General Brixton history - photos, stories etc

[Gramsci]

That's a great article. Covers a lot of ground and gives a feel of what Brixton ( and a lot of London) was like then.

Essential background information to understand why the 81 riots happened. This has been brewing since early seventies.

Its depressing that after all of that struggle and resistance it's economic "progress" that's now getting rid of working class and Black communities from central London. Not the police or fascists like NF.

 

[Gramsci]

Brixton 15 years ago

Brixton 15 Years Ago: Stop The War, street scenes and the wonderful Windrush Square fountain, March 2003

The fountain was great. And as u say actually worked. Unlike the one that's replaced it. All that money spent on Windrush Square and its not really an improvement on what was there before.

 

[editor]

The footage isn't that interesting but it shows you just how much busier Brixton is these days



(Oh and don't read the YouTube comments unless you want to get depressed).

 

[editor]

Some history:

Brixton history: Bon Marche department store in the Edwardian sun – and the straw boater riot

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Past Tense have published something today about what may have been the start of the squatting movement in Brixton, 1969

More at

Today in London squatting history, 1969: Brixton’s first squatters? Empty offices occupied.

 

[editor]

Past Tense have published something today about what may have been the start of the squatting movement in Brixton, 1969

More at

Today in London squatting history, 1969: Brixton’s first squatters? Empty offices occupied.

Lovely stuff!

The squatters, all local people, passed their time listening to the radio, playing football and putting records on a record player they’d brought with them. At lunch-time fish and chips and bottles of beer were hoisted up by rope from outside. Rubbish was put in a Lambeth Council paper sack they had brought in with them. ‘We want to be as tidy as possible,’ said Mr Gibbon.

During the day, the squatters gave out over 7,000 leaflets in the Brixton shopping centre. One West Indian bus conductor said, ‘Give me a heap man. I’ll give them out to the lads when I get to the garage at Croydon.’ The leaflet said: ‘Some people try to blame immigrants for the housing shortage but we know we had lousy houses in Britain before we ever saw a black face or heard an Irish accent. The real for the housing shortage is that a small group of people make millions of pounds out of our need for a decent home.’

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Some people try to blame immigrants for the housing shortage but we know we had lousy houses in Britain before we ever saw a black face or heard an Irish accent. The real for the housing shortage is that a small group of people make millions of pounds out of our need for a decent home.’

at 50 years of 'progress'

 

[friendofdorothy]

The footage isn't that interesting but it shows you just how much busier Brixton is these days



(Oh and don't read the YouTube comments unless you want to get depressed).

that is an exceptionally dull video.

 

[CH1]

Past Tense have published something today about what may have been the start of the squatting movement in Brixton, 1969
More at
Today in London squatting history, 1969: Brixton’s first squatters? Empty offices occupied.

I'm just wondering where this is. We know that the Brixton Register Office used to be at 340 Brixton Road (the building is still there, but now converted by Lexadon into flats). It seems likely that by the time of the article 336 Brixton Road had been built, or was under construction.
Which suggests to me that the building being squatted here was in due course demolished and replaced by Bedwell House (part of Stockwell Park Estate fronting onto Brixton Road).

 

[Puddy_Tat]

I'm just wondering where this is. We know that the Brixton Register Office used to be at 340 Brixton Road (the building is still there, but now converted by Lexadon into flats). It seems likely that by the time of the article 336 Brixton Road had been built, or was under construction.
Which suggests to me that the building being squatted here was in due course demolished and replaced by Bedwell House (part of Stockwell Park Estate fronting onto Brixton Road).

1950s map here

shows the shape of 336 / 338 Brixton Road as was (now the 336 Brixton Road building which looks like it dates from the 1970s) - think Bedwell House starts where 342 Brixton Road was.

Map doesn't show specific uses of these buildings, and I don't have a street directory recent enough to be worth looking at

 

[CH1]

1950s map here

shows the shape of 336 / 338 Brixton Road as was (now the 336 Brixton Road building which looks like it dates from the 1970s) - think Bedwell House starts where 342 Brixton Road was.

Map doesn't show specific uses of these buildings, and I don't have a street directory recent enough to be worth looking at

In that case could have been any of 332-342 maybe.
Would be interesting if there are any archive photos of these. Maybe Coutts might - they seem to have a soft spot for 336 as former owners.

 

[RoyReed]

Here's the second batch of Brixton graffiti photos from the late 1970s.


Up With Hindrance by Roy Reed, on Flickr


No Immigration Controls - No Wage Controls by Roy Reed, on Flickr


Ban The Bomb by Roy Reed, on Flickr


Vote Bogues SWP by Roy Reed, on Flickr


Anarchy Now by Roy Reed, on Flickr


SWP Vote Bogues by Roy Reed, on Flickr


Hands Off Walpole by Roy Reed, on Flickr


Death To All Rapists! by Roy Reed, on Flickr


Hands Off Our Bodies by Roy Reed, on Flickr


Be a Moth - Get Burned to Death by Roy Reed, on Flickr


Castrate Rapists! by Roy Reed, on Flickr

editor Do you still want me to send you these for Brixton Buzz?

 

[editor]

Here's the second batch of Brixton graffiti photos from the late 1970s.


Up With Hindrance by Roy Reed, on Flickr


No Immigration Controls - No Wage Controls by Roy Reed, on Flickr


Ban The Bomb by Roy Reed, on Flickr


Vote Bogues SWP by Roy Reed, on Flickr


Anarchy Now by Roy Reed, on Flickr


SWP Vote Bogues by Roy Reed, on Flickr


Hands Off Walpole by Roy Reed, on Flickr


Death To All Rapists! by Roy Reed, on Flickr


Hands Off Our Bodies by Roy Reed, on Flickr


Be a Moth - Get Burned to Death by Roy Reed, on Flickr


Castrate Rapists! by Roy Reed, on Flickr

editor Do you still want me to send you these for Brixton Buzz?

Definitely! Send over what you like (and any background text, contact/credit info) and I'd be well chuffed to post them.
brixtonbuzz -at- gmail.com

 

[RoyReed]

Definitely! Send over what you like (and any background text, contact/credit info) and I'd be well chuffed to post them.
brixtonbuzz -at- gmail.com

PM sent.

 

[friendofdorothy]

1950s map here

shows the shape of 336 / 338 Brixton Road as was (now the 336 Brixton Road building which looks like it dates from the 1970s) - think Bedwell House starts where 342 Brixton Road was.

Map doesn't show specific uses of these buildings, and I don't have a street directory recent enough to be worth looking at

wasn't 336 Coutts bank computer building back then?

 

[Puddy_Tat]

wasn't 336 Coutts bank computer building back then?

in a word, dunno - and depends just when we're talking. are we talking the building that's now 336 (looks kinda 1970s but i've no reference material to go on) or in the 60s?

 

[friendofdorothy]

In that case could have been any of 332-342 maybe.
Would be interesting if there are any archive photos of these. Maybe Coutts might - they seem to have a soft spot for 336 as former owners.

Hi CH1 where you here then? do you recall when coutts had this building

 

[Puddy_Tat]

ah

a well respected brixton based blog has this piece that says coutts moved in in 1971 after the place had originally been built as a warehouse. doesn't say when the darn place was built though...

ETA - this does - 1967, which kinda louses up the idea of the original 336 being squatted a year or two later

 

[friendofdorothy]

ah

a well respected brixton based blog has this piece that says coutts moved in in 1971 after the place had originally been built as a warehouse. doesn't say when the darn place was built though...

ETA - this does - 1967, which kinda louses up the idea of the original 336 being squatted a year or two later

there were other buildings on brixton rd that have long since demolished.

 

[CH1]

Hi CH1 where you here then? do you recall when coutts had this building

I moved to Brixton in 1978 (December). Possibly Coutts might still have been there, but I did'nt get familiar with the building until 1990 when I got a job there, when it was a disability "hub" as Lambeth Council would now say.

So to be quite truthful I was unaware of Villa Road squats, or 336 Brixton Road in 1978 - though I used to dine in the Rose Cafe (now changed to part of Turtle Bay). Opposite that shopping parade Lambeth Council were busy refurbishing Angell Terrace to turn it into social housing. Amazing isn't it? I bet they are busy selling off Angell Terrace, unless they already have.

 

[SpamMisery]

I looked round a flat on Angell Terrace. It was the standard squeezed affair. I imagine a developer would love to get their hands on the block.

 

[RoyReed]

Does anyone have any photographs showing the Butlin's advert that used to be underneath the Bovril sign in Windrush Square? You can still just see some faint traces of it in blue on the photos below - notably the distinctive script apostrophe 's' and '...AMPS' on the line below (which presumably said 'HOLIDAY CAMPS'). I've searched all of the usual archives and have come up with nothing.


Bovril by Roy Reed, on Flickr


Butlin's by Roy Reed, on Flickr


Butlin's by Roy Reed, on Flickr

 

[editor]

Overton Road in its Edwardian glory.

 

[editor]

Brixton 15 years ago

Brixton 15 Years Ago: Street scenes, closed pubs, Loughborough Junction and Herne Hill photos, April 2003

 

[editor]

Brixton 15 years ago

Brixton 15 Years Ago: Street scenes, closed pubs, Loughborough Junction and Herne Hill photos, April 2003

Incidentally, The Sun offered me money to run these photos on their website yesterday. I told them to sling their 'ook.

 

[ricbake]

Does anyone have any photographs showing the Butlin's advert that used to be underneath the Bovril sign in Windrush Square? You can still just see some faint traces of it in blue on the photos below - notably the distinctive script apostrophe 's' and '...AMPS' on the line below (which presumably said 'HOLIDAY CAMPS'). I've searched all of the usual archives and have come up with nothing.


Bovril by Roy Reed, on Flickr


Butlin's by Roy Reed, on Flickr


Butlin's by Roy Reed, on Flickr

Found this earlier version on the Brixton Society website

http://www.brixtonsociety.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/EOT-Rushcroft+garage.jpg


"One detail you may still recognize on that picture, courtesy of Lambeth Landmark. The background to the bus garage environment was already known as the ‘Bovril wall’. Then as now, people were interested in prime advertising spaces. Faded with age, now a ghost sign, Bovril is towering above Windrush Square proudly facing the clock tower. What’s next for the Bovril wall? "

The type of Bovril and it's position look different but it does appear to be the same bit of wall
It is surprising how the brickwork looks today considering it isn't visible at all in this picture.

 

[northeast]

Incidentally, The Sun offered me money to run these photos on their website yesterday. I told them to sling their 'ook.

Good for you

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Past Tense (S London based radical history project) have put out a pamphlet 'Trouble Down South' - "Some thoughts on gentrification & resistance to gentrification in Brixton, with historical digressions, experiences, and some ranting..."

available for cost of postage - more here.

 

[editor]

Past Tense (S London based radical history project) have put out a pamphlet 'Trouble Down South' - "Some thoughts on gentrification & resistance to gentrification in Brixton, with historical digressions, experiences, and some ranting..."

available for cost of postage - more here.

I'll give it a go to support them even though it'll probably just end up making me even more pissed off at the growing inequality in Brixton.
*ordered

 

[SpamMisery]

Past Tense (S London based radical history project) have put out a pamphlet 'Trouble Down South' - "Some thoughts on gentrification & resistance to gentrification in Brixton, with historical digressions, experiences, and some ranting..."

available for cost of postage - more here.

Annoying they want to give it away for free except the cost of postage but don't seem make it available to read on their website