s one of the oldest such clubs in the world. Upstairs there are studios, darkrooms (not the kind found in a gentleman’s nightclub in Vauxhall), and a digital suite that even mere photo mortals such as you and I can hire. On the ground floor there is a dedicated gallery space that is open for all of us to peruse. And at the moment they have a little showcase of greatest hits.
The art of seeing: 140 years of Photography at the Camera Club is a retrospective of some of the highlights of the vast collection held by the Club. It spans the era from monochrome to the latest digital advancement and showcases what we love the most about photography. Namely, the pursuit of lighting, storytelling, composition, and the way in which photography exposes the spirit of the individual. In its essence this pint sized production reveals how little has changed in subject matter in spite of massive improvements in technology. We just find different avenues to express ourselves.
The Art of Seeing: 140 Years of the Camera Club is on now until 2 May and is totally free. It’s open daily from 10:00 to 22:00 and weekends from 10:00 to 18:00. And no, we have no idea why it’s open over 75 hours a week. Regarding joining the club, they welcome absolute beginners and information can be found on their website. They also have a series of events and regular casual meetings for photographers to discuss all things snappy.
The research division here at Observer have been working overtime to establish and claim feminist writer, politician, trailblazer and suffragette Millicent Fawcett as one of our own, and we think they’ve cracked it. Her many achievements are outlined here and if you’re the attentive sort you’ll be aware that she was the first female honoured with a statue in Parliament square a few years ago.
For a number of years Millicent and her equally esteemed husband Henry Fawcett lived in a house in what is now Vauxhall Park. The house included grounds and the couple realised that in an increasingly cramped Vauxhall this was a privilege which they wanted to share with others. Although the genesis of the idea came from Henry, when he died prematurely in 1884 it came down to Millicent and several other people to fashion the reality.
The Fawcett’s home and gardens extended from South Lambeth Road back quite a bit. Although spacious, the gardens weren’t quite large enough to create a promenading style park, so Millicent and another pioneering champion of the underdog, Octavia Hill, set about purchasing buildings to create a solid, square park. The park was opened by Prince Charles in 1890. And before you throw your laptops out the window, as he was the Duchy of Cornwall the ground beneath the park was (and is) technically his.
Vauxhall Park doesn’t look so inviting in March, but you get the point
So, you may be asking yourselves ‘now why isn’t there a memorial to the Fawcetts in Vauxhall Park’? Well this is a great local mystery. There was a very fine stature created by the Vauxhall based Doulton factory of Henry (but not our heroine, go figure) and it lived in the park for 70 years. In a moment of characteristic insanity, Lambeth Council took a sledgehammer to the statue in 1960. Henry Fawcett’s legacy now lives on in the form of Henry Fawcett Primary School in Bowling Green Street in Oval. Apparently the bust of Henry in the school is all that remains of the vanquished statue, but this has never been proven. And when you compare a regal bronze statue in Parliament Square to a chipped bust in a primary school corridor, I think we know who ended up with the better deal.
Fawcett’s legacy lives in the form of the Fawcett Society, which is in Black Prince Road. Their mission is to fight sexism and gender inequality through research and campaigns.
Some of you might think that the current Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens is the open space that was created when the original Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens was closed in 1859, but you’re mistaken. It was actually a vibrant, working class neighbourhood for over 100 years consisting of Glyn Street, Auckland Street and Italian Walk. It was destroyed developed by Lambeth into its current incarnation only in the mid 1970’s. And believe it or not, the Vauxhall Tavern used to have shops and homes attached to it. The photo with the woman in it was taking in the early 1970’s in Goding Street in the sad dying days.
As we’re sure you are aware, we here at the Runoff are nothing if not highly academic. If you lived in this community or have any information about it we’d love to hear from you and feel free to email us at kenningtonrunoff@gmail.com . So you can be a staff member, or just act like one. Our online research has not exactly been, lets say ‘fruitful’, but we plan to go to Minet history reference library when we can muster the courage to leave Greater Kennington.
Here is a lovely photo of a family who resided in Auckland Street in 1905. If you’re reading this from your heavenly perch then we welcome your feedback. We’ll get out our ouija board.
When we first saw the title of this new play at the White Bear Theatre, we thought it rather odd as the end of Liz Truss seemed to overlap with the beginning. Nevertheless, we just visited the Bear’s latest offering and we’re here to tell you all about it. If you’ve never been to the White Bear Theatre, it’s been a Greater Kennington staple since the 80’s and focuses on new and cutting edge writing.
The Last Days of Liz Truss is an origin story told from her own perspective, and beings with a jaunty twirl around her childhood in Scotland and Leeds and her battle to be called ‘Elizabeth’ as opposed to her given name of Mary. A similarity to Thatcher is invoked/contrasted in this period and underlined when Liz/Mary breaks into song with 80’s tunes such as ‘Material Girl’. We then speed through her early parliamentary career as a junior minister as she builds alliances with the likes of Kwasi and Therese Coffey (‘TC’).
In the second half we encounter the Truss who we all remember, trying to rationalise cutting taxes as the establishment deep state (cunningly deployed by remote voices) urge her against this. Then come the pesky little realities which work mendaciously to tear her apart. For example, the Queen dying and pension plans. It’s not exactly a spoiler alert to tell you what happens to Liz/Mary after just 49 days. However, Liz readily deploys the use of a lettuce held aloft to symbolise her own downfall, in a manner not unlike Hamlet’s skull. Overall it’s a captivating and very well acted monologue with defined moments of dark humour.
The Last Days of Liz Truss is on now and runs until 14 December at the White Bear Theatre Pub and tickets can be grabbed here. While the theatre is situated within the White Bear Pub, it is independently owned and not part of the Youngs mega chain. But the Bear has some lovely Christmas lights.
When we take a needed break from our subterranean office beneath Kennington Cross we like to inspect the offerings at the never boring Gasworks Gallery in Oval. Previous exhibits have seen the space transformed into a gay cruising area, and another featured a giant Styrofoam coffin. The current show is called ‘Mirage’ and was created by Indonesian artist and filmmaker Riar Rizaldi.
The exhibit is composed of two film reels, and the first is Mirage – Eigenstate. It weaves together analogous investigations into the nature of reality, positioning western science as just one of many worldviews. The film then explores different interpretations of reality, from Sufi mysticism through to theories of quantum mechanics. We frankly have no idea what any of this means but the film is certainly nice to look at, with lots of Arabic fonts and words spinning around.
The second film is called Mirage – Metanoia which is set in a kind of 1970’s Hanna-Barbera retro cosmic animation, where astronauts survive rocket crashes and pixie/cricket creatures wax philosophical about the presence of god in atoms, as you do. Again the artist visits Sufi metaphysics by means of a lady crawling out of a crater. Both films are presented in an immersive setting which includes a lovely Persian tiled floor and a wall mural based on the teachings of a Persian mystic.
If this sounds like your kind of thing, and we really have no reason why it wouldn’t, Gasworks are putting on a symposium called ‘Strangelet’ over the weekend of 16 – 17 November and tickets are available on their website. The press release describes the symposium as ‘a weekend of presentations, talks, screenings and performances that are categorised as gharib which means ‘weird or strange’ in Sufism (no, we didn’t know that off the top of our heads).
They are also hosting a much less strange sounding breakfast exhibition tour on 27 November and tickets for that on are their website
Riar Rizaldi – Mirage is on now until 22 December and is totally free. And they have a lovely, popup giftshop as well.
