THE SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

Hambrook House, Brixton Hill, SW2 Winter, December 2010 No.200, Quarterly issue, Distributed free to members. Registered with the London Forum of Amenity Societies, Registered Charity No.1058103, Website: www.brixtonsociety.org.uk

Our next event: th Thursday 13 January: 218-232 Stockwell Road, SW9 Winter Social 7 pm at the Vida Walsh Centre, 2b Saltoun Road, SW2 Admission free to members, but to help our planning, please confirm if you are coming (and the sooner the better). Notify Bill Linskey on (020) 7274 3835 or by e- mail to [email protected]

Black Cultural Archives Update At the following meeting on Thursday 10th February at 7 pm, we have arranged for Paul Reid of BCA and Vivek Malhotra from their architects to give a short presentation on proposals and timing for the remodelling of 1-3 Effra Road as the new base of the Black Former Denmark pub, Denmark Road, SE5 Cultural Archives. This should revive a neglected corner of Windrush Square. Do any more buildings within the wider Brixton Followed by an Executive Committee meeting area deserve protection? Are any of those above worthy? planners have invited further suggestions for their “Local List” but we More dates inside... must respond before the end of January. We are trying to get this issue out before Depending on the merits of the buildings, they Christmas to keep you informed, though we might even be worth promoting to the National expect to have yet more dates and news to List, or at least including within Conservation share next month, so check our website then Areas. All suggestions to Alan Piper (contact too. Meanwhile, seasonal greetings to you all. details overleaf). 1

Dates for your new 2011 diary

Editorial Notice: Monday 3rd January – Coin Street Neighbourhood Space permitting, we try to Recent Discoveries in Centre, Waterloo, SE1. Free feature local events and Local History: but book with Paul Morris at publish reminiscences or A round-up of recent [email protected] enquiries in our newsletter. research by various or tel. (020) 7926 9930. We welcome news and speakers. 8 pm at Lambeth Council. comments from all Woodlawns, th interested in the Brixton Darby & Joan Club, 16 Wednesday 9 Feb. – area, so opinions expressed Leigham Court Road, The River Effra: in these pages are not SW16. New light on an old river, by necessarily those of the The Streatham Society Dr Martin Heath of the Brixton Society. Ecospheres Project. Thursday 6th January – 7-30 pm for 7-45 start, All material should be sent Business Archives: United Church to the Secretary, Alan Piper, Richard Wiltshire introduces Hall, corner of Redpost Hill at 82 Mayall Road, SE24 the business collections and Herne Hill, SE24. 0PJ, or by e-mail to held at London Metropolitan Herne Hill Society. [email protected] Archives. Phone/ fax enquiries to Opens at 5-30 for 6 pm start 19 & 20 February – The (020) 7207 0347. at the London Metropolitan Listed Property Show:

Archives, 40 Northampton At Olympia, London W14 Society Meetings Road, EC1. Free to our 8UX, details available at: The Executive Committee members but prior booking www.listedpropertyownerscl usually meets on the second required (the Society is a ub.co.uk Thursday of the month to member of AfL) to: Listed Property Owners plan activities and agree our Nicola.Avery@cityoflondon. Club. responses to current issues. gov.uk These meetings are at 7 pm or tel (020) 7332 3816 Forward Planning at the Vida Walsh Centre, Archives for London. If you would like the Society 2b Saltoun Road, SW2 (at to take part in some local the Effra Road end, facing th Tuesday 11 January – event you are running, it Windrush Square). Edwardian Architecture helps our planning if you

of Lambeth: can contact us with the date  10 February, Talk by Edmund Bird of as soon as possible.  10 March, Urban Design London, So far, we are likely to be  14 April, Opens at 7 pm for 7-30 involved in some way in the  12 May, start, The Housing Co-op following events later in the  9 June (AGM) Hall, 106 The Cut, SE1 year:  14 July, (almost opposite the Old Vic  8 September, Theatre). Southwark & London Open Garden  13 October Lambeth Archaeological Squares weekend,  10 November Society. 11 & 12 June.

Lambeth Country Show, Links with Other Friday 28 January – Weekend 16 & 17 July. Groups Next Steps for the Dates are still coming in for Cooperative Council: London Open House 2011 events, but please Launch of the Commission’s weekend 17 & 18 Sept. check directly with the report and the first wave of organisers if any queries pilot projects. Open 9 am Lambeth Archives Open over times or admission. for 9-30 start, until 1 pm, Day, Saturday 24 Sept.

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Planning Focus

Many editions of the South London Press on Friday, 10 December 2010 carried on their front pages the story that Sport England has lodged an objection to the planning application by Tesco to build a temporary ice rink on the site of the - currently being demolished - Pope’s Road car park. Sport England “is the government agency responsible for building the foundations of sporting success” (according to its own website) and, among many other things, it is responsible for distributing the portion of National Lottery funds allocated to sport. Why have Sport England, the Brixton Society, many other local groups, very many individuals, one of the ward councillors and one of our local MPs all opposed this planning application? Read on … HISTORY STREATHAM ICE RINK POPE’S ROAD CAR PARK "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....": The story of Pope’s Road car park is one of well, it almost seems like that. It is almost a disgraceful neglect by its owners - Lambeth decade since Tesco first mooted plans to build a Council. The lack of the most basic new supermarket in Streatham. A convoluted maintenance, such as replacing broken louvre process eventually resulted in agreed plans in windows, has resulted in the deterioration of the 2008. A crucial element of the agreement - building to such an extent that it has been following the intervention of the Mayor of condemned as a dangerous structure and is London - is that Tesco is required to build a new having to be demolished. ice rink in Streatham before demolishing the The Brixton Master Plan had envisaged the car existing one which occupies part of the site. park being replaced one day by a mixed None of this had anything to do with Brixton until development including ground-level retail Tesco decided that it did not want to develop premises with floors of parking and flats above. the site as agreed in 2008 but instead proposed However, this requires a private developer to to clear the whole site and build everything in take it on and none are forthcoming in the one phase, because that is cheaper. This current climate. means finding a site for a temporary (for three It was therefore decided that, once the car park years) replacement ice rink. was demolished, surface level car parking You may - or may not - be surprised to read that would be provided to retain an, albeit smaller, Lambeth has been prepared to go along with car park in the centre of Brixton. this, rather than hold Tesco to its agreement. This is where the two stories meet. When the Together they came up with Plan A, which was plan to build a temporary rink on Streatham to site the rink on Streatham Common. Result: Common had to be abandoned, someone came local uproar and Lambeth having to back down up with a cunning plan - build the rink on the when it was explained to the Council that such a Pope’s Road site once the car park is building on the Common was not lawful. Enter demolished. Apart from the myriad other Plan B … objections to the proposal, the site is too small! OBJECTIONS … to the Pope’s Road proposal include: it would breach current Lambeth planning policies; it would reduce car parking in central Brixton; it would have a severe negative impact on local retail businesses which are already suffering from the lack of car parking; it would damage social cohesion by impacting disproportionately on ethnic businesses reliant on bulk sales; it would impact badly on local residents by being open for up to 20 hours a day and attracting mini buses and coaches carrying hockey teams; it would stretch local services; it raises concern over possible crime and disorder because the site will be more difficult to police that the existing Streatham site; and it would have negative environmental impacts, such as the extra travelling it would cause most existing users. But surely we could put up with these little inconveniences (!) for a few years to help out our neighbours. Er no … most Streatham skaters are adamantly against the plan. Because the Pope’s Road site is too small, the rink cannot be built to modern, Olympic standards; opposing teams’ supporters would not be separated from each other, the players and referees at hockey matches; and there would be inadequate facilities for the referee and teams’ coaches. All this, agreed by our council, to save Tesco (UK turnover bigger than the national defence budget) money. The application will be heard by the Planning Committee in January 2011. We will be there.

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Local History Focus

Walk this way? New Brixton Plaque It may seem far too early to be thinking about In November, an article in the Council paper, Summer Walks, but once again the local Lambeth Life announced the unveiling of a amenity societies will collectively present a plaque in Brixton commemorating Rudy series of guided walks on most Sunday Narayan, who served as a councillor for afternoons through the summer. To produce a Ferndale Ward in 1974-78. However the article leaflet before the first walks start in May, we managed to avoid saying just where the have to supply the details before the next plaque was! Most of us don’t look up when Newsletter appears, so Alan Piper would like passing through Brixton Town Centre – if we to receive your suggestions by mid-January. are not checking out the shop windows we are trying to avoid the usual pavement obstacles. A typical walk follows half of one of the 6 trails However one of our members remembered in our Brixton Heritage Trails book, but if you that in the early 1990s Rudy was practising think other corners deserve attention, tell us! law from offices above 411-413 Brixton Road. We are not limited to historic interest, so we Sure enough, there was the plaque above the have always been willing to include topical or San Marino cafe, on the wall of the first floor contentious sites in our routes. offices, just above the lettering for the present occupiers, Wainwright & Cummins. Historypin Update Our July edition mentioned this new website developed by We Are What We Do. They recently sent us a progress report which highlights new features. By mid-September they had surpassed 7 million page views and received 26,000 uploads to the site. Anyone uploading pictures to the site now has the opportunity to create a profile of themselves or their archive, including a gallery of all images and a web link. An icon under each image now takes you to further copyright information about the photo.

There is also a monthly theme on the homepage – December has a festive theme. More updates are promised in the run-up to a US launch in April/ May 2011. Website refs: www.historypin.com and www.wearewhatwedo.org Tracing a Family Abigail Bernard is trying to trace relatives of Peter Harold Jackson, also known as Peter Weston, born c.1898-1902. He lived at 72 Barrington Road c.1933 (since demolished) and was at 18 St.John’s Crescent, with his wife Winifred, in 1934. This large house is still There is strong competition for “official” blue standing, but back then was occupied by 7 plaques placed by English Heritage, so this households and the street was known as one was organised by Nubian Jak Community St.John’s Road. Trust, with support from the Society of Black Lawyers, of which Rudy was a founder Enquiries to Abigail at [email protected] member.

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Local History Focus

nominally the focal point of the western half of A Forgotten Centenary the Empire but its wealth and territory were shrinking. Among the anniversaries celebrated during 2010, little coverage has been Originally, Rome had strengthened its ties with given to the 16 centuries that have conquered provinces by building cities, but by th elapsed since Britain ceased to be part of the 4 century townspeople were bearing the the Roman Empire. brunt of the tax system, to the advantage of Perhaps this is because it happened by default the country gentry, whose large estates – no official lowering of imperial standards or worked by slaves could out-compete small declaration of independence, just a brief peasant farms. These landowners became message in 410 from Emperor Honorius to the the dominant class, whether their family origins leading citizens of Britannia to look to their were as Celtic chieftains or as traders or ex- own defence. After all, he had other things on soldiers from distant parts of the Empire. After his mind, with Rome itself on the point of being the last field troops were withdrawn from looted by angry Goths. Britain in 407 to defend the heartland, Roman coins ceased to come into the province to pay In fact there had been a declaration of military salaries, so the cash economy shrank. independence back in 286 when the military Even so, most towns survived in reduced governor, Carausius, decided to break away. circumstances unless abandoned in the face He was the first to mint coins bearing the of epidemics or military disasters. image of Britannia but after nearly 7 years he was assassinated by his finance minister, who At first, the independent province seemed to in turn was soon ousted by imperial troops re- be getting by. Despite giving up togas in asserting central authority in 293. favour of duffel coats, leading Britons were still committed to the Roman “brand” and Christian Initially, Britain was a well-garrisoned province religion. Bishop Germanus of Auxerre visited because of its exposed position, liable to raids in 429 to re-assert the Church’s official from Celtic tribes north of Hadrian’s Wall, and teaching. In 432, St.Patrick left his British sea-borne raids from Ireland and from across home again to found a church in Ireland, the North Sea. Over the next century, several where he had been taken into slavery as a other local commanders staged revolts, teenager. usually with the ambition of taking control of Rome itself. Each of these adventures Saxons South of the Thames resulted in troops being moved from Britain to To counter such Irish raiding of the western the Continent, but seldom being replaced to coasts, the British authorities followed late the same degree afterwards. Roman practice by engaging Anglo-Saxon mercenaries, granting them land in east Kent Changing Times in 449 in return for their services. However, The most successful of these bids was by within a few years relations between the Constantine, whose father the Emperor mercenaries and their British employers broke Constantius Chlorus died at York in 306. down. After the battle of in 455, the Constantine led his troops back to Italy to Anglo-Saxons gained control of most of Kent. assert his claim to the imperial throne, eventually defeating his rival at the Milvian What is now South London came into the Bridge in 312. This proved to be a change of Saxon (or should we say English) sphere of direction for the whole Empire because influence soon after, following the battle of Constantine championed Christianity as the in 457. An early entry in the Anglo- official religion, after over two centuries of Saxon Chronicle records that the Welsh (as persecution, and he also founded a new they called the Britons) retreated behind the capital at what is now Istanbul. This left Britain walls of the City of London after twelve of their even more remote from the real seat of nobles were slain in the battle. Local traces of imperial power. Rome itself remained this confused period are scarce, but Walworth

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Local History Focus signifies an estate that remained in Welsh Gloucester and Cirencester in a battle on the hands long enough to be remembered in the downs above Swindon. As a result, so many name of the manor, whilst most other place refugees from the south-west fled to north- names roundabout are of Anglo-Saxon origin. west France that their identity and language Following the demolition of School marked the region thereafter as that of the in the early 1990s, a dig by archaeologists Bretons. found signs of very early Saxon occupation on what later became Tulse Hill Farm. In the north, a patchwork of mini-states Infrastructure from Rome’s heyday can still be continued to fight each other for dominance. traced in the lines of Brixton Road and The commanders of Roman forts had long Road - though the line of the latter since turned to private enterprise, collecting was soon modified at Clapham North to follow the old tolls and taxes to maintain themselves drier ground over Clapham Common instead and a cadre of fighting men. In this region we of pressing straight on regardless in Roman first find the original of Merlin – not as a fashion. magician but as a bard or griot in the service of Urien, Prince of Rheged, an area centred on Legends are born modern Lancashire. Despite the popular TV Over the following century, details and dates series, Merlin was probably a generation too become less reliable, a few fragments on late to have known Arthur, dying shortly after which legends would later be built. Faced by his conversion to Christianity by St.Kentigern increasing English encroachment, the British in 599. His exploits were first recorded in organised their own fighting forces. The Welsh under the name Myrddin, but this had to amphitheatre at the old legionary city of be modified for later Medieval romances aimed Chester was fortified as a central base sited to at French-speaking readers. counter threats from different directions. In the 470s, Riothanus even led a force from Alan Piper. Britain into northern France in support of the faltering western Empire, but was mortally Restoring Brixton Windmill wounded in action near a town called Avalon. Work started on restoring the mill on 25th October. The main contractor is Stonewest, On home ground, Ambrosius Aurelianus was supervised by Dannatt Johnson Architects. succeeded as field commander by Arthur, Specialist millwright services are being leading a small cavalry force which fought off provided by Owlsworth IJP, who have already challenges from several directions. Twenty removed the sails for refurbishment in their years of peace ensued, during which the workshops. You can follow progress on the surviving eastern Empire under Justinian web at http://brixtonwindmill.wordpress.com attempted to rebuild links. This ended around 538 with the death of Arthur and his nephew An important element is setting up regular Medraut in what appears to have been an arrangements for public access and using the internecine battle at Camlann, on Hadrian’s mill as an educational resource. Lisa Rigg Wall. started work last month as the part-time development & education officer (and we have Now without a central authority backed up by already signed her up as a member of the armed force, the province began to fragment. Brixton Society). However to cope with tour Trade links with the Mediterranean had requests and special events, a larger body of continued but an accidental import was the volunteer guides is being trained via Friends of plague which was already ravaging the Windmill Gardens. One training course was eastern empire in the late 530s. This impacted held in September and another is planned for far more on British society than on the self- early in the New Year. If you want to offer sufficient English settlers. help, e-mail to [email protected] or for more news, see the FoWG website at In the south, the end came in 577 when the www.brixtonwindmill.org West Saxons defeated the rulers of Bath,

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200 Newsletters so far...

Enduring Themes the basis for a Lambeth Edition No.200 Civic Forum. This came th Recurring topics since the into being on 9 December Since the Summer of early days include the when a constitution was 1975, we have managed chronic inability of Lambeth agreed and adopted. to produce 200 editions of Council to regenerate the our newsletter. Looking Town Centre without doing Keeping in Touch back through the file of more harm than good. Back early issues, it’s clear that in 1977 we were discussing At heart, newsletters are some topics keep coming our alternative plan for about keeping in touch with back, and improving the Brixton – perhaps that idea our members. We still have a nucleus of members from face of Brixton takes is worth reviving within the our first decade, even if place very slowly... framework of the Localism Bill which has just been some are now less active in published? local affairs, or have moved In the beginning away from Brixton. Others Early issues also note the we rediscover from time to Enthusiasm sometimes ran emergence of new groups time, such as Mark Frankel, ahead of our skills so the and enterprises, some of a committee member in the first two issues are both which are now familiar. Thus late 1970s until moving in labelled as Number 1! The in February 1978, issue 1983. David Warner, who first of these was two pages No.26 reports a new cinema joined us in 1980, met him of A4 photocopied and enterprise proposing to again on 2nd December at folded to A5, dated Summer open in the old Classic the launch of a book written 1975 and including a list of Cinema, to be called Little by his late father, Hyman events from June to Bit Ritzy... Frankel. December. The next issue followed on 24 October, two Networking Rather like the Millibands, it sides in a simpler A4 format, was the father who held the not much more than might In our early days, we were strongly left-wing views, go in a modern e-mail greatly encouraged by while Mark has worked in bulletin. Similar issues regular contact with other public services. Hyman was followed at least once a amenity societies already born in the Jewish East End month, mostly produced by active in other parts of in 1918, joining the Young our then chairman, Chris Lambeth. Such meetings Communist League in the Graham. were eventually subsumed 1930s in response to into a grand Environmental Mosley’s Black Shirts. His Your present editor first Forum sponsored by the diverse career included produced an issue in April Council, but sadly this teaching and work as a 1977, but the single-sheet withered away once the trade union official. Hyman format was usual until 1983 councillors lost interest. wrote 4 books, on when 3 or 4 pages became philosophy, sociology and more common, settled into a Although the present Parks physics, the posthumous publication cycle of 2-month Forum, Local History Forum one being “Socialism, vision intervals. No.136 in January and the Friends of Lambeth and reality”. In 1986 he 1995 marked our 20th Libraries are all valuable, moved to Clapham and was anniversary, and began the many other things that a regular correspondent in present quarterly cycle interest us are outside their the South London Press and which has allowed us to scope, such as Planning. political journals until his include more local history We have therefore been in death in July 2010, aged 91. material and background discussion with other groups information. for several months to agree Alan Piper.

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Notes and News

Brixton Society stall success Friday 21st January: 4pm to 5 pm at Moorland Community Centre. We often run stalls at other people’s events, but on Saturday 11th December we set up shop on Windrush Square, and it turned out to be very successful. Perhaps we caught people on their way to do their Christmas shopping, but we took £243 which compares well with a day at the Lambeth Country Show. We signed up a couple of new members, gave away all our leaflets and shifted about 230 postcards before the gathering darkness curtailed our efforts. One visitor asked “Are you here every week?” but our resources don’t run to that – though we do aim to return within 6 months, for Open Garden Squares weekend. Children’s Activities Despite the old show business advice about never appearing with children or animals, many voluntary groups want to run activities for children, even if only once a year. There are many myths about what you should or should not do, but now clarity is at hand.

A free half-day event for groups active in Lambeth is being run on Thursday 13th January from 2 pm to 5 pm at the Coin Street Open Garden Squares weekend, June 2010 Centre, Waterloo, SE1. Promoted by Lambeth’s Safeguarding Children Board, the Safe Neighbourhoods event will explain current requirements and pool experience about good practice. Teams in Brixton Early booking is advised, to Serena There are police teams covering each Tommasino on (020) 7926 7691 or e-mail: Council ward and liaising closely with [email protected] Council officers over enforcement issues. Further information can be found at: Looking London-wide www.communitysafe.gov.uk It’s all too easy for us to focus on proposals and policies emerging from The south-east quarter of Brixton comes under Lambeth Town Hall, but there are also Coldharbour ward team, who have a series of important matters dealt with by the Mayor. street briefings to allow residents to raise The closing dates are approaching for issues with the team: comments on two draft new strategies: Monday 3rd January: 4pm to 5pm at corner of Effra Road and Trelawn Road. Climate Change & Energy Strategy, deadline 5th January; Friday 7th January: 4pm to 5pm outside The Mayor’s proposals for Managing the Kenwood House, Guinness Trust estate, Capital’s Waste, deadline 14th January. Loughborough Park. See www.london.gov.uk and follow the links. Wednesday 12th January: 12 noon to 1pm, We hope to say more about some of the Windrush Square, on Effra Road. London-wide strategies in our next issue.

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