General Brixton history - photos, stories etc

[editor]

Pope's Road, 1959.
To the left are some coal offices and a café ('Drink Pepsi Cola today') while behind you can see houses where Pop Brixton now stands, and in the distance, the top of the Canterbury Arms.

In the foreground are fruit and veg stalls, including C & J Ball, 'noted for quality and quantiry'

 

[felonius monk]

That cafe is where Tesco opened in 1966 (and later became Kwik Save when they moved to Acre Lane). Tesco had a store in Station Road as early as 1940, according to a crime report in the Norwood News in May 1940. I assume that closed when the superstore opened.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

 

[CH1]

That cafe is where Tesco opened in 1966 (and later became Kwik Save when they moved to Acre Lane). Tesco had a store in Station Road as early as 1940, according to a crime report in the Norwood News in May 1940. I assume that closed when the superstore opened.

Just like to comment that there was a 7 year gap where the premises stood empty after Tescos removed to Acre Lane.
It was thought at the time that Tescos had some sort of agreement to prevent another food supermarket on that site to allow the Acre Lane store to establish it's trade.

I think on research you will find that Tesco closed in Popes Road in 1986 and Kwik Save opened there in 1993. Kwik Save then closed their Brixton Road store (currently Brixton Cycles) at 296-298 Brixton Road.

Ironically the 296-298 Brixton Road premises had been "Victor Value" and also Fine Fare. Victor Value closed some time in the early 1980s when the chain was acquired by Tescos (and the Brixton branch shut). Its all a bit like musical chairs.

 

[editor]

Pre-Cooltan, Coldharbour Lane, 1960s

 

[JenniBrown]

I have these old photos of Cormont Road School. I am presuming this is Saint Gabriel’s College, which later became the 1st London General Hospital and is now sitting desolate as another local white elephant.

However, I can find limited evidence it was ever called Cormont Road School. Is there anywhere online I could look or would I need to delve deeper into the archives.

There seem to be no other suitable locations where these could be from so I am fairly confident this is the right place.

View attachment 289592

View attachment 289593

Cormont secondary modern school merged with Loughborough Central school in 1959/ 1960 and moved into the brand new Stockwell Manor comprehensive school on Stockwell road. I was 13 at the time and was a pupil at Loughborough.

 

[JenniBrown]

found another chunk of 'ancestry' on local council's website and think i've got it

from 1920 kelly's brixton and clapham directory -

View attachment 251698

in post 1945 maps, 54 Elliott Road (by then on the corner of cancell road) matches this place on 1895 OS map

View attachment 251699

about here

A thread resurrection:

In 1947 the dairy was on the south side of Treherne road, corner with Elliot road. There were no other shops on that side of Elliot road down to Lothian Road until you got to the corner of Lothian road and Elliot road where Rolf's the grocers were. Horrible man, he was always trying to get me into trouble

 

[Puddy_Tat]

it obviously took a while for the old 'watch' to be fully replaced by the police

 

[Rushy]

it obviously took a while for the old 'watch' to be fully replaced by the police

Currently yours for $3.99 ...

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Currently yours for $3.99 ...

hmm, thanks.

think i can live without...

 

[CH1]

Query/request.

Anyone seen pictures of Michael Tippett's Festival of Youth staged at Brockwell Park near the Lido in 1939.
Nothing like this in Lambeth's archive (according to my contact at South London News), and also the indefatigable Ron Higgs has drawn a blank I was wondering about Morely College. They mention the event - which seems to have been held over several days - in their 1939 Annual Report.
I am thinking I may have seen the photo(s) at some show in the gallery next to the college, and this could have been 10 or more years ago. I suppose I could email them. They only put current events on their website.

What I saw was an open-air concert - and I think some sort of floral arch over Brockwell Park Herne Hill gates anouncing what iut was.
Any suggestions?

 

[lang rabbie]

Query/request.

Anyone seen pictures of Michael Tippett's Festival of Youth staged at Brockwell Park near the Lido in 1939.
Nothing like this in Lambeth's archive (according to my contact at South London News), and also the indefatigable Ron Higgs has drawn a blank I was wondering about Morely College. They mention the event - which seems to have been held over several days - in their 1939 Annual Report.
I am thinking I may have seen the photo(s) at some show in the gallery next to the college, and this could have been 10 or more years ago. I suppose I could email them. They only put current events on their website.

What I saw was an open-air concert - and I think some sort of floral arch over Brockwell Park Herne Hill gates anouncing what iut was.
Any suggestions?

The 'Symphony of Youth' - I don't currently have online access to Newspaper Archive but suspect there might be a photo with the contemporary Norwood News article cited in the notes to Oliver Foden's biography of Tippett

 

[lang rabbie]

The 'Symphony of Youth' - I don't currently have online access to Newspaper Archive but suspect there might be a photo with the contemporary Norwood News article cited in the notes to Oliver Foden's biography of Tippett

View attachment 312211

 

[Puddy_Tat]

this suggests that (at least some) morley college archives have passed to lambeth borough.

would suggest contacting morley first off, then lambeth (can't find anything in their online archive, but they may not have digitised everything yet)

south london press includes a history / heritage sort of page - may be worth contacting them and see if they want to pick it up / ask if anyone has picture.

might not do any harm to contact friends of brockwell park / brixton society?

I don't currently have online access to Newspaper Archive but suspect there might be a photo with the contemporary Norwood News article cited in the notes to Oliver Foden's biography of Tippett

you don't need a login to see if something's there and get a thumbnail of the page - looks like just text, though. don't know if local libraries offer full access in branches.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

stretching it slightly, but we don't have a kennington forum



the (bomb damaged) Horns Tavern was opposite Kennington Park Post office (about here)

haven't got the other locations yet, it's late...

 

[CH1]

The website ReelStreets has an interesting view of Loughborough Junction in 1953 Bot Verification
The army vet gone to the bad Ginger Edwards is here striding away from Loughborough Junction station towards Camberwell - with Loughborough Park Congregational Chapel over the road behind him

Here is the scene today - again from ReelStreets.com who specialise in then and now still shots.
The films is "The Intruder" starring Jack Hawkins

 

[Puddy_Tat]

stockwell bus garage is 70 years old today - and an open day planned for 11 June

 

[CH1]

A 1987 photo of Rayleigh Workshop, Saltoun Road (ex Brixton Liberal Club and ultimately to be Black Cultural Archive (front - with addition) and private bespoke furniture workshop (rear in the modified public assembly hall)
(Peter Marshall on Flickr)

 

[editor]

A 1987 photo of Rayleigh Workshop, Saltoun Road (ex Brixton Liberal Club and ultimately to be Black Cultural Archive (front - with addition) and private bespoke furniture workshop (rear in the modified public assembly hall)View attachment 317036
(Peter Marshall on Flickr)

Pics from the early 2000s:

Raleigh Hall, Brixton – scenes of dereliction from the 2000s

It’s great to see Raleigh Hall in Windrush Square, Brixton finally coming back to life as the Black Cultural Archives, but for many years the place was a derelict eyesore. Before it became un…

www.brixtonbuzz.com

 

[editor]

Station Road, Brixton, 1973. It wasn't that long ago that the stalls would stretch almost all the way to Valencia Place...
[pic]

 

[CH1]

Anyone know anything about the Brockwell Park open air theatre? - here shown damaged by a flying bomb 1944

I was interested in the production of a pageant-style event in 1939 in Brockwell Park called "A symphony of Youth" - script by Louis Golding and musical arrangements by Michael Tippett. One source claims Bruce Forsythe was a participant - playing the violin presumably still a schoolboy. Brucie did apparently go to the Italia Conte theatre school - but in his time it was not in Brixton, but near Conway Hall in Bloomsbury, until bombed out.

Here is a programme for a Gilbert and Sulllivan show from either 1937 or 1943 (Monday 12th July is mentioned)

In the light of this advisory 1943 looks more likely

 

[Puddy_Tat]

on tweeter today from lambeth archives

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Outline plans for an elevated road from Blackfriars to Brixton, with an extension to the south circular road, complete with roundabout (off flyover?) on coldharbour lane.

Here

(but plans date from the 1937 london highways development survey so don't worry)

last sold price i can find for a copy of the whole thing is 75 quid. bugger.

 

[teuchter]

Outline plans for an elevated road from Blackfriars to Brixton, with an extension to the south circular road, complete with roundabout (off flyover?) on coldharbour lane.

Here

(but plans date from the 1937 london highways development survey so don't worry)

last sold price i can find for a copy of the whole thing is 75 quid. bugger.

Yikes!

Were they planning to co-opt the railway viaduct from Elephant Walworth Road to Blackfriars, then?

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Were they planning to co-opt the railway viaduct from Elephant Walworth Road to Blackfriars, then?

unless i get hold of a copy of the full document, not sure. possibly alongside, possibly above (ideas as half-baked as that did get floated)

 

[Puddy_Tat]

from tweeter

somewhere between 1908 - 1913.

 

[CH1]

Has this been on before? Ballet at the Brockwell Park open air theatre 1947

Ballet in Brockwell Park

Dancers from the Three Arts Ballet stretch and prepare to go on stage. We see the audience of a matinee, inlcuding a woman with a baby in a pram while the dancers perform in classical style costumes. This clip is taken from the film London's Green Heritage, the full description of this title can...

www.londonpicturearchive.org.uk

plus D'Oyly Carte doing "The Gondoliers" at Brockwell Park open air theatre "c1942"

 

[CH1]

1982. More Coin Street than Brixton - but rather frightening nevertheless.
Bob Hoskins and Barry Norman wander around the South Bank discussing proposed developments, and how it will destroy the character of the area - which it did and more.
Seems to be from an Omnibus.

 

[ska invita]

Great website and archive​

​

Brixton Gentrification Struggles 1993-2021: A Timeline

brixton-timeline.maydayrooms.org

 

[TopCat]

Great website and archive​

​

Brixton Gentrification Struggles 1993-2021: A Timeline

brixton-timeline.maydayrooms.org

Really enjoyed reading that.