General Brixton history - photos, stories etc
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Puddy_Tat
santa paws, do you ever come to the ghetto?
did you see the bit about post-war dog kennel hill trams in model form?
(don't think he's exhibiting that one at the moment)
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
Apologies if someone posted this previously. My brother (a pirate radio obsessive) pointed it out.
BBC Four - The Last Pirates: Britain's Rebel DJs
This is an account of pirate radio in South London - mainly between 1980 and 1987.
The Thatcher government offered the pirates an amnesty in 1987 - promising licences if they came off air.
Inevitably this was reneged on - and we got Jazz FM. instead.
There was a second round of this in 1989, and the DJs/promoters of Kiss FM decided to come off air and were given a licence - but then found commercial pressures pushing themto the centre ground away from their black music genres.
The BBC link above expires on 30th August, but someone seems to have upped the same thing permanently here.
There are a lot of south London street scenes - Brixton (mainly non-riot)
People interviewed include Trevor Nelson and Jazzy B and lots of people prominent in the black music pirate radio world who I can't name.
Interested to see vinyl singles still in vogue at Kiss FM post legalisation in 1990.
BBC Four - The Last Pirates: Britain's Rebel DJs
This is an account of pirate radio in South London - mainly between 1980 and 1987.
The Thatcher government offered the pirates an amnesty in 1987 - promising licences if they came off air.
Inevitably this was reneged on - and we got Jazz FM. instead.
There was a second round of this in 1989, and the DJs/promoters of Kiss FM decided to come off air and were given a licence - but then found commercial pressures pushing themto the centre ground away from their black music genres.
The BBC link above expires on 30th August, but someone seems to have upped the same thing permanently here.
There are a lot of south London street scenes - Brixton (mainly non-riot)
People interviewed include Trevor Nelson and Jazzy B and lots of people prominent in the black music pirate radio world who I can't name.
Interested to see vinyl singles still in vogue at Kiss FM post legalisation in 1990.
Puddy_Tat
santa paws, do you ever come to the ghetto?
editor
hiraethified
Marks & Sparks
www.brixtonbuzz.com
Brixton history: the faded Art Deco elegance of Marks & Spencer, Brixton Road
Although in desperate need of some attention, the Marks & Spencer building in Brixton Road remains one of the few examples of Art Deco architecture in central Brixton. Completed in 1931, the bu…
www.brixtonbuzz.com
jezg
Well-Known Member
A recent interview with Magda Borowiecka, Lead Architect of the Barrier Block:
www.brixtonbrewery.com
The Accidental Brutalist: Magda Borowiecka
s part of our series, Characters of Coldharbour Lane, raising a glass to the people and places along Coldharbour Lane, Barrier Block architect, Magda Borowiecka spoke to us about her extraordinary life and career, and the only thing she likes about her best-known building. Anyone who’s ever...
www.brixtonbrewery.com
Ol Nick
beer in Brixton
That's brilliantA recent interview with Magda Borowiecka, Lead Architect of the Barrier Block:
The Accidental Brutalist: Magda Borowiecka
s part of our series, Characters of Coldharbour Lane, raising a glass to the people and places along Coldharbour Lane, Barrier Block architect, Magda Borowiecka spoke to us about her extraordinary life and career, and the only thing she likes about her best-known building. Anyone who’s ever...
editor
hiraethified
Interesting article - I'm half way writing a piece about her too because I'm fed up with people telling me that she killed herself or that the the block was built 'the wrong way around.'A recent interview with Magda Borowiecka, Lead Architect of the Barrier Block:
The Accidental Brutalist: Magda Borowiecka
s part of our series, Characters of Coldharbour Lane, raising a glass to the people and places along Coldharbour Lane, Barrier Block architect, Magda Borowiecka spoke to us about her extraordinary life and career, and the only thing she likes about her best-known building. Anyone who’s ever...
Could have used a few less plugs for your own beer though.
jezg
Well-Known Member
Nice, I have some scans of documents(some we used) from her son I can share for your article if of interest. He might have others too.
editor
hiraethified
Websters shoe shop closes after 140 years of service to Brixton -
I was saddened to find out about that Websters, one of the last family-run businesses in central Brixton, has closed for good. The shoe shop had served Brixton for over 140 years - it's been here since 1850 - but with Mr Webster retiring and none of his family inclined to take over, the business
www.urban75.org
editor
hiraethified
St Jude Church (NOT housing - see below) on Dulwich Road
GENUKI: St Jude, East Brixton, Church of England, Surrey
St Jude, East Brixton, Church of England Surrey genealogy
Last edited:
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
No its not. It is an office for some sort of architecture firm.View attachment 230354
St Jude Churhc (now housing) on Dulwich Road
GENUKI: St Jude, East Brixton, Church of England, Surrey
St Jude, East Brixton, Church of England Surrey genealogywww.genuki.org.uk
A couple of years ago one of their employees, who is also a leading light in Frienbds of Brockwell Park gave an illustrated talk about the building and the history of the parish in Brockwell Hall as parft of the Lambeth Heritage Festival.
St Jude's - a Victorian church repurposed
see page eleven https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/sites/default/files/heritageleaflet2018.pdf
The picture you have posted is splendd - but the new owner has inserted a mezzanine floor so such a view is now a thing of the past.
At the expense of boring you to death I knew Rev Dennis Peterson the last vicar to use that church building.
He had a flamboyant story telling manner, a great asset in electriying his sermons.
He told me he succeeded in getting the parish years before as he was the only candidate willing to wear a stoll whilst preaching the sermon.
It seems the benefactor who had the right to appoint the incumbent at St Judes was high church.
Rev Dennis said, after he settled into the job he became a Christian. So basically when the old church building needed to close or have massively expensive repairs he was happy to move the congregation to the gym of St Judes School - tambourines included. I guess he thought by that point that church buildings hindered the true faith.
editor
hiraethified
What, all of it? Blimey. There's always loads of cars outside so I thought it must be residential.
They must almost be as big as Squire & Partners!
Edit to add: these are the people. Not architecture though. And they've just bought Farmers Weekly.
Home
Not quite sure what it is they do, mind....
editor
hiraethified
A rather odd publicity stunt!
America's Fastest Shoppers Hit Brixton For A Tesco Supermarket Sweep (1966) - Flashbak
America's Fastest Shoppers Hit Brixton For A Tesco Supermarket Sweep (1966)
flashbak.com
friendofdorothy
Solidarity against neoliberalism!
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
Publishing/PR Maybe editor's link gives the clue.
Meanwhile I forget to go on about Budget Furniture - an office furniture business which seems to have been there between the closure of St Judes as a church building and what it is now. I was hoping to post up a photo, but nothing on Google. I think Budget Furniture may have stopped trading around 2000 - replaced by the firm there now.
friendofdorothy
Solidarity against neoliberalism!
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
Yes - it was what would now be called a recycling operation. They bought desks etc from firms closing down, moving, or selling surplus stock, fixed it up if necessary, and sold & delivered to local buyers.
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
This film was pretty ghastly in my opinion, but my last memory or raves etc was the Old Cooltan in Effra Road in the mid 1980s.
A lot of the rave scenes were shot in St John's Angell Town - and the vicar probably regretted it.
That was the one BEFORE Rosemarie Mallet. I woldn't think Rosemarie Mallet or the new vicar recently installed would have been keen to offer their church and vicarage as a set for this film - but you never know.
editor
hiraethified
Stationmaster at East Brixton station
From eBay: "
his is a photo of George Crittenden who was Station Master at the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway station at East Brixton
Prior to this he was Station Master at Withyham in East Sussex from 1901
On the 1911 census he is showing as living at 51 Barrington Road Brixton which was right near the Railway Station which has been closed since 1976"
From eBay: "
his is a photo of George Crittenden who was Station Master at the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway station at East Brixton
Prior to this he was Station Master at Withyham in East Sussex from 1901
On the 1911 census he is showing as living at 51 Barrington Road Brixton which was right near the Railway Station which has been closed since 1976"
Puddy_Tat
santa paws, do you ever come to the ghetto?
out of curiosity to see if there's a station master's house standing...
I make it 59 not 51
which is the house next door to the station (the railways often provided a house for station master - also worked to their advantage in that he was close to hand if the shit hit the fan when he was in theory off duty)
house looks tired in 1972 (from disused stations website) - gate might be in southern region green, but may be coincidence.
No mention on disused stations of a station master's house, and i don't have a history of the LBSCR, or a map showing what was there before the railway came along, but it seems the house went with the job.
1896 and 1904 london suburbs directory has Mr Walter Guildford in residence
By 1919, Mr Crittenden had moved on, and Henry Richard Holdaway had the job and house.
Raises the question of whether the railway built the house, or bought / leased it when the station opened.
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
Great picture. The current situation is that it has been given some attention by the current owners.out of curiosity to see if there's a station master's house standing...
I make it 59 not 51
View attachment 231146
which is the house next door to the station (the railways often provided a house for station master - also worked to their advantage in that he was close to hand if the shit hit the fan when he was in theory off duty)
house looks tired in 1972 (from disused stations website) - gate might be in southern region green, but may be coincidence.
No mention on disused stations of a station master's house, and i don't have a history of the LBSCR, or a map showing what was there before the railway came along, but it seems the house went with the job.
1896 and 1904 london suburbs directory has Mr Walter Guildford in residence
View attachment 231147
By 1919, Mr Crittenden had moved on, and Henry Richard Holdaway had the job and house.
View attachment 231148
Raises the question of whether the railway built the house, or bought / leased it when the station opened.
New railings - a (presumably) council tree in front, but house or flat owners have planted shrubs between 59 & 61.
At some point maybe 20 or more years ago this building was made into two flats.
Your question regarding ownership of the house:
Seemingly the land between the railway and Coldharbour Lane was bought by the railway company to build the tracks.
I live about half-way down the terrace between here and the Control Tower. That strip of land was evidently sold off and developed after the railway was finished .
Clearly the houses were not all built in one go. 1-16 Victoria Terrace (ie 320-290 Coldharbour Lane) were built first in the late 1860s. Looks like 284 & 286 came after 320-290 - for some reason 288 is a later infill. Perhaps the Mansion blocks were early 1890s.
In 1986 my deeds make reference to the London Brighton and South Coast Railway as being one of the parties who sold the land - by a deed of covenant on 27th September 1867.
I went on a guided walk by Alan Piper a few years back dealing with East Brixton and social housing. I'm sure he said that he tought the house at 59 Barrington Road must have originaly been half of a pair, the left hand one having been demolished to build the railway. Difficult to be sure - but this looks plausible to me from the rather abruptly truncated and unsymetrical LH edge.
It follows from the above that 59 Barrington Road must have already belonged to the South Coast Railway when they offered it as accomodation to their station master.
I took the picture below this afternoon.
teuchter
je suis teuchter
This is the map you want - it shows things after the first railway line is built but prior to the second (southernmost) viaduct being built.
I'm never quite sure how literally to take these maps - were there actually 4 houses between the railway line and coldharbour lane or does it just mean "a few"?
It does however suggest that there were houses there before that second viaduct (the one with east brixton station on it) was built, and some of these would have been demolished in order to build the second one. So the idea that that house is a survivor from a part demolished pair seems plausible.
I'm never quite sure how literally to take these maps - were there actually 4 houses between the railway line and coldharbour lane or does it just mean "a few"?
It does however suggest that there were houses there before that second viaduct (the one with east brixton station on it) was built, and some of these would have been demolished in order to build the second one. So the idea that that house is a survivor from a part demolished pair seems plausible.
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
Compare it to a tithe map, there should be one from the 1840s somewhere
