sign in sign up
<<
Home , Elephant and Castle

WINTER EDITION

Welcome to the first edition of Castle Chronicle, for the Elephant and Castle community

In the Castle Chronicle, brought The Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre closed DIANA BARRANCO its doors in September, and many businesses to you by the Elephant and Castle inside have been relocated. Some are now based Town Centre project team, you at Castle Square - where the beloved Elephant can read all about what’s going on and Castle Statue will be temporarily homed – ELEPHANT AND CASTLE while others are at Ash Avenue at Castle Square, TOWN CENTRE, in the local community, including Elephant Arcade, Elephant Park and a wide range COMMUNITY DIRECTOR updates on the redevelopment of of alternative locations nearby. the town centre. Our first edition In other local news, following extensive consultation by TfL on the Extension particularly focuses on life as we and Upgrade, there was overwhelming support for After a tough 2020, it is sad to start 2021 back continue through another lockdown, a new entrance to the Bakerloo Line to be located in lockdown. However, we all have hope that including stories from traders on the shopping centre site and integrated with this year will become a lot less like the last, the entrance to ease congestion. as the weeks roll on and our most vulnerable in Castle Square, and you’ll find As such, we are proposing some minor amends to friends and neighbours are vaccinated against a delicious new recipe to try the scheme to accommodate these improvements. the coronavirus. at home. These plans were consulted on with the You are all in our thoughts, especially those community in December, and Council who are sick as a result of this latest surge You can also check out the Elephant and Castle has started its own consultation, for more in cases. The rest of winter will be tough, but Virtual Community Hub (communityhubse1.co.uk) information visit: soon our streets will be bustling with energy where you can find a whole range of activities in elephantandcastletowncentre.commonplace.is and vibrancy once more. Stay safe, be kind to wellness, fitness and arts and crafts, to help you yourselves, and remember the future is brighter through lockdown. than the present.

ELEPHANT AND CASTLE’S VIRTUAL COMMUNITY HUB CONTACT US

Elephant and Castle’s Virtual Community Hub has a schedule of events to keep For more information about what is happening you and your family active at home. From yoga and dance classes, to sewing on site, the future town centre and the latest and craft tutorials, to parties and a weekly choir practise, there is something It brings inclusion, no discrimination. So it’s including old, young, people of news please visit: for everyone and all ages to enjoy. A timetable of free events being offered can different ethnicities, disabilities. It brings together a community. Definitely, elephantandcastletowncentre.co.uk be found on the virtual hub and includes: no matter what language you speak. Especially with dance, everyone knows how to dance. That’s a language that everyone can interact with. Here you can sign up to our monthly community • Chair Yoga, Meditation and Chi Hatha Flow on Mondays starting at 10:00am update newsletter. - Mo Oriogun, Community Member • Arts and craft workshops for kids aged 2-10 every Thursday at 4:30pm For any questions regarding the Elephant and • A virtual Carnival on Sunday 21 February at 7:00pm, including a Castle Town Centre please email: carnival parade, a themed quiz and a Latin dance session you can join [email protected] in with at home. We will be adding more events for the February half term period so please It’s been a godsend to the community, it’s really great. Because every day do make sure you regularly check the hub to find out about new events and there is a different activity going on. activities at: - Lee Kempster, Community Member communityhubse1.co.uk Scan me to visit @whatsonatelephant the virtual hub: Turn to the back page for our PLEASE RECYCLE ME kids’ corner! CASTLE CHRONICLE - WINTER EDITION WELCOME TO CASTLE SQUARE AND ASH AVENUE

Traders have now set up their who offer everything including fashion items, clothes alterations, fabrics, home furnishings and electrical businesses in Castle Square and products with a repairs service. They sit alongside Ash Avenue – which is just around cafés, restaurants and grocery stores. Castle Square the corner. These are the new places sits at the heart of a wider retail and leisure offer and includes Ash Avenue and Elephant Park. to see familiar faces! While many of these traders have had to temporarily These traders have spent years offering the shut their doors in lockdown, two local traders who community a wide range of products and services. are still open, Faye Gomes of Kaieteur Kitchen, and Diana Sach of Coma Y Beba, discuss life in Castle Located a two-minute walk from the original Elephant Square, the story of their businesses, and how they and Castle Shopping Centre, opposite the Elephant have adjusted how they work during the pandemic. Road entrance to the train station, Castle Square has become a destination for beloved local traders,

castlesquarelondon.com castlesquarelondon castlesquarelondon

Castle Square - Ground floor Castle Square - First floor Castle Square - Ash Avenue

ELEPHANT AND CASTLE ELEPHANT AND CASTLE ELEPHANT AND CASTLE TRAIN STATION ELEPHANT ROAD TRAIN STATION ELEPHANT ROAD TRAIN STATION ELEPHANT ROAD

Natural Herbal ELEPHANT ROAD Hairdressing Products AR Accessories AA Forever Andrea’s J&Z Inara Anna Castro Coma Y Beba Grocery Raw Kaieteur Kitchen Hair & Transfers Ayca Sweets Boutique Store Mobile Fashion Beauty and Nuts Bar Tupi Games (Ground Floor) and Gadgets Daddy O’s Pappagone (1st floor) Sainsbury’s ENTRANCE Magic Carpet Laughland NEW Communications Maya Clothing ROAD D & Eddy’s PAPPAGONES AND Restaurant Terrace TUPI RESTAURANTS Commercial Original Terrace Cycle Store ELEPHANT CENTRAL ELEPHANT CENTRAL Watch & Phone Alterations Z Repairs

Caribbean Spice Medellin ASH AVENUE Nicole’s Lonnie’s La Bodeguita Stella Moda Unisex Hair ELEPHANT PARK Coming Soon Fashion and Beauty El Guambra Salon

ELEPHANT PARK ELEPHANT PARK ASH AVENUEASH AVENUE

1 WHERE TO FIND CASTLE ST GEORGE’S ROAD SQUARE AND ASH AVENUE 2 3 FORMER ELEPHANT 4 1  Elephant Arcade 7  Castle Square AND 6 CASTLE 5 SHOPPING 8 CENTRE 7 9 2  Elephant Road 8  Elephant Park Neighbourhood

3  Sainsbury’s 9  Elephant Park 8 4  Elephant Central 10  HEYGATE STREET

WALWORTH ROAD

5  Castle Square Restaurants Elephant and Castle 8 underground station 6  Ash Avenue Elephant and Castle railway station

10 CASTLE CHRONICLE - WINTER EDITION

How did you come to start up How have you found trading over to someone who was probably very hungry. Kaieteur Kitchen? the pandemic? There were some rough sleepers around the Elephant and Castle Station who I would give dinner at 8pm It all started in my country Guyana. I was always It’s been very quiet, and we’ve had to cancel a lot each day, and they protected my shop when there fascinated by cooking and my entire family of bookings and celebrations, but we’ve just got to was an attempted burglary. I really cherish those background was centred around cooking and catering. keep those smiles and that joy and carry on. A few memories, these are the things I remember. I studied cooking a lot back home and brought this days during the pandemic I decided not to open and with me when I came to . Somehow word I would get calls from customers who had come to What is your most popular dish? spread about my food, especially amongst the my shop, upset that I was leaving them hungry! So Our most popular vegetarian dish is fried okra, stewed Guyanese community, who would come to me for a we keep pushing ourselves to open each day - people pumpkin and a very nice spinach and coconut sauce. taste of home. I eventually decided to buy myself a need their fix! We look forward to being able to open We serve this with roti or dhal puri and people come little caravan in Elephant and Castle, many years ago. properly again once restrictions ease. everyday and order this. It’s also great with our What’s the best thing about running What are some of your fondest memories famous spinach rice. Then I have my beautiful coconut FAYE GOMES Kaieteur Kitchen? of trading? and sweet potato lamb which is the best selling meat dish. We also sell our own homemade pepper sauces I have met so many beautiful people from different I would sometimes get people coming and saying, that you can take home, and traditional homemade countries. I became like a mother, friend and aunty to ‘please can I have some food but I don’t have any ginger beer and other homemade drinks. everyone in the shopping centre, to students from the money, I will come back’. Sometimes I didn’t even university, people from St Thomas’ Hospital, from all know them but they would insist that they’d be Check out Faye’s Famous Spinach Rice recipe MON-FRI 11am-8pm over. Many people from Guyana wouldn’t have eaten back… of course I would never see them again! There on the back page! SAT 12pm–8pm 07466 616137 this food for years and years so after hearing about are times I would give a meal free per day to someone SUN 12pm–6pm me, they would travel from all over London. because, for me, I know that I have given a free meal

What’s the story of Coma Y Beba? Is this working? Are you seeing new kinds of What would you most recommend for people to regulars in your shop? try from your menu? We began as a small café and shop in the Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre called La Bodeguita which Different types of people are definitely coming, and we The empanadas are very popular - especially the opened its doors in 1998, selling hot empanadas and have lots of new regulars. Once people come and try, maize flour beef empanadas. Recently, we had two arepas, along with coffees, liqueurs and food and drink they always come back which means that most of our customers from Turkey come in at 5pm when I was imported from Colombia. As we started our relocation customers are regulars. Some aren’t even from the area closing. They asked me for one empanada, which I to Castle Square, we decided to use the opportunity to - one of our regulars comes from three or four gave them, and then they said ‘oh that’s very nice’, go with a fresh name and feel in our new shop. times a week because we have the best coffee in London. and the other lady tried it and ordered another and before I knew it, they had called their friends and one What made you want to go for a rebrand? How has it been running Coma Y Beba during empanada had turned into seven in one go! the pandemic? It’s not something I expected us to do and sometimes DIANA SACH What advice could you give to people trying to it’s hard having a new name, because my loyal It’s been very hard, but I am staying open only for make empanadas at home? customers come by and say “wait, it’s you! Why did those few customers because I know that they love you change your name?”, but I really want to push it. I keep pushing and I am a fighter so I know that we The first thing is that you have to cook with love. myself so that the whole of Europe knows me as a will get through this. It is nice to be in Castle Square But also importantly, you need the proper Colombian business! I love my Latin American community, but we meeting new people too. ingredients. That’s why we’re more than a café, are only a small part of the whole world! I want to be we sell imported goods from Colombia because when MON-SAT 9am-6pm more of an open business, for everyone, to share the you’re trying to achieve those flavours, the SUN 10am–5pm 07958 901353 taste of Colombian food. ingredients are key.

A vibrant new town centre is coming to Elephant and Castle. Launched a mobile information stand The redevelopment will create an open-air Preserved artefacts from the Relocated our traders when in Summer 2020 to answer any pedestrianised town centre that brings together Elephant and Castle Shopping the shopping centre closed. questions from local people about the Moved the famous Elephant education, shops, restaurants and leisure, Centre by donating several You can now find them at new town centre, the closure of the Statue into a safe location new homes and workspaces as well as a major items to the . Castle Square, Ash Avenue at shopping centre and the relocation of for refurbishment before it improvement in public transport. Visit: cinemamuseum.org.uk to Castle Square, Elephant Arcade local amenities. Over 2000 flyers and is rehomed at Castle Square. Most importantly, the rejuvenated town centre find out more information. and Elephant Park. maps were handed out. Watch a video about the will be a thriving central hub for the local Elephant’s rehoming by community, at the heart of Elephant and Castle. scanning the QR code below. To date, the following has been done:

There are job opportunities and apprenticeships Since 2014 we have supported a number of charities and available on site for local residents. For more Provided much needed new homes for organisations based in Southwark. These organisations information please visit southwarkworks.com people living, working and studying have received over £300,000 worth of charitable donations, There are currently two local residents who have in London. as well as in-kind support. See here: already started working on site, recruited through @elephantcentralLDN elephantandcastletowncentre.co.uk/community our demolition contractor Keltbray. Cut me out and KIDS’ CORNER give to the kids! Meet our two amigos Ella the Elephant and Chico the Castle.

Hi, I’m Chico. Colour us in!

Hi, I’m Ella!

N K N G G C Y O Y C E S Y J V T Q L F O I H O M E D I U A M G A C U Y M T Z M M WORD SEARCH H C A S T L E E I U See if you can find the words in the jumble of letters! B C M F W H H L L N

CASTLE NEIGHBOUR O S H A O O W L Y I ELEPHANT COMMUNITY U Q E L E P H A N T CHICO HOME R K X E C U I N R Y ELLA FAMILY SOUTHWARK G C H I C O R G F K

FAYE’S FAMOUS SPINACH RICE See you in the Have a go at making the popular dish from Kaieteur Kitchen. next edition! Prep time 2 mins. Cooking time 45 mins. Serves 5. INGREDIENTS METHOD •  ½ bag frozen spinach, defrosted and 1. Add oil to a large pan and then add the onion blended with water and spinach to fry until onions are soft. •  1 onion, finely chopped 2. Add the coconut milk and vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Add rice and stir before •  1 tin of coconut milk leaving to simmer on a low heat with the lid •  250ml vegetable stock on until it is cooked. This should take 20-25 minutes. Stir after 15 minutes to ensure even •  300g basmati rice or long grain rice cooking and add a little water if necessary. of your choice 3. When cooked, season to taste and serve with any meat or vegetables of your choice. PLEASE RECYCLE ME