General Brixton history - photos, stories etc

[Puddy_Tat]

early 1951 (part way through the tram to bus conversion scheme - bus 95 was new in January 1951, tram 16 / 18 became bus 109 in April 1951)

Not many tram stops in London had 'loading islands' like this - allowing passengers to get on / off the tram safely in the middle of the road

from this collection - mostly from the Clapham / Brixton / Streatham / Croydon patch

 

[Favelado]

Piece on the town hall

Lambeth Town Hall – a bit of Brixton history

Christ. MacDonalds doesn't look quite as good on the corner does it? How beautiful were shopfronts back then?

 

[editor]

Little feature here Brixton history: Electric Avenue and its elegant canopies

 

[editor]

Cracking pic this:

Brixton history: Edwardian view of Fiveways on Loughborough Road, SW9

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Cracking pic this:

Had to look up 'Cooper' - seems to have been Ind Coope's 'special nourishing stout' (possibly their take on 'porter') advertised as used in certain hospitals

(don't think you can get beer on the modern NHS - )

confirmation of the shops etc from Kellys' 1904 'London County Suburbs Directory' (public domain via Leicester University collection)



Wiltshire Road is now Fiveways Road

1895 map (National Library of Scotland collection) here

And more about the street fire alarm (visible under the 'milkmaid' advert) system here - they were phased out after the 999 number was introduced in the 1930s.

 

[editor]

Another postcard view:

Brixton history: Brixton Road by Handforth Road, the Oval, over a hundred years ago

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Today in London policing history, 1984: cops raid anarchist 121 Centre, Brixton, looking for guns…

 

[friendofdorothy]

Today in London policing history, 1984: cops raid anarchist 121 Centre, Brixton, looking for guns…

I remember going to some lesbian evenings there probably some time between 1985- 1990 - can't recall many details only they were fairly dull. Sounds like I missed the more interesting bits.

 

[editor]

Today in London policing history, 1984: cops raid anarchist 121 Centre, Brixton, looking for guns…

I'm still waiting for the payment for some of my fanzines they sold there!

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I'm still waiting for the payment for some of my fanzines they sold there!

You might want to have a word with your accountant about writing that one off

 

[RoyReed]

I've worked out what the ghostsign for Royalty Rackets on Blenheim Gardens would have looked like when new.

 

[editor]

I've worked out what the ghostsign for Royalty Rackets on Blenheim Gardens would have looked like when new.

View attachment 144314

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That's brilliant work! Have you researched the company?

 

[RoyReed]

That's brilliant work! Have you researched the company?

I can't find anything on them at all.

I've done a few more ghostsign reconstructions: ReedDesign» Blog Archive » Clapham Ghostsigns Re-imagined

 

[editor]

I can't find anything on them at all.

There's a small entry here:

Royalty rackets, Brixton

The start of the Wimbledon fortnight gives me the perfect opportunity to post a ghost sign promoting a tennis racket manufacturer. However contrary to the advert for En Tout Cas, which was strategically placed between Southfields station and the tennis courts, this one is nowhere near SW19. It was painted on the premises occupied by H. E. Hayward and Co, whose leading brand was Royalty Rackets.
I doubt this was a very successful company. The only document available online in which it is mentioned is a 1950 issue of The Builder, in which we learn that consent has be given to alter H. E. Hayward's building. Was any Royalty Racket ever used by a player at Wimbledon? Maybe not.
Painted signs and mosaics: Royalty rackets, Brixton

 

[RoyReed]

There's a small entry here:

Yes, Sebastien came up with not very much either. If he can't find it, it probably doesn't exist.

 

[editor]

Coming up: Lambeth Heritage Festival showcases local history during September 2018

 

[friendofdorothy]

love this from the brochure:

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Coming up: Lambeth Heritage Festival showcases local history during September 2018

and more in Lambeth and beyond over weekend of 22 / 23 September for London Open House weekend - listing released tomorrow.

Some places still seeking volunteer stewards (generally doing meet / greet / basic front of house sort of stuff - half a day is the usual)

 

[editor]

love this from the brochure:

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There was a thread here about it Brixton roller rink

And a feature here:

Brixton Skating Rink, Effra Road, Brixton, Lambeth, London. Historical Brixton - old and new photos of Brixton, Lambeth, London, SW9 and SW2

 

[T & P]

Random question but one thats been bugging me. Does anyone know roughly how old the big tree opposite the Ritzy is?

 

[editor]

Random question but one thats been bugging me. Does anyone know roughly how old the big tree opposite the Ritzy is?

I'm not sure if it helps much, but there's loads of archive pics here: Brixton History: over 120 years of the Brixton Tate Library and Gardens in photos

Is this it?

I think it's a London plane tree in which case this may help age it: Platanus × acerifolia - Wikipedia

 

[T & P]

Thanks. I guess looking at archive images of the square would be a straightforward way to see when it was first planted. I’d also be interested to see how young it was when first planted.

It’s a magnificent tree and looks in rude health and happy as Larry to be there, despite (or perhaps because) the highly polluted local air.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

discovered this twitter feed today

Loughborough Road SW9 history (@RoadSw9) on Twitter

may be of interest - today's is 1901 plans for the Loughborough Hotel-

 

[BusLanes]

Brixton East has been coming up a bit of late with the election- anyone know what has happened with that council feasibility thing? I confess to not following it

 

[editor]

15 years ago Brixton 15 years Ago: A lost Banksy, Top Cats at the Fridge, Stockwell skatepark and more, August 2003

Brixton 15 years Ago: A lost Banksy, Top Cats at the Fridge, Stockwell skatepark and more, August 2003

 

[killer b]

I saw the Top Cats at The Fridge that summer, supporting (then providing the backing band for) Laurel Aitken - was it that show? Vanessa Feltz was in the audience. Great gig.

 

[editor]

I saw the Top Cats at The Fridge that summer, supporting (then providing the backing band for) Laurel Aitken - was it that show? Vanessa Feltz was in the audience. Great gig.

I'm not sure. They had a residency there for a while. I do remember seeing the Feltz there one night though.

 

[killer b]

She often slips a bit of decent reggae into her early morning show on Radio 2, think she's well into it.

 

[editor]

She often slips a bit of decent reggae into her early morning show on Radio 2, think she's well into it.

You listen to Vanessa Feltz?!

 

[killer b]

I do sometimes in the car if I've got an early start. She play some decent tunes and has a bizarre presenting style that I really enjoy.