to oppose the move. Traders: stall- THE holders, market traders and shop keepers, are all opposed. There has already been one demonstration BRIXTON when, on 28th September 2010 a large number of Brixton traders closed for an hour to demonstrate outside the Town Hall. Another is SOCIETY being planned (at the time of writing) for the 13th October 2010 to coincide with the next full Council meeting. NEWSLETTER For more information, please visit: www.donticebrixtonmarket.org Autumn, October 2010 No.199, Quarterly issue, Distributed free to members.

Registered with the Forum of Amenity Societies, Registered Charity No.1058103, Website: www.brixtonsociety.org.uk WINDRUSH SQUARE

DON’T ICE BRIXTON MARKET Another local proposal to put something in an inappropriate place has been opposed by the Don’t Ice Brixton Market is the slogan of the Brixton Society. It came to our attention that campaign to stop the building of a temporary there was a proposal afoot to have regular, ice rink on the site of the Pope’s Road car park three-days-a-week street market on Windrush in the centre of Brixton. square. The car park, following years of neglect by its owner, Council, has been Your Chair and Secretary met with the condemned as dangerous and is now closed Lambeth StreetCare officer responsible for the pending demolition. markets and put to him our objections. These

The Brixton Master Plan envisages the included that this was not a proper use for a redevelopment of this site, but only with the public open space that was also common land inclusion of a significant amount of and that a regular market would inhibit the use replacement parking. There seems little of for community events such as the prospect of such a development at the Open Garden Squares Weekend (which the moment and so the expectation was that the Brixton Society organised) or Brixton Splash. site would be levelled and used as a street- level car park until such time as a We have now received a response that redevelopment becomes viable. StreetCare has decided to concentrate on other market priorities for now and that “the Meanwhile, down in … The so- Windrush Square issue will not be revisited called Streatham Hub development to create a during the current financial year.” While this is Tesco mega-store includes the building a new not the complete closure we would have ice rink to replace the existing one. The current wished, it does remove any immediate danger and is most welcome. planning permission requires the new rink to be built before the old one is demolished - meaning that the site has to be redeveloped in stages. Tesco says this is now too expensive and wants to clear the site and build the new Tesco before the new rink.

To make this possible, a site is required to erect a temporary (for at least two years) ice rink. Without any consultation, Lambeth has decided that this should go on the Pope’s Road site. This has upset no-end of people. “Save Skating In Streatham” has been formed What and where? Answers on back page! Diary of Events, Autumn 2010

Society Meetings 2 pm to 4-30 pm at Lambeth 7-30 pm for 7-45 start, at Town Hall (Assembly Hall) United Church The Executive Committee Acre Lane, SW2. Hall, corner of Redpost Hill usually meets on the second Adult & Community Services and Herne Hill, SE24. Thursday of the month to Herne Hill Society. plan activities and agree our responses to current issues. Wednesday 27 October These meetings are at 7 pm – Silver Surfers: Monday 15 November – at the Vida Walsh Centre, Computer workshop The Survey of London: 2b Saltoun Road, SW2 (at session, 10-30 am to 12 Talk by Professor Andrew the Effra Road end, facing noon at Brixton Tate Library. Saint, general editor of the Windrush Square). Enquiries/ bookings to the series of parish histories,  14 October library on 020 7926 1056. focussing on work in South  11 November Lambeth Libraries London. 6-45 pm for 7-15  13 January 2011 start at the Durning Library, For the new series of weekly 167 Lane, SE11 Links with Other activities for older people at Friends of Durning Library the Vida Walsh Centre, see Groups back page. Wednesday 17 Nov. – Please check directly with An Unpredictable Life the organisers if any queries Brain of Lambeth resident Maurice over times or admission. Thursday 28 October Stewart recalls 60 years in the entertainment industry. Sunday 24th October – 7-30 pm at Lambeth Town Hall (Room 125), follows a 7-30 pm for 8 pm start at Annual General Meeting “pub quiz” format for teams Clapham Manor School – 3 pm in Brockwell Hall in the of 4 with rounds of enter from Belmont Road, centre of the park. questions on general SW4. Friends of knowledge including The Clapham Society

Celebrating Age Lambeth and London. Entry fee £2 per team. Enquiries Saturday 27 November A series of events for to John Moore on –Winter Fair the over 55s runs for (020) 8677 6490 or at 11 am to 4 pm at Carnegie the whole of October – [email protected] Library, Herne Hill Road, so still time to catch The Lambethans Society SE24: seasonal stalls and highlights including: activities in the main library, th Tuesday 9 November – gallery and children’s library. Friday 22nd October – Glass-making on the Friends of Carnegie Library The Future of the NHS : Public Meeting organised by Talk by Dr David Watts, Add your news here... the Forum, 2 pm to 4 pm at 7 pm for 7-30 start, at the Space permitting, we are Lambeth ACCORD, 336 Housing Co-op Hall, 106 happy to announce local Brixton Road, SW9 The Cut, SE1 (almost events. We welcome news (opposite ) opposite and comments from all Lambeth Forum for Older Theatre). interested in the Brixton People Southwark & Lambeth area, so opinions expressed Archaeological Society. in these pages are not Tuesday 26 October – necessarily those of the th Health & Wellbeing Wednesday 10 Nov. – Brixton Society. Material for the next issue Advice for older people, Ghostly London: should be sent before 12 including stalls, displays, Robert Stephenson reviews December to Alan Piper – entertainment and afternoon sightings, hauntings and contact details on back page tea – no need to book. modern ghost-hunting.

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Local News

Archives Open Day Open House London

25 September 2010 02 Academy

The Archives Open Day is always an essential 19 September 2010 fixture in the Brixton Society diary. This year’s event, with a sure-fire popular theme and The O2 Academy originally opened as the blessed with good weather, was outstanding. Astoria Cinema in 1929. Now a leading music venue, live music has always played a part at the Academy. A full orchestra played on stage on the opening night and live music in the intervals was a feature of cinema-going in those days. Now the venue is a Grade II listed building and an important part of the local economy.

Diana Linskey & John Cunningham looking after the Brixton Society Stall The theme was: “Screen Lambeth”. The leaflets invited us to, “find out about some of the hidden stories of the silver screen: from the home movies that local people made to the big films that were shot on location here; the social life of cinema-going to the way that we now use film to record ordinary people's life histories.” And lots of people accepted. One side of the auditorium from the stage There were some talks outside the The magnificent Italianate decoration in the theme. Of particular auditorium can be difficult to see during a interest to our area, concert because of the stage lighting. This Naomi Klein opening of the Academy therefore gave presented: Stories visitors a rare opportunity to see it at its best. from the The management provided a high level of Naomi Klein war memorial and staffing which enabled them to let visitors see introduced her new book on the subject which some of the back stage is entitled, These Were Our Sons. (See the and to go onto the review on page 5 for details.) stage. They also booked a couple of The grand finale of the day was an illustrated look-a-likes: Madonna talk called Going to the pictures: a local history and Ozzy Osbourne of the cinema given by Robert Holden, ably (seen left with a Brixton assisted by Richard Norman. Anyone who had Society member, while heard Robert speak before would have known behind them another what to expect - we were treated to a tour-de- visitor dreams of force which, of course, overran; as informative playing to the gallery). as it was hilarious. Richard treated us to many images of Brixton’s cinema history. We do not have enough space this issue for photos of the grand Art Deco front of house Our apologies for the other excellent talks we but the good news is that they hope to open have not had room to cover. again next year. Or go to a concert to see it!

3

Local History Focus

New Ideal Homes re-launched to my father’s poor health and an easing of the bombing. By the time you read this, the joint website from several South London boroughs should My first childhood memories are of 13 be enhanced. It illustrates a range of suburban St.Lawrence Road (near Mostyn Road, since housing developments over the past 150 years replaced by the Myatt’s Fields South Estate). – see www.ideal-homes.org.uk The houses were small – about the only thing I remember about it was that I could climb on The 2011 Census the roof from a shed in the small garden, and Census data is of great value to researchers the toilet was under the main roof but only but somebody has to collect it to start with – accessible from the outside. The air raid staff are now being recruited for 2011, see shelter there was a heavy duty metal table with www.censusjobs.co.uk cage sides, in the lounge/ dining area.

I am not sure when we moved to Loughborough Road, but it was probably after our return from Three Bridges. This house was still standing when I visited in 1998. During the war years we had an Anderson shelter in the back garden. Two families occupied the house – the Harris family downstairs and us upstairs. There was only one front door and no divisions to separate the two families, but we never went into the Harris’s part of the house. Both Responding to our feature on Railton Road families shared the air raid shelter, with as I shops in the last issue, Graham Gower of the recall, benches on three sides of the shelter. Streatham Society sent in this picture of The garden then was quite long but during the No.122 just over 100 years ago, when an rebuilding of the area the garden was ancestor ran a greengrocer’s shop in better shortened and the house turned into three trading conditions than today. flats, all with separate entrances. Burton Road ran parallel with Loughborough Road and rear gardens of the Burton Road houses backed Memories of Brixton onto ours. I think these houses may have gone during the rebuild to reduce the garden sizes Several months ago, Terry Clark e-mailed from and put in more buildings. Adelaide in South Australia with reminiscences of growing up in Brixton between 1940 and Despite all the bombing, we only had one 1953, and at last we have carved out enough window crack during the war years, and that space to print them: was a small wire-reinforced window in the pantry. We had a coal cellar, with the horse I was born in Battersea on 26 November 1937. and cart pulling up in front of the house and My father was then a constable in the the coalman dumping a one hundredweight Metropolitan Police, stationed at West End (55 kg) sack of coal down the coal hole near Central for 19 years, from 1932 to 1951. Then the front steps. The milkman (United Dairies) he transferred to Brixton Police Station, still as also had a horse and cart, later upgrading to a constable (L597) where he served out the an electric trolley with a handle sticking out in rest of his 25 years before retirement in 1957. front with a controller on it. This handle was connected to the front wheels to steer the During the war we were evacuated (with our vehicle, and the milkman squeezed the trigger mother) three times, to Wales early in 1940 for handle to make the trolley go forward a few months, to Three Bridges from late 1940 for about 18 months, then in late 1942 to We grew a few vegetables in the back garden, Devoran in Cornwall, returning each time due but also had an allotment in Brockwell Park,

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Local History Focus where most of our vegetables came from. Dad curtain. Inside was stored some of my sister’s would strap his fork and spade to the crossbar clothing. of his bike. I would sit on the metal frame fitted above the rear wheel, and off we would From Loughborough Road I used to cross cycle on a Sunday to the allotment, to weed Brixton Road to Robsart Street, where there and tend the various things we grew, potatoes, was a hairdresser. A haircut was three pence cabbages, onions, carrots etc. It was my job for boys, but we used to have to wait until the to collect any horse manure that landed in our men’s hair was done, and we kids were always street, to put in a sack for our garden and pushed back in the queue as men arrived and allotment. One room in the house was a spare took priority. room and that was used for such tasks as Terry Clark laying out the shallots to dry, prior to pickling them. “These were our sons” My first job at the age of twelve (in 1948) was prior to Christmas in a butcher’s shop under These words inscribed on Stockwell’s war one of the railway arches in Brixton Market. memorial inspired this book looking at the Prior to Christmas people would come in and lives of the 574 men who names are buy their chicken for Christmas dinner. The inscribed there. Each one was loved and butcher would then give the customer a ticket mourned by his family when he died. from a book of raffle tickets, the stub would be attached to the chicken which was then hung By identifying the men through the 1911 in the butcher’s cold room. Just before census, military records, family letters and Christmas the customer would return with their personal accounts, Naomi Klein has raffle ticket to claim their chicken. It was my job to go into the cold room and recover the pieced together aspects of their lives and appropriate chicken, pluck it for the customer enabled us to see the people and and take it to the butcher who would wrap it personalities behind the names. The and hand it to the owner. stories that have emerged are rich and varied – they include jack-the-lads, Another of my family jobs was to scour the fraudsters and underage volunteers, as market stalls for wooden boxes. Oranges well as serving soldiers, family men and came in wooden boxes about 3 ft x 1.5 ft in two compartments. The top, bottom and centre hard-working artisans. divide were all of quite thick (3/4 inch) timber London-born Naomi Klein has lived in but with the sides made of thinner timber slats th Stockwell for over 20 years. She works about 4 inches wide and 3/16 inch thick. I would work my way around the market, asking full-time in magazine publishing but out of stall-holders if they had any boxes, until I came hours runs the local blog, across one who had just finished unloading the www.stockwellnews.com Her oranges from the box. I would then tie a piece determination to bring out little-known of string around the box and drag it aspects of this corner of Lambeth sparked triumphantly back to Loughborough Road. The her interest in researching the names on box was too big, or maybe I was too small, to the war memorial. transport it any other way. Depending on the condition of the box, Dad would either chop it These were our sons: Stories from the up for firewood or occasionally make Stockwell war memorial by Naomi Klein something for the house. I remember on one is published in paperback by Elefant occasion, by standing the box on its end, he Books at £9.99, or order from made a small cupboard-cum-table to sit beside www.elefantbooks.com at the special price my sister’s bed. Three sides were timber slats and on the open side he attached a small of £8.99. ISBN 978-0-956865-0-6

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Local History Focus

Black History Month The Fun Factory Still time to catch a couple of local events before the series ends... We are now being asked to comment when developers seek approval to naming of new Wednesday 20 October – streets or blocks. Recently we were able to The Wonder, by Diana Evans: suggest ideas for a small close off Harbour Journalist and author Diana Evans introduces Road, SE5, reflecting Fred Karno’s “Fun her second novel, recreating the world of Factory” nearby at what is now 40 Southwell 1950s Kingston and the early carnivals and Road. A century ago Fred ran a troupe of Blues parties of Ladbroke Grove. 7 pm at entertainers who would set out from this base Brixton Tate Library, SW2 – free but phone to tour theatres around the country. His best (020) 7926 1075 to reserve a place. remembered performers were Stan Laurel (later paired with Oliver Hardy) and Charles Wednesday 27 October – Chaplin, who both went on to Hollywood fame. Effra Poets’ Voices: There is already a Chaplin Close in SE1 so the International cultural celebration and launch of final selection will be made from Laurel Mews, a new poetry CD and book, “Spiritual Fitness”, Karno Mews, Fun Factory Mews or Factory 12 noon to 6 pm at Effra Resource Centre, 65 Mews. Effra Road, SW2. Tickets £3, bookings to Alan Piper. (020) 7926 1044 or to [email protected] The centre provides daytime services and information for adults with mental ill-health. What did you wear in the Blitz, Granny? Monday 1st November – I was wondering if you could pass this enquiry For Queen and Country: on to your members. I am a postgraduate A one-woman show about the life of Mary history student at the London College of Seacole, to raise funds for a memorial statue. Fashion and Cambridge University. I am 8 pm at the , 138 researching the clothing of the Second World Road, SE11. This is almost War period and I am looking to talk to women opposite the site of the old Surrey Gardens, who lived in or near London at that time. Any where a benefit concert was organised for her one who is interested should contact me at: by Army friends after her return from the Crimean War. Tickets £10, concessions £8, [email protected] or telephone me at box office (020) 7793 9193 or online at (020) 7586 5455 or 07 810 808 328 or write to: www.thewhitebeartheatre.co.uk Bethan Bide, Flat 2, 11 Chester Way, Black Cultural Archives Kennington, London SE11 4UT. BCA is now in the process of recruiting staff to manage its collections, raise funds and run its educational activities and exhibitions. Closing date is 18 October – details at www.bcaheritage.org.uk/vacancies

Final funding from Heritage Lottery Fund and the London Development Agency was confirmed in August to allow a return to Brixton. Recent expectations are for work to start at 1-3 Effra Road in January 2011, with a The wartime “utility” symbol applied to view to opening the new venue in April 2012. approved designs of clothing and furniture.

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Planning & Regeneration

and encouraged conversion of larger houses Town Cramming into small flats. Infill developments, mostly by housing associations, have added to the rich in Acre Lane mix, but the problem is that other amenities have not kept pace. There is hardly any public Although Brixton’s Town Centre tends to open space between Ferndale Road and Acre get most of our attention, we have always Lane, and only Windmill Gardens south of been interested in the surrounding Acre Lane. residential neighbourhoods. Over the past 6 months we have picked up increasing Shortage of School Places: local frustration via Acre Lane Residents’ The impact of the increased population is most Association about the adverse effect of keenly felt in the shortage of places in local Lambeth planning policies on the streets primary schools. With a complete disregard for forward planning, the Council sold off the both north and south of Acre Lane. Ashby Mill and Santley Street school sites for Housing Dominates: private housing. As a result Sudbourne School is oversubscribed and this year had to limit its Current market forces favour housing above all catchment area to 200m from the school. other uses. Central London has the biggest There is talk of expanding by putting the concentration of jobs in the country and homes infants department on another site (if one can in inner areas like Brixton are now more be found) but this replicates the limitations of sought after because of the relatively short the nearby Corpus Christi Catholic School, journey to work. already on split sites. Since the early 1970s the Council has given unthinking priority to affordable housing. No longer able to build Council housing, it has Erosion of Character: been so keen on developments by housing Only a few existing buildings are protected associations that the usual standards for from casual demolition, as part of the Town space and amenity have not been enforced. Centre or Trinity Gardens conservation areas, or by individual listing. Only a few of the major Two proposals from registered social landlord employment sites are protected from change Genesis have galvanised local opposition. of use to housing, including the Sunlight Fulham Timber Merchants site was due to be Laundry. One of the issues raised by residents replaced by a Yellow self-storage warehouse was the piecemeal erosion of local character, until they realised that a rival had just opened such as clumsy window replacements and the across the road. Genesis then stepped in with dominance of the street scene by wheely bins. a housing scheme, soon expanding the site to include a couple more shops and the disused Outdated Planning Policies: Duke of Wellington pub. Genesis had already Part of the problem is the slow process of been planning a high-density development in changing planning policies. Even if the issues place of the old BP petrol station on the south were critically reviewed, the current Unitary side of Acre Lane, with rear access on to Development Plan was devised 15 years ago Sudbourne Road. Their first design was and adopting the new Local Development rejected for its shortcomings including blatant Framework to replace it is proving a overlooking problems, but a new application is ponderous and alienating process. expected soon. Finding Ways Forward: Lack of Amenities: Residents are reviving proposals for a The areas around Acre Lane have seen a conservation area, and more buildings for steady increase in density since the 1960s. In listing, nationally or locally, but clearly there the late 1970s, Lambeth and the GLC are still policy gaps to deal with. promoted housing improvement schemes which brought empty properties back into use Alan Piper.

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Community Matters

Support for Vida Walsh Contact Us

Community Centre General enquiries and Groups re-launched Newsletter material: Alan Piper, Secretary, Lambeth Voluntary Action Age Concern Lambeth 82 Mayall Road, London Council (LVAC) has just has recently re-started a SE24 0PJ, (020) 7207 0347 or [email protected] issued its new programme programme of daytime of training courses up to activities for older people March next year. We know Membership and sales: at the Centre. that many members are Diana Linskey, Membership Secretary, 32 Stockwell already involved in various Yoga sessions continue on Green, SW9 or by e-mail to: community projects, and Monday mornings, 10 am to [email protected] some groups are directly 11-30, £4 per session. affiliated to the Society, so Planning issues: we wanted to remind you all Goldies coffee mornings for For policy matters, Lambeth in case the details have lesbian, gay, bisexual and or London-wide, contact the passed you by. See trangendered people over Chair, Bill Linskey on (020) www.lambethvac.org.uk 50, on Tuesdays 10 am to 7274 3835 or at 11-30, 50p a session. Finding and Managing [email protected] Volunteers is a key issue Meet @ Vida’s for a variety For individual planning for many community groups of informal activities, on applications, contact David so LVAC has launched new Wednesday afternoons 1-30 Warner on (020) 7924 0618, support in this field. Contact to 4-30 pm, fee £1.50. Other [email protected] their Volunteer Centre on activities are already (020) 7326 5488 or e-mail spinning off into extra Friends of Tate Library: [email protected] weekly sessions including Vanessa Wood, Secretary, an art group and a [email protected]. Specific guidance is now gardening group. uk available to those taking on the roles of trustee, school Eat @ Vida’s – a healthy And contacting you... governor, magistrate or lunch is served between 12 With E-mail addresses we running a tenants’ and and 2 pm on Tuesdays and can quickly notify members residents’ association. Fridays, cost £3.50. of extra events or changes Contact LVAC’s Active that crop up between Citizens hub at (020) 7737 Out and About Club meets newsletter issues. We can 1419 or by e-mail to: at the Centre at 9-30 am on only contact c.60 of you this active.citizen@lambethvac. Fridays to set off for places way, but there must be more org.uk of interest armed with a bus pass and a packed lunch. – e-mail the Secretary and Advice can also be offered we’ll do the rest. to smaller groups on Advice & information capacity-building as well as services continue, free, on Spot the Building monitoring and evaluation Mondays 1 pm to 4 pm and (From our front page) This new Brixton school has a family requirements set by funders Thursdays 10 am to 1 pm. resemblance to the MAXXI art – contact Charlotte All enquiries about Centre gallery in Rome, which recently Hennessy on (020) 7737 activities to Erica on (020) won the Stirling Prize. Evelyn 9477 or Grace Academy was designed 7326 1780 or by e-mail to: monitoringandevaluation@ by the same architect, Zaha [email protected]. lambethvac.org.uk Hadid, and replaces the uk Shakespeare depot.

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