Category Archives: Vauxhall

Getting Classy in Vauxhall

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As amazing as it is, only a few weeks ago none of us had heard of Wordle, Duolingo or, god help us all, Partygate. Now they seem to be dominating our lives at the expense of getting out and going things. If you fancy building those brain cells in a different way, we suggest the upcoming ‘Classical Vauxhall’ series of concerts at St. Mark’s Church in Oval. The press release boldly describes it as ‘a four day festival of live music and song, featuring top artists and four centuries of composers’. By that last comment let’s hope it doesn’t entail digging people out of the ground.

Classical Vauxhall returns on 10 – 13 February and is live after a year of streaming. We had friends who went in 2020 and they described it as both amazing and great fun.  Festival Director and the brains behind it Fiachra Garvey is joined by artists Elizabeth Llewellyn, Kangmin Kim, and Leonard Elschenbroich with pianist Alexei Grynyuk. We actually have no idea who any of these people are – But– we have seen some of their work on YouTube and it’s remarkable. Elizabeth Llewellyn and her great voice are here..

The concept behind these five concerts is to put on shows that are varied, lively, and accessible to people who (like us) are not habitues of the Royal Opera House. Each night is set to a theme, from Love and Loss to Brahams and feature a range of artists doing short pieces. We are particularly fascinated by ‘The Royal Opera House is Burning, Late Night Drag’ on 13 February which bills itself as a ‘classical drag opera like no other’ with works from Les Mis and Wicked.  

Tickets are £22.15 so not exactly cheap, but a great way to support local culture and artists who have probably not had much work for the past two years. And imagine the one-upmanship you can have with your friends who sat at home watching a TV show about Katie Price doing her house up. 

Wreath Making Fun!

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We think that festive wreaths are an unheralded part of the Christmas season. Not only do they look good on your door, but they can also double as a festive tiara or indeed a massive bracelet. And if you’re anything like us, they’re also a hell of a lot easier than putting up a tree that your cat knocks over after a few days. Our crack team of KR investigators have sourced three very local organisations where you can make your own wreath while also helping the community.  

The good folk over at Vauxhall City Farm are once again having a wreath making workshop and they run every Saturday until 11 December.  Whether you prefer a loose and unstructured wreath or a disciplined floral door halo, the sessions last for 2 ½ hours and offer one to one tutelage by staff and maybe even a nosey donkey.  The workshops are pretty dear at £40 but please remember that the money generated goes into supporting the farm and their work with school kids and animals. 

Our pals over at Roots and Shoots in Kennington are hosting their annual wreath making workshop on 3 and 4 December at 1pm and 4pm. Of course Roots and Shoots know a thing or two about plants, so expect guidance that will empower you to make your own wreaths in years to come. It is £50, but the cost enticingly includes ‘minced pies and mulled wine galore’, so imagine all the creative fun you can have after knocking back five or six.  As with the City Farm, all proceeds go to supporting their work in the community and apprentice schemes for vulnerable youth.  

Finally. On Friday, 29 November The Fentiman Arms in Vauxhall/Oval will be hosting their own wreath making workshop with a masterclass from our own Mary from Windmill Flowers who will supply all the mistletoe and ribbons you need. This is coming in at £45 but hopefully this will include some free treats.  The Fentiman holds a special place in the hearts of Runoff staff as it used to be the venue of our staff Christmas parties until senior management decided to downscale to a venue that we are not allowed to mention for legal reasons.  *shuffles papers and leaves the room*. 

Voyages at Newport St. Gallery

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The spanking new exhibition at Newport Street Gallery in Vauxhall is called ‘Voyages’ and is the first major show outside the US of the work of New York photorealist Richard Estes. For those of you not in the know, photorealism is the ability to precisely depict a photographed scene by paint. Now you might be saying to yourself ‘then why bother – just because you know how do so something doesn’t mean you should do it’. So a bit like yodeling or skipping. But draw closer and the 45 paintings made over 35 years become abstract and aren’t really photographic at all. 

His best work is on the ground floor and NYC is in the spotlight. Estes makes use out or glass, angles, light, refractions and the constant repetition of this urban field. He also examines people examining other things, such landmarks, cameras and their phones. All of these come together to create something that seems photographically familiar to us but when you get closer to the canvas becomes more like wedges of colour that have been thrown together. 

Upstairs are more traditional landscapes that capture the small, intimate moments of the artist’s adventures. The paintings tend to become less personal and less real when they aren’t populated by human activity but are nevertheless interesting. Touching down in Copenhagen, approaching Antarctica by sea, and exploring the landscapes of New Zealand, Nepal,  and Tanzania all seem even more exotic given that they have been off limits for the past 18 months and you don’t have to take a lateral flow test to see them. 

Richard Estes ‘Voyages’ is open now until 12 December. As ever, Newport Street Gallery is totally free and open Wednesday to Sunday. 


Runoff Rides the Tube

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The first major addition to the Tube network in the 21st century opened today and, unless you actually live underground yourself, you’re aware that it cuts a great swathe right through Greater Kennington. Today we took a journey on the new billion pound ride (financed by property developers) with our focus on Nine Elms station in Vauxhall.  At the moment trains are running every 10 minutes. 

We started our journey on the recently reopened Kennington southbound platform now servicing Battersea, which is rather strange as Battersea is west, but that’s the tube for you. Nine Elms Station is next to the Sainbury’s in Wandsworth and is an exercise in functional steel precision with wide platforms, speedy escalators, a large reception hall and overhang in case it is raining. One of our team timed it, and if you are laden with your Sainsbury shop you are only exposed to the elements for 15 seconds in the case of inclement weather. There is no ticket window but plenty of self serve machines. 

If you dare to travel outside of Greater Kennington the line terminates at Battersea Power Station Station (yes, you’ve read that right) which we also visited. It is a grander affair, and architecturally it resembles a giant recumbent cathedral, featuring a gold painted geometric skylight as you exit. Rather dramatic and fitting with the ostentatious buildings behind it. 

Cabinet, Beaconsfield and a Spot of Tea

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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. 

The Kennington/Oval Gas Holders

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Frequent Runoff readers will be aware that over the past two years we’ve taken a keen interest in the development at Oval Village, or as we call it ‘UpTown KenVo’. On our visits we’ve challenged an architect who was exhibiting the buildings by use of wooden blocks to a game of Jenga, and during an illustration of how the flats will look inside the remaining gasholder we asked another architect if their design aesthetic was to give residents a taste of life behind bars. 

Last week we had a tour of the Oval Village site and please see the highly professional video below. This involved a lateral flow test, hazmat suit and the indignity of  donning what appeared to be Ugg boots from 2010. Our primary objective was to ascertain when the new Tesco would be open and whether it will have a cheese counter the fate of the two Victorian gas holders and how much noise will be created as the site is levelled. We need to accept that Oval Village will soon be a part of our cherished terrain, but hopefully it can be improved with a bit of your helpful feedback.

Our tour was conducted by the community engagement officer and the project director. They explained that the two smaller gas holders (circa1873) will be removed over the next few weeks and the wrought iron will be recycled. The beautiful Phoenix seals will be removed and preserved in some fashion. The officer would not be drawn on where or how this would happen, however. The tanks are full of millions of gallons of sludge and they will be sucked out and removed. And in case you’re not aware, the gasholder that will remain is the largest one that overlooks the cricket ground. It is now listed and will have flats built inside of it. Hence our comment about life behind bars. 

When you enter the site the first thing you notice is just have massive it is. It’s also raised several metres higher than the land around it and the project manager explained that the elevation was created in order to accommodate the gas tanks. Over the next few years this soil will be incrementally removed and taken away via Montford Place and then up Kennington Lane to the river. This will take place in the daytime, apparently. And for those of you wondering about the height of the buildings, the tallest will be 17 floors. The building underway now, Phoenix Court, is not quite topped out (check us out with the lingo) but will be in a few months. We were assured that the buildings will have a community feel and the space between Kennington Lane and The Oval will be open to the public. 

If you want any more information the community engagement officer Richard Daley at richard.caley@berkeleygroup.co.uk or project director Graham Cook at community@berkeleygroup.co.uk

And for those of who still have the yearning question of ‘when will be new Tesco be open’, the answer is 12 AUGUST! The site manager would not be drawn about the possibility of a cheese counter, however. Enjoy our nifty video below.

The Jolly Gardeners

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Some of you might remember a curious German themed sports pub called ‘Zeitgeist’ at the top of Black Prince Road. We reviewed it last year and described the fare as ‘food best consumed when you’re not entirely sober’. Shortly afterwards it went under. It has now been resurrected in its original guise –  ‘The Jolly Gardeners’. We had a clandestine and very pleasing meal there a few weeks ago and then caught up with the current proprietors to find out how they plan to please us Greater Kenningtonians. 

The Gardeners was purchased late last year by five mates from Essex, Dan (who now lives next to the Gardeners), Nick, Jonathan, Ryan, and Rob. All come from different professional backgrounds but are rooted in running restaurants and pubs. As the pub is enormous, I asked one of the guys how they plan to use the space. They explained that part of it will be a reservable restaurant in a ‘family sharing vibe’ (think Sunday roasts, bloody Mary’s, scotch eggs, etc.) the other 70% will be more of a traditional pub. They’ve also built an outside area (which rather resembles a ski lodge) which will be useful in the summer, if that ever happens.

On the food and drink front, the boys informed us that over 50% of the food items will be vegan but ‘more interesting than you might think’. They are trying to source things locally and are tapping into local producers. On the subject of tapping they are not tied to a brewer and are trying to use localish brewers such as Coalition. Pub snacks will also be on the menu, featuring items such as confit potatoes and cauliflower wedges. According to the boys, they acknowledge that dining and drinking habits have evolved over the past 18 months, for instance with more people working from home, and they are keen to address this.  

One of the issues with the Gardeners is that it does not have a great deal of footfall and people might forget that it exists. When I asked the guys how they plan to address this niggling issue they replied ‘by serving excellent foot at a reasonable price point so people don’t forget us. 

The menu below might have changed but gives you a sense of what they do. The pub is open now for drinks and food. Even if all the boys aren’t locals, lets embrace them as one of our own! 

Damien Hirst at Newport St.

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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. 

Greater Kennington Opens Up – Above the Stag

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The last in our series brings us to LGBT+ theatre ‘Above the Stag’ in Vauxhall. They are a small, independent but highly acclaimed theatre that has, as you can imagine, been more or less shut for over a year. Over the past few weeks we have watched them build a large outdoor area and it opened over the weekend for drinks and nibbles. The clever idea is that now you can go to the venue and enjoy a drink without seeing a show. 

Saturday night we just walked up without a reservation. As it turns out the servers are often actors themselves and they knew what was going with the place. The crowd was an eclectic mix of young women taking Instagram shots of their cocktails and lads who’d just finished football practice. We’re going to assume this is not the precise Above The Stag demographic. Our point being that it really doesn’t matter what your sexuality is, if you have one in the first place, to have a good time there. 

The terrace is open Thursday to Sunday from 5 – 10 for drinks and nibbles. They have Heineken on tap, bottled beers, wines and they make cocktails. The also had several enormous umbrellas so you can drown your sorrows even if its raining. 

Positives –  It is very open and has sweeping views across Vauxhall

Negatives –  It is very open and has sweeping views across Vauxhall

Greater Kennington Opens Up – Vauxhall City Farm

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On it’s second day of opening we paid a lunchtime visit to glorious local institution Vauxhall City Farm. In case you haven’t been, VCF is a charity and home to over 100 farm animals. They have a breeding programme, a riding school, education programmes, work experience and school tours, amongst other things. 

One of the invaluable things about the Farm is that it allows, for free, young people in Greater Kennington to experience farm animals who they might have otherwise never seen. It’s also fun for adults just to stroll around, but right now you can’t feed them (the animals, not your fellow adults). On our visit we saw chickens, lambs, sheep, turkeys, rabbits, goats, pigs, ducks and birds. They additionally house larger animals such as donkeys and horses. Later in the spring they will be selling fresh eggs from the chickens. They are actually green, and wonderful. 

In addition to the animals, the Farm also has a café/gift shop which are vital sources of revenue for them. So after comingling with the critters we sat down for a bite to eat. The food unfortunately is not vegetarian, but fortunately it is not made onsite. It would be a little distressing to build up a relationship with little Louie the lamb only to later encounter Louie in a kebab format. They do have homemade cakes, however, and the nice man at the counter assured us that in a few weeks their regular onsite kitchen and menu will be up and running. 

The Farm is totally free and as a registered charity VCF relies on donations from the likes of us to keep it afloat, and as you can imagine the past 12 months have been pretty grim times for even the most upbeat bunny. There are several ways to donate onsite by text message, or multiple ways you can get involved financially by clicking here. Moooo!