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Home , Clapham Park, Loughborough Junction, Max Roach Park

THE Saturday 28th September: Open Day at Archives 10 am to 5 pm at the Minet Library, SOCIETY Knatchbull Road, SE5. This year’s focus is Lambeth a century ago, NEWSLETTER just before the outbreak of the Great War.

Summer, July 2013 Helpers wanted No.210, Quarterly issue, By now we will have settled arrangements for Distributed free to members. staffing our stall through the Country Show weekend, but we welcome offers of help at the Registered with the Forum of Amenity Autumn events and monthly Market Walks. Societies, Registered Charity No.1058103, If you can spare some time to help on our stall, Website: www.brixtonsociety.org.uk please call Diana Linskey on (020) 7274 3835

or e-mail to [email protected] Our next appearance: Saturday 13 July Brixton Market Walk Depart 2-30 pm, Brixton Station Road Meet at the Makerhood stall, opposite the Recreation Centre.

Weekend 20 & 21 July Lambeth Country Show At the Windmill Festival, 22 June

11 am to 7 pm, , SE24 Our next Summer Walks... Look out for our stall in the usual area – if you enter by the gate, we are to the right th of the path up to Brockwell Hall, second row Sunday 14 July back, a corner site facing uphill towards the Herne Hill from Coldharbour La. Village Markets area (site ZW19). Meet 2-30 pm outside Station, , SW9 for a walk led th Thursday 12 September: by Alan Piper via , the summit of Herne Hill and Milkwood Community Park. Brixton History evening Bus routes P4, P5, 35, 45, 345. 7 pm at the Vida Walsh Centre, th 2b Saltoun Road SW2 Sunday 8 September Playing Detective – some investigations into Brixton’s local history: 2 short illustrated talks E. Brixton & Myatt’s Fields plus a display of local history material, with Meet at 2-30 pm at Loughborough Junction light refreshments (part of Lambeth Heritage Station (as above). This walk around Brixton’s Festival - see page 8 inside) eastern fringes finishes in Myatt’s Fields Park.

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Late Summer Dates 2013

Society Meetings The web link for buying Garden. Wear sensible tickets is: shoes, and no dogs please! The Executive Committee http://brixton.fatsoma.com/e Friends of Brockwell Park usually meets on the second vents/89182/ and also see: Thursday of the month to www.maryseacoleappeal.or plan activities and agree our Sunday 18 August – g.uk for more background. responses to current issues. Walk from Peckham to

These meetings are at 7 pm at the Vida Walsh Centre, Monday 15 July – Meet at 2 pm at Peckham 2b Saltoun Road, SW2 (at Art & Artists Rye Station, SE15. the Effra Road end, facing Talk by Brian Bloice, 8 pm Peckham Society Windrush Square). at Woodlawns, Streatham Darby & Joan Club, 16 Sunday 31 August –  11 July, Leigham Court Rd., SW16. Bat Walk  10 October The Streatham Society Led by Dr Iain Boulton:

 14 November meet at 7-30 pm by the Friday 19 July – clock tower in the centre of Market Walks Healthy Finance Fair the park (capes optional?). Our guided walks around 11 am to 3 pm at Lambeth Friends of Brockwell Park the market area continue on Town Hall, offers help with the second Saturday of budgeting, bank accounts, Wednesday 11 Sept. – energy bills and debt issues. each month, at £3 including King’s College Hospital: Part of Healthy Finances the illustrated booklet of the An illustrated talk to mark Week – also look out for the route. Tickets available via the hospital’s centenary on campaign tent during the our website or after 12 noon its site. Lambeth Country Show. on the day from our stall in 7-30 pm for 7-45 start, Lambeth Council Brixton Station Road Herne Hill United Church

(shared with Makerhood). Hall, c/o Redpost Hill and Sunday 11 August – Walks set out from there at Herne Hill, SE24. 2-30 pm and take about an Another Wandle Walk Herne Hill Society hour and a half. Exploring another section of  13 July the River Wandle, led by Wednesday 18 Sept. –  10 August Alan Piper. Meet at 2-30 pm Sew Over It  14 September outside Colliers Wood Lisa Comfort will talk about Station (Northern Line). setting up and running Sew Links with Other Lambethans Society Over It, her sewing cafe at 78 Landor Road, SW9. It Groups Wednesday 14 August – opened in 2011, offering Please check directly with Evening Walk classes in dress-making, the organisers if any queries Meet at 6-30 pm outside soft furnishing, crochet and over times or admission. Clapham North Station knitting, as well as access to (Northern Line) for a walk sewing machines and skilled Sunday 14 July – around Clapham’s North help. Lisa studied at the Laugh with Mary: end, led by Peter Jefferson London College of Fashion A FUNdraising comedy Smith. and later worked for night featuring Jo Brand, Clapham Society designer Bruce Oldfield and Omid Djalili, Bobby Davro bridal couturier Philippa and others at the Jamm (the Friday 16 August – Lepley. 7-30 for 8 pm start, Old White Horse) Brixton Moth Night at Clapham Manor Primary Road, c/o Loughborough David Gardner leads a School, entrance in Belmont Road, to help raise funds for viewing – meet at 8 pm at Road, SW4 0BZ. a statue to Mary Seacole. the entrance to the Walled Clapham Society

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Planning & Regeneration News

Town Centre Plans update The Brix have appointed landscape architects SHAPE to draw up ideas for St. Matthew’s The Supplementary Planning Document has Peace Garden. Long ago, the church passed been adopted with limited amendments. The the original churchyard to Lambeth Council to thrust of the SPD is still only a broad strategy, maintain, save for a very small area around it, placing reliance on the Lambeth Local Plan to including the forecourt parking. The Brix’s provide the specifics. We will of course be proposals are based on managing the space following that up as it goes through revisions in as a whole, and improving access into both the the months ahead. building and the churchyard..

Somerleyton Road plans: In the back streets south of Acre Lane, the old Thursday 18 July, 4 pm to 8 pm Tuborg Lager depot between Mauleverer and Mandrell Roads has finally attracted the Guided walks set out on the hour (last at 7 pm) attention of house-builders. It seems the last from by the temporary school, followed by owners surrendered the plot to their bank, who discussions back at base. split it in two. Proposals for 8 family houses on For sites along Somerleyton Road, proposals the eastern half seem innocuous until you in the SPD have been worked up into a notice the 1983 mural painted along the whole development brief, based on inputs from Mauleverer Road wall of the warehouse. The Brixton Green and Oval Theatre. However, developers have offered to fund a new mural members raised concerns at our AGM about elsewhere in the neighbourhood but the same how enough Affordable Housing could be issue could arise when the owners of the included, given Lambeth’s lack of interest in western half of the depot in turn develop their mainstream Council housing, and its long- part, which has the better-preserved section of standing hostility to co-operative or self-build the mural. housing models. Alan Piper

Recent Planning Cases Community Infrastructure Some interesting cases – and difficult choices Levy – revised draft – are for sites where planning applications are yet to be made, so tell us your views! To recap, the concept is that new building projects pay a fair share towards the demands Another Brixton pub seems likely to disappear they place on the local infrastructure. – the Canterbury Arms at the corner of Popes Developers will pay set charges depending on Road and Canterbury Crescent. Developers the floorspace, location and use of their are proposing a 9-storey block of flats, which building. Smaller buildings will be exempt and would adjoin the temporary Ice Rink. Part of some uses will pay no charge in certain parts the ground floor could be another use, but of the borough. Since April 2012, the Mayor passing footfall is unlikely to attract retailers has run a similar scheme to help pay for and the flats above would rule out a late-night CrossRail. entertainment venue. This is an opportunity for A draft scheme was aired in Autumn last year a community centre with ground-level access, (Newsletter 207, p.6) and a revised version or for re-creating a traditional pub, but in both has recently appeared for comments. There cases long-term financial viability is tricky. are still some anomalies, such as Brixton Bus Garage being in the same zone as ! Meanwhile, just across the road, Lambeth Council has offered International House for As with all such proposals, send us your views conversion to residential use as part of the so we can draft a response. The deadline for deal with developers for the SW2 Enterprise comments is 12th August, to Centre, a re-vamp of the 1971 Town Hall [email protected] extension plans.

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Notes & News

Brain of Lambeth Quiz The students made several visits to Brixton, including running a market stall on a couple of Thursday 26 September winter Saturdays to pick up grass-roots 7-30 pm for 7-45 start, Lambeth Town Hall comments and stories. Their emerging Run by the Lambethans Society in a “pub quiz” proposals were presented last month, based format for teams of 4, with rounds of questions on concealed speakers which would play pre- on general knowledge topics including recorded commentaries or stories when Lambeth and London. This year’s quiz is somebody stands at a suitable trigger point. slightly earlier than usual, to form part of Lambeth’s Heritage Festival, running through Alan Piper September. Remember Prefabs? If you are thinking of entering a team, whether Prefabs were intended as temporary on behalf of a local group or as a family, telling replacements for houses bombed during the the quizmaster in advance helps things run Second World War. Improvised wartime smoothly on the night – call John Moore on examples near the foot of and in (020) 8677 6490 or ideally by e-mail to Loughborough Road were based on Army [email protected] Nissen huts and replaced within 10 years by

“proper” Council housing. However, most Townscape Heritage Bid were provided in 1946-50, in 11 different – another angle types, and often lasted well beyond their intended lifespan. Back in October last year, we announced that Lambeth Council had finally decided to follow They were popular mainly because each up funding from English Heritage towards family had a bungalow on its own plot. restoring historic facades within Brixton Town Photographer Elisabeth Blanchet has spent a Centre. So far, the bid has got through the first decade documenting those that survive around stage, which provides initial funding for the country. Even today there are still survivors working up proposals in more detail. The focus in – isolated cases in remote of attention will be around Electric Avenue and parts of Nunhead and a pocket east of Catford, Atlantic Road. Somebody should be recruited for example. to work on this from September, so that the final package can be submitted in Spring 2014. Prefabs: Palaces for the People is an exhibition of photos by Elisabeth English Heritage expects to see wider Blanchet at Photofusion, Electric Lane SW9 community involvement, rather than just until 2nd August. subsidising a Council building programme, so a number of local groups have been signed up Neighbourhood Enhancement as stakeholders. Approval will depend on the essential repairs being backed up by activities Programme rolls on which raise the profile of the area and increase This programme is managed by Lambeth respect for the townscape in future. Council but mainly funded by Transport for London, with about £230,000 to be spent in We are anxious that this package should build each area by April 2014. The current target on community strengths and bring some local areas on our patch are Vassall and Ferndale benefits, rather than the hasty jumble of ideas Wards, and that part of Coldharbour Ward in the consultant’s draft proposals. Our Chair north of Coldharbour Lane. The main topics has already enlisted assistance from a group covered are highways including road safety of graduate students at the Royal College of measures, pedestrian and cycling facilities, Art, who have investigated alternatives to the street trees and other landscape features. traditional approach of sticking plaques on historic buildings to record the personalities or Ideas already suggested in other areas include events associated with them. a community car club, murals, an outdoor gym

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Notes & News and a play street. The NEP has supported the Saturday 21 September, 1 pm – 5 pm, Edible Bus Stop in Landor Road. Local Sunday 22 September, 1 pm to 5 pm, meetings should be taking place this month in (London Open House weekend) the selected areas, so that final decisions can be made in the early Autumn and the Saturday 5 October, 2 pm – 5 pm, measures put in place by April 2014. Saturday 12 October, 2 pm – 5 pm, Enquiries to [email protected] or phone Sunday 13 October, 2 pm – 5 pm. (020) 7926 7009. For the full tour, visiting all floors within the mill, you will need to book in advance – see www.brixtonwindmill.org/visit

At present, tours are free but you can support the work of the Friends of Windmill Gardens by purchasing souvenirs or publications from the stall outside the mill.

March of the Supermarkets Clearly the full force of “Gentrification” has not Affordable housing in Hackford Road? No, it’s reached Brixton yet – so far, only Clapham has secure cycle storage provided on-street as attracted a mini-Waitrose! However, the part of NEP improvements unveiled in April. scandal over Tesco’s takeover of the George IV pub is not the only case of supermarkets Extending Recycling forcing their way into smaller sites on our patch. The Loughborough Junction Action Lambeth’s latest recycling initiative is to Group have been campaigning since February provide kerbside banks for used batteries and over the dangerous situation created by the light bulbs – particularly for low energy bulbs new Tesco Express in the former Warrior pub which contain elements harmful to the on Coldharbour Lane. The new stores may be environment. There are 7 sites around our smaller but the delivery lorries are still full-size. part of the borough: Their parking outside the store reduces traffic - Acre Lane, outside Tesco; to a single line on a difficult bend. - Loughborough Road shops, corner of The council’s transport planning team are Barrington Road SW9; finally introducing loading restrictions to - Brixton Road, by , prevent deliveries on weekdays 7-10 am and - Garlinge House, Cowley Estate, SW9; 4-7pm. Meanwhile Tesco have agreed to limit - Corner of High Trees and Tulse Hill, deliveries to between 10 am and 3 pm. LJAG - Railton Road, between No.239 and would like to hear if problems continue, at Alexander House, [email protected] - Larkhall Lane, by Larkhall Park. 2-10 pm, 29 June ‘13

Brixton Windmill openings Guided tours of the windmill are available on selected dates until mid-October:

Saturday 10 August, 2 pm - 5 pm, Sunday 11 August, 2 pm – 5 pm,

Sunday 25 August, 2 pm – 5 pm,

Saturday 14 September, 2 pm – 5 pm, Sunday 15 September, 2 pm – 5 pm,

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Annual Report 2013

Brixton’s bid to the Townscape Heritage The Brixton Society Initiative programme. Understanding the Past, To keep in touch with London-wide and Looking to the Future national policies, in the past year we have Registered Charity No.1058103, been more closely involved with the Registered with the London Forum London Forum of Amenity Societies. of Amenity Societies Website: www.brixtonsociety.org.uk NETWORKING: We are in touch with a wide range of community groups. We also Annual Report 2013 try to respond to a varied stream of e-mail enquiries from students, media and family AIMS & ORGANISATION historians. We have participated in the Brixton STRUCTURE & MANAGEMENT: The Neighbourhood Forum, Brockwell Park Society is a registered charity and an Community Partners (the Management unincorporated association. The society’s Advisory Committee), Lambeth Police/ constitution was last revised at the 2008 Community Consultative Group, Lambeth AGM, to reflect current charity law, but. Local History Forum, Friends of Lambeth further amendments for clarification were Libraries, Lambeth Civic Forum and adopted at this year’s AGM. Lambeth Parks Forum. We are supporting the Friends of Tate Library and the Friends The Executive Committee met 9 times of Windrush Square, which operate as between Annual General Meetings, sub-committees of the Society. consisting of Bill Linskey (Chair), Annick Alet, Doye Akinlade, John Cunningham, Barbara Davies, Tom Harle, Phil Isaac, Rosemary Honey, Diana Linskey, Alan Piper, Marilyn Rogers, Devon Thomas, Eileen Walkin, David Warner, Nicholas Weedon, Norma Williamson, and Laura Swaffield (co-opted from the Friends of Lambeth Libraries).

AIMS & AFFILIATIONS: We aim to encourage awareness and understanding of our surroundings, and to give local people a say in Brixton’s future. Our area extends well beyond the Town Centre to include Myatt’s Fields, much of , and out to the South Circular Road. The Society is registered with the London Forum of Amenity Societies, the British Association for Local History and Lambeth Voluntary Action Council, all of which provide useful support in our work.

PROGRAMME & ACTIVITIES

PLANNING & REGENERATION: We aim to comment on significant local Notice-board recently installed in planning applications, and also to suggest Windrush Square, near Effra Road. buildings for protection through listing, conservation areas or Lambeth’s Local EVENTS: For Open Garden Squares List. It is more efficient though to focus on weekend 2012, we organised a “Brixton overall planning policy documents rather Communities” event with support from the than individual cases. Thus we submitted Peter Minet Trust. We also put on displays detailed comments on the draft Brixton or stalls at the Brixton Windmill Festival, Town Centre supplementary planning Mervan Road street party and Lambeth document, and on the latest version of the Archives Open Day. This year, we will be Lambeth Local Plan. We are supporting back at the Lambeth Country Show in July.

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In addition to our summer guided walks for Editorial Notice: the Lambeth Local History Forum, we lead Space permitting, we try to feature local monthly walks around the market area to events and publish reminiscences or coincide with the Makers’ Market on the enquiries in our newsletter. second Saturday of each month. We welcome news and comments from all

interested in the Brixton area, so opinions expressed in the newsletter are not necessarily those of the Brixton Society.

All material should be sent to the Secretary, Alan Piper, at 82 Mayall Road, SE24 0PJ, or by e-mail to [email protected]

Phone/ fax (020) 7207 0347 By 15 September for the Autumn issue.

Government puts the screws on affordable housing Figures announced in the Government’s Spending Review show a slight reduction from the current Affordable Homes programme. This scheme is extended to 2018 at £957m each year, plus £400m over 2 years for an Affordable Rent-to-Buy scheme, providing 165,000 homes overall. PUBLICATIONS: The website continues Housing Associations will be allowed to to develop, becoming a vital channel for raise social rents each year by 1% more wider sales of our publications. More than the Consumer Price Index up to 2025. postcards will be added to our range this Housing Minister Mark Prisk also summer. We distribute some 300 copies announced his intention that housing of our Newsletter quarterly, including key providers should convert their re-lets to groups and local councillors. Affordable Rent status at higher rents, or offer the homes for sale. RESOURCES RIBA Practice Bulletin, 4.7.13 MEMBERSHIP: Paid-up members had increased slightly to 200, but most are due The Chocolate Museum to renew in July, so the Country Show is a One of Brixton’s newer attractions is the great opportunity to do so. Chocolate Museum at 187 Ferndale Road Over two thirds of Newsletters go out via a – approaching from Brixton Road, that’s network of 14 volunteers, with a useful just beyond the Bon Marche building, on saving in postage. Other support “in kind” the left-hand side of the road. from individual members includes staffing stalls, reporting back from a variety of Open to the public Wednesday to Friday meetings, and other tasks which all help 12 noon to 7 pm, Saturdays 10 am to 6-30. maintain the Society’s level of activity. Workshop sessions can also be booked, including chocolate-making on FINANCE: Draft accounts for the year Wednesday evenings at 7 pm. Weekday ended 31 March 2013 were presented to mornings are set aside for school visits. the AGM, but the final version will appear in our autumn Newsletter. Annual income Basic information is on their website at: was £3512 but there were no new grants www.thechocolatemuseum.co.uk for the Windrush Square art event, so total Enquiries to 07 723 434 235 or spent was £4190. Subscriptions were last [email protected] revised at the 2010 AGM.

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Full programme details and a Lambeth’s First downloadable brochure will be found at www.lambeth.gov.uk/heritagefestival2 Heritage Festival 013 and www.lambeth.gov.uk/archivesopenday Lambeth will be holding its first ever Heritage Festival during the month of Printed copies may be available in time to September. Lambeth Archives and the pick up from the Libraries tent at the Lambeth Local History Forum have Lambeth Country Show. worked together to develop a rich programme of events and activities that try to pick up on all aspects of local A Tale of Two Commons history in the borough, both The two features of Brixton’s past that geographically (with events spread everyone seems to have heard of are the River Effra (see facing page) and Rush across the whole of Lambeth from West Common – the latter mainly because of Norwood to Waterloo and from Clapham building restrictions left over from the to ) and in terms of subject original Lambeth Inclosure Act of 1806. matter with walks, talks and other events covering a broad spread of subjects However, Brixton included another patch including house history, local mural of common land, Stockwell Common, artists, women’s history, Black history along the western side of Brixton Road. and national figures like William Blake This was part of the Manor of Stockwell, as well as incorporating regular heritage formed when the ancient manor of South events such as London Open House Lambeth was split in two by King Edward I weekend and the Lambeth Archives in 1294, the other part becoming Open Day. Manor. Initially Stockwell Manor included all the land bounded by Brixton Road and Local events during September in the Brixton Hill up to Brixi’s Stone, then Brixton area include northwards along Lyham Road and Bedford Road to Clapham Road, then along this old Roman road to meet Saturday 7th Sept: “300 Years of o Common at the present Oval Black History” a walk led by Tube Station. There was also a Stockwell Steve Martin that starts at Wood on the south-west boundary, which Brixton Library and finishes at later became Bleak Hall Farm and finally Minet Library. th the core of the Estate. o Thursday 12 : The Brixton Society is devoting an evening to Stockwell Common itself stretched north a couple of talks to share our along the west side of Brixton Road from knowledge and point to sources the corner of Acre Lane as far as you can use for your own Stockwell Park Walk, then up to the corner research. of the skateboard park, and south again to o There are also a few House join Acre Lane about 2 shops west of History workshops at different MacDonald’s. In the 1580s, Viscount libraries, to help anyone Montagu granted long leases on parts of interested in finding out more the manor, and later owners sold off more about the house or block they of it, so that by 1773 it was about half its original area. The rump of the estate, live in. mostly south of the present Ferndale Saturday 28th: Lambeth o Road, was auctioned off in 14 lots in 1802, Archives’ annual open day will when Stockwell Green and the common take as its theme 1913 , the year were bought by William Lambert, who before the world was changed became nominal Lord of the Manor. out of all recognition by the First World War. There will be Perhaps encouraged by the enclosure of speakers on the Suffragettes, the adjacent Rush Common (completed in Edwardian architecture and a 1810), Lambert had Stockwell Common talk by Jeffrey Green, the author enclosed in 1813. There were no special of “The Black Edwardians” provisions, other than retaining some footpaths across the common which

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Local History Focus survive as modern routes, notably was not always the case. Research in Stockwell Park Walk, Stockwell Avenue legal records from the 12th to 15th centuries and Tunstall Road (opposite the modern suggests that the Effra used to continue Underground terminus). Rocque’s London northwards through Walworth and then map of 1745-60 shows that Stockwell Bermondsey, to join the Thames at the Road already existed as a Turnpike Road, Earl’s Sluice, on the traditional boundary together with the eastern stub of Ferndale between Rotherhithe and Deptford. Road (originally Shepherd’s Lane). It seems that the old course ran through the middle of Bermondsey Priory, and to end flooding problems, in the mid-13th century the monks agreed with nearby landowners to divert the flow. The priory built a bridge and dug a new ditch to connect with existing channels on the boundaries of Kennington, Vauxhall and Battersea.

As a result of the diversion, Walworth Marsh eventually dried out to become Walworth Common. However, in the 19th century there were still watercourses from the eastern fringes of Brixton draining northwards to join the Neckinger, such as a sinuous ditch along the western edge of Milk Wood which eventually formed the boundary between houses in the northern Brixton’s present town centre in 1841, with arm of Shakespeare Road and the east most of Stockwell Common still side of Loughborough Park. undeveloped.

Development was slow, and mainly More Brixton Colleges residential, until new railway lines crossed In the last issue, I reported an enquiry Brixton in the 1860s. Nursery Road about a Brixton College active in the derives from a tree nursery that was 1890s, and a couple more candidates replaced by the innovative Bon Marche have since come to light. department store in 1877. Morley’s department store stands on former Kelly’s Brixton & Clapham Directory of common land directly in front of the 1898-99 lists a Brixton College of Music original of the 1820s. at 76 Brixton Hill, still then known as the The present Brixton Academy began as Manor House due to being the home of the Astoria Cinema, centre-piece of major the Lambert family earlier in the century. rebuilding at the northern end between the Clark’s College does not appear at this two world wars. The last traces of the address until the 1904-05 edition of the original common are a few trees around directory, so seems too late to be a the junction of Stockwell Avenue and contender. Stockwell Road, and a tiny patch of grass outside the gates of Goodwood Mansions. Going back to the 1889-90 edition, we found a Brixton College for Boys at 249 Brixton Road, with Joseph Tongue BA as Who moved the River Effra? principal. This is a large semi-detached Old maps show the River Effra flowing house of c.1875 which still survives, as north alongside Brixton Road, but at the flats. This is the most likely site. Kennington end it then turns sharp left through what is now St.Mark’s churchyard Finally there was a Brixton Grammar to flow south of the Oval cricket ground School at 3 Brixton Oval in 1889-90, with and join the Thames close to the present Thomas Royle Quick LL.D as principal. . This was displaced by building of the Tate Library in 1893, but re-appears at 20 Effra A recent article by Graham Dawson in the Road in the 1904-05 directory. newsletter of the Southwark & Lambeth Archaeological Society suggests that this Alan Piper.

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Local History Focus

WHO WERE THEY? and he appears under that name in both the Kelly’s Directories and the Electoral Rolls for this period; and what was his profession?

The above advertisement appeared in the Primrose League Gazette of April 1909. Although not mentioned in the Gazette, he worked with his wife who appeared under her maiden name as Miss Ethel Inglefield. One thing they did together was a mind reading, or “thought transmission” as they called it, act.

The Primrose League was a high Tory organisation and his choosing to place an advertisement (I bet he called it a “notice”) in their Gazette gives a clue to his personality. Another is the way in which he completed his entry in the 1911 census. This shows him living at Dover Mansions with Ethel and her maiden aunt, Mary Inglefield. He gives his occupation as “Ventriloquial Entertainer”; under “Industry” he says, “Entertaining the British public”; and under “Nationality” he The above postcard shows a prosperous writes over the three lines of their entries, looking but, perhaps, somewhat odd “family”. “British Subjects all”. The back of the card gives no further clues. The final clue to the personality of this son of a Research has revealed the following answers. gardener is that he took up hunting, which The man is William Gandy, born in 1865 in proved his undoing. In 1912 he fell while East Stratton, Hampshire, the son of Edward hunting, caught his foot in a stirrup and was Gandy, the Head Gardener at Stratton Park. At dragged to his death at just 47 years of age. this time, Stratton Park was in the ownership He left £208.4s.5d. in his will to his widow. of the Baring banking family. Barings Bank was famously brought down in 1995 due to Lambeth Heritage Festival unauthorized trading by its head derivatives If you are interested in how such stories are trader in Singapore, Nick Leeson, (who went to researched, do come to our open meeting on the same grammar school as me - small world Thursday 12th September 2013 starting at isn’t it?). 7:00pm in the Vida Walsh Centre, Saltoun Road. As part of the Lambeth Heritage William married the woman in the picture, Festival, we are holding an evening of two Ethel Mary Inglefield, in 1899 and they went to short, illustrated talks, with a local history live with her parents at 63 Kennington Road. In display to view in the interval, with light 1903 they moved into the flat at 17 Dover refreshments, called: “Playing Detective – Mansions, Canterbury Crescent, where they some investigations in local history”. remained for the rest of their married lives. They had no children. By the way, the dummy was called Ebenezer Twiddlepump but we have not found out the Just to confuse matters, William exercised his name of the cat. profession under the name “Sidney Gandy” Bill Linskey

10 Community Links & Networks

individuals enrolled at 3rd July, with a total mailing list of 84. The Forum has aimed for its meetings to be open and accessible, but we have found the suitability of most local meeting places to be poor, and one of our Annual Report , July 2013 aspirations is to improve this.

An edited version of the report prepared REGENERATION & PLANNING for the Forum’s recent AGM. The Forum has taken a close interest in the Supplementary Planning Document for AIMS & INTERESTS Brixton Town Centre, and also the recent The Brixton Neighbourhood Forum is review of the Lambeth Borough Plan. an association of community groups Progress is being made with a Brixton Business Improvement District (BID). and individuals, formed to promote social, economic and environmental The Forum is constituted so it can prepare well-being for Brixton residents and to a Neighbourhood Plan if the Council’s own promote local business. plans for the area are failing to meet the community’s needs. This topic has AREA OF BENEFIT featured at several meetings, with inputs The Forum aims to cover the wider Brixton from the Prince’s Trust, Lambeth Planning, area, not just the Town Centre defined by Urban Design London and the London Lambeth Council. The boundaries were Forum. Members of other forums have adjusted early on to allow for nearby joined us for most of these discussions. forums with known interest in neighbourhood plans or economic SHARING INFORMATION development. Meeting notices and minutes have mainly been circulated by e-mail to minimise STRUCTURE & MANAGEMENT costs. Occasional e-mail bulletins are also Following an initial meeting of Brixton circulated to those on our contact list. community groups on 22 June 2011, the The Forum has a basic website with an Forum’s constitution was adopted on 24 archive of past meetings, and further August. With the aim of holding 4 open enhancement is intended. meetings a year, 8 meetings have since been held. FINANCE & RESOURCES Officers elected initially were: Expenses and income were small while Chair: Devon Thomas the Forum was becoming established, and Vice-Chair: Stuart Horwood the Forum has only recently completed its Treasurer: Nicholas Weedon first financial year involving significant Secretary: Alan Piper sums of money, thanks to funding from the Membership Sec: John Spicer Lambeth Forum Network.

The officers meet occasionally between FUTURE ACTIVITIES the main meetings in order to settle We have an opportunity through LFN to arrangements. The present officers channel resources to grassroots groups, consider that this group should be such as Friends groups for libraries and enlarged to share the work of developing parks. the Forum. We will need to consider if gaps in the Council’s own plans for Brixton would PARTICIPATION justify our preparing a Neighbourhood Our aspiration has always been to bring Plan. We will certainly share news and together the various local groups and review any problems that arise. interests. 28 different groups have been represented at meetings to date. Alan Piper, Secretary.

To be recognised under the Localism Act, [email protected] the Forum must have a minimum of 21 individual members. There were 32 www.brixtonforum.org

AdvN\ BSN\ Jly 13 Links.doc 11 Community Links & Networks

Sustainability Further information from London Forum alerts Healthwatch Lambeth on London-wide issues or The next meeting of (020) 7274 8522 or e-mail: proposals from the Lambeth’s Sustainability [email protected] Government or Mayor are Forum will focus on parks rg.uk flagged up on the London and open spaces. It will be An election pack, including Forum website, held on Wednesday 24 details of the role and how http://londonforum.org.uk/up July from 7 pm to 9 pm, but to nominate yourself or dates.php the venue was still being someone else, is available arranged as we went to from press – contact Community Hub customerservices@electoral [email protected] The Brix Hub offers shared reform.co.uk or phone ERS for final details. office space within the Brix on (020) 8889 9203. building in the centre of

Transition Town Brixton Brixton, thanks to Lambeth relinquished their base in Ways to Wellbeing Council funding for adapting Robsart Street last month, Lambeth’s wellbeing bulletin space to provide 6 offices leaving the Remakery in continues to appear monthly for 2/3 persons each, plus Paulet Road as the local with a round-up of news and another 12 “hot desks” for focus for Sustainability links for both mental and occasional use. The hub will activities – but look out for physical health. For the be open 8-30 am to 8-30 relevant stalls during the latest online, check out: pm, Mondays to Fridays. Lambeth Country Show. http://lambethwellbeing.word The facilities are shown on press.com/ the Brix’s website at Remembering www.thebrix.org/community- Umm Faruq (Melva hub.html or you can arrange Tulse Hill Ferguson) is a Tooting to inspect the space with Discussions are underway resident and mental health Mark Morrison, building & about forming a group to professional who used facilities manager on (020) investigate aspects of the nutrition to aid her own 7738 6604 or e-mail to history of the Tulse Hill area. recovery from severe mental [email protected] Whether this will feature illness. Genuine Recovery, reminiscences or going back a Survivor Perspective by Brixton Inclusive further in time is yet to be Umm Faruq is available This is a Lambeth-based decided, but if you are from www.amazon.co.uk at multidisciplinary arts interested, contact Mary £16.50, ISBN# 978-0- organisation for 5-25 year- Atkins, Secretary of the 9576774-1-8 Tulse Hill Forum: olds, set up in 2004. They [email protected] Sing Sisters run weekly Saturday workshops in hip-hop, A community women’s Healthwatch dance, music, storytelling, singing group meets weekly improvisation and Healthwatch Lambeth is the in Brixton, run by Katie J performance-related independent local consumer White. All women welcome, projects. Sessions run in champion, set up to promote no matter who you are or parallel at Lambeth Accord, better outcomes in health what singing level you are. 336 Brixton Road, for 5-11 and social care. They are Every Tuesday, 5-45 pm to and 12-25 age ranges. More now seeking Trustees for 7 pm at The Brix, on their website: their new board, drawn from St.Matthew’s Church, www.brixtoninclusive.org or local voluntary organisations Brixton Hill SW2 – see contact Amani Naphtali on and from individuals living, https://www.facebook.com/si (020) 7274 7133 or e-mail working or using facilities in ngsisters or e-mail to: [email protected] Lambeth. Deadline for [email protected] nominations is 31 July. m

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