Clapham, Stockwell and Kennington news, rumour and general chat

...at the end of September.

 

I was in crown and anchor the other night and it was like being in an episode of friends uk, surely there is no need for a corporate recreation.

 

It will never replace the Grosvenor

 

A few pics of pullens festival, courtesy of event Facebook page where u will find more....
Pullens Festival


three legged spaniel

Dream machine


Trapeze fun



Ghost of Charlie


Topical humour


Damidge

 

Ah I know that trapeze artist!

 

Just to let everyone know that Surrey County Cricket Club (who run The Oval Cricket Ground) will be sharing their proposals for the current Ovalhouse site at Ovalhouse, tomorrow, 1st August, 4pm - 8pm. There will be sketch schemes of their plans, a representative from Rolfe Judd, (local architects), members of SCCC and also someone from Ovalhouse (not me, alas). SCCC are the preferred bidders for our site at the Oval, and the sale of our site will enable our new theatre in Brixton. Local residents and businesses, do drop in, all welcome.

 

Where have all the public toilets gone?

Lambeth has only lost 3 loos since 2010 ish.

 

Always been intrigued by the dining-pavilion-type building opposite the War Museum. Now this!

 

It was built as part of the flats. Originally it meant to be a community building/ centre.

Was let on commercial basis some time ago.

 

I ate there a couple of years ago when it was a Turkish restaurant. Was pretty good but they had a parrot in a cage by the front door which seemed a bit odd for a food place

 

I waited until got home to check but this pavilion building was designed by architect who designed Brixton Rec.


George Finch obituary

Disputed Architecture by MA Architectural History 2016

"Designing for everybody"

This sums it up.

Finch design for Brixton Rec has been grade two listed partly as example of socialist architecture.

The restaurant in the block of flats wss originally part of this post war designing for everybody ethos.

Às was Brixton Rec.

Its sad statement on todays Britain that this is now commercial space. Designing for everybody has been replaced by things like Pop Brixton. Which are now seen as cutting edge architecture practice.

In all the argument about gentrification on this forum what is lost is that there was an alternative vision.

Practical socialism.

Its still realisable now with a government prepared to take on the rich.

There is a lot of argument on this forum about gentrification. I'm taking it that people would support a left government that would re introduce the vision post WW,2 to this country?

As practical way to stop "improvements" being just for well off?
.

 

I went to the unveiling of Brian Barnes new mural at Carey Gardens Estate in Wandsworth. Glorious mural, beautiful
colours, full of wit and history. I was intrigued by the image of Keith Moon as a crossing warden - a story that has the most tragic origins also represented in the mural. Nick Wood, the former GLC architect who designed the estate, made a speech and it was clear from chatting with residents, the people elected to run the residents co-op and the housing manager that his vision for architecture supporting a better society for all was something current residents are proud of. It is all worth seeing and reading about. I had A really rewarding afternoon.

The detail from the top is Stephen Hawking!

 

Will there be any possibility of him restoring the much abused Nuclear Dawn mural?
Was on a local history walk today focusing on gay squats/housing co-ops in Railton Road, but we called in on Nuclear Dawn and it is in a sorry state (also the Mansions which are tagged to hell).

 

Yes!
If all goes well work will begin on site in October. I am not sure at which stage the mural re-painting is scheduled for but Brian and his team are very much up for it. He works with colleagues who did the upper parts of the new mural, while he did the lower section.

 

From the Cabinet report [pdf] for this evening:

"The Nuclear Dawn Mural on the side of Carlton Mansions is a central heritage feature of the scheme which will be restored as part of the Phase 1 development.

The mural has been vulnerable to vandalism and graffiti for a number of years despite attempts to clear and protect it, however recently the artist has been working to restore some of the damaged parts.”

Buzz piece.