The Migration Museum and The Workshop

The Workshop is the former fire engine workshop on the corner of Lambeth High Street and Whitgift Street.

The Workshop - kenningtonrunoff.com

It previously played host to VIP parties and the Scumoween illegal rave before the developers Vauxhall One took it over and turned it into a temporary community and events space. It’s becoming an increasingly vibrant destination, playing host to the monthly Vintage Vauxhall Market, and seeing queues stretching all the way around the block when it hosted the Art Car Boot Fair.

The Art Car Boot Fair at The Workshop - kenningtonrunoff.com

The Workshop also has two more long term residents – the Fire Brigade Museum:

London Fire Brigade Museum - kenningtonrunoff.com

And a timely arrival in the area, the Migration Museum:

The Migration Museum figurines - kenningtonrunoff.com

We are big fans of migration and found this a thoughtful and moving museum with a lot of relevance to the local area:

Outside Bar Estrella, July 2006, after Portugal won World Cup Quarter Final against England at the Migration Museum

Outside Bar Estrella, July 2006, after Portugal won World Cup Quarter Final against England at the Migration Museum

The Migration Museum is on the first floor of the Workshop with no step free access. It’s open to the public Wednesdays–Sundays (plus bank holidays), from 11am–5pm.

The Migration Museum exhibit - kenningtonrunoff.com

Address: The Workshop, 26 Lambeth High Street, London SE1 7AG.

Vintage Vauxhall Market at the Workshop

Tomorrow (Sunday) sees the second monthly Vintage Vauxhall Market at the Workshop on Whitgift Street (entrance on Lambeth High Street), from 10am to 4pm.

The Workshop - kenningtonrunoff.com

It offers “Mid-century, vintage, decorative antiques, retro” and will take place on the second Sunday of every month. We went to the first market and lusted after a number of items including a mirror made of an old red London telephone box, an old Raleigh bike, some beautifully made children’s toys, a new woolly jumper, some old maps, and these prints:

prints at Vauxhall Vintage Market - kenningtonrunoff.com

This stall seems to have been designed with Kate Hoey in mind:

wolf and Jesus at Vauxhall Vintage Market - kenningtonrunoff.com

The Workshop is an impressive venue, full of light:

Vauxhall Vintage Market - kenningtonrunoff.com

If you’re wondering how this market came to be in North West Kennington, there’s a clue on the website of the organisers: “Vintage and Antiques Markets also thanks local Vauxhall residents author and antiques specialist Mark Hill and Philip Reicherstorfer, owner of the restaurant COUNTER. Mark and Philip are keen to see the local communities and businesses of Vauxhall flourish and had the idea that a market could really work in the area, through their contacts at VauxhallOne they got the ball rolling and helped make it happen!” Well done Mark and Philip, the latter of whom you may see manning Counter’s stall supplying tea, cakes and more.

Did you know the Workshop also plays host to the Fire Brigade Museum?

London Fire Brigade Museum - kenningtonrunoff.com lego firewoman at London Fire Brigade Museum - kenningtonrunoff.com

And, from April 26th, The Workshop will provide temporary asylum to the Migration Museum. We trust Kate Hoey will be an early and frequent visitor.