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.

Conuco Venezuelan

Posted on June 29, 2021 by Kennington Runoff

Venezuela has been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently, but not due to their cuisine. We recently took a break from the incessant drone of faxes, dial-ups, mimeographs and the background clatter of ‘Loose Women’ at KR towers to take in a leisurely lunch at new joint ‘Conuco’ in Oval and we’re here to give you the score.

We were there before 12!

The specialities of Conuco are arepas and empanadas. Arepas is a kind of one handed sandwich made of ground maize dough and can be filled with meat or veg, and at Conuco stuffed with cheese. Empanadas are more well known in the UK (especially if you’ve been to Borough Market) and pretty pervasive at the moment. For those not in the know, they are fried turnovers stuffed with a variety of items such as cheese, chorizo, chicken or shredded beef.

On our visit we had a arepas with pulled beef and a white cheese called ‘costeno’. As you can see, the sandwich was rammed with dripping, shredded beef and towards the end we had to deploy the use of a fork. As it was a hot and sweaty day we had the local drink ‘papelon con limon’, which was a pleasing lemon/orange. A very spicy and peppery sauce and a green sauce with coriander were served with it either to dip or slather over the meat.

The total came to just over £7, and filled us up until dinner. Conuco has wifi and has a good relaxing vibe and very friendly staff. Eat in or if it’s nice take your grub to Kennington Park. That way if your stuffing falls out you don’t have to clean it up and you’ve just made friends with all the local pigeons and dogs who will soon swirl around you.

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.

An Elephant Springs Up

Posted on June 16, 2021 by Kennington Runoff

Say what you will about the labyrinthine development at Elephant Park, but one thing that has emerged from site is a delightful little park that has all the relevant and cool people (and us) talking. It’s called ‘Elephant Springs’.

The Springs sprang to life a few weeks ago and is an unusual green and comfy space in an area in need of more greenery and fewer buildings. Perhaps picking up on themes of Africa and elephants, the park has sand, hammocks, lush greenery, cascading waterfalls, secluded spaces, and nooks for bats and birds. The main feature is the large, bubbling water park with water jets and slides. On the days we’ve been there this area has been overtaken with gangs of happy kiddos (at bottom), with the greener areas populated by groups of people chatting or reading. We like to think the park is some small recognition of the diverse people of African origin who live nearby.

As our KR brains are almost constantly geared to eating, we have our eyes on south London micro chain ‘Four Hundred Rabbits’ which overlooks Elephant Springs. We haven’t been there yet, but our sources tell us that the sourdough pizzas, gelato, and craft beers are perfect on a summer’s day. As for the park, if you dare to question our objectivity, it is listed in hipster bible and ‘thank god I found it on the tube or else I’d have nothing to read’ magazine ‘Stylist’ as one of the best green spaces in London along with Hyde and Richmond Parks.

https://www.stylist.co.uk/travel/city-breaks/londons-best-free-parks/530399

Urban Botanica

Posted on June 11, 2021 by Kennington Runoff

It’s only taken us 2 1/2 years, but we’ve finally got around to visiting Urban Botanica in Kennington Cross. The market is increasingly competitive for tea/coffee shops in Greater Kennington, and the USP of this place is that it is an unconventional hybrid of coffee/lunch shop meets garden centre where you consume your flat white amongst a seemingly endless selection of house plants from potted to hanging and from cacti to flowering. Got it?

Of course our priority was food, and the sandwich options consisted of a serrano ham/cheese scenario and a brie and egg. Each served on croissant, we chose the ham which was very good but probably not best served flattened and toasted. You can see the before and after impact below. However flat, it was very tasty and well filled. Our server explained that more lunch options will be rolled out in the coming weeks. There were also a variety of other pastries. On the coffee front, they serve single origin coffees from Horsham Roasters and all the usual players are there such as Espresso, Cappuccino, and Flat White.

Before smush on right
After smush

They have a very lovely and unexpected garden in the back and wifi in the main cafe. The garden is suitably verdant and a great way to spend a few hours on your laptop. So, next time you wake up and think ‘god, I really fancy a Minor Figures Nitro Brew and a potted fern but how can I get them IN JUST ONE PLACE’ well your wishes have been answered.

Urban Botanica is in Windmill Row but it doesn’t have a sign, so just look out for the indoor jungle…….Namaste……

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’.

The Kennington/Oval Gas Holders

Posted on May 25, 2021 by Kennington Runoff

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

Posted on May 21, 2021 by Kennington Runoff

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!

Coffee Shop at Park College

Posted on May 17, 2021 by Kennington Runoff

Congratulations! If you’re reading this then you’ve probably survived until 17 May. But let’s be honest here, Britain has actually enjoyed ‘being British’ over the past few months. You know you have a secret survivalist thrill when it comes to eating a salad nicoise in 10 degree weather with horizontal rain knocking over your glass of Pinot, or sitting on a bench in Kennington Park drinking your Espresso while getting concussed by tiny hailstones. But all good things must come to an end.

While we all yearn to return to our favourite dining establishments if we can get organised enough to book, we’ve found a lovely café/coffee shop where you don’t have to book and you can also make a difference. The Park College is a local educational institution dedicated to helping young people with autism obtain hands on skills that might turn into paid employment. On our trip we saw students gardening, repairing bikes, and working in a design space. However, the purpose of our visit was to visit the coffee shop, which is open Tuesday to Friday from 9:30am to 3pm.

The coffee shop at Park College offers breakfast fare including croissants, toasties, cakes and vegan sausage. For lunch, fare included jacket potato, falafel/hummus wrap, and chili jam and goat’s cheese roll among others. Your scribe opted for a mozzarella and tomato sandwich with black olive pesto, served on ciabatta. The students were making the sandwiches with the close guidance of mentors. The work in the café was obviously geared to the interests of individual students, with some in the open kitchen and others on the serving and collecting money side of things.

As you can see, on our visit inside eating just wasn’t gonna happen, so we ate our very generously proportioned ciabatta in their outside area. And while we’ve all enjoyed the character building elements of eating in a gale, it will be nice to eat inside again, and especially with the knowledge that you are helping to build careers for vulnerable people.

The Park College can be found in Kennington Park Place.